Best YouTube Starter Kit
These days, it’s becoming increasingly popular to try and make it on YouTube or take up vlogging as a pastime. So if you want to take the first steps into videography, you’re going to need some equipment to get you started.
For starters, you need a good camera to guarantee visual quality on YouTube. You might also consider investing in several lenses to ensure you can capture a variety of shots. A microphone is useful for podcasts, and an SD card is necessary for storage. There might be a few other things you need, too.
Fortunately, you can buy convenient YouTube starter kits which combine all the equipment you could possibly need into one handy kit. You don’t have to waste time gathering all of the equipment, so you can focus all of your energy on creating content.
We’ve rounded up some of the best YouTube starter kits, so take a look if you’re keen to start creating!
Here’s what to expect in this article:
- Reviews of the best Youtube starter kit
- A brief buyer’s guide
- Your burning questions answered in a FAQ
Without further ado, here are our top picks…
👑 Our Pick for Best Overall
⭐ Our Other Top Picks for Camera for Podcasting
- Best of the Best: Sony Shooting Grip Bundle B07DRFFQYM
- Runner Up: Canon EOS M50 Video Creator Kit B0101SRIKU
- Best Cheap Starter Kit: Panasonic LUMIX G7 Bundle B07887SCFK
Best YouTube Starter Kit Reviews
Sony Shooting Grip Bundle (⭐ Best of the Best)
We’re going to start this list off with one of the best YouTube starter kits out there. Sony’s recent selection of cameras has pedigree in the world of vlogging and have rose up as a threat to the typically Canon-centric sector.
The first noteworthy feature of the DSC-RX100M6 is that it can shoot 4k videos. The starter kit overall isn’t revolutionary, and it doesn’t have the most amazing vlogging camera in the world — but it’s not too pricey for its contents, and it has the least downsides. Paired with an excellent lens choice, this is more than enough to warrant its position as the best starter kit overall.
The camera itself has a couple of things you should know about. First of all, it can’t shoot lengthy 4k videos without interruption; the maximum length of one video at this resolution is five minutes. This isn’t ideal, but it’s the standard for this price range of 4K cameras.
The camera has a ton of features which include focus peaking, zebra warnings, and many more. Though it lacks a mic socket, which can limit your audio integrative capabilities.
However, the Zeiss lens is one of the best choices for vloggers, period. It works perfectly, it has an excellent zoom, and the stabilization never fails. The kit is completely vlogging-centric, and this lens is a testament to that.
Similarly to the previous YouTube kit we’ve reviewed, this one also comes with a nifty accessory bundle filled with all kinds of goodies:
- Lens Cleaning Kit
- Wrist Strap
- Compact Rubberized Tripod
- SanDisk 64GB Memory
- Card Reader
- VCT-SGR1 Shooting Grip
- Tripod
- Pouch
- 2 Battery Packs
- Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
- HDMI to HDMI Cable
- LCD/Lens Cleaning Pen
With this kind of hardware selection, you’ve practically got everything you need in one easy package. That’s why this is a clear winner — you get a compact camera capable of shooting 4k, excellent imagery, a great lens, and 60FPS at maximum resolutions. It’s not light, and it’s not cheap, but it provides a hefty bang for your buck.
Features:
- Sony DSC-RX100M6 Mark VI
- Zeiss 24-200mm Lens
- Accessories
- Tripod
Canon EOS M50 Video Creator Kit (🥈 Runner Up)
We’ve got another excellent kit — but it’s time to move away from Sony and towards one of the kings of cameras in Canon. The Canon EOS M50 Video Creator Kit was created primarily with vloggers in mind, so if you’re interested in creating a daily vlog or recording yourself talking on various issues it’s an excellent option.
This kit contains one of the most renowned mirrorless cameras you can find on the market today: the Canon EOS M50. It also boasts a top-rated microphone, a few lenses, and an SD card to boot. It has everything you need to start off on your journey to becoming a YouTube vlogger.
