If you love vlogging or are looking for the best vlogging camera to start your journey into YouTube then this little deal could be the deciding factor to take that dream and make it a reality.

The funky and convenient Canon PowerShot V10 has received its first-ever meaningful price cut of $100 in the Amazon Prime sale, meaning all you have to pay is $339.99 for this 4K vlogging and streaming companion.

The Canon Powershot V10 packs the versatility of a vlogging studio into a compact, pocket-sized design. Equipped with a 19mm wide-angle lens, high-quality stereo sound recording, and a built-in 30° stand, it’s designed for easy video capture and sharing on the go.

The camera also takes still photos and features the same 1" CMOS sensor found in Canon's popular PowerShot G series. It supports UHD 4K video recording at up to 29.97 fps and Full HD at 59.94 fps. With built-in Wi-Fi and compatibility with the Canon Camera Connect app, users can quickly share their creations or live stream in Full HD at 30 fps.

It offers an ISO range of 125-3200 for both UHD 4K and Full HD video, and up to ISO 12800 for still photos, making it adaptable to different lighting conditions. The camera allows up to one hour of recording and features a rolling shutter speed ranging from 1/4000 to 1/25 second for video and 1/2000 to 1/8 second for stills. The DIGIC X processor also enhances creative possibilities, offering 14 color filters and a Smooth Skin mode for flattering portraits.

.For vertical shooting, the camera automatically adjusts when placed on its side. It can also be used as a webcam via its UVC capability, streaming in Full HD without the need for additional software, and is compatible with popular services like YouTubeLive, FacebookLive, and various web conferencing platforms.

Launched back in 2022, the Canon XA60 is one the newest camcorders on the market – so we are really pleased to see it drop in price, to make this professional video camera more affordable to filmmakers. Today it can be bought for £1299 at Amazon, which is around £150 cheaper than you can find in most other places.

The XA60 offers a 20x optical zoom and records 4K footage to a 1/2.3in sensor - which ensures great video quality for the price. You get image stabilization to help you shoot wobble-free footage if shooting handheld, and there is a 3.5in flip-out touch-sensitive LCD panel, as well as an eyelevel electronic viewfinder.

A really useful feature of this model is that you can use it straight of the box for streaming - thanks to its UVC-compliant USB-C socket. This makes it a great option for YouTubers who need the option of a long telephoto lens - who can also take advantage of the face-tracking autofocus.

There is a top handle that not only helps for carrying the unit, but is also useful for low-level shooting. As well as the usual 3.5mm microphone socket, there are two professional XLR inputs for use with pro-grade mics.

Check out our full Canon XA65 review (this is the same as the XA60 but with the addition of an SDI socket, as an alternative to the HDMI socket that comes on the XA60). Additionally, see our full guide to the best camcorders.

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I was recently researching whether to sell my late father’s 20-year-old Panasonic NV-GS400 3CCD Mini DV camcorder that’s been consigned to a drawer for years. A browse of eBay found unboxed second-hand models listed at a respectable £120 ($160) and upwards. I guess there are filmmakers out there who value a 2000s-era handheld video aesthetic (or need them to play or transfer old tapes). 

But undoubtedly, the main market for video these days is social media. Instagram now prioritizes moving footage over the stills photography the platform initially built its reputation on. Content creators and influencers who want their reels to stand out might conceivably investigate the stickiness that authentically retro video gives.

With the above rattling around my brain, I wasn’t at all surprised to receive news to my inbox of a Kickstarter campaign for a brand new Yashica-branded Journey camcorder.

While not a high-end model like my Dad’s Panasonic once was, the Journey, should it be successful, could place affordable filmmaking in the hands of the TikTok generation. If, that is, they can be torn away from their smartphones with the temptation of a more ‘immersive’ filming experience.

This announcement follows on from the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema release at the start of the year, the similarly ‘Marmite’ upright Canon PowerShot V10 from 2022, plus video-first mirrorless cameras like its EOS R50 V, or competing Nikon Z30 and ZR.

The Yashica Journey’s difference is that with its cylindrical body, flip-out LCD screen and palm-sized dimensions it deliberately apes the classic camcorder design.

A glance at the specifications indicates that, like recent Kodak-branded point-and-shoot compacts, this is more of a re-introduction, rather than reinvention.

A 3x optical zoom providing the equivalent of a 16-50mm focal length is modest stuff, as is 2.2-inch LCD rotatable through 270° with video recording to microSD memory card. More positively, the 4K resolution device is portable as well as affordable. At a featherweight 167g, it can be comfortably carried in Gen Z’s jacket pocket.

With Panasonic, Canon and Sony having offered filmmakers high-end semi pro / pro video cameras in recent years, it’s interesting to see a more consumer-friendly budget-price option reappearing. 

Add the Yashica Journey to the Panasonic HC-VX3 and V900 at the tail-end of 2024 and the electronics giant’s HC-X1600 and HC-X1200 at the beginning of 2025, and could camcorders be the next image capture device that sees its stock rise?

With the Yashica having already met its Kickstarter target 10 times over at the time of writing with a full month to go, stranger things have happened.

