The Best Vlogging Cameras For 2025

1 month ago

Vlogging utilized to beryllium a niche camera category, but it’s now astatine slightest adjacent to (if not dominating) nan photograph scene. All nan awesome camera companies now person aggregate creator models pinch caller ones arriving astir each month, including Nikon’s awesome caller ZR hybrid creator camera built successful collaboration pinch cinema institution RED.

Other caller creator models see Sony's powerful full-frame ZV-E1, nan Insta360 X5 and Fujifilm’s X-M5. Some cameras successful this guide, for illustration nan caller Panasonic S1 II and Panasonic’s GH7, are hybrid mirrorless cameras pinch vlogging powers arsenic portion of a greater toolkit.

All person definite things successful common, however, for illustration flip-around screens, eye-detect autofocus and immoderate benignant of stabilization. Prices, features and value tin alteration widely, though. To that end, we’ve updated our guideline pinch each nan latest vlogging cameras designed for novice to master creators pinch a wide scope of budgets. Engadget has tested each of these to springiness you nan champion imaginable recommendations.

Best vlogging cameras for 2025

Best action and portable cameras

If you’re conscionable starting retired successful vlogging aliases request a small, rugged camera, an action cam mightiness beryllium your champion bet. In general, they’re easy to usage arsenic you don’t person to interest astir things for illustration vulnerability aliases focus. Recent models besides connection bully physics stabilization and sharp, colorful video astatine up to 4K and 60 fps. The downsides are a deficiency of control, image value that’s not connected par pinch larger cameras and nary zooming aliases action to alteration lenses.

Late successful 2023, DJI unveiled nan Osmo Pocket 3 and I called it “maybe nan only vlogging camera you need.” It has a large one-inch sensor, which is nan aforesaid size arsenic nan 1 connected Sony’s ZV-1 II compact camera. That boosts image value considerably, peculiarly successful debased light. It besides has a new, ample swiveling touchscreen that makes it easier to move betwixt horizontal and vertical video.

What really makes it awesome for vlogging are nan travel modes mixed pinch look tracking. If you’re moving solo, you tin simply group it up and it’ll rotate and tilt to travel you around. That besides applies for walk-and-talk vlogging, truthful you don’t person to interest astir attraction aliases moreover pointing nan camera astatine yourself. There’s very small not to for illustration astir nan Osmo Pocket 3, but it’s not perfect for photos owed to nan reduced solution and it’s besides rather expensive.

$816 astatine Amazon

GoPro’s Hero 13 Black (or Hero 13 Black Ultra Wide Edition if you request a wider section of view) hasn’t changed overmuch from nan Hero 12 connected nan inside, but nan creation is simply a full caller story. It’s now disposable pinch a caller family of modular lenses called nan HB bid (ultra-wide, anamorphic and macro), making it acold much versatile for action creators. It besides has a somewhat bigger artillery that allows longer seizure times, up to 90 minutes for 4K 30fps video.

Other specs stay nan same, including up to 5.3K astatine 60 fps successful 10-bit colour pinch precocious information rates, and 8:7 seizure that uses nan full sensor. Otherwise, nan Hero 13 still has nan champion integer stabilization (aka Hypersmooth) of immoderate action camera, a full-color beforehand surface and still offers nan champion image value successful its class.

$359 astatine Amazon

DJI’s Action 5 Pro is simply a bully replacement to nan GoPro 13. Its champion characteristic is nan ample 1/1.3-inch sensor that makes it amended than its rival successful debased light. It besides tops nan action cam artillery life charts astatine good complete 2 hours while shooting successful 4K 60p. Another bully characteristic is 47 GB of soul storage, a large thief if you capable aliases hide your microSD representation card. And nan Osmo Action 5 Pro useful straight pinch DJI’s noise-cancelling Mic 2 and Mic Mini wireless microphones, providing an easy measurement to grounds high-quality sound. The Action 5 Pro's main downsides are comparatively debased solution and somewhat poorer stabilization compared to nan competition.

$349 astatine Amazon

DJI came precocious to nan 360 action cam category, but nan Osmo 360 is simply a worthy rival to Insta360’s X5. Like its rival, it tin sprout 360 video astatine up to 8K but does truthful successful 10-bit D-LogM and up to 50 fps alternatively than conscionable 30 fps. It besides captures level video successful azygous lens “Boost Video” mode astatine 4K 120 fps pinch nan aforesaid 170 grade section of position arsenic nan Insta360 X5. The Osmo 360 besides has fantabulous low-light capacity acknowledgment to its larger pixels and tin sprout up to 120MP photos. Its main flaws are nan DJI Studio app that needs immoderate activity and stabilization that’s good, but breaks down a spot successful debased light.

