Over the years, I’ve gotten tons of questions about what type of equipment I use as a content creator. And over the years that has changed as I grew as an established creator in this community, but as I settled into what my brand and style is and began focusing on expanding, I landed on some equipment that I have stood solid with which has allowed me to answer that age old question “What is the best blogger camera?‘
Video blogging, travel blogging, Youtube Vlogger are careers and hobbies that are very natural to hear in 2023. These days, everyone with a camera and an internet connection can be a blogger or vlogger. But if you want to be a successful camera blogger or vlogger, there’s more to it than just pointing and shooting. It takes time, effort, and dedication to build a following and turn your hobby into a career. But if you’re passionate about photography and videography, it can be a rewarding experience.
It’s essential that you are considering investing in your blogging business that you invest in the right equipment and try not to just cut corners on prices of cameras because you don’t want to spend the money. There’s a difference between what you don’t want to spend, and what you can’t spend. So make sure that you’re super mindful of where that line is and know that investing in your business takes you a long way.
When it comes to what’s in my camera bag, I’ve never been one to skimp on quality or features. After all, your blog is only as good as the photos you take. If you’re looking to up your blogging game in 2023, you’re going to need a high-quality camera that can take stunning photos. There are a lot of great cameras on the market, but not all of them are created equal. In this blog post, I’ll share with you my top picks for the best cameras for blogging in 2023. These are the cameras that I use and love, and that I think will help take your blog to the next level.
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BLOGGER CAMERAS, LENSES, AND ACCESSORIES FOR BLOGGING IN 2023
MY PHOTO CAMERA: SONY ALPHA A7III
Back when I first started blogging, I started out with a basic Nikon camera. Now, I’m not saying that Nikon is a bad brand, but the camera that I had was a pretty basic digital camera that wasn’t quite cutting it. So, I went to a local camera store that does rentals and rented out a few options from Canon, which I liked, but wasn’t completely sold on. It was then that I was introduced to the Sony Mirrorless system. We started with the current model of Sony Alpha camera and my husband and I fell in love with the way that it shot and how lightweight it is. Upon renting it out for a few projects, we realized that it was just time to invest in the Sony Alpha camera and we haven’t steered away from Sony since.
The one thing that I really love about my Sony Alpha A7III is that it can double as both a DSLR camera that is focused only on shooting photos but I can also use it as a video blogging camera as well. I’ve used this camera for fashion photo shoots, home lifestyle content, and as a travel blogging camera. It’s so powerful and can do so much, so at one point I was only using this camera and a basic prime lens, before I expanded, and I was creating amazing content for both my blog and video channels.
REASONS WHY I LOVE THE SONY ALPHA A7III & WHY IT’S A GREAT BLOGGER CAMERA:
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LIGHTWEIGHT
As a lifestyle and travel creator, I have to carry around my camera a lot. And it can get strenuous having a bunch of heavy equipment on your back. So having a camera that is not only lightweight to carry around with other equipment but also lightweight to hold is super important to us. The Sony Alpha is probably one of the most lightweight cameras I have ever used. -
EASY TO USE
The interface of the camera is super easy to recognize. I know that with any camera, it takes some time getting use to the different buttons and settings, but when first learning about my Sony, it didn’t take much time. There is a lot of automation in the camera as well so that you don’t have to worry about doing a lot of the manual work even when you are shooting in manual. -
GREAT WITH VARIOUS LIGHTING
With many cameras that I have tried, it was almost impossible to shoot in low light situations, and I’m not a huge fan of using those bright lights that you can carry around or the phone flashlight. With the Sony Alpha A7III, I rarely have to use a light to take photos in low light conditions. With the right aperture, this camera can see things in the dark that other cameras can’t. -
VISUAL QUALITY
The resolution of this camera is top notch. Each time I go into reviewing and editing after a shoot, I’m always stunned without how crisp the photos turn out. Each photo that I have taken over the years have been requested for image use by brands that I have worked with because of the high quality of the photos.
The Sony Alpha A7III is an older model of the Sony Alpha Mirrorless cameras. Right now, I believe they are about to release the Sony Alpha A7V, but that doesn’t mean that you need to purchase the newest version. Sony cameras tend to be a higher price point but the camera provides so much and has great longevity that it becomes a long-term investment. There are other Sony cameras that can be found at a lower price point such as a Sony Alpha a6000 which is a smaller compact camera with great features or the Sony Alpha A7C which is around $1,700 for just the body.
