Let me just preface this post with a disclaimer that I don’t consider myself a professional photographer or videographer by any means, so my review/opinion on each of these cameras isn’t extensive or even necessarily about specs. I’ve always looked at this as a creative outlet for myself and I love to collect different types of cameras to photograph/film with for the sake of experimenting. I’d also like to say that I truly believe it doesn’t matter what camera you use as intent and the purpose behind what you’re shooting plays a huge part in how your photos/videos turn out - but that’s a whole other story for another time.
GRAB YOUR PHONE
When I don’t have any of my cameras on me, I’ve always just used my phone - whether it was the iPhone or the Pixel. Editing is half the fun for me, so as long as I have a clear shot with not too much exposure, I find that a lot of people can’t even tell I’m not using a “fancy” camera.
Shot on iPhone XS.
Shot on Google Pixel 3 XL.
MY FIRST
Back in 2015, my parents bought me a camera for Christmas to start my YouTube channel with and that camera was the Canon Rebel T5 (complete with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens). Eventually I picked up a 50mm f/1.8 lens to shoot with it, but this was the camera that really taught Raleigh and I how to use a camera. I had this for a few years before I gave it to my sister and it’s incredibly user-friendly, budget-friendly (in my opinion), and a great beginner camera if you know nothing about cameras. I just read the manual, and before I knew it - I was shooting with it regularly.
Shot with Canon EOS Rebel T5, 50mm (EF50mm f/1.8 II).
Shot with Canon EOS Rebel T5, 50mm (EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II).
Shot with Canon EOS Rebel T5, 18mm (EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II).
DO IT FOR THE VLOG
The Rebel T5 was kind of my go-to for YouTube, but I did want a vlog camera with a flip screen, so I ended up caving and buying the Canon G7X like every other YouTuber. There’s not really anything to say about this camera other than it works for vlogs. Easy to use, pretty good quality photos/videos for a point and shoot, small enough to fit in your pocket, and there’s not really much to it. Though I’ve bought the first, second, and third generation to have on hand when I want to film something quick - it’s not a very durable camera. I’ve replaced it with each generation because the lens cover always jams and seems to get dusty no matter how hard I try to keep it clean.
Shot on Canon G7X Mark II.
FOR ON THE GO
While I did like the Canon Rebel T5, I’ll be honest about the things I didn’t like: shitty autofocus, audio was whatever, and just too heavy to carry when traveling. That’s where the Sony a6000 comes in. I picked this up because one of my friends recommended it. Once I saw how compact it was, the fantastic image quality, the decent price - I was sold. I was taking mainly portraits at the time and since the “super blurred out background” was so popular back then, I bought a 50mm f/1.8 lens and a 20mm f/2.8 lens to go with the kit lens. That camera was my go-to for literally everything until it eventually broke. I would still use it today if I hadn’t destroyed it.
Shot with Sony a6000, 16mm (16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS)
Shot with Sony a6000, 20mm (E 20mm F2.8).
NEEDS MORE AESTHETIC
After my Sony broke, I wanted an upgrade. Around this time in my life, I was traveling for work almost every month and having a lot of fun capturing images of my travels. The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV felt like a step up that I could reasonably manage, so I bought that with a 35mm f/1.4 lens as well as a 16-35mm f/2.8 lens that I found used. I love everything about this camera except for one thing - no articulating screen. This camera is really difficult to use when I’m filming myself if I have no one to help me (or if I don’t want to go through the trouble of connecting it to a separate monitor). It has more to do with personal preference than anything else. The way that I set up my shots and my filming style process just has me feeling like this isn’t the video camera for me. Oh - and the sound is just okay.
Shot with Canon 5D Mark IV, 35mm (EF35mm f/1.4L II USM).
Shot with Canon 5D Mark IV, 35mm (EF35mm f/1.4L II USM).
THE CURRENT SITUATION
Shot with Canon 5D Mark IV, 24mm (RF24-105mm F4 IS UM).
The camera that I use the most often now is the Canon EOS R Mirrorless Digital Camera with the 24-105mm f/4 lens (and my other Canon EF lenses). I actually did a sponsored YouTube video with Canon, so they gifted me this camera/lens and I’ve loved it ever since. I do use it to take photos, but the articulating screen just makes it really simple for me to throw it onto my tripod and film the shots I need for videos. I personally think the sound is pretty good for what I need it for (even though a lot of reviews will tell you otherwise) and the 24-105mm lens is a lens I’ve found to be pretty versatile for capturing landscapes, portraits and close-ups.
Shot with Canon 5D Mark IV, 24mm (RF24-105mm F4 IS UM).
Shot with Canon 5D Mark IV, 35mm (EF35mm f/1.4L II USM).
HONORABLE MENTIONS
At this point, I’ve kind of settled into using the Canon 5D and EOS R for my freelance projects, but there’s a few more I want to mention that I’ve picked up for fun and my own socials:
Kodak Tele-EKTRALITE 600 (110 Film camera)
Fujifilm Zoom Date 110EZ (35mm Film Camera)