Those reading this of a certain age will probably remember when consumer video cameras (not talking Super 8 cams) first became a viable, affordable thing in the UK.
Back then, and I mean way back in the infant years of the 1980s, there were no SD cards, no cloud storage, and not even any mini-tapes to make things more manoeuvrable. No, instead there was a choice of chunky Betamax or VHS video cassette tapes, both of mammoth size and requiring a camera of equally mastodon-esque proportions that, as you might recall/imagine weighed so much you’d have to dust your hands, adjust your lifting belt and then perform a clean and jerk just to get the thing to head-height.
Of course, this was also when people had no idea how to act in front of a video camera and the default reaction to having a lens pointed at you was to remain as still as a statue and silent as the grave, making for hours of excruciating dull footage.
Fortunately, those early days of low-res, low-action, lower-back problems are long gone and today’s video camera options are all ultra-light, ultra-specced and – most importantly – ultra HD, plus ‘home movie’ making is now more the norm than our awkward 80s selves could ever have believed possible, so the content recorded is both more compelling and far more animated.
Having looked down the lenses of the best vlogging cameras recently, this time I’ve hard-focused on 4K video cameras for every day moving memory making rather those specifically aimed at the self-promotional.
So, if you’re looking for a compact camera to capture family fun and other assorted life events, press ‘record’… now.
Canon LEGRIA HF G70
Best for: The ambitious 4K enthusiast
A diminutive, waif-weight, 4K-capable camera from the Canon cannon, the LEGRIA HF G70 comes spouting a lot of spec given its price tag. A 4K sensor and DIGIC DV6 image processor deliver crisp, sharp Ultra HD images for 4K televisions, while a raft of recording options such as Infrared mode for darker conditions, Slow Motion recording in Full HD 0.5x, and Fast Motion recording in 4K/Full HD up to 1200x allows for those wishing to dabble in experimental cinema to take their home-crafted creativity to the next level.
Obviously, Canon know a thing or two more about cameras above most others, having been in the lens and snapper game in one way or another since the 1930s, so as you can imagine, all you need to trip the photo fantastic is present and correct, including a 20x optical zoom, slick 5-axis image stabilisation, Face Detection AF and Face Tracking, alongside more advanced features such as the ability to customise the camera to your specific requirements via five assignable buttons and the built-in ND filters to adjust exposure for wider apertures or slower shutter speeds.
Featuring a flip-out 3.5-inch LCD display to let you frame your shot with all the skill of a modern-day Cecille B. DeMille, there’s also a built-in EVF (Electronic View Finder) if you want to get properly eye-on with your subject matter.
With stereo mics, the option of attaching an external audio-obtainer via 3.5mm mini jack, plus ‘Audio scene mode’ to add sound recordings tuned to your environment and so your audio pick-up performs perfectly alongside the video.
The ideal UHD option for the home movie enthusiast looking to ramp their game right up, the Canon LEGRIA HF G70 shoots and scores.
Tech Spec
Sensor: 1/2.3-type (inch) CMOS sensor
Effective pixels: 8.29-megapixels
Resolution: 4K UHD
Dimensions: 109 x 84 x 182mm
Weight: 740
Buy now £1090.00, Canon
Panasonic HC X1500
Best for: The amateur with an eye to go pro
Small, light and packed with the kind of video-taking tech that could elevate even the least enthusiastic octogenarian birthday celebration to the realms of the Bafta-worthy, the HC X1500 from Panasonic proves that people still care about video beyond the confines of camera-phones.
So, yes, this is a 4K-quality video camera that utilises an ultrathin fan to shift heat, making it weigh next to nothing, yet still provides you with flexible framing thanks to a 25mm wide-angle to 600mm tele lens with a crisp 24x optical zoom and i.Zoom offering 32x in 4K and 48x in FHD. And that’s a lot of zoom, so helping you keep your subject in the frame comes face detection, essentially letting you lock-on to your subject regardless of how far away they wander or, indeed, how wildly sweeping your movements get.
Also adding to this smoother, more cinematic capture is a 5-axis hybrid image stabilisation to naturally detect and correct camera shake, so even if you had one sherry too much on Christmas Eve the video of your kith and kin unwrapping their presents the following day will not end up looking like off-cuts from Cloverfield.
Colour-wise, the Panny captures the entire rainbow in 4:2:2 10-bit, which may sound like a reference to the Bible (Ephesians, as my minimum amount of research reveals), but all you need to know is that this imbues your videos with a richer, more vibrant colour spectrum thanks to the fact 10-bit can display 1.07-billion colours as opposed to the more usual 8-bit’s 16.7-million, all of which look lush on the 3.5-inch wide LCD monitor.
Chuck in Full-HD live streaming for those who cannot resist social sharing, plus wireless control achieved via smartphone and/or tablet and the Panasonic HC X1500 is the full home video producing package.
Tech Specs
Sensor: 1/2.5-type (inch) CMOS Sensor
Effective pixels: 8.29-megapixels
Resolution: 4K/60p (can go up to 120fps)
Dimensions: 129 x 93 x 257 mm
Weight: 0.9kg
Buy now £1400.91, Amazon
GoPro HERO11 Black
Best for: The outdoor adventurer
I’ve covered the GoPro HERO11 a few times now, in a standalone review and under best cameras for vloggers, but that’s only because it is so very, very good.