Check out the best camcorders you can buy today

Camcorders never really went away – but like the compact camera, they are a lot less popular than they were 20 years ago. There are plenty of good camcorders on the market – but most are designed for serious or professional videomakers with prices to match.

Yashica is aiming to put that right with the launch of the Yashica Journey – a fuss-free basic palm-sized camcorder that is designed to appeal to the vlogging generation. Most importantly, it comes at a price that is considerably cheaper than current rivals from Panasonic, Sony and Canon, who have discontinued their budget models in recent years.

Unlike other camcorders, there is only a modest 3x optical zoom on board – with an effective focal length of 16-50mm. This wide-angle lens is perfectly suited to self-shooting using the 2.2in 800x480-pixel touchscreen LCD panel, which hinges outwards from the body and then rotates through a full 270°.

The sensor is a 1/2.8in with an 8-megapixel resolution, which can shoot 4K at 30 or 60fps, recording to a microSD memory card.

Weighing 167g, it is powered by a removable 1250mAh lithium-ion battery, which is recharged using a USB-C socket on the camcorder body. There is also a standard 3.5mm microphone input for monitoring the sound – although there is no headphone jack. 

The camcorder is being launched on Kickstarter – offering big discounts for those who back the new project before it is officially launched. Early bird backers can get the Yashica Journey, in white or black, for $188 (£140), with the eventual list price being $268 / £200.

As ever, we warn that there is always some risk in backing any crowd-funded product.

Check out the best camcorders currently on the market, and the best video camera options 

The retro trend has surged among still cameras for years – but in recent months, it seems as if that trend is finally expanding beyond still cameras. The newest retro tech trend? Camcorders. If the Camp Snap video camera, dubbed the CS-8, and the Instax Mini Evo Cinema are any indication, the retro tech trend has finally arrived for camcorders.

I’ve now tried both the Camp Snap CS-8 and Instax Mini Evo Cinema, and the retro-inspired cameras have more in common than just the unusual Super-8-inspired design. In fact, I think both speak towards a shift in how we want our memories delivered: as short-form, easily digestible videos.

I’ve used both the CS-8 and the Evo Cinema, and both cameras are wildly different from traditional camcorders in that they’re really meant more for short clips. The Evo Cinema won’t even record beyond 15 seconds. The CS-8 can record until the battery runs out – which means up to around 30 to 45 minutes, but holding down that trigger for a long time isn’t exactly ergonomic.

That makes the footage that I shot with the CS-8 and the Evo Cinema feel more like moving pictures than full videos. They aren’t the sort of camcorder that you can mount on a tripod and record your kids’ entire band concert or t-ball game with.

While traditional camcorders certainly have their place, I’m a bit charmed by the short-form videos. With a retro filter applied, they come out of the camera already feeling a bit like a memory.

Yes, long videos have their place, but I love the bite-sized memories coming from this new style of retro-inspired digital camcorders. An hour-long video is time-consuming to digest – not to mention we’re in the midst of a data storage crisis – but the short video clips feel far easier to revisit.

Perhaps the CS-8 and Evo Cinema aren’t just proof of the retro trend arriving in camcorders, but a shift towards recording memories as shorter video clips. Undoubtedly, short-form vertical video plays a role in this. TikTok and Reels make short-form video feel more commonplace, proving that being entertained by a video doesn’t require sitting still for an hour and a half.

But I think the short-form videos also speak to the fact that everyday moments are memories too. Yes, it’s worth having big memories in long-form video, like weddings and even kids sports games and concerts. But the older that my kids get, the more I miss the little everyday things like footie pajamas and toddler talk, and wish that I had more videos of those everyday moments, even at just a few seconds long.

I’m not the only one charmed with the resurgence of Super 8 style cameras – Taylor Swift was spotted at a football game using the CS-8, and the Instax Mini Evo Cinema’s decade dial generated a bit of buzz (and put the camera on some bestseller lists).

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Sometimes tech moves so fast we forget what made it great. We let specs take over. Or competition. Or, for camcorders like so much else, we just let phones destroy the form factor, swallow it up, and leave us with a compromised little slab that does that job – and so many others – well enough that we don't get the joy of a product specifically built for the task anymore.

Earlier this month, in a hall full of award-winning cinematographers, I was reminded just what it was to use a camcorder built for the job.

Why? I was at the British Cinematographers Show (held inconveniently near Valentine's Day unless you're literally dating cinema) and amongst exhibitors with high-end movie-making gear like Sony and Arri, was CamCo – the specialist camcorder rental outfit.

The company had seen the market for retro cameras, and had a stand filled with them.

The company says: "Probably the largest collection of camcorders for rent in the world," but why would you want to rent them? Can't you just pick up everything on eBay now?

The answer is that these aren't just props. "We're using everything all the time, so everything's working," I'm told, and modern creatives enjoy the look.

"So if they want to shoot on tape, they can still have that option" James Worsley tells me – though the team have also come up with a clever means of creating a modern backup.

The digital generation does, of course, have worries about shooting onto tape, which suffered from reliability issues even in its heyday. Many of these cameras are very definitely of the tape era – remember Mini DV? Remember VHS-C and Hi8?

Remember all those seemingly endless seconds as the tape wound itself around play and record heads, each time potentially adding a little more subtle damage to the magnetic strip, or, worse, the polyester-type material it was made of?

