Content Creation is now more popular than ever, especially heading into 2025. A huge part of a content creator’s set up is their camera, leading us to our Best Creator Cameras 2025, with CGM naming some of the most effective content creator cameras to head into the new year with.
Though stationary, standard webcams were once all a creator needed, now, professional level creators need extra features like a 360 field of view, 4K recording, action modes, livestreaming capabilities, and perhaps even cameras they can take on the go. This year we checked out some of the heavy hitters in content creation, like Insta360 and GoPro, but other brands like Aicoco were a pleasant surprise, landing them all on our Best Creator Cams 2025, earning our recommendation as we kick off the year.
Aicoco onAir Wireless Live Streaming Camera
The Aicoco onAir Wireless Live Streaming Camera features a 1/1.8-inch Sony Starvis 2 CMOS sensor with an F/2.8 lens and a 90-degree field of view. It supports 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps, in both portrait and landscape orientations. The camera operates in temperatures ranging from -4°F to 167°F (-20°C to 75°C) and has an IPX4 water resistance rating, meaning it’s rain and splash-proof but cannot be submerged.
One standout feature of this camera is its battery system. The Aicoco onAir boasts a battery life of around 230 minutes, enough to get you through most live streams. However, increasing video quality and bitrate will reduce that number.
Even better is that if you plan on going live for a long time, the battery is hot-swappable. So, if that battery is about to die, you can take it out, and the camera retains a small internal charge that gives you time to put in a charged battery. If you have the Creator Kit with two batteries and a charger, you can stream indefinitely while swapping out the batteries every three hours or so and never interrupting the broadcast.
The Aicoco onAir Wireless Live Streaming Camera is a portable, easy-to-use option with great video quality, ideal for IRL streamers.
GoPro Hero 12 Black
The GoPro Hero 12 Black has added HDR capability to their video, whereas the 11 does photo only. The Hero 12 can record for 70 minutes continuously at its highest resolution before stopping. This is double the time of its predecessor, which can only do 35 minutes. The Hero 12 has upgraded to Hypersmooth 6.0 (from the 11’s 5.0), which doesn’t sound like much until you find out that it is analyzing quadruple the data of Hypersmooth 5.0, making for a much-improved stabilization system.
The sound from the internal microphones is very clear and captures vocals well, but it also picks up everything, so if you are using it to capture real life, you are in good shape. If you are trying to vlog, it’s best to find someplace that isn’t too noisy and then clean up whatever remaining ambiance there is in the post. Or, you can go the external microphone route and use a wired or wireless (via Bluetooth) mic, which will better isolate your voice. The cool thing is that the GoPro will still capture its internal microphones, so you have built-in safety.
The GoPro Hero 12 Black is a massive jump in the GoPro series, with functions to let you shoot like a pro and to do so for longer periods with better battery life and improving the overall experience while you do it.
- High Dynamic Range Video + Photo: HERO12 Black takes its best-in-class image quality to the next level with HDR for both videos (5.3K and 4K) and photos. Great in environments with both shadows and bright light, HDR captures the subtle details of the scene that might typically blend into the darkness of shadows or disappear in the bright spots of your shot. The result is dynamic footage with true-to-life color and precision.
- Unbelieveable Image Quality: With 5.3K video that gives you 91% more resolution than 4K and an incredible 665% more than 1080p, HERO12 Black captures the action with crisp detail and cinematic image quality with High Dynamic Range (HDR) while also taking 27MP photos. You can also grab stunning photos up to 24.7MP of your favorite shots from your videos using the GoPro Quik app.
Insta360 X4 Camera
The Insta360 X4 sports a 1/2” sensor and f/1.9 aperture lenses capable of up to 8K/30 resolutions when using both lenses, as well as 5.7K/60 and 4K/100. In single lens mode, you can 4K/60, 2.7K/60 and 1080p/60. And then there’s Me Mode, a mode that lets you skip all reframing and focuses the camera only on you. You can achieve 4K/30, 2.7K/120 and 1080p/120 resolutions in this mode. You can capture your video in H.264 or H.265 at bitrates of up to 200Mbps, considerably higher than even the bitrates of broadcast television. The Insta360 X4 also takes photos up to 18MP for a flat photo and 72MP for a 360-degree photo.
The video quality is truly excellent. In good lighting, the video is crystal clear, and the Insta360 X4’s stabilization and features like horizon lock make it incredibly smooth, even if you are running around like a fool. In lower light, it still looks good. It’s a bit noisier, which is where I wish the sensor was closer to a 1/1.55” sensor or even the 1/1.3” sensor that is in the Insta360 Ace Pro compared to the 1/2“ sensor that is in the X4.
The Insta360 X4 is an incredibly versatile tool, allowing you to document not only your actions, but the environment around you, letting you paint a full picture with a single shot. Its complexity is overshadowed by its simplicity, in that there is so much to do, but it’s so easy to do it. It’s a must-own for creators of all types.
- IMMERSIVE 360 VIDEO – The 8K era is here. Insta360 X4 delivers 360° video in stunning 8K or 5.7K60fps! Use Active HDR to keep shots color accurate too, even in action scenarios.
- SIMPLE, EASY REFRAMING – With Insta360 X4, get out there and shoot, not having to worry about lining up a shot. Shoot first, then reframe easily after, all in the AI-powered Insta360 app.
