Best Camera for TikTok | 2024

So, let’s get the obvious out of the way – for the majority of users, the best camera for TikTok is a phone. It’ll automatically shoot in the right aspect ratio to be viewed on TikTok, it’ll allow you to shoot, edit, upload and share all from one device. TikTok works seamlessly on phones, and for the majority of videos that are shared and liked on the platform, a smartphone is the best choice of camera.

This guide isn’t here to tell you shooting with a mirrorless camera will transform you into a TikTok superstar. We’re here to help those who know they want to create something a little different on TikTok, something that isn’t just themselves talking to the camera - essentially, something that can’t easily be shot on a phone. Perhaps you want to add a little production value and cinematic flair to your videos. Maybe you want to film underwater. Maybe you want to document extreme sport and need something that’ll keep up, or just want to create professional-looking content that meets a high standard of quality.

We’ve collated all the best cameras available right now for those who want to shoot TikToks on something more versatile and powerful than their phone. Before we start, here’s a quick guide to the categories we’ve used to make our picks…

Best TikTok cameras overall - Just as it sounds, these are the cameras we think generally tick the most boxes for TikTok users. We’ve included both an affordable camera and premium option, to provide choice for a range of budgets.

Best vlogging cameras for TikTok - Most camera manufacturers have a few dedicated vlogging cameras in their stable these days, and everything that makes these shooters great for vlogging also makes them excellent for TikTok. Here are a couple of our favourites.

Best action cameras for TikTok - While waterproof phones are becoming more and more common, they can’t beat the best action cameras in terms of ability to take some punishment. If you want to shoot extreme sports for TikTok or capture imagery in intense conditions, these are the cameras to pick.

Best mirrorless cameras for TikTok - Being able to swap between lenses and build up a system gives you huge versatility as a content creator, and mirrorless cameras are the ideal place to start. Here are some that are particularly well suited for TikTok.

Best accessories for TikTok - Accessories are hugely important in video, and having the right ones will make a real difference to the quality of your TikToks. We haven’t gone overboard, but have picked three essentials that will help improve the quality of your videos without costing too much.

Keep reading to find out which cameras and accessories we picked for TikTok users – and don’t forget to follow us on TikTok, of course…

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Best Camera for TikTok

Here we’ve collected what we reckon are the best cameras for TikTok overall. Straightforward to use, but offering powerful features and video functionality, these cameras will give you significantly more depth of control than a smartphone. With larger sensors, these cameras give you greater dynamic range and better low-light capability, expanding your shooting options in different lighting conditions.

Of course, “TikTok user” is an extremely broad category these days, and it’s entirely possible you may be looking for something entry-level and user-friendly, or a more advanced camera capable of putting out professional-grade footage. So, we’ve included options for both – for those who are starting out, and for the experts. However, there are plenty more options further down this list in our other categories, so if none of these cameras sound quite right, read on.

Pros:

• Wide 20mm lens is great for self-recording
• Quality built-in audio setup
• User-friendly ‘Intelligent Auto’ modes

Cons:

• No optical stabilisation (digital only)
• Menus take some getting used to
  
  

A vlogging compact camera is the ideal step-up point if you want to graduate from your smartphone to a more serious setup, but don’t want to spend a fortune. Sony’s Vlog ZV-1F is a highly affordable and user-friendly option, pairing a 1-inch sensor with a 20mm lens that gives you a nice, wide perspective – perfect for filming yourself one-handed. 

The ZV-1F is designed to make high-quality vlogging simple for most users. As such, you are encouraged to make full use of the ‘Intelligent Auto’ modes, which automatically give you the best settings for different lighting conditions. Also, while audio will certainly be better if you get an external mic (more on that later), the three-capsule mic system in the ZV-1F is a decent performer and will capture clean audio in most situations. The wind-shield the camera comes bundled with will further help with this if you’re shooting outdoors. Overall, this is a clever and cheap vlogging compact that’s going to suit any TikTok user on the hunt for higher-quality footage.

Pros:

• Built-in 3-axis stabilisation
• Pocketable
• Can follow subjects with ActiveTrack 3.0

Cons:

• Struggles with low light and high contrast
  
  

An odd-looking camera at first glance, the DJI Pocket 2 is a deceptively capable little vlogging shooter, combining highly effective stabilisation with a pocketable form factor. Built into the body is a 3-axis stabilisation system that enables the capture of ultra-smooth footage on the move. Essentially, it’s an action camera combined with a hand-held gimbal, but at a cheaper price than those two would come at if you bought them separately.

