MPB guide: best Canon kit for YouTubers

For this video we teamed up with Olly, from the table-top gaming channel Broadsword Wargaming, to explore three great Canon options for budding videographers looking to level up their YouTube game. Let’s take a look at the entry-level mirrorless Canon EOS M100, the mid-range all-rounder Canon EOS 250D DSLR and the feature-packed Canon Cinema EOS C100 EF cine cam.

Watch the video below, or read the transcript below.

Hi, my name's Olly and I'm here in conjunction with MPB to talk to you about cameras, equipment and other things you may need that will help improve the quality of your streams. In the world we live in, Twitch, Youtube and other media outlets are bigger than ever—and in fact, still growing. So, how do you rise above the rest? Yes, you need the personality. Yes, you need the right games. But you also need the right equipment—and you need the right equipment that you can afford. 

So, I'm here to help and I will go through three different cameras, at three different budgets: an entry-level, a mid-tier and a higher-tier camera, explain all the different features and how these will help you.

I'm mainly going to be focusing on using Canon cameras, but I will offer you options for things like Olympus, Sony, Panasonic, and Nikon, where I think they're applicable and where they are of a similar standard or budget to the cameras I'm talking about. We're going to go through the Canon EOS M100, the Canon EOS 250D and the Canon EOS C100, plus talk about lenses, and then at the end, I'll talk about lighting and some of the background things that you might not be thinking about.

The Canon EOS Rebel SL3—or EOS 250D—isn't Canon's cheapest DSLR. But, I think it's the cheapest one I would recommend. Having used the likes of the Canon EOS 750D or the Canon EOS 200D, it has a couple of extra features that tip it over the line. Dual-pixel autofocus is incredibly helpful because not only does this focus on your face, but it also picks up—with an extra sensor—your eyes, and having your eyes in focus in any shot is ideal. It also has the ability to shoot 4k video, great for streaming and for YouTube videos. But if recording videos, just make sure you have an SD card with a quick enough read-write speed. Sleek, thin and light—in fact, one of Canon's lightest weight cameras. It also has a flip-around screen, which you'd find surprisingly useful when recording yourself or streaming as you can see yourself and the frame around you. 

A key factor about this camera, and something that makes it so perfect for streaming, is it has the ability to give you clean HDMI out. What this means is when you're streaming, the camera will still have all of the numbers and the data and the information around the menu screen but the audience won't be able to see it. This also applies to the autofocus, so the audience will not see the camera's squares when they are loading up around your face—which will keep you nice and sharp and in focus. 

The lens used here is the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD IF EF-S. It accepts EF and EFS mount lenses, and also has optical image stabilisers on compatible lenses. The ability to change the framing of a shot is something you're going to need. If you're close to the camera when streaming, 17mm or wider may be necessary. If you have the space, the 50mm will look better—but you need to keep the camera a long way away. 

At the higher-tier price range, I'm going to talk about today, the Canon EOS C100 is the perfect broadcasting, streaming or content-creating camera. If you feel you're pretty comfortable with DSLR cameras, and want to move up to a cine cam, this is probably the place to go. Lightweight, when stripped down, it's easy to mount and it also accepts EF or EFS lenses like the previous ones. It's a super-35 4k sensor. This outputs at 1080p, giving you a super-sharp HD image. Another factor that sets this apart from the 250D is it's great in low light, unlike the 250D where you don't really want to push the ISO above 800 or 1600, whereas this camera gets very usable footage up to around 8000 ISO. It also has a clean HDMI out, that thing we're looking for when you're streaming, and it outputs at 8-bit.

It's very simple to use, all the buttons are quite clearly marked, and whether you're after focus-peaking, waveforms or magnifying to make sure you're in focus in live view, this camera will do it all. If you can afford the extra money and find one, do try and get one that already has dual-pixel autofocus. Being a full-frame camera, you can go to town on the lenses—it just depends on your budget. But something like the Tamron or the Sigma would work fine. If you aren't a Canon fan, the Blackmagic Pocket Pocket Cinema Camera 6k EF—for around £1,700—is a comparable camera, but this is nearly half the price. You will struggle to find a better-value budget cine cam than the C100.

Finally, I want to talk about the Canon EOS M100. Significantly cheaper, lighter and smaller than the previous cameras, it does come cram-packed with a lot of features and is aimed primarily at people looking to upgrade from smartphones or older cameras. It does not come with a clean HDMI out, nor can it film in 4K, but it does have dual-pixel autofocus, focus peaking and an adjustable lens. A flippable touchscreen makes this very useful when you're creating your own content, as it does allow you to see yourself. 

Sacrificing the size of the camera does mean most of the functions have to be changed in the menu. This isn't a bad thing, it is a touchscreen menu, but isn't so easy to change quickly. It also does not have an input for audio, so you have to record on a separate microphone. As for the lens, the standard 15-45mm lens comes in very cheap and is adjustable—as we saw earlier. Although the lens and camera are not as sharp and as good as the previous ones, this is a great place to start if you've never used a digital camera before. 

Those are three great cameras that I have used and can recommend to you, whether you're starting new or you're an experienced YouTuber or streamer. The Canon EOS M100 does have its setbacks and is better suited to a YouTuber rather than a streamer. Yes, it can give you clean HDMI out—but you do have to work around it to get it. It also does not have an input for microphones, so it only uses onboard mics. The flip screen is helpful and it does have a lot of the features that the 250D has—or the predecessors, the 200D or the 750D.

For me, the Canon EOS 250D is the bang-perfect middle-range camera and is—in fact—what I'm talking to you about now, with a 50mm f/1.4 USM lens from Canon. It has everything you need, whether you are YouTubing, streaming or making movies or taking pictures, it is great for all of those things. It isn't too complicated to use, it's a fairly entry-level-style DSLR camera, but with all the things you need: 4K, focus peaking, dual-pixel autofocus—in relation to it focuses on your eye and your face—has timelapse, and can also give you clean HDMI out. So really, for the money, I can't find a better-value camera than that. 

On to finally, the big boy, the C100. This really is a top-quality piece of kit. Yes, it's a relatively old camera now. But it comes with so many features and has multiple inputs for various different types of audio. It is a cinema camera, and if you're looking to make movies or make really high-quality streams or YouTube videos, I can't recommend the C100 enough. 

Not only is it an awesome piece of kit, but it's also a beautiful camera and can accept as many lenses as you like. Audio is another key and integral part of any content creation. It will depend on what your format is, or what your output is, but you have various options available to you. DSLRs that accept audio inputs, you could use a lapel mic or a shotgun mic. A lapel mic would suit one person, a shotgun mic would suit multiple people. But, do make sure the mic is close to you at all times or it will start to sound echoey and bad.

For live streams or voiceovers, you can't go wrong with a good-quality USB mic. Do some research, check them out and see what suits you best. There you have it, that is the video. Hopefully, you have learned something useful here today, and you can take this new information away with you to find a camera that suits both you and your budget. 

MPB are a great company. And, as a content creator, I highly recommend them to you as that is where I get all of my equipment from. All of the cameras and lenses I have mentioned are available at mpb.com and are linked in the description below so do check those out. If you're looking to change gear, have no fear, MPB is the place to go. Take care.

Thanks, Olly.