As the live streaming community continues to grow, so does the demand for high-quality and professional video. In 2024, choosing the right camera for your broadcast is a key step for streamers. Whether amateur or veteran, all content creators, enthusiasts, and streamers should have the right tools to captivate their audience and be known for professional-grade video.
In this article, Streams Charts explores the top live streaming cameras available in 2024. Sifting through the product’s features, performance, and biggest proponents in the live streaming and Twitch communities, we help you navigate the newest advancements and releases in video technology. From professional high-quality 4K DSLR and mirrorless cameras to the best budget webcams and wireless devices, all are covered in our collated list of the best cameras.
Not everyone’s goal is 4K crisp image quality, but ease of use, versatility, and mobility. Oftentimes, streamers need something lightweight and portable for their content but feel that means sacrificing image quality and performance. We will help you find some of the best budget portable video devices, as well as 4K cameras that are lightweight and perfect for outdoor use.
Of course, top streamers on Twitch usually have their equipment limited to a single camera. Professional lighting, green screens, and suitable hardware are all crucial for a professional look to your stream. Don’t forget to invest in all necessary areas for the best live-stream experience possible for your fans and viewers.
Best cameras for live streaming in 2024
Best webcams for streaming
Webcameras are the original live-streaming camera. They might not offer the best video quality compared to other cameras, but their convenient ease of use was too strong to pass up. Early Twitch was dominated by webcam live streams, and nowadays they are better than ever. Lighter, higher quality, and overall improved, webcams are still a premiere option for amateurs beginning in the live-streaming industry.
Logitech 4K PRO WEBCAM
The 4K Pro is Logitech’s premiere 4K streaming camera offering the best video possible and coming in at only 63 grams. This model of the Brio series offers 4K video at 30 frames a second, and can even perform at 60 and 90 frames a second at lower qualities. The camera is the best that Logitech has to offer and produces a clean and exposure-balanced image after a simple Plug-and-Play setup.
Logitech’s 4K Pro Webcam also offers a stereo omnidirectional integrated microphone and a built-in noise reduction filter. The wide 90-degree field of view ensures the camera will capture everything it needs to and an impressive auto-white balance for a webcam. Looking past the 4K tagline, the 4K Pro produces image quality and exposure levels that look far better than other 4K cameras, right out of the box.
Priced at $200, the camera is not a budget option by any means, but it is one of the strongest webcams available on the market. Logitech has produced a simple and intuitive product, that also offers video quality far ahead of the competitors.
Logitech C922 PRO
While the 4K Pro sits at one end of Logitech’s catalogue, the C922 Pro camera finds itself snug in the middle. This 1080p streaming camera is designed for streaming specifically, being marketed as an HD stream webcam, and it offers either full HD 1080p at 30 frames per second or a 720p video at 60 frames. The webcam is a top-budget pick for any fan, coming in at half the price tag of the Logitech’s top 4K options.
At only $100 the C922 Pro sits on a sleek black mounting clip which is designed to seat the webcam wherever needed. The clip fits snugly onto the top of laptops or monitors, as well as tripods for those looking for a more stable footing. The device weighs 162 grams, much heavier than the above 63-gram 4K camera, but when the camera is seated atop a tripod or monitor, the weight is a non-issue.
The C922 Pro is a perfect sweet spot for both amateur streamers and professional content creators. Likely one of the best choices for a budget-friendly streaming camera, it finds a perfect balance between price and quality. The camera’s autofocus means ease of use and a clear, crisp picture. A champion of the “set it and forget it” mentality, Logitech’s C922 Pro is out the way as much as possible with its hassle-free HD image.
HyperX Vision S
HyperX prides itself on high-quality gaming accessories, and its webcam fits into the brand as its premiere webcam for live streaming and video creation. The HyperX Vision S is another contender for the best webcam for streaming on the market, and at $200 the camera offers everything most streamers could need in a camera.
The Vision S offers a wide-angle 90-degree field of view to capture everything in sight in a clean 4K 30-frames per second video. As with most modern cameras, the webcam can also capture video at 60 frames in a slightly lower quality but full HD 1080p. Not only is the product a solid camera, but it is clear that it was designed specifically for streaming.
The swivel and tilt seat for the camera lives up to HyperX’s premium build quality claims, seating the camera snugly in almost any scenario. It also captures video with a responsive autofocus feature, as well as a deep focus captured through a low-distortion lens. The magnetic privacy cover is a nice touch, letting streamers undo the privacy cover and be immediately met with professional high-quality video for their broadcast at a moment's notice.
Razer Kiyo Pro
Razer’s Kiyo Pro is another option especially made for streamers, with the webcam being found under Razer’s “Content Creation” product line. The webcam is not Razer’s most expensive option, that would be their 4K webcam, but it fulfils that perfect mixture of affordability and quality.
