If you want to shoot quality video without spending a fortune, the best budget video cameras are a smart place to start. I’ve pulled together a selection of affordable but genuinely capable options, all of which offer clear advantages over a smartphone – whether that’s proper waterproofing, optical image stabilization, or a larger sensor with the flexibility of interchangeable lenses.
Every camera on this list has been tested and reviewed by the DCW team, with our experts using them extensively in real-world video shooting. That long-term use allows us to see how they handle in practice and properly judge the quality of footage they produce. While you won’t get the elite results of the very best vlogging cameras, each of these models delivers a reliable and capable foundation for shooting great video on a budget.
You’ll also find a buying guide at the bottom of this page explaining how to choose the best camera for video, including a breakdown of the different types available. And if keeping costs low is your priority, our guide to the best cheap cameras is well worth a look too.
Jon spent years writing features, news, reviews and other photography content for publications such as Amateur Photographer and What Digital Camera. With his additional experience for outlets like Photomonitor, this makes Jon one of our go-to specialists when it comes to all aspects of photography, from cameras and action cameras to lenses and memory cards, flash diffusers and triggers, and gimbals, and much more besides.
Best budget video cameras: our top picks
DJI is now seriously rivalling GoPro in the action camera arena, and this former flagship model is now incredible value
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With an effective 3-axis gimbal built-in, the Feiyu Pocket 3 makes you a much more mobile video shooter for a reasonable price. It's essentially a DJI Pocket 3, but for $200 less and with fewer accessories.
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If you want a cheap action camera, and 4K footage is fine, then this is the best bang for the buck out there. It's not got that slick GoPro feel, but it gets the job done.
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A camcorder is a no-frills, no-fuss kind of video option for those who need something straightforward with a big zoom. Sony produces tons of solid camcorders, and you can't go wrong with this one.
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This point-and-shoot camera can capture 4K video at long range thanks to its 40x zoom, and yet will still fit in your pocket.
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This is our top recommendation as a beginner camera, with a design that's geared towards what video shooters need, and great 4K quality too.
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This beginner-friendly mirrorless model is ideal for doing a bit of everything, and is great for new shooters to learn the ropes.
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The best budget video cameras you can buy in 2026
Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.
Best budget action camera
✅You want strong stabilization that keeps handheld footage smooth without extra gear.
✅You want long recording times with improved battery life compared to older action cams.
❌ You want built-in zoom or interchangeable lenses, which action cameras simply don’t offer.
❌ You want the smallest, lightest action camera possible, as the Action 4 is slightly chunkier than some rivals.
The Osmo Action 4 was my choice (and, to be fair, many others) as the best action camera – the one that comfortably beat GoPro off their top spot at their own game. Unless you're especially excited by swappable lens modifiers, then GoPro actually hasn't really caught up with this camera yet, while DJI has moved onto the Action 5 Pro which means this brilliant device is now often found for a very tempting price.
The main reason DJI moved ahead of GoPro is the larger image sensor, making it unarguably better in low-light situations. But, you may ask, GoPro has 5.3K to DJI's 4K? Well, since you're likely to end up viewing 4K, that is moot. The sensor at 1/1.3-inch means there is more area to collect light. Physics is on its side! If you like going in caves, or, frankly, shooting video indoors.
It's easy enough to see that on a spec sheet, but that comes across when I tried darker scenes with the image stabilization turned on – whether it's the better sensor, better electronic image stabilization, or both it's hard to know, but it's clear.
Video-wise, you'll also see video seems more natural rather than over-saturated, perhaps helped by the dedicated sensor. The camera also has the D-Log M flat profile, which makes color grading easy (especially if you're matching with drone footage).
In terms of attaching, the camera doesn't have fold-out clips; instead it has a clip that magnetically aligns (and is strong enough for motorcycling) so you can more easily attach and detach it (though you might find yourself wanting more of the magnetic attachments).
Read our full DJI Osmo Action 4 review for more depth.
Best cheap stabilized camera
✅You want one of the most compact gimbal-style cameras that’s genuinely pocketable.
✅You want great stabilization for walking shots without needing extra rigs.
❌You want interchangeable lenses — the fixed lens limits flexibility.
❌You want the best low-light performance possible, which larger-sensor cameras handle better than this.
