Vlogging used to be a niche camera category, but it’s now at least equal to (if not dominating) the photo scene. All the major camera companies now have multiple creator models with new ones arriving nearly every month, including Nikon’s awesome new ZR hybrid creator camera built in collaboration with cinema company RED.
Other recent creator models include Sony’s powerful full-frame ZV-E1, the Insta360 X5 and Fujifilm’s X-M5. Some cameras in this guide, like the new Panasonic S1 II and Panasonic’s GH7, are hybrid mirrorless cameras with vlogging powers as part of a greater toolkit.
All have certain things in common, however, like flip-around screens, eye-detect autofocus and some kind of stabilization. Prices, features and quality can vary widely, though. To that end, we’ve updated our guide with all the latest vlogging cameras designed for novice to professional creators with a wide range of budgets. Engadget has tested all of these to give you the best possible recommendations.
Table of contents
Best vlogging cameras for 2025
Best action and portable cameras
If you’re just starting out in vlogging or need a small, rugged camera, an action cam might be your best bet. In general, they’re easy to use as you don’t have to worry about things like exposure or focus. Recent models also offer good electronic stabilization and sharp, colorful video at up to 4K and 60 fps. The downsides are a lack of control, image quality that’s not on par with larger cameras and no zooming or option to change lenses.
Late in 2023, DJI unveiled the Osmo Pocket 3 and I called it “maybe the only vlogging camera you need.” It has a big one-inch sensor, which is the same size as the one on Sony’s ZV-1 II compact camera. That boosts image quality considerably, particularly in low light. It also has a new, large swiveling touchscreen that makes it easier to switch between horizontal and vertical video.
What really makes it great for vlogging are the follow modes combined with face tracking. If you’re working solo, you can simply set it up and it’ll rotate and tilt to follow you around. That also applies for walk-and-talk vlogging, so you don’t have to worry about focus or even pointing the camera at yourself. There’s very little not to like about the Osmo Pocket 3, but it’s not ideal for photos due to the reduced resolution and it’s also quite expensive.
$818 at Amazon
GoPro’s Hero 13 Black (or Hero 13 Black Ultra Wide Edition if you need a wider field of view) hasn’t changed much from the Hero 12 on the inside, but the design is a whole new story. It’s now available with a new family of modular lenses called the HB series (ultra-wide, anamorphic and macro), making it far more versatile for action creators. It also has a slightly bigger battery that allows longer capture times, up to 90 minutes for 4K 30fps video.
Other specs remain the same, including up to 5.3K at 60 fps in 10-bit color with high data rates, and 8:7 capture that uses the entire sensor. Otherwise, the Hero 13 still has the best digital stabilization (aka Hypersmooth) of any action camera, a full-color front screen and still offers the best image quality in its class.
$359 at Amazon
DJI’s Action 5 Pro is a nice alternative to the GoPro 13. Its best feature is the large 1/1.3-inch sensor that makes it better than its rival in low light. It also tops the action cam battery life charts at well over two hours while shooting in 4K 60p. Another nice feature is 47 GB of internal storage, a big help if you fill or forget your microSD memory card. And the Osmo Action 5 Pro works directly with DJI’s noise-cancelling Mic 2 and Mic Mini wireless microphones, providing an easy way to record high-quality sound. The Action 5 Pro’s main downsides are relatively low resolution and slightly poorer stabilization compared to the competition.
$349 at Amazon
Cameras that can record 360-degree video can perform a nice trick: letting you reframe action after you shoot it or capture immersive video for virtual reality. Despite some extra competition from DJI, Insta360’s X5 is still the best camera in this category. As with the X4, it captures action at up to 8K 30fps or 5.7K at 60fps, providing more detail when you reframe it to 16:9 for viewing on a regular screen. However, the X5 has bigger 1/1.28-inch sensors and adds the Pure Video mode, both of which boost low-light capability for night shooting.
Two other key additions are replaceable lenses and InstaFrame, which lets you pre-select your flat video angle before shooting, rather than just after as before. The Me Mode that produces flat video (with automatic selfie stick removal) supports video at up to 4K 30 fps as before. It also offers solid battery life, a waterproof design and a free editing app.
$550 at Amazon
DJI came late to the 360 action cam category, but the Osmo 360 is a worthy rival to Insta360’s X5. Like its rival, it can shoot 360 video at up to 8K but does so in 10-bit D-LogM and up to 50 fps rather than just 30 fps. It also captures flat video in single lens “Boost Video” mode at 4K 120 fps with the same 170 degree field of view as the Insta360 X5. The Osmo 360 also has excellent low-light capability thanks to its larger pixels and can shoot up to 120MP photos. Its main flaws are the DJI Studio app that needs some work and stabilization that’s good, but breaks down a bit in low light.
