product reviews - Alan Spicer - YouTube Certified Expert

To film product reviews for YouTube, use a two-camera setup (main camera for you, second camera for product close-ups), light the product separately from your face with at least a 100W LED equivalent, use a macro or close-focus lens for detail shots, film key features and in-use scenarios with a mix of tripod and handheld, and structure your edit around hook, features, comparison, verdict and call-to-action. Product reviews are one of the highest-earning YouTube categories because they pull in commercial-intent traffic — but they need specific setup and technique to compete with established review channels.

This guide covers the production system I use with review channels in tech, gear and lifestyle. For the full equipment stack, see my Ultimate Creator Equipment Guide 2026.

Some product links below are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. It never changes the advice — and reviewing honestly, flaws included, is the whole point of a review channel.

The Two-Camera Product Review Setup

Single-camera reviews box you in: you can show yourself or show the product in detail, never both at once. Two cameras solve it.

Camera A (main): a wide or medium shot of you talking, locked off on a tripod
Camera B (product/detail): close-up product shots, cutaways and B-roll

Camera B doesn’t need to match Camera A’s sensor — it just needs usable close-ups. Common setups:

Sony ZV-E10 (~£550) as main + a phone on a magnetic mount for product detail — and the ZV-E10’s autofocus is class-leading for solo work, which keeps you sharp while you handle the product
Sony A7C II (~£2,100) as main + a ZV-E10 as the product camera — DPReview rates the A7C II as competitive for years
Two matched Canon EOS R50 bodies (~£779 each) — rated one of the most capable in its class, with flattering Canon colour on both angles

Lighting for Product Reviews

Product lighting isn’t the same as face lighting — the product needs its own treatment:

A separation light on the product: a dedicated light aimed at the product area, not at you
Kill reflections: shiny products (phones, metal, glossy plastic) throw the lights straight back — use diffusion, a polarising filter, or angle the product away from direct reflections
Show texture: side-lighting (not front-lighting) reveals texture and material quality — essential for showing craftsmanship
Match colour temperature: your face lights and product lights should be the same Kelvin (usually 5600K daylight), or graded to match in post

A dedicated product light like the Aputure MC (~£89), aimed at the product table from a different angle to your face light, separates you from the product visually. Owners rate it as a superb little accent light — small, battery-powered and easy to tuck onto a table edge, which is exactly what a product spotlight needs to be.

Close-Up and Detail Shots

Close-ups are what lift a review from “talking about a thing” to “showing a thing clearly”. Your options:

Macro lens: a dedicated macro lens (50mm or 90mm) gets within centimetres of the subject
Close-focus prime: most 50mm f/1.8 lenses focus to 30–40cm — close enough for most product detail
Kit lens at the tele end: a 16-50mm kit lens at 50mm with close focus works for mid-close shots
Phone macro mode: iPhone 15 Pro, Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel 8 Pro all have decent macro modes

A reliable shot list for most product reviews:

Unboxing — the moment of reveal
Exterior overview — a 360° rotation or multiple angles
Key features in detail — buttons, ports, unique design elements
Size/scale comparison — the product next to a common object
In-use — the product doing its job
Result/output — whatever the product produces or captures
Hero shot — the glamour shot for thumbnails and intros

Structuring a Product Review Video

The structure that holds retention:

Hook (0–10 seconds)

Open with the conclusion or the key question: “The new [Product] claims to replace [Category Leader] for half the price — does it?” Or: “I’ve tested [Product] for six weeks, and here’s the one thing other reviewers aren’t telling you.” Never open with unboxing or a feature list. Lead with conclusion or tension.

What it is (10–45 seconds)

Quickly establish what the product is, who it’s for, and the price. A minute at most, with the product on screen. Don’t assume everyone knows the category.

The demo (45 seconds – 4 minutes)

Show the product doing its main job. A camera? Show what it shoots. Software? Show the interface in use. A tool? Do the actual task. Demonstration beats description every time.

Features that matter (4–7 minutes)

Walk through three to five features that really affect the buying decision. Skip the marketing feature list — focus on what changes the experience, and use close-ups to illustrate each.

Comparison (7–9 minutes)

Compare against the obvious alternative. “Vs [Competitor]” is exactly what viewers search for. Be specific about the differences, not just “X is better”.

Flaws (9–10 minutes)

Always name the flaws. Reviews with no critique read as sponsored, and viewers stop trusting them. Even a positive review should own two or three specific weaknesses. This is what builds review credibility over time.

