The world of content creation looks a little different today than it did when it first began. The internet’s first big bloggers, vloggers, and social media stars were, for the most part, just regular people. Their careers skyrocketed them into stardom, but when they started, they all could have been anyone.
Today, massive creators (and their teams) have their fingers in a hundred different pots, but what hasn’t changed is that anyone can still start creating content. The barrier to entry for creation is exceptionally low, and anyone’s career could take off overnight. Honing your workflow and consistently developing high-quality, thoughtful content can build a career for anyone with enough gumption and enough passion to create something meaningful.
Here’s a guide into what some of your favourite creators are using to produce the content you love.
Content trends of 2026
Looking for some ideas to help kick off your journey as a creator? Here are some of the biggest trends so far for the year.
- Chaos culture in Gen Z and Gen Alpha
- Corporate work-life balance for millennials
- Nostalgia from the 90s and 2000s
- Vertical-first content (and vertical microdramas!)
The best cameras for video creators
Today’s video creators can’t just flip open their MacBook Pro and start recording. The internet’s appetite for video continues to grow, and it’s discerning—video content needs to be sharp, well-lit, and polished from day one.
Capture with confidence: Sony Alpha a7 III Full-Frame Mirrorless Vlogger Camera
Full-frame mirrorless cameras are a go-to for the modern video creator. Compact but high-resolution, these cameras are excellent for both still photography and video. Mirrorless cameras dominate in the digital world, providing crisp, clear results. They’re favoured not just for their size, but also for their ability to capture and autofocus silently or near-silently—unlike DSLR cameras.
Explore lens options: Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera
One of the great things about opting for a Canon camera is the bevy of lenses that are available for the EOS line. Canon EOS was launched in 1987, and many older-model lenses are still compatible with the EOS line today. For video creators who want the flexibility to shoot both in their home filming studio and out on location, cameras like the R6 can be a fantastic (if pricey) addition to their kit.
The best gear for streamers
For the most part, the gear that streamers will need to succeed is similar to the gear that sit-down, YouTube-style video creators will need to succeed. Both styles of creators spend hours and hours recording at their desks or in their offices, and both need great lighting, great cameras, and good microphones.
What differs for streaming is that you need tools to help you succeed at the games, too. Gamers rely on lag-free desktop recordings, streams, and play sessions, so keep those extra tools in mind when creating your setup.
Stand out with exceptional video
Depending on your audience and streaming style, streamers may be able to get away with recording on a high-quality webcam instead of a camera—but many use mirrorless cameras and a capture card instead. Vlogging cameras like the Sony Alpha ZV-E10KB offer beautiful, creamy visuals with a shallow depth-of-field, and they sit at a much more accessible price point than high-end DSLRs.
Use a capture card to up your video game
Streaming with a camera (rather than a webcam) requires one extra piece: a capture card. Tools like the Elgato 4K S are essential for recording seamlessly while streaming. They deliver smooth, crisp, high-resolution visuals and products like the Elgato let you capture in-game chat and commentary, too.
I’m not a streamer, but even I know how much Elgato dominates the capture card market. Their products are very popular, and as far as I’ve heard, very beloved.
The best microphones for podcasters
The most essential gear for content creators looks a little different if you’re a podcaster. As an audio-first platform, podcasting focuses on the quality of your microphone and sound production. However, like many other forms of content creation, podcasting is multimodal. Many podcasts blow up thanks not to their audio podcasts themselves, but rather thanks to their video podcasts.
To give your podcast the best possible shot at its inception, make sure your approach is multimodal, too. Check out my recommendations for video creators as well as for podcasters, and mix your audio with video recordings.
Record high-quality with a condenser microphone
Up your podcasting game with clear audio that’s free of background noises. Cardioid condenser microphones like this one from Audio Technica are a great way to pick up every whisper and phrase while still achieving excellent sound isolation, which is especially important if your at-home studio is less of a well-padded recording studio and more of a makeshift office.
Stay close and clipped on for interviews and more
Recording a video podcast in a spot that can’t support an up-close, stable microphone? Opt for a lavalier microphone. These are great for everything from interviews (in-studio or on the street) to Reddit reaction takes. They’ll deliver clear audio for your podcast and, as a bonus, a less cumbersome visual load for your video recording, too.
The best tools for on-the-go vloggers and influencers
Creating content at a desk is very, very different from creating on the go. Vloggers and influencers filming “in the wild” at restaurants, brand events, and in their cars use a very different set of tools from creators who film in a studio. Even when the creators are the exact same person, they’ll almost always use different tools at home and on the go.
If this is the kind of content you want to create, look for simple solutions. Capturing when the moment is right is key, and the easier that is, the better access you’ll have to creating something great. Many creators rely on their smartphones, especially for simple, vertical videos, but upgrading to compact action cameras and wireless mics can dramatically improve both video and audio quality. My only recommendation, as a veteran creator and certified Old Person on the Internet™? Pick tools that are obvious. You wouldn’t want to be recorded without your knowledge or consent, and neither does anyone else!
Capture immersive footage with a compact action camera
If you want more creative flexibility while filming on the go, an action camera like the Insta360 X5 is a great next step. It captures 8K 360° video, letting you record everything around you and choose the best angles later when editing. That can be especially helpful when you are filming travel clips, events, or fast-moving moments.
The camera is also built for movement, with advanced stabilization and a waterproof design that makes it easy to film outdoors or in unpredictable environments. The included invisible selfie stick even creates a floating third-person perspective that many travel and lifestyle creators love.
Clear audio anywhere
A crisp video deserves equally clear audio. The DJI Mic Mini lets you capture high-quality sound without being tethered by cables, making it ideal for interviews, vlogs, or spontaneous recordings. Compact and easy to use, it clips on seamlessly and works even in noisy environments, so your audience hears every word. Pair it with your action camera to make sure your visuals and sound are both professional-grade.
Other must-have gear for creators
Products like cameras and microphones are a content creator’s essentials. But, just like how your body can’t survive on only a litre of water and a chunk of protein every day, your content can’t survive on only the essentials. Other tools like ring lights, softboxes, camera batteries, tripods and gimbals help to round out your content-making process. Think of them as the vitamins and minerals of your process—they might not be the backbone, but they’re pretty important, too.
As less-important components, however, you can survive for a while without them. Start with the essentials, then continue to build as your platform grows. Again, it’s kind of like keeping the human body running: as you ask your body to do more, you’ll need to feed it more. As you start making more content (and higher quality content), you may find that you need more tools to achieve the results you’re looking for.
To stabilize or not to stabilize?
Tripods are at the centre of one of the current hot takes in the world of content creation. With the rise of near-seamless AI generated video, viewers are leaning more and more toward content creators whose content feels and looks authentic. Part of that, for many, is the slightly-shaky, constantly-moving motion delivered by someone holding their smartphone while talking into it.
As far as that type of authenticity goes, tripods are not your friend. For everything else, however, they absolutely are. (My recommendation? Freehand it for short, vertical clips. Use a tripod or a gimbal for everything else.)
In conclusion
Whether you want to share stories about your daily life, create content about one of your passions, or get into the niche, nitty-gritty details of your local food scene, there’s a space in the creator world for you—if you want it. Explore your inner drive to create with gear from cameras to lavalier microphones.
Shop essential gear for content creators online at Best Buy Canada today. Still need more ideas, tools, and tips? Check out my guide featuring the best gifts for content creators, which also has a great section on creating digital art!