$473 at Amazon
Best compact vlogging cameras
Compact cameras are a step up from smartphones or action cameras, with larger sensors and much better image quality. At the same time, they’re not quite as versatile as mirrorless or DSLR cameras (and not necessarily cheaper) and they lack advanced options like 10-bit video. For folks who want the best possible quality without needing to think too much about their camera, however, they’re the best option.
The 20-megapixel Sony ZV-1 II is a follow-up to the company’s ZV-1, a compact camera based on the RX-100 series that uses a 1-inch sensor. It does that job well thanks to a lightweight body, built-in high-quality microphone, flip-out display, 4K 30p video, best-in-class autofocus and excellent image quality. The 18-50mm f/1.8-4.0 lens is sharp and wider than on the ZV-1, so it’s better for vlogging. One very nice feature is the built-in neutral density filter, but it does lack optical image stabilization.
$948 at Amazon
Canon’s Powershot V10 is designed specifically for vlogging and has a 1-inch sensor and 18mm lens like the ZV-1-II, but the design is substantially different. It’s more phone- than camera-shaped so it may be best suited for creators already used to smartphones. At the same time, it offers the benefits of a true camera like digital stabilization, subject tracking and excellent picture quality. It also comes with a built-in kickstand so you can set it in place when vlogging. It’s not the best model for pros, though, as it lacks manual exposure controls.
$469 at Amazon
Best mirrorless vlogging cameras
This is the class that has changed the most over the past couple of years, particularly in the more affordable price categories. Interchangeable lens cameras give you the most options for vlogging, offering larger sensors than compact cameras with better low-light sensitivity and shallower depth of field to isolate you or your subject. They also offer better control of your image with manual controls, log recording, 10-bit video and more. The drawbacks are extra weight compared to action or compact cameras, extra complexity and higher prices.
The best vlogging camera you can buy for under $1,000 is the Sony ZV-E10 II, which is also the top APS-C mirrorless camera for vloggers. It comes with a 26-megapixel APS-C sensor that’s much faster than before, so rolling shutter wobble is mostly a non-issue. You can shoot supersampled 4K video at up to 30p using the full sensor width, or 4K 60p with a small 1.1x crop. It also supports 10-bit S-Log3 video capture, LUT imports and more. The main drawbacks are the lack of an electronic viewfinder and mechanical shutter.
$1,198 at Amazon
A good budget buy is Canon’s new EOS R50 V (the “V” is for vlogging). It offers excellent video quality with supersampled 4K at 30 fps or 60 fps with a 1.56x crop, with 10-bit C-Log3 capture. At the same time, Canon has a dedicated color button that lets you quickly select creative looks like Portrait, Fine Detail and Monochrome. Creators get a fully articulating display but it does lack an electronic viewfinder. It uses Canon’s excellent Dual Pixel AF with subject recognition modes, so you or your subjects are sure to be in focus. It’s also resistant to overheating thanks to the built-in fan. The main downsides are the lack of in-body stabilization and mediocre battery life.
$799 at Amazon
The X-M5 is Fujifilm’s first sub-$1,000 camera in years and it has a lot to offer creators. That starts with a handy array of manual controls, including a dedicated film simulation dial to create interesting looks and a dedicated “vlogging” dial that automatically enables features like “portrait enhancer,” background defocus and product priority. Video specs are strong with up to 5.7K 30 fps capture, along with 4K 60fps and 1080p 120 fps shooting. Just beware that it does lack optical stabilization and a viewfinder.
$1,220 at Amazon
If you want to look great while vlogging, check out Nikon’s stylish Z fc. It’s largely identical to the Z50, with features like a 20.9-megapixel APS-C sensor, 4K at 30 fps and a reliable phase-detect autofocus system with face detection. However, the Z fc brings a vari-angle touchscreen to the party and has a beautiful vintage body covered with convenient manual controls. It doesn’t have built-in optical stabilization, but you can get that via a lens.
$1,097 at Amazon
Sony has no less than five models in its content-creator ZV lineup, and the ZV-E1 is its most capable by far. Based on the video-centric A7S III, it has an outstanding feature set for video including 10-bit 4K at up to 120p, and is a low-light champ to boot. It also offers cool AI features like auto-framing and dynamic stabilization that are very handy for vloggers. The main drawback is a lack of sharpness, but at a price $1,300 cheaper than the A7S III, it’s a highly recommended vlogging camera.