Verdict (10–11 minutes)

A clear call: “Buy if you’re [X], skip if you’re [Y].” No fence-sitting — viewers came for an opinion, so give one.

Call to action (11–12 minutes)

Subscribe, an affiliate link, a related video, or “watch my [related review]”. Don’t stack CTAs — pick one primary action.

Audio for Product Reviews

Audio considerations specific to reviews:

Consistent voice track: dialogue should hold a steady level across a 12-minute-plus runtime
Product audio: some products have audio that matters (a camera’s shutter, a mic’s sound samples, an instrument) — capture that cleanly from the product, not just from your own mic
B-roll Foley: product-in-use footage comes alive with the click of a button or the sound of a mechanism

For voice, a Rode PodMic USB (~£180) on a boom arm, or a wireless lav like the Rode Wireless Go II (~£275), delivers consistent broadcast-quality voice — the Go II is the dual-channel standard with on-board backup recording, handy when you’re also recording a second person or a product’s audio.

B-Roll Strategy

Reviews live or die on B-roll. A talking-head-only cut is dry. Mix in:

Product details: macro shots, textures, materials, moving parts
In-context shots: the product used in real settings (outdoors, at a desk, while travelling)
Comparison shots: side-by-side with the competitor
Scale shots: the product next to a common object for size
Unboxing: a slow, cinematic unboxing has editorial value
Setup shots: behind-the-scenes of installing or using it

Budget 30–40% of your footage as B-roll, and film three to five times more than you’ll use — the story emerges in the edit.

The gear won’t make the review — the research will.

Two cameras and a macro lens don’t build a trusted review channel; depth, honesty and a clear editorial voice do. If you want help turning a review channel into one that ranks and earns, book a free 30-minute discovery call.

Book a free discovery call →

Thumbnail Strategy for Product Reviews

Review thumbnails have conventions that work:

Product prominent: it should fill 30–50% of the frame
Face or reaction: your face showing clear emotion (excited, disappointed, shocked) in the opposite corner to the product
Text overlay: two to four words maximum — the angle (“OVERRATED”, “BETTER THAN EXPECTED”, “THE TRUTH”)
Colour contrast: a bright background (red, yellow, teal) against the product
Arrows or circles: pointing at one specific detail

Study the top five review thumbnails in your category, pattern-match, then differentiate within that pattern.

Production Schedule for Reviews

A realistic schedule for a 12-minute review:

Pre-production (day 1): use the product for one to two weeks first. Take notes. Identify three to five key features and flaws.
B-roll shoot (day 2, ~2 hours): detail shots, in-use footage, scale shots
Main shoot (day 3, 1–2 hours): talking-head recording with both cameras
Edit (days 4–5, 8–12 hours): assembly, B-roll, grade, audio mix
Thumbnail + metadata (day 6, 1–2 hours): thumbnail variants, title, description, tags

That’s roughly 20 hours for a 12-minute review. Quality reviews take time, and skipping the pre-production — properly using the product — is what separates real reviewers from spec-sheet readers.

Equipment Kit for Product Reviews

Entry level (~£1,500)

Main camera: Sony ZV-E10 (~£550) — class-leading AF, 4K
Product camera: a phone on a Manfrotto Befree tripod (~£139) — a reliable pick, if a touch less stiff than pricier rivals
Audio: Rode PodMic USB (~£180) — a warm, competent broadcast dynamic
Lighting: Elgato Key Light Air (~£129) + Aputure MC (~£89) — the Key Light Air’s output is soft and even (WiFi-controlled, no physical buttons)

Mid-tier (~£3,000)

Main: Sony A7C II (~£2,100)
Product: Sony ZV-E10 (~£550)
Audio: Shure MV7+ (~£240) — it rejects a lot of room noise (you’ll want Shure’s software for the on-board tuning)
Lighting: Aputure Amaran 100d S (~£179) — rated for colour and value — + 2× Aputure MC (~£178)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need expensive gear to review products on YouTube?

No. The best reviewers win on research depth, presentation quality, and editorial voice — not camera price. A Sony ZV-E10 at £550 shoots broadcast-quality review footage. What matters more: adequate lighting, clean audio, good editing, and useful opinions.

How long should YouTube product reviews be?

8-15 minutes for most product reviews is the range that works for retention and ad revenue. Shorter (3-5 minutes) works for simple products. Longer (20+ minutes) works for deep-dive reviews of complex products (cameras, software, major purchases). Match length to product complexity.