A stabilized pocket gimbal camera can be an excellent way to increase the production value of your videos on a budget – as you get the benefits of both a camera and a gimbal in one package! Using multiple optical axes to physically compensate for the movement of a camera, a gimbal allows you to introduce smooth camera movements into your footage, and shoot on the move without getting unpleasantly juddery shots. While the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is arguably the standard to bear right now, if you're on a budget, my recommendation goes to the Feiyu Pocket 3.
Producing reliably decent footage, the Feiyu Pocket 3 boasts effective stabilisation that pairs well with its 16mm equivalent lens, giving you a wide and broad view that's ideal for vlogging. Its battery life is brilliant, as we discovered in our full testing, and there are some fun slow-mo features that our reviewer had a good time playing with. Design-wise, it offers the unique option of a fully wireless connection, meaning the gimbal handle can be detached and used with your phone if you'd like.
With a smaller sensor, lesser accessory ecosystem and more limited set of video options than DJI's Osmo Pocket 3, the Feiyu Pocket is definitely a lesser option. However, at an RRP of $329 to DJI's $519, it is a significantly cheaper proposition, and will suit the budget-conscious vlogger or filmmaker looking to shoot stabilized footage.
Read our full Feiyu Pocket 3 review for more details
Best cheap action camera
✅You want reliable waterproof performance straight out of the box.
✅You want a simple, user-friendly interface that’s easy to pick up and shoot.
❌You want best-in-class image quality — it won’t match higher-end action cams in detail or dynamic range.
❌You want premium low-light performance, which more expensive cameras handle better.
There are loads of budget action cameras out there, but it can be a minefield of false economy. Just because something is cheap, doesn’t mean it’s worth it! However, the Akaso Brave 7 LE is the best cheap action camera that justifies its cost.
With 4K 30p video (no 60p, but still not bad), it can capture footage of good-enough quality for most purposes, and it even squeezes in something the GoPro Hero 8 Black is missing – a front-facing selfie screen for bloggers.
The stabilization system, while not a patch on GoPro’s, does the job just fine and makes the camera much more usable hand-held. As we said in our review, this is “a great value action camera for all-round use.”
Read our full Akaso Brave 7 LE review for more details
Best budget camcorder
✅You want steadier handheld video without a gimbal thanks to excellent built-in Optical SteadyShot stabilization.
✅You want clear, reliable autofocus that keeps moving subjects in focus.
❌You want a compact, pocketable camera — this is bulkier than action cams and mirrorless options.
❌You want interchangeable lenses for creative flexibility.
When it comes to video, sometimes I just want something straightforward and hassle-free, and that's where the Sony AX43 camcorder comes in perfectly for me. Many of the budget camcorders from the top manufacturers have been discontinued in recent years, but this one is a sensible price - and the cheapest that I'd recommend.
I really appreciate its powerful 20x optical zoom lens, which offers great versatility for shooting wildlife or sports - or just for picking out a face in a crowd.
What I love about camcorders is that they are designed solely for shooting video - so they strap to your hand like a glove making them simple to shoot with. Sony's Intelligent Auto Mode provides really impressive results, and and in our test we only rarely found it necessary to delve into the many manual override options available in the menu system.
A drawback of this budget model is that lack of an eyelevel viewfinder - so you have to use the flip-out 3in LCD screen for framing, which can cause problems when trying to shoot in bright light.
Impressively, however, this model has a built-in headphone socket for checking the sound as you record - and another input for a microphone (which is a highly recommended accessory to get if you want the best audio).
Read our full Sony AX43 review
Best budget point and shoot
✅You want a super-zoom camera that lets you reach faraway subjects without swapping lenses.
✅You want a truly pocketable design that’s easy to carry on trips or everyday shooting.
❌You want advanced manual video controls for creative shooting — this is a more basic, automatic-oriented camera.
❌You want the strongest low-light performance, as small sensors in super-zooms are limited in dim conditions.
If you're after a point-and-shoot camera with incredible zoom capabilities, look no further than the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS – with its focal range equivalent to a full frame 24-960mm! It has a 20.3MP 1/2.3-inch sensor and an LCD screen, which can be flipped to face the front making it perfect for selfies. What we love about this, is that unlike bridge cameras with bigger zooms, this really is a pocket-sized camer.
It has a maximum continuous burst shooting rate of 10fps, and it can also film video in 4K. (The Canon PowerShot SX730 HS can be found slightly cheaper if you don't need 4K video and it still has Full HD recording.) The image quality and autofocus performance on this camera is pretty good, and overall I rate this as an excellent camera for the price.