$2,198 at Amazon
Nikon’s Z6 III offers a lot of power for the price thanks to the incredible performance of its partially stacked 24MP sensor. You can shoot RAW bursts at up to 20 fps in electronic shutter mode while nailing sharp shots thanks to the much-improved autofocus. On the video side, it supports 6K RAW at up to 60 fps, or 4K 120p. The only thing holding it back from dethroning Sony is image quality that’s compromised a bit by the relatively low resolution and reduced dynamic range.
$2,450 at Amazon
Panasonic’s new Lumix S1 II is very similar to the Nikon Z6 III, in that it comes with a partially stacked 24MP sensor and shoots up to 6K RAW video. It does have a few advantages though, particularly the superior electronic viewfinder and rear display that tilts as well as swivels for photographers. It also offers superior stabilization and a built-in fan. The main downside is the price, which is $700 higher than the Z6 III.
$3,190 at Amazon
Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds GH-series has always been popular with content creators, and the 25.6-megapixel GH7 is its best model so far. It’s the first in the lineup to use phase-detect autofocus, making focus wobble for video shooting a thing of the past. It also offers powerful features only found on more expensive cameras like internal ProRes RAW recording at up to 5.7K, 4K at up to 120fps, a fully articulating and tilting display and advanced image stabilization.
It’s also worth a look at the G9 II, as it’s slightly less powerful but a few hundred dollars cheaper. It has most of the features of the GH7, like a flip out display and up to 5.8K capture. It lacks RAW internal shooting, but you can capture ProRes to an SSD.
$1,798 at Amazon
Upcoming cameras
Nikon ZR
Nikon’s ZR has just arrived and I haven’t been able to test the final version yet, but it’s loaded with potential. Developed in collaboration with the cinema company RED that it acquired last year, it offers 6K RAW video at up to 60 fps using RED’s new R3D NE format along with its Log3G10 color science. It has in-body stabilization with up to 7.5 stops of shake reduction, hybrid phase-detect autofocus and a huge 4-inch display with a superb 3,070 dot resolution and 1,000 nits of brightness. That’s all squeezed into a compact 540 gram (1.2 pound) body. Best of all, it costs just $2,200, making it not only more capable but much cheaper than many comparable cinema cameras.
What to look for in a vlogging camera
Vlogging cameras are perfect if you often work alone and either use a tripod, gimbal, vehicle mount or just your hands to hold a camera. It has to be good not just for filming yourself, but other “B-roll” footage that helps tell your story.
The number one requirement is a flip-around screen so you can see yourself while filming. Those can rotate up, down or to the side, but flipping out to the side is preferable so a tripod or microphone won’t block it.
Continuous autofocus (AF) for video with face and eye detection is also a must. It becomes your camera “assistant,” keeping things in focus while you concentrate on your content. Most cameras can do that nowadays, but some still do it better than others.
If you move around or walk a lot, you should look for a camera with in-body stabilization. Electronic stabilization is another option as long as you’re aware of the limitations. If budget permits, it’s good to have a camera with a fast sensor that limits rolling shutter, which can create a distracting jello “wobble” with quick camera movements.
Steve Dent/Engadget
4K recording is another key feature. All cameras nowadays can shoot 4K up to at least 24 fps, but if possible, it’s better to have 4K at 60 or even 120 fps. If you shoot sports or other things involving fast movement, look for a model with at least 1080p at 120 fps for slow-motion recording.
Video quality and color accuracy are other important considerations, especially for skin tones. Good light sensitivity helps for shooting concerts or filming at night, and a log profile helps improve dynamic range in very bright or dark shooting conditions. If you want the best possible image quality and can afford it, get a camera that can record 4K with 10-bits (billions) of colors and log capture to boost dynamic range. That will give you more options when you go to edit.
Don’t neglect audio either — it’s just as important as video. Look for a camera with a microphone port so you can plug in a shotgun or lapel mic for interviews, or at least one with a good-quality built-in microphone. It’s also nice to have a headphone port to monitor sound to confirm that levels are good and there’s no clipping or other issues.
You’ll also want good battery life and, if possible, dual memory card slots for a backup. Finally, don’t forget about your camera’s size and weight. If you’re constantly carrying one while shooting, especially at the end of a gimbal or gorillapod, it might actually be the most important factor. That’s why tiny GoPro cameras are so popular for sports, despite offering lower image quality and fewer pro features.