The Pocket 2 uses a 1/1.7-inch sensor – this is a larger chip than seen in the previous DJI Pocket, but still on the small side compared to mirrorless cameras. It means the Pocket 2 produces great footage in bright, even light, but suffers the same problem your smartphone does when the light gets low, or it has to deal with a high-contrast scene featuring bright highlights and dark shadows. Still, there’s no denying that the value for money here is tremendous.

Pros:

• An enormous suite of video options
• Extensive Micro Four Thirds lens range
• Stabilisation is great for run-and-gun

Cons:

• Contrast-based autofocus not the best
• Relatively large and heavy
  
  

For professional video shooters – more and more of whom are required to create content for TikTok these days – the Panasonic Lumix GH6 is one of the most comprehensive, capable and powerful consumer cameras you can buy. It provides a vast array of resolutions, frame rates and codecs – though the menu system does offer ways to filter and highlight the ones you prefer to use, in order to cut down the amount of time spent hunting through options.

Footage shot on the GH6 looks fantastic of course. It uses the Micro Four Thirds lens mount, meaning the user has access to an enormous system of lenses, in turn allowing for plenty of creative freedom. We were also impressed by the built-in stabilisation of the GH6, which enables the user to get smooth walking footage without the need for a gimbal, especially if the camera is paired with a corresponding stabilised lens. The only real weakness in the GH6 is its contrast-detect autofocus system, which is markedly slower than the phase-detect system employed on other mirrorless cameras (and which Panasonic eventually caved and implemented on its Lumix S5 II).

Best Vlogging Camera for TikTok

We’ve already touched on vlogging cameras with the Sony ZV-1F, but most major manufacturers have a few on their books these days, so there’s plenty of choice out there. “Vlogging camera” is a pretty broad term and can span a lot of different categories – generally it just means a fairly inexpensive and lightweight camera with a decent video spec. Vlogging cameras can be compacts, meaning they have a fixed lens that can’t be changed, or they can be interchangeable-lens models, these days most commonly mirrorless.

A good vlogging camera will serve any TikTok creator well. Generally the form factor is tailored to make shooting video easier, with a slimline body light enough to be gripped one-handed, and a vari-angle LCD screen that can be used to compose shots from different angles. We’ve picked out a couple of options that pack plenty of power into slimline bodies, and come at a reasonable price to boot.

Pros:

• Pocketable form factor
• Responsive, flip-around touchscreen
• 1-inch sensor produces great footage

Cons:

• Mic port, but no hotshoe
• Fairly basic autofocus system
  
  

Canon’s G7X series of compacts proved a surprisingly big hit with YouTubers and vloggers, and so Canon pitched heavily towards this audience when it came time to release the Mark III version of the camera. The G7X Mark III takes solid fundamentals – a 1-inch sensor and a 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 lens – and adds plenty of video-friendly features like a mic socket and a flip-up touchscreen for self-taping. All this comes in a camera that slips into a pocket – it’s thicker than your phone, but not by much, making it easy to take everywhere with you.

The aforementioned mic port allows you to hook up an external microphone to significantly improve the quality of your audio, which is hugely handy – though a hotshoe on top of the camera to mount a shotgun mic might have been handy. Still, your video will look and sound excellent, and it’s hard to ask for more than that.

Pros:

• Well-made handgrip
• USB-C charging
• Effective person-tracking autofocus

Cons:

• Limited lens range
• No headphone jack for monitoring
  
  

The slimmest, lightest camera in the Nikon Z mirrorless range, the Z30 firmly has both feet in the vlogging camp, with a flip-around screen and no viewfinder to speak of. Despite its slim proportions, the camera is effectively designed to be easy to hold, with a pronounced handgrip that allows for one-handed use. The APS-C sensor produces high-quality video, and there are plenty of handy quality-of-life features such as the USB-C port that allows the user to keep charging the camera while recording.

The Z30 is a DX-format (Nikon’s term for APS-C) camera that uses the Z lens mount, and there still aren’t very many native APS-C Z-mount lenses. This will change over time, and you can use the full-frame ones, but it’s still something we’d like to see Nikon expand upon. Also, while it is possible to plug in an external mic, the Z30 doesn’t have a headphone jack for audio monitoring.

Best Action Camera for TikTok

If your TikToks are going to involve challenging conditions – if you want to share videos of water sports like surfing or wakeboarding, say, or you want to mount a camera to your bike or motorbike or anything like that, then an action camera is the best choice. These hardy little shooters have smaller sensors and generally more limited control than traditional cameras, but they make up for it with small, tough bodies that can be subjected to a considerable amount of abuse and still keep on shooting.