MY VLOGGING CAMERA: SONY ZV-1
For vlogging and for short videos to use on social media, I use the Sony ZV-1. It’s a great compact camera that I can take anywhere with me for shooting on the go, and the flip screen allows me to easily record myself for any talking videos while vlogging. This camera delivers everything that a blogger or vlogger could wish for in a compact camera, and it comes with Sony’s excellent AF system. There’s so many reasons I enjoy the Sony ZV-1 starting with its modest price, web streaming connectivity, compact and lightweight and built in high-quality microphone! A good camera needs to be able to do more than just take quality photos. For me I was looking for a camera that could shoot high quality in 4K, be pocket size, and take quality content. This camera hit and exceeded a lot of my expectations!
MORE AFFORDABLE Cameras
Sony A 6100 Mirrorless
When creating content especially for blogs or even Youtube having a camera that can autofocus and track you as you move around can be critical. What I love about the Sony A 6100 Mirrorless is the auto focus and tracking. This is the best for real time tracking and great for YouTube video content that I do. It’s a great budget vlogging camera for a new or established creator.
Some great pros to this camera are the good low light performance, real-time tracking autofocus, flip-up display (super handy when filming yourself) and being able to film in 4K. A few things to look out on this camera is that there are no headphones jack, relatively low-resolution electronic viewfinder and no in-body sensor stabilizer. It does also give off a plastic feel and doesn’t seem as durable as it could be.
Sony Alpha a7C
The Sony Alpha a7C is a great first camera with a full-frame in a small, compact design. So what makes this camera special is the experience you get in a smaller body. It’s being able to whip this out of a small bag. It’s being able to carry it for hours without noticing. It’s flipping that LCD screen around and taking selfies instantly. A few things to note – 4K limited to 30fps and it does have an older menu system and the battery life can sometimes be touch and go. If those don’t seem to bother you this may be the perfect camera for you.
Sony Alpha A6400
For bloggers, vloggers and independent content creators, the Sony A6400 is very good. Its still image quality is first rate, its 4K video is even better, and its 180-degree screen and eye-detect AF are handy for single-handed video capture. This mirrorless camera is known for excellent auto-focus tracking, a compact travel design and a diverse set of compatible accessories and lenses.
Canon – PowerShot G7
The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III is a good pocket camera with a big 1-inch sensor, a bright zoom lens, and 4K video. Making it one of the best Canon cameras on the market right now, as well as one of the best YouTube cameras to have in your bag. If you’re looking to upgrade from your smartphone this could be your next purchase.
MY MOST USED LENSE: FE 50 MM F1.2 FULL FRAME GM LENS
With most of my content being lifestyle and travel, I decided to invest on one main lens for my blogger camera that I could use for both my lifestyle and outfit photos as well as for my travel photos. The Sony 50mm Full Frame Lens has been the the lens that I cannot leave the house without. While I have other lenses that work well with my camera for other shooting styles, this is the lens that I know that if I have, I’ll be able to create great content. This lens has a fixed focal length, so there is not ability to zoom, but it it captures a whole lot with the the wide frame, so that in post editing, if I don’t want much and want to zoom a little further in, I can crop inward to get closer to the subject. The low aperture on this lens (f1.2) allows to shoot with great depth to get the blur in the background and to be able to shoot at night or in low light location.
If you’re a travel blogger or you’re looking to dive more into the travel niche as a content creator, then a wide frame lens is a lens that you’ll really want to have. Though a zoom lens is also a great one to have a travel creator, a wide frame lens works well for catching your subject, which might be you the majority of the time, while also being able to easily catch the surroundings without worrying about cutting something off. The only downfall to a fixed lens of this type is that if there is a subject, such as an animal, that you are shooting, you’re going to have to approach the subject to get a closer shot versus having a zoom lens that you don’t have to physically move yourself to get closer. This type of lens is the first lens that I recommend buying before getting a zoom lens as it’ll create those epic travel photos that your looking to create for your blog and social media.
OTHER Lenses I’VE USED
Sony – FE 50mm f/1.8 Standard Prime Lens
A small, lightweight, relatively fast, affordable 50mm lens that’s a decent all-rounder when it comes to portraits, landscapes, and pretty much everything else in between. Truly a must have for anyone looking to take a lot of portrait or lifestyle photos. This lens also has a fixed focal point, but doesn’t have the wide aspect. As a prime lens, it is one that many lifestyle and fashion bloggers use because of the low aperture which creates that blurred background and also gives you great clarity on your subject.