Thanks to the technology used by a lot of FPV drones – analog video and digital conversion – monitors that can record onto SD card exist, and can be connected to cameras too. (This kind of tech also makes for the best VHS to DVD converters)

Seeing these cameras, and their form factors, reminded me that the generations of design faced ever-improving capabilities in terms of recording. Sensors and camera systems got better, but, crucially, the means of recording did too.

All of this meant that the shapes were designed to accommodate different levels of equipment, and ever-changing equipment.

Phones and modern cinema cameras record onto infinitesimally smaller pieces of memory and that is, of course, miraculous, but I definitely felt my nostalgia flare up when I saw real handles and even tape compartments.

It's funny what you miss, isn't it? The nearest many of us ever need is the best iPhone grip.

If you're looking to browse the company's collection, then check it out CamCo's Instagram, while to rent, you should check its page on Hygglo.

Following on from the successful introduction of a range of point-and-shoot cameras over the last year, Yashica is about to launch its first digital camcorder. The Yashica Journey is currently being prepped for a crowd-funding campaign – with the Kickstarter page announcing that it will be "launching soon".

The full specifications for the Yashica Journey have yet to be announced. But we do have at least some of the details. The white-bodied palm-sized camcorder has a traditional camcorder shape with a white casing, and offers an LCD screen with folds out and rotates through 270°.

However, very unusually for a camcorder, the Journey appears not to have a massive zoom, but instead has a small 3x wide-angle zoom with a maximum with angle of view of 115°. As such, this is likely to appeal most to vloggers. The minimum focus is 50cm / 20in.

The camera does promise to record in 4K, however, and can download footage wirelessly to your smartphone using a custom app. 

When I originally wrote this story, the price had not been announced. Without a zoom, I guessed that it would sell for around $200 / £200. We now have an official price, ahead of the Kickstarter crowdfunder going live, which will be $268 – discounted to $188 for early adopters.

As Sony and Canon have discontinued their cheapest camcorder models, there is certainly a gap in the market for a competitively-priced model.

Check out our guide to the best camcorders that you can buy right now

Well, Fujifilm, you’ve done it again. You’ve made me care about something I thought I didn’t give a darn about. I am, of course, talking about the newfangled (or rather ‘oldfangled’) Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema. When this little nostalgic nod to the Super 8 cine cameras of yore was announced a few weeks ago, I couldn’t help but pass it off as nothing more than a charming oddity. What I couldn’t appreciate then was that the odd-factor is entirely its appeal.

Upon filming the latest episode of Bokeh Face: The Digital Camera World Podcast, I got to play with this curious little device for the first time. And it instantly clicked for me! Firstly, the product images cannot do it justice. It’ll never be a conventionally pretty camera like the Fujifilm X Half, but it does have a utilitarian charm all of its own, what with the various physical dials, that dainty little lens, and the throwback, upright form factor.

But similarly, I don’t think product descriptions do this camera justice, either. It’s such an odd concept that manages to squeeze in so many features, I actually think it can be a little difficult to get your head around, on paper. However, in the hand, it feels exceedingly intuitive.

I didn’t need to look up the product page, I didn’t need to scan through a manual, I didn’t even need to ask my colleagues, Chris and James, who had just been discussing the camera on the podcast, how I should use it. It was all so instinctive. I switched it on, looked through the rear LCD, and immediately started playing with the Eras Dial.

I deny anybody who doesn’t have a good time journeying through the history of filmography, from a 1930s hand-cranked effect, all the way to 2020 in 10-year increments. And that’s before you’ve fiddled with the Degree Control Dial that you simply twist around the lens, providing 10 ‘Expressions’ per era. Expressions allow you to adjust color, contrast, and noise, combining with Eras to provide 100 different filter effects.

And all that video nonsense is before you consider the fact that the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema is also a functioning instant camera (and digital camera for that matter). Granted, I didn’t get to use it for stills, but I've used enough Instax cameras in my time to know what’s what. Now, don’t get me wrong, like the Fujifilm X Half, this isn’t a perfect camera. In fact, it’s far from a perfect camera – it certainly isn’t for everyone.

The 15-second video cap is perhaps the biggest elephant in the room, and as much as I love the Eras Dial, I could see myself only swapping between four or five favorites, as, naturally, some do look very similar. It’s also not the snappiest camera out there, often having to ‘think’ for a moment between settings. Now, you can read the Digital Camera World review to explore the pros and cons in more depth. I haven’t used the camera long enough to offer any definitive review myself.

However, I do think it’s important to remember that some devices aren’t meant to be practical creative tools. And photography journalists (like me), professionals, and hardcore enthusiasts often forget that. The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema is meant to be a fun, creative tool. I couldn’t tell you how much use I’d get out of it, but what I can tell you is that I cannot remember having such an intense burst of fun with a new camera. In many ways, it transported me back to the noughties, when technology had a tendency to be far less practical.

Remember the original Nintendo DS, with its headache-inducing graphics? A far inferior console to the Sony PSP, yet infinitely more fun! The iPod Shuffle, a USB-sized MP3 player with no screen and no way of knowing what the heck you were playing. But fun! The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema gives me that same impractical appeal.