$473 astatine Amazon

Best compact vlogging cameras

Compact cameras are a measurement up from smartphones aliases action cameras, pinch larger sensors and overmuch amended image quality. At nan aforesaid time, they’re not rather arsenic versatile arsenic mirrorless aliases DSLR cameras (and not needfully cheaper) and they deficiency precocious options for illustration 10-bit video. For folks who want nan champion imaginable value without needing to deliberation excessively overmuch astir their camera, however, they’re nan champion option.

The 20-megapixel Sony ZV-1 II is simply a follow-up to nan company’s ZV-1, a compact camera based connected nan RX-100 bid that uses a 1-inch sensor. It does that occupation good acknowledgment to a lightweight body, built-in high-quality microphone, flip-out display, 4K 30p video, best-in-class autofocus and fantabulous image quality. The 18-50mm f/1.8-4.0 lens is crisp and wider than connected nan ZV-1, truthful it’s amended for vlogging. One very bully characteristic is nan built-in neutral density filter, but it does deficiency optical image stabilization.

$948 astatine Amazon

Canon’s Powershot V10 is designed specifically for vlogging and has a 1-inch sensor and 18mm lens for illustration nan ZV-1-II, but nan creation is substantially different. It’s much phone- than camera-shaped truthful it whitethorn beryllium champion suited for creators already utilized to smartphones. At nan aforesaid time, it offers nan benefits of a existent camera for illustration integer stabilization, taxable search and fantabulous image quality. It besides comes pinch a built-in kickstand truthful you tin group it successful spot erstwhile vlogging. It’s not nan champion exemplary for pros, though, arsenic it lacks manual vulnerability controls.

$469 astatine Amazon

Best mirrorless vlogging cameras

This is nan people that has changed nan astir complete nan past mates of years, peculiarly successful nan much affordable value categories. Interchangeable lens cameras springiness you nan astir options for vlogging, offering larger sensors than compact cameras pinch amended low-light sensitivity and shallower extent of section to isolate you aliases your subject. They besides connection amended power of your image pinch manual controls, log recording, 10-bit video and more. The drawbacks are other weight compared to action aliases compact cameras, other complexity and higher prices.

The champion vlogging camera you tin bargain for nether $1,000 is nan Sony ZV-E10 II, which is besides nan apical APS-C mirrorless camera for vloggers. It comes pinch a 26-megapixel APS-C sensor that’s overmuch faster than before, truthful rolling shutter wobble is mostly a non-issue. You tin sprout supersampled 4K video astatine up to 30p utilizing nan afloat sensor width, aliases 4K 60p pinch a mini 1.1x crop. It besides supports 10-bit S-Log3 video capture, LUT imports and more. The main drawbacks are nan deficiency of an physics viewfinder and mechanical shutter.

$1,198 astatine Amazon

A bully fund bargain is Canon’s caller EOS R50 V (the “V” is for vlogging). It offers fantabulous video value pinch supersampled 4K astatine 30 fps aliases 60 fps pinch a 1.56x crop, pinch 10-bit C-Log3 capture. At nan aforesaid time, Canon has a dedicated colour fastener that lets you quickly prime imaginative looks for illustration Portrait, Fine Detail and Monochrome. Creators get a afloat articulating show but it does deficiency an physics viewfinder. It uses Canon’s fantabulous Dual Pixel AF pinch taxable nickname modes, truthful you aliases your subjects are judge to beryllium successful focus. It’s besides resistant to overheating acknowledgment to nan built-in fan. The main downsides are nan deficiency of in-body stabilization and mediocre artillery life.

$799 astatine Amazon

The X-M5 is Fujifilm’s first sub-$1,000 camera successful years and it has a batch to connection creators. That starts pinch a useful array of manual controls, including a dedicated movie simulation dial to create absorbing looks and a dedicated “vlogging” dial that automatically enables features for illustration "portrait enhancer," inheritance defocus and merchandise priority. Video specs are beardown pinch up to 5.7K 30 fps capture, on pinch 4K 60fps and 1080p 120 fps shooting. Just beware that it does deficiency optical stabilization and a viewfinder.

$1,230 astatine Amazon

If you want to look awesome while vlogging, cheque retired Nikon’s stylish Z fc. It’s mostly identical to nan Z50, pinch features for illustration a 20.9-megapixel APS-C sensor, 4K astatine 30 fps and a reliable phase-detect autofocus strategy pinch look detection. However, nan Z fc brings a vari-angle touchscreen to nan statement and has a beautiful vintage assemblage covered pinch convenient manual controls. It doesn’t person built-in optical stabilization, but you tin get that via a lens.

$1,097 astatine Amazon

Sony has nary little than 5 models successful its content-creator ZV lineup, and nan ZV-E1 is its astir tin by far. Based connected nan video-centric A7S III, it has an outstanding characteristic group for video including 10-bit 4K astatine up to 120p, and is simply a low-light champ to boot. It besides offers cool AI features for illustration auto-framing and move stabilization that are very useful for vloggers. The main drawback is simply a deficiency of sharpness, but astatine a value $1,300 cheaper than nan A7S III, it’s a highly recommended vlogging camera.

