What DSLR camera do streamers use

The best streamers in the world all have one thing in common. Well, maybe two: they have a big and committed following, and one heck of a camera to show themselves off with. While webcams from the likes of Logitech and Razer have made strides as far as picture quality goes, nothing can really beat the quality of an actual DSLR camera. 

The biggest difference between a webcam and DSLR cameras is their image quality. DSLR cameras are more detailed and feature-rich, have better low-light capabilities, and many more customizable features are included with them—especially when it comes to picture quality. While webcams can shoot in 4K or get 1080p in 60fps, they trade picture quality and customization for simplicity. All you have to do for a webcam is plug it in and place it on the top of your screen. DSLR’s can easily plug-and-play into a PC as well, but you need a tripod or somewhere to place your camera. Then there’s the price difference between both, which is easily what turns more common people toward webcams.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Canon's EOS series of cameras are some of the best that Canon offers and are used by just about any and everyone in the visual media space. Although it may be a few years old now, the EOS 5D Mark IV might just be one of the best cameras that Canon has ever produced.

The 5D Mark IV features a 30.4MP sensor along with a DIGICX 6+ sensor to create sharp picture quality, and it can record at 4K at either 24fps or 30fps. It also records easily at 1080p (and both 60fps and 720p and 120fps, but without audio). Along with its impressive camera quality features, it also has a very impressive autofocus feature which is perfect for streaming to make you stand out from the rest of your background, regardless of the setting. It is almost like having an entire Nvidia Broadcast software in a camera, without the Nvidia part.

Here’s the kicker, its price. The EOS 5D Mark IV starts, body alone at $2,700. Remember, buying a DSLR camera for streaming purposes is an investment in itself, possibly even more than your actual desktop. However, if you decide to spend the money, you are getting one of the best cameras ever made.

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Nikon D780

Not to be outdone by their rival Canon, the Nikon D780 brings just about the same quality as Canon’s EOS 5D Mark IV above, but at about $500 less and with a few caveats.

The D780 also features 4K video capabilities, except with a lesser, 24MP sensor. It can record in 4K UHD at 2160p/30 fps, along with full HD 1080p from anywhere in between 25-100 fps (60 fps is the sweet spot here). However, unlike Canon, it features a 51-point autofocus system that is blazing fast and pinpoint accurate, but that comes at the sacrifice of image stabilization. Considering that your camera will be sitting still on a tripod during your streams, that shouldn’t be much of an issue unless you tend to move around a lot and throw tantrums on streams for views (it happens, trust me).

While this camera is just about as sharp and fast as its rival 5D Mark IV, it features incredible image quality and processing speed at the sacrifice of a few features, like image stabilization and even a flash. But for those looking to save even a few dollars on an already $2,000-plus camera, Nikon id always a good choice.

Canon EOS 80D

For those not looking to drop over $2,000 on a DSLR camera, the EOS 80D comes in at just around $1,000, nearly half the price of either of the two cameras listed above, and is a favorite amongst vloggers and streamers alike.

The EOS 80D features a similar 24MP sensor as the previously mentioned and twice-as-expensive Nikon D780 along with a 45-point all cross-type autofocus, giving you accurate, clear imagery regardless of the lighting. Although it may be half a step slower than the two $2,000 DSLR cameras listed above, you still get almost the same image quality with the DIGIC 6 processor, even though it caps at 1080p.

The truth is, while you are able to hit 4K resolution with your main camera with the two cameras listed above, you won’t really notice the 4K resolution when on stream and a lot of your viewers won't. Cameras like the EOS 80D provide just as similar and practical image quality at nearly half of the price of the newer, more feature-rich DSLR cameras. The 80D, and even the newer, slightly more expensive 90D, work great as streaming cameras and will save you a ton of money in the end.

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Panasonic Lumix GH4

Panasonic cameras, let alone everything else just about, tend to get lost in the shuffle of electronics when compared to the big names today. The Lumix GH4 comes in at around $700 and keeps par with the powerhouse cameras from both Canon and Nikon, and is also the first of two mirrorless cameras on this list, giving it blazing fast speed for capturing any and all images, also perfect for streaming.

The GH4 features cinema-grade DCI 4K video recording at 24fps, seamless UHD 4K video recording at 30fps, and full HD 1080p recording at 60fps. The cinema-grade 4K is the most intriguing part with the GH4 as it is the lone camera on this list to feature that kind of quality recording, which would make any streaming cam shot really, really intriguing from a quality perspective. It is definitely overkill, but we’ll take it.

The best part of the GH4 is its quality for the price. Although you can get the upgraded GH5 for about twice the cost, you can get a camera that provides impressive cinema-level quality for your stream for not just under $1,000, but under $700, making this an absolute steal.

Sony Alpha a7 III

Sony’s mirrorless cameras hit the scene hard a few years ago and the Alpha a7 III is one of the best of the line and is perfect for streaming. 

For starters, size factor alone the a7 should not take up a lot of desk space as it's not a big, bulky DSLR camera like those from Canon or Nikon. The a7 is another mirrorless camera that has made this list and features a 24.2MP Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor and a BIONZ image processor, both of which mean that it is as reliable as they come for autofocus, subject tracking, and wide-frame coverage. Its high-performance BIONZ image processor results in reduced noise, making for much better image clarity, even with an image sensor that is under 30MP. It also shoots video in 4K, giving you the 4K camera footage that you would want for your stream and it connects easily to your PC with its own HDMI output.

The Alpha a7 III isn’t a cheap camera by any means, and can give the top-line Canon and Nikon cameras a good run for their money. Sony’s mirrorless cameras provide almost all of the same features as the bigger Canon and Nikon DSLR’s within a much smaller package.

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