Read our full Canon PowerShot SX740 HS for more details
Best budget 4K mirrorless
✅You want a lightweight mirrorless camera with excellent photo and video versatility.
✅You want strong 4K video quality with clean detail and color straight out of camera.
❌You want the deepest battery life for long, uninterrupted shooting sessions.
❌You want professional-grade controls and customisation right out of the box — this leans more toward enthusiast than pro.
The APS-C component of Canon's EOS R family have long been solid choices for budget and mid-price video options – but the EOS R50 V is the first member that is predominantly geared towards video. With the 'V' in the name signifying its status as a vlogging camera, the EOS R50 V is a capable rejig of the popular EOS R50 beginner camera, only with handy features like uncropped 4K 30p (60p and 50p are available with a crop), 10-bit 4:2:2 and C-Log 3.
The design is also much more video oriented, eschewing a viewfinder in favor of a vari-angle screen, and including tally lamps on the front and rear to make it clear when you're recording. Also, it may sound simple, but one of my favorite design touches (and James concurs in his first-look review) is the big red record button on the front. It just makes the camera such more immediately operable, and helps you feel like you're using a proper video camera rather than a mirrorless photographer's camera with video added as an option.
It's not the cheapest member of the EOS R family – that honor belongs to the EOS R100. However, I think the level of video-specific functionality offered by the EOS R50 V means you get much better value for money if your main interest is video, and if you can afford the slight extra outlay, it's definitely worth it.
Read our first-look Canon EOS R50 V review for more details
Best budget beginner camera
✅You want a compact, lightweight mirrorless camera that’s easy to carry everywhere.
✅You want intuitive controls and a friendly menu system that’s great for beginners.
❌You want professional-level video features like 10-bit recording or advanced codecs.
❌You want the longest possible battery life for extended shoots without frequent battery swaps.
Another beginner-friendly Micro Four Thirds camera option, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a hugely stylish camera that also has video tech where it counts. Capable of shooting 4K video at 30p, it also boasts Olympus’s 5-axis stabilization system, which is one of the most capable on the market, and makes it super-easy to get smooth footage shooting handheld.
You’ve also got a flip-down screen for vlogging purposes, making it easy to film yourself, and the autofocus on the E-M10 IV is reliably accurate. We would have liked a mic port, but given that this is a more expensive camera anyway, budget users likely won’t be springing extra cash for a microphone. It’s a capable all-in-one video setup.
Read our full Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV review for more details
What to look out for
You aren’t going to get all the top-line features when buying a budget video camera, so it’s important to focus on what you can get. Here are the key things to look out for:
Resolution: the quality of the video, measured by pixels. These days, 4K is the minimum you want for a decent vlogging or video camera, and every camera I've included on this list shoots 4K at minimum.
Frame rate: How many frames per second the camera shoots when recording video, In budget video terms, 30p is fine, 60p is good, and 120p and above is useful for slow-motion – nice if you can get it, but not essential.
Zoom range: This can be useful for run-and-gun video shooting. Camcorders will tend to have considerable zoom capabilities, other cameras less so. Action cameras don't have zooms, as they have a fixed wide-angle lens. Mirrorless cameras can take different lenses, included big zooms, though this will of course add to the cost.,
Waterproofing: If you’re going to be taking your camera into wet conditions, you need to think about waterproofing. Action cameras and tough compacts are going to be your best bet here.
Stabilization: Having some sort of stabilization system can make it much easier to get smooth footage while shooting hand-held and moving. Most video shooters will use a gimbal, but if you can't afford one on top of the cost of your camera, a stabilized gimbal camera like the Feiyu Pocket 3 is a good bet.
Articulating screen: A moveable articulating screen will make your life much easier, particularly if you're shooting solo. Many vlogging-oriented cameras like the EOS R50 V are essentially reskins of photography-focused siblings, only with an articulating screen instead of a viewfinder.
How we test
How we test cameras
We test different types of cameras in different ways. Mirrorless cameras are evaluated using a mix of real-world shooting and carefully controlled lab testing. In the lab, we measure resolution, dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio. Resolution is assessed using ISO resolution charts, while dynamic range and noise performance across the ISO range are measured using DxO Analyzer test equipment.
Camcorders, compact cameras, and action cameras are tested primarily in the field. For these models, we focus on real-world video shooting across a wide range of scenarios, then compare the results against the performance of the hundreds of video cameras we’ve tested over the years.
Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World.
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