I also don’t think it’s a terrible price for what it offers. It retails for $409.95 / £329 / AU$599 – an Instax Mini 12 will set you back $93 / £70 / AU$129, before you’ve even started to consider the Cinema's video features. And while it might still seem a lot for a camera with the Instax moniker, the far-less-feature-rich Instax Wide Evo retails for roughly $350 / £320 / AU$599.

I also think the Mini Evo Cinema is priced far more competitively than the Fujifilm X Half, which has seen plenty of reductions, despite its short lifespan. When the Mini Evo Cinema eventually gets reduced, the price will be even more palatable, and I think I’m going to find it very hard to resist. I don’t think this is a camera anyone really needs. And that’s part of its charm.

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Are you a 'Fuji' fan? Check out the best Fujifilm cameras. For more on the Instax Mini Evo Cinema, I can’t decide whether Fujifilm’s crazy Instax camcorder combo is absolute madness or absolute genius! Plus, cheap cameras are typically terrible. The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo is an exception.

A retrospective video from @photokyol has surfaced on Instagram, detailing a video camera that could actually see through clothing.

Despite sounding like a futuristic device from a sci-fi flick, the Sony Handycam CCD-TRV65 could be modified to perform a very weak brand of X-ray vision, prompting Sony to fix the production line and abolish the potentially nefarious byproduct, which courted controversy for fear of exploitation.

Sony's best cameras have debuted some pretty groundbreaking technology, from the debut of global shutter sensors in the Sony A9 III to the wholescale introduction of full-frame mirrorless camera systems. However, as you'll see in the video below, when Sony brought night vision to the home market, it got a whole lot more than it bargained for:

This seemingly innocent analog camcorder recorded footage onto an 8mm videotape and was, according to @photokyol, the first home video camera to feature night-vision, via an infrared mode called NightShot. As the Reel points out, the problem was that you could radically change NightShot’s exposure, enabling it to be used during the day.

Somebody then found out that, by attaching a cheap infrared filter, NightShot turned into a very weak brand of Superman’s x-ray vision. And while it certainly couldn’t see through walls, or much at all, it could see through some thin fabrics.

According to the Associated Press, Takarajima, Japan’s largest men’s magazine (at the time), brought this troubling prospect to the fore – and not in a particularly sensitive manner – but in doing so, alerted Sony to the problem, which acted decisively. Good on you, Sony!

Still, the Sony TRV65 does deserve a place in the annals of imaging history for both its groundbreaking night vision capabilities and the aforementioned, unfortunate byproduct.

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For a camcorder that won't court controversy, check out the best camcorders. For more camera oddities, take a look at these weird and wonderful Canon cameras. And for more photo and video news, take a look at the latest camera news.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be behind us, but a few standout camcorder deals are still hanging on – and they’re well worth a look. While there were dozens of great camera offers during the sales, camcorder discounts were surprisingly scarce this year.

Even so, the handful of post–Cyber Monday camcorder savings that are still live include some of the best prices I’ve seen on certain models. So I wanted to share the ones that genuinely deliver solid value before they disappear for good.

🇺🇸 camcorder deals in the US

🇬🇧 camcorder deals in the UK

Check out our full guide to the best camcorders

I was obsessed with my parents' Sony Handycam growing up, and for those too young to know what I mean, that's a small camcorder that recorded onto MiniDVD disks. As an only child, I'd mainly use it to record clips of our dog in the garden, or when friends came round to play, dance routines we'd make up and then turn into music videos.

Dance routines nowadays are catnip for platforms like TikTok, and I know lots of kids are obsessed with using their parents' smartphones for the same moviemaking I was into. The Photo Creator Camera Projector Camera I'm reviewing here feels like a brilliant Goldilocks option for children with a creative inclination, who are a bit too young to use an expensive iPhone or the best video cameras responsibly or safely.

This 3-in-1 camcorder, projector and stills camera is manufactured by European toy company Canal Toys, which sells a whole host of creative crafts and electronic toys to "inspire imaginative play". Its Photo Creator brand includes instant cameras and mini cams, and Canal even has products for aspiring young content creators.

I reviewed this product in a very different way from the dozens of best camcorders I've tried and tested. Costing under $100/£100, my expectations around video quality were kept low. And secondly, I needed to view it through the eyes of its target audience: parents and likely grandparents buying an affordable gift for arty children aged eight and up.

As well as revisiting my childhood to make some home videos, I also enlisted the help of various nieces and nephews to try it out too (although they don't feature in the article). Is this a good buy for kids to make memories and movies with, or another toy destined to sit in the cupboard after a few uses? Find out what I made of this cool new camcorder below…

Photo Creator Video Projector Camera: Specifications

Photo Creator Video Projector Camera: Price

The Photo Creator Video Projector Camera is priced at $70/£70. You can find it more easily in the UK than in the USA though (Canal Toys is headquartered in France but has global distribution) – look in major toy shops as well as on Amazon.

It's hard to put the price into context, because there's nothing else quite like it on the market. A "budget" camcorder like the Panasonic HC-V900 will set you back at least $550/£500, far too expensive for a birthday party companion and too complex for most young children.