Should I review products I don’t recommend?

Yes, as long as you’re honest. Negative reviews can rank well and build review credibility. Viewers specifically search “is it worth it” or “problems” — serving that intent builds a trusted review brand. Avoid taking products you’ll definitely hate as sponsored — that’s a conflict.

Do I need to buy products myself or can I use review samples?

Either works, but always disclose. Review samples save money but create subtle bias pressure. Self-purchased reviews give you maximum editorial freedom. Many successful reviewers do a mix — samples for routine coverage, self-purchased for pieces they want to be pointed about.

How do I film product reviews with reflective products?

Use diffusion to soften reflections, position lights at angles that put reflections outside the camera’s view, or use a circular polarising filter to cut glare. For shiny products, side-lighting and back-lighting produce better results than direct-front lighting.

What’s the best editing software for product reviews?

DaVinci Resolve (free) is the professional standard for colour grading — important for product reviews where colour accuracy matters. Premiere Pro (£22/month) is fast and has the largest ecosystem. Final Cut Pro (£299 one-time, Mac only) is fast and stable. For beginners, CapCut or Descript handle basic reviews.

How do I monetise product reviews?

Four main streams: (1) YouTube AdSense from views; (2) affiliate links in descriptions (Amazon, manufacturer sites); (3) sponsored reviews (disclose always); (4) your own products sold via your channel (courses, services, recommendations). Affiliate revenue often exceeds AdSense for commercial-intent review content.

Should I show the price in product reviews?

Yes, always. Price is a critical buying factor and leaving it out reads as hiding something. Show price on-screen as a text overlay, say it out loud, and include it in the description. If price changes frequently (electronics, software), add a text note: “price correct at time of filming”.

What to Do Next

Read my Ultimate Creator Equipment Guide 2026 for the full review kit context
Compare mirrorless cameras suitable for review work
See starter camera recommendations
Check audio interfaces for professional sound
Read how to record clean audio
See how to light videos in a small room
Book a discovery call for a review channel strategy session

Product reviews reward preparation more than any other YouTube category. The reviewers who use a product for weeks before filming, research the competition properly, and form real editorial opinions build audiences that trust their recommendations. Equipment supports that work — it doesn’t replace it. Start simple, research deeply, review honestly.

One of the great things about YouTube, both as a source of revenue and as a creative outlet, is that there are so many ways to be successful.

There are wildly successful YouTubers in just about every niche and making just about every kind of content there is. From gaming videos that are pure gameplay—no commentary—to in-depth guides on how to make an amazing home cooked meal. If you want to get a feel for what it is like to camp out in the wilderness with nothing but a knife, there’s content for that.

Want to see someone attempt to build a real-life Iron Man suit? There’s a video out there for you.

This wealth of variety is a two-way street, of course. Not only does it mean that you can find just about any kind of content you want, it also means you can make just about any kind of content you want, and reviewing products is one such type of content that can be both creatively fulfilling and financially successful.

What Are YouTube Product Reviews?

Product reviews on YouTube can cover everything from a “Top 10 Moustache Trimmers” list video to an in-depth review of a cryptocurrency marketplace.

The format can vary significantly, also.

When you think of YouTube reviews, you tend to think of videos where the YouTuber lays out the details of the product, perhaps talks about the kind of use cases you would want it for, and maybe even compares it to similar products. In reality, review videos can be ridiculously over the top or unconventional.

They can even be subtle in the sense that it is not immediately obvious that the video is a review, but nevertheless gives the viewer all the information that a review would give.

Many YouTubers have found themselves becoming unintentional product reviewers as an organic result of their channel’s subject matter. For example, there is a strong niche around camping on YouTube, and many camping YouTubers have found themselves spending whole videos talking about the gear they use after being asked repeatedly by their viewers to do so. The same can be said for musician YouTubers and their gear, and any number of other niches where product reviews were never the main purpose of the channel.

There is a limit to this, of course. For example, the “Will it Blend?” format of days gone by, where various products were thrown into a blender to see if they would blend, doesn’t really tell the viewer much about the product’s capabilities beyond being blended (though it was an effective marketing campaign for the blender itself).