$2,198 astatine Amazon

Panasonic’s caller Lumix S1 II is very akin to nan Nikon Z6 III, successful that it comes pinch a partially stacked 24MP sensor and shoots up to 6K RAW video. It does person a fewer advantages though, peculiarly nan superior physics viewfinder and rear show that tilts arsenic good arsenic swivels for photographers. It besides offers superior stabilization and a built-in fan. The main downside is nan price, which is $700 higher than nan Z6 III.

$3,190 astatine Amazon

Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds GH-series has ever been celebrated pinch contented creators, and nan 25.6-megapixel GH7 is its champion exemplary truthful far. It’s nan first successful nan lineup to usage phase-detect autofocus, making attraction wobble for video shooting a point of nan past. It besides offers powerful features only recovered connected much costly cameras for illustration soul ProRes RAW signaling astatine up to 5.7K, 4K astatine up to 120fps, a afloat articulating and tilting show and precocious image stabilization.

It’s besides worthy a look astatine nan G9 II, arsenic it’s somewhat little powerful but a fewer 100 dollars cheaper. It has astir of nan features of nan GH7, for illustration a flip retired show and up to 5.8K capture. It lacks RAW soul shooting, but you tin seizure ProRes to an SSD.

$1,798 astatine Amazon

Upcoming cameras

Nikon ZR

Nikon’s ZR has conscionable arrived and I haven’t been capable to trial nan last type yet, but it’s loaded pinch potential. Developed successful collaboration pinch nan cinema institution RED that it acquired past year, it offers 6K RAW video astatine up to 60 fps utilizing RED’s caller R3D NE format on pinch its Log3G10 colour science. It has in-body stabilization pinch up to 7.5 stops of shingle reduction, hybrid phase-detect autofocus and a immense 4-inch show pinch a superb 3,070 dot solution and 1,000 nits of brightness. That’s each squeezed into a compact 540 gram (1.2 pound) body. Best of all, it costs conscionable $2,200, making it not only much tin but overmuch cheaper than galore comparable cinema cameras.

What to look for successful a vlogging camera

Vlogging cameras are cleanable if you often activity unsocial and either usage a tripod, gimbal, conveyance equine aliases conscionable your hands to clasp a camera. It has to beryllium bully not conscionable for filming yourself, but different “B-roll” footage that helps show your story.

The number 1 request is simply a flip-around surface truthful you tin spot yourself while filming. Those tin rotate up, down aliases to nan side, but flipping retired to nan broadside is preferable truthful a tripod aliases microphone won’t artifact it.

Continuous autofocus (AF) for video pinch look and oculus discovery is besides a must. It becomes your camera “assistant,” keeping things successful attraction while you ore connected your content. Most cameras tin do that nowadays, but immoderate still do it amended than others.

If you move astir aliases locomotion a lot, you should look for a camera pinch in-body stabilization. Electronic stabilization is different action arsenic agelong arsenic you’re alert of nan limitations. If fund permits, it’s bully to person a camera pinch a accelerated sensor that limits rolling shutter, which tin create a distracting jello “wobble” pinch speedy camera movements.

How to bargain a vlogging camera successful 2020

4K signaling is different cardinal feature. All cameras nowadays tin sprout 4K up to astatine slightest 24 fps, but if possible, it’s amended to person 4K astatine 60 aliases moreover 120 fps. If you sprout sports aliases different things involving accelerated movement, look for a exemplary pinch astatine slightest 1080p astatine 120 fps for slow-motion recording.

Video value and colour accuracy are different important considerations, particularly for tegument tones. Good ray sensitivity helps for shooting concerts aliases filming astatine night, and a log floor plan helps amended move scope successful very agleam aliases acheronian shooting conditions. If you want nan champion imaginable image value and tin spend it, get a camera that tin grounds 4K pinch 10-bits (billions) of colors and log seizure to boost move range. That will springiness you much options erstwhile you spell to edit.

Don’t neglect audio either — it’s conscionable arsenic important arsenic video. Look for a camera pinch a microphone larboard truthful you tin plug successful a shotgun aliases lapel mic for interviews, aliases astatine slightest 1 pinch a good-quality built-in microphone. It’s besides bully to person a headphone larboard to show sound to corroborate that levels are bully and there’s nary clipping aliases different issues.

You’ll besides want bully artillery life and, if possible, dual representation paper slots for a backup. Finally, don’t hide astir your camera’s size and weight. If you’re perpetually carrying 1 while shooting, particularly astatine nan extremity of a gimbal aliases gorillapod, it mightiness really beryllium the astir important factor. That’s why mini GoPro cameras are truthful celebrated for sports, contempt offering little image value and less pro features.