Best Cameras for Video | 2024

Pros:

• Exceptional suite of video options
• Incredible in low light
• Loads of E-mount lenses to choose from

Cons:

• Low resolution limits hybrid use for stills

Mirrorless video shooters have been singing the praises of the Sony A7S series ever since the first one arrived all the way back in 2013. The wait for the A7S III was long, but it’s definitely been worth it, with this highly sophisticated model being more attuned than ever to the needs of video producers.

Equipped with an Exmor R 12MP full-frame BSI sensor, the Sony A7S III sports a native ISO range of 80 to 102,400, expandable to 40 to 409,600. The first camera made headlines for literally turning night into day, and this one continues that noble tradition, with the addition of a BIONZ XR Processing engine that improves its performance eightfold over previous models.

The A7S III offers 4K 120P (4:2:2 10bit) and FHD 240P recording, as well as S-Log FX9 colour-matching, 5-axis stabilisation, a 759-point autofocus system, and lots, lots more. Unmatched in speed and sensitivity, the A7S III is a game-changing mirrorless camera for video shooters, and one we expect to see a lot of content shot on in the years to come.

Pros:

• Slim, lightweight package
• Good-looking 4K and Full HD
• Livestreaming option

Cons:

• Fairly short zoom range
• Smaller sensor than interchangeable-lens rivals

One of the best cameras for vloggers available right now, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III may look like a tiny compact, but it’s got the capacity to shoot glorious 4K video, as well as Full HD movies at a super-slow 120fps. There’s the option to plug in a mic via the 3.5mm jack, and the lightweight build makes it highly suited to travel.

Add all this to full connectivity features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as a slim form factor and a 4.2x optical zoom lens, and you can see why vloggers have flocked to this self-contained shooting package. It’s even got the capacity for livestreaming, allowing you to give your Facebook Live videos that little professional polish you won’t get from recording on your smartphone.

Pros:

• Affordable route into 4K
• Live View autofocus is excellent
• Lots of lenses available

Cons:

• No weatherproofing

An ideal first step for someone looking to get into DSLR video, the Canon EOS 250D is not only an eminently capable camera with a broad feature-set, it also gives you access to the enormous range of EF-mount lenses. From here you are all but guaranteed to find a lens with a focal range that suits you, at the right price too.

The EOS 250D may be on the cheaper end of the DSLR scale, but Canon hasn’t skimped on features. It shoots 4K video, and indeed is one of the smallest and cheapest DSLR cameras to do so, making it ideal for travel videography, vlogging and more. Its 4K frame rate tops out at 25p so it’s not challenging the big boys anytime soon, but it does what it does well, and is bursting with nifty extra features such as a high-quality vari-angle LCD that’s great for monitoring your shots, as well as Dual Pixel Autofocus with a whopping 3,975 focal points across the frame.

The EOS 250D not only gives you everything you need to shoot video right away, it also offers a great deal of room to grow, thanks to its EF lens mount. Whatever video projects you have in mind, this capable little DSLR will keep up.

Pros:

• 180-degree tilting screen is good for vlogging
• Autofocus works very well
• Hybrid Log-Gamma profile

Cons:

• Not many physical control buttons
• Sony’s menus can be confusing

Though Sony’s full-frame Alpha models are arguably its star-players, it’s great to see that the manufacturer never forgets about APS-C and has released plenty quality cameras in this sensor size. It also tends to keep them in production even after newer ones have come out, providing more options at different price points, such as the A6400. It’s a tidy and capable shooter that can capture 4K 30p video internally with full sensor readout and no pixel binning. It collects approximately 2.4x the amount of data required for UHD video, deliberately oversampling to deliver high-quality results. Not bad!

This was also the first APS-C Sony camera to include the Hybrid Log Gamma profile, allowing for instant HDR workflows, and video shooters can make use of Fast Hybrid Autofocus to ensure the subject is also pin-sharp. The A6400 handles nicely, with an ergonomic design, and its 180-degree tiltable LCD screen also makes it a nice choice for vlogging, making it easy to keep an eye on what you’re filming, as you’re filming it. This action-oriented speedster will find a good home in any videographer’s kit bag.

Pros:

• Excellent video quality
• Lots of recording options (especially when used with a recorder)
• Broad ISO sensitivity range

Cons:

• Bulkier form factor than mirrorless counterparts
• Maximum 30p frame rate for 4K

Blending the best of DSLR and mirrorless technology, the Nikon D780 is one of the finest DSLRs you can choose for video shooting as well as stills. It’s able to use its 6K imaging sensor to output ultra-high-resolution 4K/UHD footage at 30p/25p/24p, with none of the pesky crop factor that plagues many similar cameras.

The D780 also allows the user to record in Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) footage when it’s paired with an external recorder, and can record N-Log internally. There’s also an impressive sensitivity range to play with, with ISO settings expandable to 50-204,800. 

Pros:

• Lots of video options
• MFT lens mount
• Weatherproof build

Cons:

• Smaller sensor than full-frame / APS-C rivals

Panasonic’s Lumix GH6 is a first-choice, world-renowned tool for creators. Keeping in line with Panasonic’s reputation for versatile video/still-image hybrids, the GH6 is a mirrorless camera with a 25.2-megapixel Digital Live MOS Sensor and updated Venus Engine with double the processing power. 

The sensor affords impressive high-resolution imagery with a high-speed signal readout that results in a reduced rolling shutter, a wide dynamic range and faster management of higher-resolution, higher-bit-rate video. Coming hand in hand with the updated sensor is 5.7K 4:2:0 10-bit 60p/50p and 5.8K 30p/25p/24p 4:2:0 10-bit anamorphic 4:3 video recording modes - optimised for the highest level of image quality and versatility that’s needed for any level of video production. 

Housed in a body designed to withstand the rigours of everyday professional use, this camera’s magnesium alloy full die-cast front/rear frame is splashproof, dustproof, and freeze-resistant (down to -10°C). Combined with the highly responsive 3,680k-dot 0.76x live viewfinder and a 3.0-inch free-angle touch-control monitor in 3:2 aspect with 1,840K-dot high resolution, the GH6 offers industry-leading specs that truly pushes the boundaries of the mirrorless camera market.

Pros:

• Cine power in a DSLR-sized body
• RF lens mount
• Fast, accurate autofocus

Cons:

• No Raw recording

The EOS C70 was the first Cinema camera to come sporting the sophisticated 12-pin RF lens mount from Canon's full-frame mirrorless range. Built around a sophisticated Super 35 sensor, the EOS C70 offers a whopping dynamic range of up to 16 stops, giving filmmakers real latitude to experiment with.

The image quality of the EOS C70 is simply stunning, and its sophisticated autofocus system is bolstered by the highly developed RF connection system, which ensures near-instantaneous communication between camera and lens. Plus, if you have a collection of EF lenses, you can use the EF-EOS R 0.71x adapter, which actually increases light transmission by a whole stop! All around, this is a hell of a tempting package for pretty much any filmmaker.