FE 50mm F1.2 Full-frame
The Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM is the best standard prime lens available for the system and the one to get if you use a top-end camera. With very little cons this is easily a no brainer. It has high grade of build, quality weather sealing, fast, quiet, and accurate autofocus, and better than average magnification and excellent up close performance. This lens is a little bit pricier than the other prime lenses listed but it’s an absolute great option.
Sony – 10-18mm f/4 Wide-Angle Zoom
Looking for the #1 landscape lense out there? The Sony – 10-18mm f/4 Wide-Angle Zoom is calling your name. Great for landscape and architecture photos but will say a bit of an investment for sure. This is the other lens that I would highly recommend for anyone creating travel content because of the fact that is allows for wide angle, which is a must for any travel content, but is also allows for the zoom aspect for any content that you may be taking from far away that you want to zoom in on. In comparison to other wide angle lens mentioned, this one just doesn’t have the lower aperture. So what you’re gaining in the zoom aspect, you’re losing in the aperture.
Sony – 20mm f/2.8 E-Mount
Looking for something small and compact but has a big punch? The E 20mm F2.8 is the ideal wide-angle pancake lens for your Sony mirrorless camera. It’s a moderate wide angle, similar to what the main lens in most smartphones captures. Relatively affordable, works with fisheye and wide angle converters and slim this is truly small but mighty lens.
MORE AFFORDABLE lenses
Canon – EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard Lens
When space is tight and light weight is important, this lens might be the right one for you. The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens is very useful for low-light indoor photography when a flash is not permitted, appropriate or desired. Good lens and focal length for full-body portraits. Though this is listed as a Canon lens, some lens by other companies can be attached to other brand lens if you have an adapter.
Canon RF 24 – 105mm F4-7.1 IS STM
The Canon RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM is the most affordable zoom lens for the R system, and one of the smallest and lightest full-frame zooms you can get for any camera.You get quick, quiet autofocus, ample zoom coverage, all the while its light and compact.
Canon – RF 24-240mm F4-6.3
Its all about the zoom! The Canon – RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 offers as much zoom power as you’ll find in a full-frame lens and manages to squeeze it into a zoom that’s relatively light and compact. 10x zoom power, sturdy build and quick, quiet autofocus.
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OUR FAVORITE CAMERA BAG: STREET TECH PRO 300
One thing is for sure is that I do have quite a lot of equipment in order to create the content that I love creating. And another thing that is for sure is that I am very protective of my equipment, so when I was searching for a camera bag, I wanted to make sure that I purchased one that fit my essential equipment and kept my blogger camera and other equipment protected. The Street Tech Pro 300 is a camera bag that we have had for many years. It’s durable and it can carry quite a lot of equipment including multiple lenses, our camera body, our drone, laptop, and other camera accessories. It organizes the bag and sections it off so that the equipment is not rubbing together and getting damaged, and I also love that is has other compartments for storing other things we may need when traveling that can be easily accessed without unpacking the entire bag.
MY TRIPOD OF CHOICE: TYCKA COMPACT TRAVEL TRIPOD
When it comes to shooting video content and also shooting photos that involve my friends and family being in the shot, I lean on a trust tripod to have our photos taken. I took some time finding the right one because, in the past, I had tripod that were too bulky or too flimsy, and I didn’t have the patience to try to look for another one that broke while I was traveling and I didn’t want something that was too heavy to carry around. This Travel Tripod is one of the best that I have ever had and I’ve had it for years now. It hasn’t broke, it’s easy to carry around, and it’s very lightweight which makes it the perfect blogger tripod for taking those great photos when you have no one else to take them.
OUR INVISIBLE PHOTOGRAPHER: INTERVALOMETOR FOR SONY
When I discovered the Intervalometer, my life was changed forever. For years, I was propping my camera on a tripod, setting something in the way that stood as me to focus on, and then setting a timer and running into frame hoping the photos would turn out great. But then I discovered this handy device, and taking photos on a tripod became 5000x easier.
