Planning on splashing out on a new 4K camcorder? You’re in luck, because we’ve got the nine best 4K video cameras for anyone keen to upgrade their videos, whether you’re a budding vlogger or someone taking their first steps into the world of photojournalism.
There’s an incredibly wide range of 4K camcorders to choose from right now, so always take the time to do your research. Find out if any of your friends of colleagues own similar models, or even just cameras by the same brand – it’s highly likely a number of models will have similar features to the ones you’re prioritising, after all.
Look out for handy features like shake-reducing tech such as Sony’s Balanced Optical SteadyShot stabiliser as well as those to make it a breeze to send footage straight to laptops and smart devices (Canon excels in this field). As always, portability is of the utmost importance, pay close attention to find compact, lightweight designs – something GoPro is known for.
Shop the best 4K camcorders here.
Sony AX53 4K Handycam® with Exmor R™ CMOS sensor
Sony’s newest camcorder is a brilliant option for anyone who values stability, thanks to the presence of Balanced Optical SteadyShot. Long story short, this is a stabiliser with a gimbal mechanism that offers over 10 times more stability than similar mechanisms, due to the way in which it shifts both the entire lens unit and sensor. Although it lacks some of the features offered by more expensive 4K camcorders, it’s a great model for videographers dipping their toe in the water for the first time. A tilting LED screen and grip make it easy to record from a wide range of positions, and its LCD touch control is incredibly user friendly. Sprucing up your footage is a breeze too, thanks to the Highlight Movie Maker, where you can quickly create HD footage for immediate sharing - complete with effects like video transitions and your choice of background music. Read it and weep, Spielberg.
Panasonic HC-X1500E
A surprisingly light, compact camera (Panasonic claims that it’s the smallest and lightest 4K camera on the market, and we couldn’t find one to shatter this claim), this is a great option for someone who wants to splash some cash on a feature-packed 4K camcorder. It shoots brilliantly in all conditions, and syncs seamlessly with other devices, including tablet or smartphones that you’ll be able to use to control it (using Panasonic’s free HC ROP app). We love the Flexible Framing feature, which allows budding videographers the luxury of a range between 25mm and 600mm, and the 24x zoom means no detail is missed, even when shooting from afar. This level of detail is especially noticeable when it comes to people, thanks to high-precision facial detection which automatically focuses on faces, even when the subject is facing sideways. Keen to eliminate wobble? You’ll love the 5-axis Hybrid Image Stabilisation, which doesn’t just do a brilliant job of correcting camera shake but corrects any resulting blurring, too.
Sony Vlog Camera ZV-1
A brilliant option for vloggers, this ultra-compact piece of kit has been designed with what Sony refers to as “creators” in mind. It’s surprisingly easy to set up, and it’s packed with features designed to beautify your footage, including the fantastic Soft Skin Effect mode, and AI2 autofocus technology, which means faces are automatically focused on. We also loved the presence of a bokeh switch. A quick photography lesson: bokeh (which means haze in Japanese) refers to the effect of that cool, soft, out-of-focus background look you’ll get when shooting a subject using a fast lens at the widest aperture. With the Sony Vlog Camera ZV-1, an easily-accessible bokeh button means it takes a nano-second to switch between a professional-looking defocused background, or a background which is entirely in focus. We’re equally smitten with the Product Showcase Setting, which will prove especially useful when holding up smaller items to the camera. With a quick press of a button the angle of view will widen and the focus will switch to the object.
Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Vlogger Camera
This mirrorless camera – a phrase referring to one which has a single, removable lens rather than a reflex mirror or optical viewfinder – has a wallet-friendly price tag and is packed with features created with vloggers in mind. We love the handy, three-inch vari-angle touchscreen, and the directional microphone and windshield does a brilliant job of isolating your voice to ensure you can clearly be heard when recording. It’s incredibly portable, weighing just 36 grams, and the breadth of features make it a brilliant option for recording on the go. These include the perfectly positioned zoom lever and the Fast Hybrid AF system, which relies on 425 phase-detection points to zoom in on subjects which aren’t necessarily easy to focus on.
