First of all, I would like to warn you: I hate to hear that I took good photos thanks to my good camera!!!
Of course, I use the best cameras available on the market. For this kind of job, I take two cameras, just in case one fails…
I mostly use Canon EOS 5DMKIII and EOS 5DMkIV, with the silent shutter mode, I can shoot at 6 ft and you don’t hear the shutter release.
My latest buy is a Leica Q, which provides incredible images. It has a very accurate focusing and it’s absolutely silent. That camera looks like a very old film-era camera but it’s a snipper (or paparazzi) great tool!
I also use a Canon EOS1DX, for long-distance shots. It has the quickest and more sensitive Auto-focus on the market. The shutter release is a bit loud, so I avoid using it while shooting from distances closer than 15 ft.
But the camera is just one of a chain of tools, and the weakest tool you use can destroy everything. I use the Canon STRE2, a TTL flash remote that can control many Speedlight flashes, together with remote Profoto and Godox flashlights.
I mostly use Canon L series Pro f:2,8 lenses: the 16-35, the 24-70 and the 70-200IS. I love my 50 f:1,2 (at 1,2 of course) and my 135 f:2. I recently bought a Sigma ART 20mm f:1,4 and the quality’s just fantastic.
But providing good photos requires years of experience and experiments. You need to get the skills to see the good and the bad lights. You have to see how an ordinary background can become stunning from a new angle. Most images are framed hand-held and cropped afterward. Most of the time, we must anticipate what’s happening half a second before it happens. That’s what really counts when you have a camera in your hands!