A miniscule helmet-cam that’s built to go anywhere and survive anything, the HERO11 Black also offers not just 4K recording at 60p, but also the insane-man’s dream of 5K video at 30p, while it can also shoot stills at a whopping 27-megapixels, and all while flying through the air or submerged in water at up to 33ft deep.
With actual Emmy Award-winning image stabilisation and ‘Horizon Lock’, you’re never going to have to worry about whoever watches your footage getting seasick and honking all over your sofa, which is always a bonus with home movies.
Capable of connecting over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and uploading automatically to the cloud, the GoPro HERO11 Black features a 2.27-inch touchscreen display but, excitingly, can also be operated remotely using the accompanying smartphone app.
A built-in mic handles the sound side of things with aplomb, while you can also upgrade your audio using the 3.5mm input.
With a range of night effects also built-in, including the ability to film star and light trails using time lapse photography, the HERO11 Black may have its sights set on a certain type of sporting individual, but it also excels as a standard 4K home video camera at a very pocket-friendly (currently discounted) price.
Tech Spec
Sensor: 1/1.9-type (inch) CMOS
Effective pixels: 27-megapixels
Resolution: 5K/30p / 4K/60p
Dimensions: 71.8 x 50.8 x 33.6mm
Weight: 154g
Buy now £350.00, GoPro
Sony FDR-AX43 Handycam
Best for: Small bags, big ideas
More compact than a vacuum-packed Shetland pony but far more practical, Sony’s tiny video-taker features a highly desirable 26.8mm wide-angle ZEISS Vario-Sonnar lens with a 20x optical zoom to get you those cuttingly crisp and clear long shots, heaping that range up to 30x at 4K and 40x at HD.
Sony’s Balanced Optical SteadyShot gimbal mechanism image stabiliser keeps shots as smooth as a freshly shaved stoat, while ‘Lock-on AF’ keeps your primary subject firmly in the frame regardless of how much they move about, and ‘Face Detection’ and ‘Smile Shutter’ do exactly what they sound like they do without further mansplaining from me, thank you very much.
The ability to record in high speed or time lapse are also options, should you wish to add extra, time-dilation or contraction dimensions to your movies, and no fewer than three capsule mics combine with some pretty niffy audio processing to produce sound that punches as solidly as the visuals.
On top of this comes all manner of other top tech, including a voice cancelling feature which allows you to cut the inane jibber-jabber of anyone close behind the camera, ‘Motion Shot’ which superimposes almost stop-frame images to give an odd kind of 70s TV superhero effect, and ‘One Touch’ remote and sharing with Handycam smartphone app.
Small enough to slip in most decently scaled lady- or man-bags and mighty enough to nail 4K content in slick Sony style, the FDR-AX43 Handycam is nothing short of a petite powerhouse of big-picture-capturing performance.
Tech Spec
Sensor: 1/2.5-type (inch) back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS
Effective pixels: 8.29-megapixels
Resolution: 4K/24p/30p
Dimensions: 73 x 80.5 x 142.5mm
Weight: 510g
Buy now £600.00, Sony
DJI Osmo Pocket
Best for: Affordable 4K recording
A very different proposition altogether, the Osmo Pocket from DJI is not only the most financially attainable 4K recorder in this round-up, it’s also the smallest and lightest by quite some reverse-stretch.
However, despite its diminutive dimensions the DJI still manages to scoop up anything you point it at in full 4K, sucking it all in at 60fps (Frames Per Second) or 120fps if you chose to shoot in 1080p.
With a three-axis gimbal stabiliser to keep things on the level and an 80° field of view to drink in the detail, this Pocket-named, pocket-sized product may not possess all the expensive bells and whistles of the costlier cameras I’ve paraded here for your pleasure, but with ActiveTrack, Motionlapse and Panorama 3x3 letting owners unleash their imagination, and a 1-inch colour display that’s ample to check that you’re keeping things within your frame, it certainly offers options.
Okay, sound quality could be better, but then a 4K recorder for under £300 has to cut the costs somewhere, so as long as you don’t expect anything above acceptable audio then you’ll have little to complain about.
In conclusion, then, if you’re looking for a 4K video camera you can whip in and out of any clothing orifice whenever a filmable opportunity arises, the DJI Osmo Pocket will always be to hand and ready to roll.
Tech Spec
Sensor: 1/2.3-type (inch)
Effective pixels: 12-megapixels
Resolution: 4K/60fps
Dimensions: 122 x 37 x 29mm
Weight: 116g
Buy now £289.00, Amazon
Verdict
There’s some clever video camera kit here, but what you opt for depends on how much of your hard-earned dollar you’re willing to hand over, weighed up against your silver screen skills and what cinematic ends you intend to achieve.
For me, a graduate of A Level Media Studies, the Canon LEGRIA HF G70 gets top billing, being as simple or as complex to control as you need it to be. For average, everyday use, the Canon is a more than capable 4K beast that will imbue even casual camera moments with a professional edge, whilst also allowing those with a more adventurous eye to expand their abilities into the realms of the semi-pro. Ready for your close-up?
