Sony A7S III is the camera of choice for the biggest photography YouTubers

YouTube Jared Polin
(Image credit: YouTube: Gerald Undone)

It's official: Sony the brand of choice for the biggest camera and photography YouTubers – and the Sony A7S III is overwhelmingly their preferred camera.  

That's the takeaway from YouTube sensation Gerald Undone, who completed his annual 'What Camera Gear Do YouTubers Use?' video (which you can see below) to see what professional vloggers feel is the best YouTube cameras.  

• Read more: Best cameras for streaming

The survey featured 40 of the biggest names in the YouTube photography space, including the likes of Marques Brownlee, Jared "Fro Knows Photo" Polin, Gordon Laing, Chris Hau, PiXimperfect and others. 

Sony was far and away the most popular brand, used by 72.5% of the group. Canon was next with 10%, followed by Panasonic with 7.5%, then Nikon, Fujifilm and Red with 2.5% each (which amounted to just a single camera per brand).

Watch video: What Camera Gear Do YouTubers Use (2021 Edition)

The most popular camera, by far, is the Sony A7S III chosen by 47.5% of YouTubers – a total of 19. The only other cameras used by more than one person were the Sony A1, Sony FX3 and Sony FX6, which were chosen by two people each. 

Everything else? The Canon EOS R5, Panasonic S1H, Canon EOS C70, Fujifilm X-T4, Nikon Z6… only a single person chose each camera. 

So, if the people who film content for a living chose it more than any other camera, is the A7S III the best body for YouTube? Not necessarily. 

Bear in mind that these folks are all tech heads, and they're seriously concerned with bitrates, codecs, log profiles… things that the vast majority of content creators probably don't need to worry about. Your phone can do a brilliant job of filming, as can a video-focused compact camera. So don't be too swayed by the pros! 

Here's the full breakdown of who uses what…

Swipe to scroll horizontally
YouTuber / ChannelCamera
DSLR Video ShooterPanasonic S1
Tom BuckSony A7S III
Manny OrtizSony FX3
iPhonedoSony A1
Gerald UndoneSony A1
Philip BloomSony A7S III
DPReview TVPanasonic S1H
Potato JetCanon EOS C70
Marques BrownleeRed Monster 8K
Make. Art. Now.Sony A7S III
Tom GreenSony A7S III
Peter LindgrenSony A7S III
Cody WannerSony A7S III
Levi AllenSony A7S III
Jersey DriftwoodCanon EOS C70
Patrick TomassoFujifilm X-T4
Hardware CanucksSony A7S III
Becki and ChrisSony A7S III
Carlos QuinteroSony A7S III
Jacques SladeSony FX6
Rene RichieCanon EOS C500 Mark II
iJustineSony A7S III
Dunna Did ItSony A7S III
The Everyday DadPanasonic S5
PiXimperfectSony A7 III
Sara DietschySony A7S III
Fro Knows PhotoCanon EOS R5
Lee ZavitzSony A6100
Valentina VeeSony A7S III
EposVoxSony A7C
Tommy CallawaySony A7S III
Fellow FilmmakerCanon EOS 6D Mark II
Chris HauSony A7S III
James MatthewsSony FX6
Gordon LaingSony A6400
Lizzie PierceSony A7S III
New LayerSony A7S III
Chris BrockhurstSony FX3
Terry WarfieldSony A7S III
Atola VisualsNikon Z6

Read more:

Sony A7S III review
Sony A1 review
Sony FX3 review
Sony FX6 review
Canon EOS R5 review
Panasonic S1H review
Canon EOS C70 review
Fujifilm X-T4 review
Nikon Z6 review 

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James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.