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How thick are primer sprays? lets say the games workshop ones.

My current method of doing camouflage is to undercoat white, then stick masking tape in areas then paint black with an airbrush. Would there be much difference if instead of using an airbrush I used black undercoat?

Then maybe used an "army painter" primer spray for a third colour?

What would the effect be?

The GW "primer" spray is, to my knowledge, just an enamel - same as any generic spray paint. Viscosity varies from brand to brand for enamels, let alone from regular spray paints to primers, so the results would likely vary widely depending on what exactly you use.. Assuming proper technique, though, a reasonably thin coat shouldn't be difficult to achieve. Airbrushed coats also vary in thickness depending on technique, but thinning/dilution becomes an additional factor, as does the fineness of the atomization - airbrushed layers have the potential, at least, to deposit a thinner coat than a spray can, with equivalent opacity.

When you're masking stripes or patterns, the main danger is developing unintended stratification - the unmasked areas receive more paint and become higher than adjoining areas (especially visible at the edge of the pattern). I honestly can't say if the physical step between colors will be particularly noticeable using cans - especially having never used the GW or AP sprays - but an airbrush is definitely the safer bet. You'll have to do a bit of experimentation on scrap or wait until someone with more direct experience weighs in to be sure. I imagine, though, that there's a reason people with airbrushes use them for camo over cans, pretty much exclusively, even considering the greater hassle of mixing and cleaning.