Action cameras are hugely popular among certain stripes of TikTok creators. Manufacturers have noticed and have started to lean into it, adding features to benefit those who are shooting vertical footage that they want to be able to upload quickly. We’ve picked a couple of our absolute favourites for this section – and it probably won’t be any surprise to see who the makers of our first choice are…

Pros:

• Large 8:7 sensor is good for cropping into footage
• Class-leading stabilisation
• Handy time-lapse modes

Cons:

• You’ll probably want a spare battery
• Not the strongest in low light
  
  

GoPro knew perfectly well that plenty of people were using its cameras to record to TikTok, and accordingly, the HERO11 Black came billed as a TikTok-ready action camera. The headline feature is the new sensor – an 8:7 27MP 10-bit chip that’s larger than the one in previous GoPro cameras, capturing near-square 5.3K footage that’s perfect for cropping into the 9:16 TikTok aspect ratio.

It also inherits plenty of useful features from previous GoPro models. The famous HyperSmooth stabilisation is back and better than ever, allowing for the capture of super-smooth footage even while the camera is moving quite significantly. There are also plenty of interesting time-lapse modes to delve into. 

While GoPro has upgraded its Enduro battery from previous models, you’ll probably still find you need to bring a spare if you’re planning a long day of shooting. Also, while the camera does boast some dedicated night modes, it still comes up short compared to larger-sensor models once the light gets low.

Pros:

• Great value for money
• Useful dual touchscreens
• Long-lasting battery

Cons:

• Raw image quality not quite as good as GoPro
• Suffers in low light
  
  

The DJI Osmo Action 3 is a very compelling GoPro alternative. In terms of raw image and video quality, it’s not quite at the level of the dynamic GoPro HERO11 Black, and also suffers a few of the same problems, most notably its weakness in low light. However, it does have a number of advantages that set it out as a different proposition to the flagship HERO camera.

For one, it’s more affordable, with a lower price tag that’s likely to appeal to a lot of users in a time when everyone is feeling the pinch, costs-wise. Its battery life also consistently outpaces GoPro’s in testing, and can be recharged to 80% in as little as 18 minutes. 

With a nice, wide 155° field of view, the DJI Osmo Action 3 is a terrific all-rounder of an action camera, good for the most extreme shooting situations.

Best Mirrorless Camera for TikTok

Mirrorless cameras are hugely popular with casual vloggers and professional video shooters alike. Any TikTok creator looking for a complete camera system to work in all sorts of different shooting situations should definitely consider mirrorless. 

Having an interchangeable lens mount does add to the expense of the overall package, as you have to factor in the cost of both the camera and any lenses you may want to buy. However, the level of versatility it gives you is simply unrivalled. You can pick up large-aperture lenses for low light, telephoto lenses for shooting sports and action, wide-angles for vlogging and doing pieces to camera – or fast zooms for doing all of the above at once. 

As we’ve already seen with the likes of the Nikon Z30, there’s plenty of crossover between categories here, with many of the best vlogging cameras also being mirrorless cameras. So, here are some more excellent choices to consider.

Pros:

• Small, with articulating screen
• Loads of E-mount lenses
• Good built-in mic and optional muffler

Cons:

• No built-in stabilisation
  
  

Firmly in the mid-range of Sony’s vlogging offering, the Sony ZV-E10 is a capable little ZV-E10 that makes for an ideal TikTok shooter. The Sony E-mount has been going for some time, so you’ve got absolutely loads of lenses to choose from, including plenty that have been specifically optimised for APS-C sensors like the one found in the ZV-E10.

The fast hybrid autofocus system on the ZV-E10 is highly reliable, with 425 phase-detection and 425 contrast-detection points that allow it to lock onto even moving subjects with ease. You also get a well-made built-in audio setup (though you can of course plug in an external mic if you wish), and Sony has kept the dimensions of the camera pleasingly small, making it eminently portable. One small feature that we also quite like is the Bokeh Switch Mode, which lets you create a shallow depth of field (sharp subject, blurred background) with a touch of a button.

Pros:

• In-body 5-axis stabilisation
• 4K UHD video quality
• Tilting selfie screen

Cons:

• Plastic build isn't premium 
• Small, sometimes hard-to-use buttons
  
  

Relatively expensive but an investment that will pay for itself. The E-P7 is designed for selfies and more specifically, vlogging. With its selfie-tilting screen, you can easily frame yourself when capturing some beautiful 4K UHD video. Furthermore, its 5-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) means you can capture great footage even when filming handheld.

This camera combines classical styling with contemporary optical features so it not only looks great, but it can perform. You've got a wide selection of lenses to choose from and while a vlogger will most likely want a wide-angle lens to get themselves and some background in shot, you can still pick up some longer lenses to experiment with.