You could go for something retro like the fun Camp Snap CS-8 retro video camera ($150/£150), which is more adult and won't transform into a projector. We haven't tested it, but I've spied the Kiimento Unicorn camcorder (again, no projection) for £60 (around $79).

The main reason this product is such good value is that it combines three devices into one package. Buying an HD camera and a separate portable Wi-Fi projector would cost much more than the price of this 3-in-1 combo. It doesn't represent the lofty investment of a toy that needs to last for years, and I can easily see family members and parents buying it as a gift.

Photo Creator Video Projector Camera: Design & Handling

The Photo Creator Video Projector Camera comes in a colorful cardboard box and sits in a plastic insert so it stays still in transit. Apart from the camcorder unit, inside is a white USB-C charging cable and a pouch containing the instruction manual and stickers to customize the cam.

Call me childish, but I was pretty keen to start decorating the camcorder as soon as I got it out of the box. What can I say, it's nice to test a camcorder that isn't just black or dark matte gray?

Made from white and turquoise plastic, the camera's blocky, rounded design reminds me of Fisher-Price toys from childhood. It feels capable of being knocked around a bit by excited users and living to tell the tale, and the rounded edges help with that.

Mimicking traditional camcorders, a strap on the right-hand side made from bendy silicone can move in and out to accommodate different-sized hands. It's too long to hold kids' hands in snugly – and was even too big for my partner's giant ones. Why does this matter? The camcorder flops over and sometimes needs support from the left hand to keep it level.

The button placement and handling prioritises simple, intuitive controls to prevent younger users from being overwhelmed. And the features have been intentionally simplified compared to adult cameras.

There are three buttons on top of the camera for power, enabling the projector, or pressing the shutter or recording. Holding this third button down switches between photo and video modes.

I found it easy to reach these buttons with my right hand and index finger, but noticed my much younger testers had to use their left fingers to press them down because they were further away from the hand strap.

Accessing the menu and changing settings is done through the four directional buttons, the back button, and the 2.4-inch LCD color screen. Temper your expectations of the screen here; it's not particularly vibrant or sharp, but about what I'd expect for a sub $70/£70 offering.

Operating the device is lovely and simple, as you'd hope for the target audience. Both generations of testers had worked out how to record, add filters, and playback footage within the first fifteen minutes – without resorting to the instructions in the box.

There's no tripod mount on the product, which again makes sense for the amateur nature of the user. But I think it does limit how you set up the projector. On the bottom of the camera, there's an odd pull-out plastic knob, designed to level the product so that it sits up straight on a surface. Of all the camera's parts, this feels the most likely to be snapped or pulled off by eager filmers, but mine is still intact.

At the front, a rubber flap covers the microSD slot and USB-C charging input for the rechargeable battery. They're easy to access at speed, but also well-protected when not needed.

Photo Creator Video Projector Camera: Performance

Since a 16GB microSD card is included inside the unit (though it's a shame there's no microSD adapter), you can start snapping and filming straight away. I know kids (and adults) can lose interest when toys are complicated to set up, but one long press of the power button, and you're away.

I'd usually review a camcorder by going through the video specs, features, and claims by the manufacturer, examining each one against its real-life results. There's less ground to cover with the Photo Creator camera, because the specs and features are (rightly so) so minimal.

Starting with still photos, the exact sensor size isn't provided by the manufacturer (Canal Toys), but 48MP is the max resolution quoted, and you can step down in the menu for smaller pictures – though I wouldn't recommend it.

My sample images look, frankly, as if they were shot on a potato. While skin tones were captured accurately, the colors are drab, and the camera didn't handle wide dynamic range – areas of bright light and shadow – well, either. Despite having a high megapixel count, the images are pixelated and lack any detail.

For a children's toy in this price range to claim 48MP, it almost certainly uses a small, inexpensive sensor with a technique called interpolation. I.e., taking a photo with a much lower native resolution and then digitally upscaling it to create a 48MP image file. This feels a little pointless (you certainly couldn't print these images out big), other than to market the high-sounding resolution to parents.

Using the directional arrows allows you to roll through 27 picture effects, including digital frames like a beach scene and love hearts, plus filters like sepia and monochrome. These filters look equally pixelated, but my young testers seemed to love stamping them on pictures. Perhaps the novelty lasts longer on growing minds than jaded ones.

Above: Sample clips from the camcorder

Video clips from the Photo Creator are no more impressive than the stills. In the same way, we're promised "stunning 1080P HD video," but the reality is more "Functional HD". I'm sure that technically it meets the resolution standard, but you don't get any of the clarity, color, and performance we've come to expect from modern smartphones.

As kids who have grown up with phones, I was worried that our nieces and nephews would spot this quality and get turned off by the camera. But it didn't really seem to stop their creative juices flowing, and if anything, I think it was the act of recording without the distraction of a phone, rather than pixel-peeping at the result.

Due to the likely small sensor, I found videos indoors or during the evening were dark and grainy (unsurprising), but came to appreciate this almost painterly quality. There's no stabilization in this camcorder, but actually, it held up well to the running around of small children. There's no zoom and no manual focus either, which rules out close-ups but works well for everything else.