An Intervalometer is a small device that you plug into your camera to take a number of photos at an interval. This setting allows you to take how many photos you want with a certain amount of time in between without having to return back to the camera and reset the timer. You’re able to remove, reset, and the device will then refocus as you move then take the picture. Having a timer remote for your camera when traveling is one of the best ways to make sure you get great photos while traveling With a timer remote, you can set your camera to take photos automatically, take photos of yourself in front of landmarks so you don’t have to worry about missing a shot, and are also great for taking group photos or photos of yourself with a group of friends. Plus, you can set the timer to take photos at regular intervals, so you can capture a time lapse of your trip.
What I love most about this timer remote is all the extra settings I can control. It is compatible with Nikon cameras and the timer remote is used to trigger the camera shutter with Delay shooting/Self-timer, Bulb shooting/Long exposure timer, and so many other control settings.
TAKING ACTION & UNDERWATER PHOTOS & VIDEO: GOPRO HERO 10 AND DOME
At one point, I looked into getting an underwater dome for our Sony (and one day we may still) but it was an investment that I wasn’t quite ready for and it also put this fear in me that what if it doesn’t work and my blogger camera gets wet and damaged. So instead, we invested in a GoPro. The GoPro has developed over the years to product high quality photos and video that can be taken underwater and on the go. I love taking my GoPro Hero 10 for any trips where we will be doing any adventurous experiences or heading into the water. This small device can be attached to you to take video while you’re riding a jetski, parasailing, or diving into the depts. And with a dome, it’s great for taking those great photos that are halfway in the water and halfway out.
BEST DRONE FOR CREATORS: DJI MAVIC 2 PRO
It took me awhile to invest in a drone, but once I did, I was so happy that I invested in the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. This is another compact and lightweight drone that takes great quality photos and video. Though the battery isn’t the longest lasting battery, it packs quite a punch when producing the amazing content that you want to make and show off. I love using this for both photography and videography especially because it takes my travel videos to whole other level when with the different settings that the drone has. With its great sensors and high quality tech, you can have the drone do automatic passes over specific areas, you can have it track you so that you don’t have to take video with you holding the remote in your hand, and so much more.
FOR PODCASTING & VOICE OVERS: BLUE YETI MICROPHONE
I love making filming my trips and having a Blue Yeti Microphone for video is one of the best things you can get. Not only will it allow you to have great audio quality, but it will also make you look more professional. This is a great way to improve your brand and make sure that your audience can hear you clearly. I use this microphone for my podcast recording and for any voices overs that I do for any of the videos I make on YouTube. It is one of the top rated microphones that creators are using and it pairs with many different microphone accessories that you may want to invest in at a later time.
FOR SHOOTING WITH MY PHONE: DJI OM 5 SMARTPHONE GIMBAL
If you love traveling and taking videos, then you need a gimbal stabilizer! A gimbal will help you take smooth, steady videos no matter what you’re doing. Whether you’re walking down the street or hiking up a mountain, a gimbal will ensure that your videos are top notch. Enjoy flawless selfies, super-smooth video, automatic tracking with this portable and and palm sized rod! Great for those who are not interested in lugging around a tripod. One thing I really love about this camera are the features that it comes with and the ones that allow for hands free recording with the paired app. If you’re looking to do some recording of yourself but want the camera to track you, the app that goes with the DJI OM 5 has a mode where it tracks your face and follows you as you move.
AT HOME LIGHTING: IHOME GLOW RING
This is a surprisingly great have! This iHome Glow Ring is perfect for creating videos from your phone and for using for any video phone calls that you may have. It’s a great price and is amazing for those who aren’t ready to invest in a full lighting kit and are not fully set on investing in a vlogging camera. For quick videos where I want to post on my social media or if when I am taking clips to create shorter YouTube videos that are beauty focused, this glow ring works perfectly since it allows me to see myself with the mirror, holds my phone, and has a great adjustable light.
MY TRUSTY HARD DRIVE: WD MY BOOK 3TB EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE
Doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a pro this is a MUST HAVE in anyone’s camera bag! You’ll take a lot of photos with your blogger camera and you’ll take plenty of video with the other equipment that you have, which means that you’ll want a hard drive to store all of the raw photos and video on as well as store any historical photos that you take that you’ll want to hold on to. Carry and preserve important files wherever you go with this WD My Book portable hard drive. The 5TB capacity offers ample storage space for your files, while the USB interface ensures compatibility with a wide range of devices.
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