Best Accessories for TikTok

Accessories are hugely important in the world of video – arguably more so than in photography. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to kit yourself out to the nines in order to shoot a decent video for TikTok. Any of the cameras on our list is more than capable of doing that by itself. The accessories we’ve suggested here are merely ways that you might make your life a little easier, especially if you have specific types of shots in mind.

We’ve kept this list short and simple, as we don’t think you need to weigh yourself down with kit to produce a decent TikTok. We’ve suggested three accessories that might come in handy for certain producers – but not all, so have a read and decide for yourself which ones will help you achieve what you want to achieve with your TikToks. 

Pros:

• Excellent value for money
• Easy and quick to set up
• Strong and stable with up to 3kg of kit

Cons:

• Phone clamp sold separately
  
  

A good tripod is an excellent buy for basically any content creator. Even if you’ve decided not to get any of the cameras on our list and stick with your phone, we’d recommend seriously considering a tripod – though in this case you’ll need to pick up a separate phone clamp to attach to the top.

Vanguard is a well-respected photographic accessory manufacturer, so even though this travel tripod is incredibly cheap, you can be assured that it’s a quality piece of kit. Designed to hold up to 3kg of camera equipment (plenty for any camera on this list), it’s quick to set up, easy to transport and highly stable in use. If you want to deliver pieces to camera without having to hold it in place, simply mount it on the Vanguard VESTA TB 204AB Travel Tripod and monologue away to your heart’s content. 

Pros:

• Highly effective stabilisation for camera kit
• Touchscreen and physical controls
• Lightweight and easy to transport

Cons:

• Comparatively expensive
• Battery life not the best
  
  

While in-camera stabilisation systems are great, if you want to shoot pro-level content on the move, a stabilisation gimbal is a sound investment. As the name implies, the DJI RS 3 Mini is the smallest in DJI’s stabiliser range, designed for mirrorless setups that weigh less than about 2kg – meaning that anything we’ve suggested on this list will fit the bill.

Providing a powerful stabilisation effect thanks to its high-torque motors and sophisticated algorithms, the DJI RS 3 Mini gives you freedom to move and shoot. There’s a native vertical shooting mode, meaning you can capture portrait footage that’ll crop nicely into the TikTok aspect ratio, and controlling the gimbal is nice and simple, with both touchscreen controls and physical mode buttons available. The RS 3 Mini charges via USB-C, and its battery life isn’t the longest, so you may want to bring a power bank. 

Pros:

• First-rate audio quality
• Headphone jack
• Integrated wind protection 

Cons:

• Other mics offer more advanced features (though to be honest, you probably don’t need them)
• Lavalier mic may be better for some applications
  
  

Since we’ve been banging on and on about mic ports and the like throughout this guide, it’s only fitting that we recommend you a decent microphone to buy. The Sennheiser MKE 400 super-cardioid microphone slots neatly into the hotshoe of a mirrorless or compact camera, and it’s a pretty simple thing in operation. Point it at something, and it’ll record any noises that thing makes in pristine detail. It also has its own headphone jack for audio monitoring, so if you get the mic, you can ignore all the whining we’ve done in previous entries about cameras not having headphone ports.  

Depending on what kind of videos you plan to shoot, a directional mic may or may not be the right fit for you – a clip-on lavalier mic is also worth considering. If the Sennheiser MKE 400 fits the bill for you though, it’s a fantastic mic that is light enough to take anywhere.

FAQs

What is the recommended video format for TikTok?

The recommended video format for TikTok is MP4. It's important to ensure that your videos are in the correct format before uploading them to the platform.

What is the ideal video length for TikTok?

The ideal video length for TikTok is 15 seconds or less. Shorter videos tend to perform better and capture the attention of viewers more effectively.

How can I improve the lighting in my TikTok videos?

To improve the lighting in your TikTok videos, consider filming in a well-lit area or using additional lighting sources such as ring lights or softboxes. Avoid filming in dimly lit environments to ensure better video quality.

What are some popular video editing apps for TikTok?

Some popular video editing apps for TikTok include Adobe Premiere Rush and iMovie. These apps offer a range of features to help you edit and enhance your TikTok videos.

How can I add text or captions to my TikTok videos?

You can add text or captions to your TikTok videos by using the built-in text editing features within the TikTok app. Simply select the "Text" option while editing your video and enter the desired text or captions.

How can I make my TikTok videos more engaging?

To make your TikTok videos more engaging, consider using eye-catching visuals, incorporating popular trends or challenges, using humour or storytelling, and experimenting with different video effects and transitions.

What are TikTok's guidelines for using copyrighted music in videos?

TikTok has a vast library of licensed music that you can use in your videos without worrying about copyright issues. However, if you choose to use copyrighted music, ensure that you have the necessary rights or permissions to do so to avoid any potential violations.