This camera's projector functionality might be overlooked at first, but I think it's the Photo Creator's real gem. You can project videos shot on the camera itself, or link it to your phone (Android or iOS) via WiFi to mirror what you're playing there, for example, a YouTube video or Netflix movie.

The camera projects the steps for setup, making it absolutely seamless. Adults will need to help kids with this bit, but even technophobes will have no trouble. It took just two minutes to get a Taylor Swift video playing from my iPhone 15 Pro, and then a bit of fine-tuning, turning the plastic focus wheel on the front of the lens to bring the picture into sharper focus. There are no calibration options, so it's best to position the projector as straight on to a straight wall as possible (harder without a tripod mount).

Photo Creator says you can get a projected image up to 200 x 112cm, and while I just about managed this, I found the light drop-off made it hard to pick out details. The projection is best viewed in a very dark room (think lights off), but it worked well on walls and even a white bed sheet draped to create a makeshift screen.

The biggest disappointment with the Photo Creator Video Projector was the audio, both for recording clips and watching video content. I wasn't expecting hi-fi quality, but the microphone level and speaker were so quiet to be almost unusable. When you've got a room full of rowdy kids and parents, you need the sound to cut through that rather than outputting as a whisper, and the quietness really damps down the entertainment value of the product.

In terms of usability, I found the battery lasts several hours and gets topped up in the same amount of time. The camera doesn't automatically power off in photo mode, but you're able to set a sleep timer in projection mode, which I think is a really nice touch.

Photo Creator Video Projector Camera: Verdict

The Photo Creator Video Projector Camera isn’t meant to hold up against the best video cameras for quality. Its main value is in fun and creation, and creating a way for kids to easily film, shoot, and instantly project their masterpieces. It's about entertaining kids for a few hours together at family gatherings, with the adults keeping their smartphones safe and sound.

As a three-in-one device costing under $70/£70, I was genuinely impressed with its value. The design is chunky and hardy, and my young testers found it easy to use with occasional adult intervention. I particularly loved how seamless the Wi-Fi casting was, letting me project Netflix and YouTube videos for the family onto a wall within minutes. This casting feature would be great for making your own home cinema on a budget, if only the sound were loud enough to hear.

Being honest about the camera, the quality isn't there. The 48MP stills were pixelated, and I think there's some heavy interpolation going on to reach that impressive-sounding resolution. The 1080p video is functional, but washed out in bright sunshine and grainy indoors. Again, the mic level was so quiet it was almost unusable in a room with a few excited kids, and although I was able to bump up the audio on the computer (via the USB-C connection), this isn't a step most amateurs are going to take.

Overall, though, this creative, fun gift is perfect for family gatherings and sleepovers, and I'd have loved making my own video "projects" on something like this as a kid. If the goal is to play, film, and project, I think it's a great choice. In an ever-online world, it might really suit parents who think kids should be creative without the distraction of a phone.

Alternatives

We have tested lots of kids cameras – but we haven't seen anything quite like this new three-in-one device from Canal Toys. The Photo Creator Video Projector Camera looks and handles like a traditional camcorder - recording video at 1080P on the supplied 16GB microSD memory card. It can shoot stills photos too - with the camera boasting a 48-megapixel resolution.

But it is the third string to its bow that will undoubtedly impress the kids the most... the device also has a built-in video projector. The marketing people tell us that "project their creations up to 200 x 112 cm on any surface, walls, ceilings, tents, even the garden fence". More impressive still, the unit won't just project their own creations - they can cast movies and videos from apps like YouTube and Netflix over wifi to a surface up to 4 metres away.

The camera itself has a flip-out screen with a 2.4in LCD color panel. There are 27 different effects and borders that you can add to still and footage to customize your creations.

The Projector Camera has a built-in rechargeable battery that is topped up using a USB-C input.

The Photo Creator Video Projector Camera retails for £75 (US availability and pricing have yet to be announced.

Also check out our full guides to the best camcorders and the best video projectors

Video production cameras tend to fit neatly into one category: Studio-style cameras, box cameras, or PTZ remote-controlled options. But Panasonic wants to merge all three into a single multi-purpose camera that it is dubbing the Panasonic AK-UBX100.

Panasonic calls the AK-UBX100 “the future of video production” in the development announcement shared on September 2.

The Panasonic AK-UBX100 is a box-style 4K multipurpose camera with a 2/3" bayonet lens mount that can be used as a traditional box camera, but can also be used as a studio camera or, with compatibility with camera robotics, as a remotely-controlled PTZ camera.

Panasonic says the camera is a response to the increasing demand for creators to supply multiple types of content simultaneously, from live content to studio recordings. Along with the multi-use design, Panasonic says the camera will have a world-first autofocus feature that “enables fast and stable target acquisition regardless of the type of lens used or the operator’s skill level.”

The Panasonic AK-UBX100 is a 4K camera that shares the same core and interface design as the Panasonic AK-UCX100 4K. Panasonic did that on purpose in order to eliminate the need to color match between the two cameras, as well as allowing the cameras to use the same remote operation panel.

While footage quality should be similar, the UBX100 has a flat design on all four sides, unlike the previous model, which allows the upcoming camera to be modified with different lenses, camera heads, as well as mounting for robotic shooting.