There’s no denying that the M50 Canon is one of the finest mid-range cameras you can get your hands on. If you want a quality YouTube starter kit without breaking the bank, this is definitely a solid option. It’s got an intuitive interface, and a wide range of features too. These are the primary reasons why we chose this starter kit as our runner up pick.
The camera’s imaging sensors will provide you with the clearest images you can get at this price range. It can also shoot video in 4k, which means you’ll be able to offer viewers a high-quality viewing experienceon YouTube. Depending on what you’ll be filming, 4K may not be a necessity — especially for home podcasts — but it’s a sign of professionalism in the vlogger niche.
One of the issues with this camera is the lens you get in the kit. The lens doesn’t come with a great aperture, which makes low-light shots an absolute pain. Fortunately there’s another lens in this starter kit that you can use in place of the sub-par base lens.
Interestingly enough, the M50 isn’t just great because of its excellent video quality — but because it has digital stabilization too. This gives you the ability to shoot fast-paced sessions and action-heavy scenes without shaky-cam.
Compared to the best Sony has to offer that we’ll get to briefly, the ESO M50, unfortunately, doesn’t have a wide selection of lenses. Yet the 45mm lens that comes with this kit is simply perfect for vlogging; it solves some of the low-light problems of the base M50 lens and provides additional image stabilization.
For its small size and light frame, you’ll be surprised at the zoom of the lens. It’s a great way to provide your first vlogs with an interesting aesthetic, and it will give you more than enough focus as you shoot.
Next up, we’ve got the Rode Videomic Go.
Obviously, a decent vlog requires a great microphone — this is particularly important if you’re going to film interviews or podcasts with other guests. For a long time, this particular mic has been popular in the vlogging community. The reasons for that are two-fold — on the one hand, it has an optimal sound frequency for recording vlogs. A large majority of vloggers use 100Hz during post-processing anyway.
The other great thing about this mic is that it’s quite easy to use for shooting. There’s no inconvenient plugging in, or additional power cords — let alone any mic controls. You just plug it into the M50 camera, and it starts working. No fuss, and no hassle.
It’s not the best-quality mic, which is another reason why this isn’t the top YouTube starter kit, though it does come quite close. As for the 32GB SD card, it’s a classic Sandisk model that works pretty well. It’s a video card that can deal with HD recordings — which is pretty much all you need to know.
In summary, this is a great kit for its price range — the mic is intuitive and easy to use, the camera is an affordable 4K option, and it’s paired with a decent lens in this package. On the other hand, there are downsides too, that keep it from the top spot.
It’s not the cheapest kit out there, as you’ll soon see in comparison. While the mic is easy to use, some advanced users appreciate having external mic controls that are absent here. And most importantly — the kit doesn’t contain a tripod, which you’ll have to buy separately.
Features:
- Canon EOS M50
- 32GB SD card
- Rode Videomic
- EF-45mm Lens
Panasonic LUMIX G7 Bundle (💰 Best Cheap Starter Kit)
Our final choice on this list of the best YouTube starter kits is the LUMIX G7 Panasonic bundle. We didn’t list the items in any specific order here, but if we did, this bundle could easily take either the top or the bottom spot — depending on what you’re looking for.
On the one hand, the camera included in the kit pales in comparison to the other two. On the other, it’s an incredibly cheap bundle. There’s a reason for that, as the kit contains the least accessories of all three.
We’ve already mentioned that this is arguably the least powerful camera on this list of bundles. That being said, it’s excellent for its price range. It’s got a decent selection of features, and it’s capable of top-level autofocus as well as stabilization which you can count on.
The camera is sturdy, though this comes at the expense of portability. The build quality leaves something to be desired. Still, it has a full LCD screen and a built-in 3.5-5.6 lens. The imagery is crisp enough, though we’ve seen better. However, once more, if you’re strapped for money and you need to start shooting soon, this is the best option on the market.
There’s just one downside that may make it less of an option for most vloggers — the ISO is only 6400. In other words, its shots in low-light conditions will basically look as good as you can perceive it with your eyes. If you’re using this camera, you’ll definitely need a light kit as well.