As a general rule, a product review video should tell the viewer any important information they might want to know about the product—such as specifications—give the viewers some basis of comparison so that those less informed about the type of product are not left behind, and, usually, give some kind of subjective opinion. If we were to apply these basics to a video of a new mobile phone, you might include the following key sections;

The technical specifications of the phone
How those specifications stack up next to a similarly-priced phone
Your recommendations—who is the phone good for? Is it worth the money?

As we mentioned above, the actual presentation in which you get this information across is entirely up to you, and there is a lot of scope for creativity there.

How to Make Money on YouTube Reviewing Products

So, to the crux of the post; how to make money on YouTube reviewing products. Like the content of the videos themselves, there are many ways to monetise your product reviews.

We’re going to cover the main ones, but before we do, let’s go over some ground rules that apply to all the below.

Firstly, content is king. It sounds cliché, but it’s cliché for a reason. All the tricks in the world will only get you temporary success (if any) if the underlying content isn’t up to scratch.

However you decide to approach your product review videos, you should do your best to make sure the content is the highest quality you can achieve, both in terms of the contents and the literal quality of the video.

The next universal thing you do is be honest with your viewers when making sponsored content.

This applies to YouTubers of all stripes, but even more so when we’re talking about YouTubers who review products. If you have been paid to do a particular review, regardless of whether the review is 100% honest and not flattering at all for the product, even if all the company did was send you a free product to do the review with and aren’t actually paying you, you need to tell your viewers.

It might put some people off, but not nearly as many people as it will put off if they find out you have been getting paid to review products and not been up front about it. In some situations, this can also get you in legal trouble.

Finally, as we touched on above, make sure you give the viewers the information they came for.

There is nothing wrong with making content where you throw an iPhone in a blender or drop a laptop from water tower to see if it still works after, but if you want people to come to your channel for product reviews, you need to give them the important information somehow.

A Basic Product Review Channel

With a basic review channel, you would be monetising your videos through the YouTube Partner Programme, earning revenue from the ads displayed on your videos. In terms of a pure views-to-revenue conversion, this isn’t the most effective way to monetise your content, but it is the easiest.

Your channel will need to meet certain criteria to be allowed into the YouTube Partner Programme, such as having at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours combined watch time across the whole channel over the last year, as well as some other criteria.

Relying solely on the YouTube Partner Programme will limit what you can review. For example, if you are reviewing fire arms, you probably aren’t going to be able to monetise that content using YouTube’s monetisation programme.

The same goes for things like tobacco products, adult toys, and host of other things that advertisers aren’t necessarily keen on their ads being displayed next to.

Affiliate Linking

The natural next step to monetising product reviews is affiliate linking. There is a multitude of affiliate networks out there; some may cover purely electronic goods, others may focus on healthcare products, for the purposes of this example, we are going to focus on by far the most commonly used affiliate programme; Amazon Affiliates.

Amazon Affiliates enables users to get a special link to Amazon products and pages that they can give to their viewers, and any time someone buys a product through one of those links, the affiliate gets a little cut of the profit. The price is exactly the same to the consumer, but some of the money is redirected back to the affiliate who shared the link.

This system works very well for product reviewers who are reviewing things you can buy on Amazon, since almost anything on the site can earn you affiliate revenue, and the mechanism by which you earn is quite organic. You review the product as if you would, and you casually mention that there will be links to the products in the description (while being honest about the fact that they are affiliate links, of course).

First Looks and Exclusives

This is a little more indirect, but if you can build up a good enough reputation, you can get your foot in the door for first looks and exclusive content.

You may not get paid directly for these, but having a first or exclusive look at a highly anticipated product can do wonders for your channel’s prestige, boosting your viewing figures and increasing your earning potential from the other methods of monetising your content.

If you do manage to get these kinds of exclusives, it is important that you abide by any non-disclosure agreements and other restrictions placed on your content as part of the deal.

Not only are you opening yourself up to legal problems if you don’t, you are pretty much guaranteeing you won’t get those offers again.

Final Thoughts

Product review videos are an excellent way to earn money through YouTube, in no small part because a love of the subject matter is not necessary for success (though some expertise is necessary). Honesty is perhaps more important than usual in for reviewers, however, since the risk of being caught lying is substantial. If it gets out that you are being dishonest in your reviews, you can essentially kiss goodbye to any hope of making money with product reviews on YouTube.

And, like all types of content on YouTube, the better the quality, the better your chances of success. Great quality videos aren’t guaranteed to succeed, but poor quality content is almost always guaranteed to fail eventually.

Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube

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2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos

I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.

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Big mistake!

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5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways

I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.

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