But, Panasonic is also teasing a “world’s first AF function” that will arrive for both the new UBX100 and previous UCX100 via firmware. Panasonic says the autofocus feature is designed to quickly lock on to the subject regardless of the operator’s skill level or the lens used.

Panasonic describes the new autofocus feature this way: “This AF function allows incremental adjustment of the position, size, and speed of the target area, and even for experienced operators, the instantaneous AF support provided by the one-push AF function allows for a smooth transition to final manual adjustments, contributing to the realization of a focus on the angle of view.”

Panasonic says the AK-UBX100 will be released in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the autofocus firmware update for the AK-UCX100 slated for a December release and the autofocus firmware for the new camera slated for the second quarter of 2026.

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Digital cameras that look retro have become exceptionally popular, but what happens when that retro trend meets camcorders? The Camp Snap CS-8 is a digital camcorder that looks and even operates like a 1970s Super 8 camera, and after several teasers, the camcorder is finally available to pre-order.

The CS-8 is made by Camp Snap, the same brand behind the screen-free compact digital cameras that feel a bit like a disposable film camera despite being fully digital and reusable. The brand’s take on bringing a retro camcorder into the digital era is a camera that maintains the look of look and even the trigger-style shooting of Super 8, but with a digital sensor and retro filters packed inside.

Like the Camp Snap point-and-shoot still camera, the CS-8 is a screen-free camcorder. Instead, the camcorder uses a viewfinder at the back of the camera. Dials on the side of the camera allow creators to scroll through vintage-inspired presets, including grainy analog, black and white, and sepia. Another dial allows users to choose the aspect ratio, from the 4:3 classic to 9:16 for Reels and TikToks.

A dial shows how much battery life and memory card space is left – and a 4GB SD card is even included with the camera. Toggles adjust zoom, and there is a built-in speaker to capture audio.

Like a classic Super 8 camera, creators press and keep holding the trigger to record. And like camcorders before the digital era, users can’t see the video that they just shot, but unlike real Super 8, there are no developing costs, and viewing the images just requires a computer (or an SD card reader on a smartphone).

Another modern feature is a USB-C port for charging.

Camp Snap hasn’t yet shared full specifications, like the sensor size, although from images of the front of the camera, the CS8 appears to have an f/2 lens with 8x zoom. Of course, footage from the CS-8 is meant to be retro, so a camcorder like this is going for intentionally poorer quality than modern camcorders. Camp Snap says the camera is set to shoot at 18 fps (the standard frame rate for Super 8 film) and, when using analog mode, there’s no stabilization.

I’ve long been a fan of retro digital cameras (and still shoot some occasional 35mm film), and I'm itching to try out the CS-8. I’m not much of a videographer, but the in-camera filters look like the CS-8 could be a fun way to capture family memories without all the video editing. I’m particularly eager to try out the filter with retro scratches and dust that seem to appear in some of the sample footage shared by Camp Snap.

After a limited pre-sale with just 30 cameras, the Camp Snap CS-8 became available for pre-order on July 31. The company says the camera will ship after approximately one month.

The Camp Snap CS-8 lists for $199. Camp Snap hasn't yet shared international pricing, but that converts to roughly £147 / AU$302.

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You'd be forgiven for being as confused as I was upon hearing that Panasonic was releasing two new budget camcorders. After all, isn't this 2025, not 1995? Proving that the best camcorders are still in demand, the Panasonic HC-V900 (2K resolution) and HC-VX3 (4K) launched late last year to minimal fanfare.

I've been reviewing camcorders for years and have been using them in a home video setting for decades. It's more common to see consumer-focused camcorders being discontinued rather than launched. So, why has Panasonic launched these new models, and why would you buy one over the best camera for video?

Despite their ageing form factor, camcorders are still an ideal tool for amateur moviemakers who want the sort of long optical zoom range that's expensive to replicate with interchangeable lenses on mirrorless cameras, and terrible quality on a smartphone with digital zoom.

In this review, I'll be testing the slightly cheaper of the two newer releases, the HC-V900, which is a minor upgrade to the Panasonic V800 from 2018. It's not an entirely new model, then, but improvements to bring it up to date include USB-C charging (to allow charging from a computer or laptop), a remote control socket, and a touchscreen LCD.

Spoiler alert, I still love shooting on a camcorder. Their long, built-in zooms stop you from having to constantly change lenses, listen to the lens hunting for focus, or deal with it sticking out from the camera body, getting in the way.

The standout feature of the Panasonic HC-V900 (and the reason I'd use it for on-the-go shooting instead of my iPhone 15 Pro or Canon mirrorless camera) is the 24x optical zoom. This covers a huge 25-600mm focal length in equivalent 35mm camera terms, and in reality, means you can shoot most everyday moments, from sports games to wildlife.

What this camcorder isn't is a cinematic masterpiece. While many flagship camera phones now boast 4K (3840 x 2160), or even 8K video recording (7680 x 4320), the HC-V900 is limited to Full HD (1920 x 1080). Panasonic's more expensive camcorders, including the Panasonic HC-X1500, offer 4K resolution, but if you're an amateur, I wouldn't get hung up on a resolution you'll never use. A lower resolution also means smaller files that are easier and faster to transfer, edit, and share.