We do have to say that this is one of the best cameras that’s both cheaper than a thousand dollars and capable of 4K shots.
Compared to the previous bundles we’ve reviewed, this one has a more limited number of accessories to offer. It includes the following:
- Rode Videomic Go
- Vivitar Backpack
- 32GB SD Card
- Tripod
- Wasabi battery
The best part about this bundle is its affordability compared to similar kits. It’s capable of fitting into most budgets while still having some basic 4K functionality. The camera doesn’t have a wide selection of lenses, though, and there’s a glaring lack of internal stabilization.
Features:
- Lumix G7 Panasonic Camera
- A microphone
- A couple of accessories
- 14-42mm Lens
Canon PowerShot Video Creator Kit
Next up, in our round-up of the best of the rest, we’ve got another excellent choice for beginner vloggers — the Canon PowerShot Video Creator Kit. It’s obvious that Canon puts out some of the best camera starter kits; and the camera giant does an excellent job at giving video creators the precise specs they need.
This YouTube starter kit contains one of the most widely-praised portable cameras on the market today — the G7 Mark II by Canon. Compared to the first model out of the G7 series, it’s a definite improvement; but the battery life is average.
This is another camera that vloggers will appreciate for multiple reasons. First, it’s affordable, so you don’t have to strain your budget if you want a starter kit containing this camera. Secondly, all of the necessities for successful starter vlogging are there — it’s not bad in low-light conditions, it’s intuitive for beginners, and it’s extremely portable. Perhaps best of all though: it comes with a flip screen.
Flip screens on cameras are an excellent addition for vloggers. They let you take a look at yourself without moving your eyes away from the focal point of the camera and making the shot seem unnatural.
For the price tag that it’s commonly bundled with, this camera offers some truly amazing image quality. You won’t find a lot of grain or noise, the clarity and sharpness are on point, and low-light conditions produce great-looking recordings and pictures as well.
The only disadvantage is the fact that it’s no mirrorless camera — you’ll have to deal with a smaller sensor. Many vloggers prefer something this compact, however, and they’ll be more than happy with the second G7.
Next up, we’ve got the Manfrotto Tripod. There’s not much to go over here — it’s not a heavy tripod, making it ideal for outdoor shots, and it works decently. As for the other quality of life features found in this starter pack — its memory card and additional battery pack save you some hassle and money.
Features:
- Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II
- Battery Pack
- 32GB SD Card
- Manfrotto Mini Tripod
Canon 80D DSLR Video Creator Kit
The YouTube starter kits that we’ve talked about above do contain a couple of extras and quality of life improvements. However, none come close to the Canon 80D DSLR Video Creator Kit in that department.
The amount of money you save while buying this kit is simply astounding, which is why it would be designated as the best cheap starter kit — if it weren’t for the expensive camera found within.
Many people in the vlogging community refer to the 80D DSLR from Canon as the “YouTube Builder”. The reasons for that are multiple — but suffice it to say that this is one of the most widely used camera solutions among vloggers. Literally thousands of lesser-known YouTubers record with this camera, such as stars of the platform Bethany Mota and Zoella.
This is the reigning king of vlogs on YouTube that we’re talking about. As you can imagine, it’s certainly not cheap. The camera will set you back a little less than a thousand dollars. For beginner vloggers without a huge budget, this can definitely seem prohibitively expensive. However, if you can afford to buy it (separately or as a part of this bundle) — we definitely recommend doing so. The camera is well worth its price.
It can shoot 60 FPS with a glorious 1080p image; making it an excellent choice for YouTube vloggers. The camera comes with an excellent CMOS sensor sporting dual pixel autofocus — as well as a 3-inch touchscreen interface. The battery life here is impressive, with 6 full hours of recording before you need to charge it again. There’s only one downside to this camera — it doesn’t support 4k.