Canon EOS R3
This is an all-singing, all-dancing camera for those happy to throw some serious cash at their next 4K camcorder. But if you do, you won’t be disappointed. Its truly intuitive design – in a nutshell, it will automatically identify objects and tweak settings accordingly – is a real game-changer, and it’s packed with brilliant specs so you can create cinematic, broadcast-quality video. This includes the Eye Control Auto Focus feature, which works in video as well as photo mode, the fully articulated, 8.2cm, 4,200,000-dot touch screen, the rock-steady stabiliser for ultra-smooth footage and 4K 120p functionality which allows you to record slow motion video in ultra-high detail.
Canon EOS C70
Yes, this is another seriously expensive option, but it’s also one of the best 4K cameras out there, capable of doing lots of things other models can’t. Opt for simultaneous or relay recording (courtesy of dual UHS-II SD card slots) or make the most of Canon’s famous Dual Pixel CMOS AF (DPAF) autofocus technology, which results in more accurate reliable autofocus with subject tracking and face detection. The professional standard I/O interface is complete with customisable buttons, pro terminals, and next-level audio and recording controls. The icing on the cake? Canon’s newly developed 4K Super 35mm sensor and DIGIC DV7 image processor for unbeatable image quality.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III
Yes, this is the most expensive camera we’re listing and it might well be the most expensive one you’ll buy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth every penny. Whether you prefer to shoot sports or wildlife or you’re a photojournalist, this camera does it all, this hi-tech piece of kit will make it a joy to capture all the action – even at low light. A state-of-the-art autofocus will effortlessly track fast-moving targets, and continuous shooting at 20 fps (16 fps when using the camera’s viewfinder) ensures you (and your camera) won’t miss a thing. Images hold up incredibly well in post-production (hence its popularity with photojournalists) and it’s also packed with features which make uploading footage incredibly foolproof. These include not only the built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, but gigabit ethernet so you can speedily whizz large files straight to servers.
Canon EOS 50 Mark II
You don’t necessarily have to offload scary amounts of cash to get your hands on a top-notch 4K camera, the Canon EOS 50 Mark II is a mirrorless option which offers limitless ways to shoot fantastic 4K video, as well as brilliant photos. A 3.5mm external microphone input gives you the option to crank up the audio quality, while the video transcoding functionality means it will take a matter of seconds to get your footage onto your laptop or mobile device. As for the footage itself, well...Gorgeous, to put it bluntly. Thanks to dual pixel autofocus for ultra-smooth image quality, low light functionality which means you shoot in low light down to -4EV (which describes conditions darker than moonlight) and shoot up to ISO 25,600, and a Vari-Angle touchscreen so you shoot from different angles, this camera is a dream.
GoPro HERO8 Black - Waterproof 4K Digital Action Camera
This is a brilliant camera which might not have the front-facing screen of its successor, but still holds its own perfectly well. The 4K video quality is fantastic (it’s got a similar video quality to the Hero 9 Black) and we love the HyperSmooth stabilisation, too. Wondering what sets it apart from the Hero 7 (apart from that the fact it’s an almost unnoticeable 10g heavier)? A higher shockproof rating (it’s almost double, to be exact), a slimmer profile, a wind-resistant microphone and more video-editing features. The maximum bitrate for 2.7K and 4K has been cranked up from 75Mbps to 100Mbps, which means more professional-looking footage (just be prepared to sacrifice some memory space), and Livestream feeds can now be sent in glorious, full HD 1080p resolution directly to streaming platforms. You’ll get up two hours battery life from a full charge, which takes three hours, although when shooting in 4K expect a battery life of around one hour.
Verdict
Sony’s AX53 4K Handycam offers the holy grail of a wallet-friendly price tag paired with fantastic usability, thanks to Sony features we know and love – plus a few extras - while Panasonic’s HC-X1500E is – in our humble opinion – one of the best options out there for budding videographers looking for a compact camera capable of producing professional quality footage.
