If you are tech enthusiast, you know the popular YouTuber Marques Brownlee (aka MKBHD) for sure. And if you are a filmmaker, you might have wondered, what camera does MKBHD use? What is the MKBHD gear?
If that is the case, you are in the right place.
In this article, I will share with you exactly that.
To find the answer to this question, I researched extensively and found the latest gear that he uses.
And of course, Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) is a pro YouTuber and has been making videos for a long time. He has a lot of gear but he doesn’t use all of them. He has tried a lot of them but uses only the ones he likes, the ones that are actually good.
So you can be rest assured that the gear listed below are top of the class.
Here is a list of some of his gear:
Cameras used by MKBHD
RED DIGITAL CINEMA V-RAPTOR 8K VV DSMC3 Camera
The RED V-Raptor 8k VV is MKBHD’s primary camera. It is an expensive camera but he loves it. He uses 2:1 aspect ratio on it with 8k compresses RAW.
He uses a cinema camera because first, he really likes the quality, and second, because this is a very versatile camera. He uses it in the studio, and even to do hands on when he goes to launch events somewhere.
Canon EOS C500 Mark II
Marques uses this camera for the WVFRM Podcast setup. There are around 4 C500 Mark IIs in the Podcast room. One is pointed at the producer, and the other three at Marques, David, and Andrew.
Canon R5
MKBHD uses the Canon R5 when he is traveling. He uses the R5 for everyday stuff when he is taking a lot of photos. And he also uses it for a lot of first person shots with a wide angle lens (mentioned below in the lens section).
He uses the Canon R5 because it is lighter to carry in one hand.
Sony A1
Sometimes he uses the Sony A1 instead of the Canon R5 if he has to take videos. He shot the Mr. Beast video on the Sony A1.
Lenses used by MKBHD
Sigma 24-35mm T2.2 Cine (Zoom Lens)
This is his primary lens for his RED camera. This is his go to lens for any run and gun situation because it allows him to get most types of shots. This is the lens he carries to events.
The variability of the lens is practical in most cases. Also, remember that this is a cine lens. It doesn’t work with non-cinema cameras.
Zeiss Otus 55mm 1.4 (Medium telephoto lens)
As I said, he likes to cover all the ranges. This Zeiss Otus 55mm 1.4 allows him to get the telephoto shots which his zoom lens can’t.
Also, since this is a telephoto lens with really wide aperture (1.4), the shots that come out of this lens are just dreamy. Use uses this lens often.
Canon 100mm 2.8 (Macro lens)
This is one of the most used lenses in MKBHD’s gear.
We have all seen the intro videos and closeups of smartphones and tech gear he is reviewing. Most of those are shot with this lens.
Since this is a macro lens, it is able to capture great detail of the product being shot.
Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L (for the R5 camera)
He uses this lens paired with the Canon R5. This is his go to for stills/photos. He also uses it for a lot of first-person shots with this lens and the R5.
Just like the R5, this lens is not as heavy as some of the other lenses. This is portable and useful for run and gun situations.
Lights used by MKBHD
Marques uses a 3-point light for his videos.
Arri Skypanel S60
The Arri Skypanel S60 is the main light that MKBHD uses. He uses it as the key light in his 3-point light setup.
It’s a really big and powerful light. It is also colorful because it can do RGB and all the fun stuff. It also has a soft box to make the skin look good.
Sometimes when he is using window light, he will put this light on the other side of his face to get a nice fill.
Apurture 600C Pro
He uses this light in multiple places throughout his studio. He uses it as a rim light sometimes. He has one in the podcast room, and then he also has another one in the robot room. And he has a couple hooked to his ceiling. Crazy!
Microphone used by MKBHD
Sennheiser MKH 416
MKBHD has used this microphone since 2016. It is a very well-known, popular mic. It is his favorite microphone because it sounds amazing. He makes sure that it is as close to the subject as he can get it without getting in the frame. He sometimes puts it below the frame and sometimes does overhead.
Sound Devices MixPre-3 II
He uses this recorder to record the audio when he is shooting a video. He has a pre-production model, so that’s cool.
The audio recorder allows him to get high-quality 3 channel and 5 tracks audio at once. And of course, it has a lot of advanced features just how MKBHD likes it.
Tripod
Sachtler Flowtech 75 tripod
He uses this tripod as a primary to go with his RED camera. This is a really strong carbon fibre tripod which is surprisingly light.
This tripod is crazy popular because of its sturdiness and weight. It is also used in Hollywood sometimes.
Editing gear used by MKBHD
MacBook Pro 16″ M1 Max
Marques primarily uses the 16″ M1 Max. He tried upgrading to the maxed out M3 Max but it wasn’t worth it. He mentioned it in his review that he would be returning it because “M1 Max is just so fast.”
He chose the 16″ because he recently started editing videos away from his desk. He uses it at home, on a couch, and other random places where he cannot take his desk setup. He says the 14″ is a great laptop but just a little small for editing.
Final Cut Pro
Apple’s Final Cut pro is the favorite editing app for MKBHD because it is reliable and he has used it for a long time. It never crashes and is super fast on a MacBook.
He tried using Adobe’s Premiere Pro once but he immediately didn’t like it because it didn’t suit his workflow.
Apple AirPods Max
Getting accurate audio while editing is super important. So MKBHD uses the AirPods Max when he is editing and also when he is traveling.
He highly values the noise cancellation and wireless features that are amazing on the AirPods Max. And of course, it’s in space gray.
Smartphones used by MKBHD
MKBHD pretty much always carries two smartphones. An android phone in his right pocket and an iPhone in his left pocket.
He uses both the phones because he wants to be in both the ecosystems and test things.
The latest iPhone Pro
He uses the latest iPhone Pro more. He says it has the most continuity because it changes only once or twice a year. As of writing this article, he was using the iPhone 15 Pro. Not the Pro Max. It is the 1 terabyte. And it is the first non-black (🤯) phone that he has used. Of course, he went for the natural titanium.
He also often uses this phone for the Autofocus channel to shoot car videos.
The latest Android phone
This phone keeps changing. Sometimes he uses the latest Samsung phone, other times he uses the Google Pixel phone. And he also uses other phones when they come out and he has to test the phone for a review video.
Robots used by MKBHD
The whole idea with the robot is that it allows Marques to make some shots for his videos that no one else can replicate.
He likes the robots because they are super precise and can be programmed for crazy movements that humans can’t do.
KUKA, he calls it MIA (old)
This was his first motorized precision robot. It is 9 feet tall. It has a couple of fully-articulating axes. And it can move up to 9 feet per second in any direction while carrying up to 40 pounds. He controls it with an X-box controller.
This is an industrial robot and it is also super expensive. So there’s that.
Colossus (new)
It cost around $250k for him. Crazy expensive but he loves the advance shots that it allows him to get. He used to use it his previous robot so much that he quickly reached its limits. This new robots allows him to get really complicated shots. This one is 6ft+6ft tall.
I hope this article helped answer your query of “which gear does MKBHD use?”
If you have any questions, please feel free to drop them in the comments. I would love to assist you in way possible.