When it comes to the EF-S18 lens that comes bundled in this kit, there are a couple of things to note. This lens’ aperture provides excellent shots in low light, the focal length is off the charts, and the stabilization is insanely high-quality and consistent.
We’ve already discussed the Rode Videomic that comes in plenty of YouTube starter kits — it’s not difficult to use, and it’s setup process is quick.
And now, we arrive at the biggest selling point of this YouTube starter kit; one that makes it worth having despite the steep price. This starter kit features all the usual stuff that you’d find in competing products — a camera, and SD card, and a mic — but it also contains another bundle kit with tons of useful smaller items, such as:
- Video Light
- Cleaning Kit
- Screen Protect
- Lens Wrap
- Memory Wallet
- Remote Trigger
- Card Reader
- 67mm Filter Kit
- Camera Bag
- 2 Spare Batteries
- Tripod
In summary, this starter kit has a lot going for it — the camera is great for, its stabilization it excellent, and it will work wonders in low-light conditions. You also get a ridiculous number of useful accessories to boot. On the other hand, there are more affordable and newer camera models that also support 4k, which is definitely a downside. DSLR models are generally not that easily portable, so that may prove to be a nuisance depending on the kind of content that you’re creating.
Features:
- Bundle kit
- Canon 80D DSLR
- Rode Videomic Go
- Power Zoom Adapter
- EF-S18 USM Lens
- SD card (32 GB)
Free Quiz: Find Your Ideal Gear Setup in 1 Minute or Less 📷
Frequently Asked Questions About YouTube Gear
What is a Good Cheap Vlogging Camera?
All of the cameras we’ve mentioned here are decent at capturing vlogging content, but not all of them are affordable at the same time. That’s why we’re going to go off-list now and recommend the Olympus M5 Mark III.
This is an all-around nifty little camera — it has a decent number of features for photo and video editing, it’s portable enough for lengthy outdoor shots, and it’s quite affordable. There are other options, of course, but they could prove to be costlier.
What is the best digital camera for under $100?
Vlogging aside, you may be wondering what the best all-around camera is for less than a hundred bucks. Even at such low price levels you can still find a decent camera that’s worth your time.
For instance, the Nikon Coolpix offers a compact digital camera with a nifty 5x zoom, and 720p video capabilities. It won’t do you any good for vlogging or even anything more serious than home video — but it’s still great for amateur hour photography. And plus, its stabilization is excellent, especially for a hundred bucks.
What is a YouTube starter kit?
This is a common question, and it actually comes with a rather simple answer.
A YouTube starter kit is a package of recording gear optimized for making YouTube videos based on the needs of modern-day vloggers. The package always includes a camera, and usually a microphone, a lens, and additional equipment such as stands, memory cards, cleaning equipment, and more.
What equipment do you need to start a YouTube gaming channel?
Well, first and foremost you need a strong computer that is able to run the majority of video games these days, in high settings.
Apart from that, you will need the usual equipment used by most vloggers who operate from home – a camera is a must, of course, a good lens won’t hurt, and additional gear for indoor recording is always welcome.
Some gaming YouTubers don’t record video footage of themselves while playing and only focus on adding audio commentary over recordings of themselves playing games. Engagement is always stronger when users can see you, but it’s a start.
What type of camera do vloggers use?
We find that most vloggers use some kind of DSLR or mirrorless model. The former are those big, bulky cameras. They offer the largest amount of versatility and both video and photo quality. They manage this with huge sensors and gigantic lenses that are capable of significant FoV alterations.
On the other hand, vloggers more interested in capturing real-time improvised scenes use mirrorless cameras. These also have big sensors, but they don’t come with a physical mirror and they’re less hefty.
Final Word From Run Gun Shoot
There are plenty of camera kits you can find on the market today, which also contain other useful accessories. However, you should note that most of them are not created with vloggers in mind.
Different accessories are needed for vlogging compared to short filmmaking or photography, so choose your YouTube starter kit carefully.
The choices we’ve outlined here are not the only ones, but they’re the most well-rounded offerings with the least number of downsides.