At $200, the webcam delivers uncompressed full HD 1080p and 60FPS video with a high dynamic range. The webcam’s HDR shines through, and the video is both vivid and vibrant. Like all good webcams with a live streaming focus, this gaming streaming camera autofocus is stable and adjusts quickly when needed, and the device's setup is quick and easy.
The Kiyo Pro is advertised as an out-of-the-box product, with Razer claiming no software adjustments are needed for full HD and clear image. For those who want to delve deeper, however, the Razer Synapse software offers full camera controls, including image brightness and contrast, white balance, and saturation controls.
Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K
The Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K webcam is not as powerful as the $200 4K cameras on this list, but it is an unbeatable budget option for any streamer, coming in at only $60. The camera captures ultra HD 4K video through an adjustable, wide-angle lens. It is a simple plug-and-play setup, and via the Creative App users can adjust some basics of the camera.
This low-light camera captures adequate 4K video, although with lower dynamic range than other webcams we have covered. However, in the middle of a streaming setup with mindful lighting, the camera can perform the basic face cam duties of your live stream.
At only $60, the webcam is perfect for those venturing into live streaming for the first time, or just upgrading their setup. It won’t produce the highest quality images, but it does the job and doesn’t break the bank as a supreme budget-option 4K webcam.
Mirrorless Cameras
Mirrorless cameras for streaming, also known as DLSM, are one of the most crucial innovations in professional photography for smaller operations like live-streaming and content-creation businesses. Mirrorless cameras have come to replace DSLRs as the premiere interchangeable lens option, thanks to their lighter weight, smaller frame, and quieter product.
Both DSLRs and DSLMs are not cheap, but the professional quality image they produce is preferred by professional streamers who broadcast to hundreds or thousands of viewers regularly. These products are not entry-level contenders for the best-budget camera for live streaming, but they are the top-end of products available.
Sony A7 III
The Sony A7 III is a prime mirrorless camera that is preferred not only by some of the most popular streamers on Twitch but photography enthusiasts around the world. At $1800, the camera is beyond the budget for most streamers in the live-streaming industry, but it remains a top choice for those who can afford it.
Weighing in at only 650 grams, the A7 III is on the heavy side for a DSLM camera but this is easily remedied by a tripod. The camera captures beautiful images in low-light scenarios at ultra HD 4K resolution. The camera’s adjustment options for white balance and exposure are solid, but the autofocus feature is why streamers are such fans of Sony products.
The camera’s autofocus makes it perfect for a dynamic streaming experience. Streamers are free to move around and interact with their stream as they please, without breaking immersion by stopping to adjust the camera.
Sony A6300
The Sony Alpha 6000 series has been a popular choice among streamers for a long time. The camera is cheaper than other mirrorless cameras, and yet still manages to produce 4K ultra HD video with built-in wireless connection options.
Not only is the camera much lighter than the A7 III, making it more suitable for mobile videography, but the weather-sealed body means streamers can use the camera in all conditions for outdoor streaming without worrying about their camera getting damaged.
The high-quality resolution and the camera’s multifaceted autofocus features are an advantage, but the wireless connectivity options are a highlight. Compared to webcams and other cameras, mirrorless cameras offer solid wireless options, meaning streamers can bring their camera wherever it needs to be without worrying about wires.
Compact cameras
The Sony 6300 is a decent choice for a compact light-weight camera, but if your plans are long outdoor streams, the cameras must be as lightweight and easy to carry as possible. For this section, we have picked some of our favourite lightweight and portable compact cameras that make IRL live streaming a breeze.
GoPro HERO11 Black
GoPro’s Hero11 Black camera is the perfect option for streamers who are constantly on the move and need a small lightweight solution for their video. The camera weighs only 127 grams and is small enough to fit in your pocket.
Don’t let its small form factor confuse you, the Hero11 shoots 4K video at 60 FPS for an ultra HD stream. GoPro’s microphones are known for not being the best, but the Hero11 offers multiple mod options, one of which is the Media Mod. The Media setup adds a directional mic to the camera, and other enhancements to make it a perfect compact streaming camera.
At only $350, GoPro’s Hero11 Black is a budget-friendly choice for outdoor streamers. Don’t compromise on your content, the right camera enables the most active and hectic of streams.
Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II
Canon’s PowerShot G7 X Mark II is one of their flagship models of compact cameras. Canon’s PowerShot G series are designed to bring more flexibility to photography and to reduce the bulk of a camera that supplies beautiful images.
The G7 X Mark II produces crisp image quality with an autofocus feature that does the job in a stable streaming setup. The camera can produce 1080p HD recordings at 60 frames per second and also offers multiple wireless connectivity options.
The PowerShot G series strikes a middle ground between the high-quality video capabilities of the other mirrorless cameras and the compact mobile size of a smaller camera. The PowerShot G7 X Mark II is a perfect camera for streamers who want easy, high-quality video, while still keeping the show on the move.