There are very few budget camcorders left to choose from. At the beginner end of the market, the major brands – Canon, Sony and Panasonic – have increasingly prioritised cameras for vlogging and left the camcorder format for prosumers and professionals.

On paper, that makes the HC-V900 a good option if you want something to shoot handheld video on – especially if your needs include long zoom, intuitive controls that budget vlogging cameras can't replicate and a sub-$700/£600 price.

I've taken Panasonic's compact camcorder for a two-week trial to see if it carves a budget niche in today's camcorder landscape, or if it's a nostalgic nod to a format that should probably quietly fade away.

Panasonic HC-V900: Specifications

Panasonic HC-V900: Price and Availability

The Panasonic HC-V900 is sold at an RRP of around USD 699.99, £529, and AUS$899. The now-discontinued Sony AX43 was previously one of the last budget camcorders. The Panasonic HC-V900 now fills the entry-level price bracket as one of the cheapest usable camcorders on the market (I say usable, because you can always find unbranded camcorders on Amazon for a fraction of the price, but I wouldn't recommend them based on poor build or video quality).

But is it a good value purchase? For a little less money, you could get a Sony ZV-1 mirrorless that outperforms it in terms of image quality (with a 1-inch sensor) and vlog-friendly features. But you wouldn't get such a comprehensive video recording solution, and you'd be limited to a 24-70mm effective focal length.

The comparison becomes harder to justify compared to smartphones. Even the best flagships – at more than double the price of the HC-V900 – offer a maximum of 5x optical zoom telephoto lenses compared to the camcorder's 20x.

For its price, I think the Panasonic HC-V900 is a competitive option (and indeed one of the last options) for someone who prioritises good, but not great, Full HD video in an easy-to-use all-in-one.

Panasonic HC-V900: Build & Handling

The Panasonic HC-V900 comes in an unassuming cardboard box with a press shot of the camcorder on the side; the inside houses the main product, lens hood, battery pack, USB cable, micro cable, and a user guide (which I of course left in the box and never looked at again).

If you've used or seen a camcorder before, you'll find nothing surprising or unusual about the Panasonic HC-V900's design. Its classic barrel-shaped form factor is far easier to handle compared to larger professional video cameras or hybrid mirrorless setups, to sit neatly in my smaller hands and in a more contained way in my partner’s.

The construction is standard matte black plastic (with a texture on the right-hand side for better grip), making it lightweight at 431g without feeling too brittle or rattly. From experience, you're far more likely to use something when it's easy to carry, and the compact HC-V900 fits in my Barbour jacket pocket, my handbag, my camera bag and my work satchel. That’s a massive tick for portability, and a major contrast to the more advanced Panasonic HC-X1500 at 1.2kg.

The Panasonic HC-V900 can afford to be small because it doesn’t have to accommodate as many buttons as prosumer models. There's no hotshot mount up top, nowhere to attach a handle (you don't need to, as it's so light), but there is a 1/4"-20 tripod thread underneath.

This is a back-to-basics camcorder operation, and the raised zoom rocker that moves left to right (very smoothly, I might add) is up top for your index finger to access comfortably, in front of a raised shutter button. The microphone is flush at the front of the camcorder above the lens. The microphone is integrated flush at the front, directly above the lens. Again, as is typical, the memory card slot (for full-sized SD cards, not MicroSD, thank goodness) is revealed when you flip open the screen.

There's a tiny power button, a button to flip between record and playback, and an HDR and menu button. All refreshingly simple, and my only complaints are a) that these buttons are harder to access without looking at them and b) harder to press in if you have big fingers. Conversely, I could say I like how flush everything sits, including the battery, which just adds to you being able to stow this camcorder away as soon as you've finished filming.

Like most beginner camcorders and vlogging cameras, you only get an LCD screen – no viewfinder – for composing shots and reviewing footage. I don't think many buyers will miss this, and it's not something to be expected for the price. The 3-inch monitor is touch-sensitive, bringing the camcorder into the modern age while also speeding up menus and tweaking settings. It's still not as zippy as my Canon mirrorless camera, but it is far more responsive than camcorders I tested even a few years ago at this price.

Recording and playback felt colourful and detailed enough, too. Most consumer camcorders have screens between 2.7 to 3.5 inches. For any serious applications with the HC-V900, where composition is critical, you'd need an external on-camera monitor (but I can't see this being the case with a camcorder this affordable).

It is worth noting that there’s no official protection rating against the elements, rainy days, sandy beaches or dust. In short, the HC-V900 is not rugged, and I’d be cautious about using it outside when the weather isn’t fair. If you’re mainly an indoor shooter, no worries, but this isn’t the video companion for you if you’re hoping to be out in all weather.

Panasonic HC-V900: Sample video

Above: sample video shot with Panasonic HC-V900

I tested the Panasonic HC-V900 for several weeks, taking it on daily walks in nature, into the city and even using it during a wedding and cricket match. I didn't have the necessary permission to share the latter clips, unfortunately.

Panasonic HC-V900: Performance

Above: sample video shot with the Panasonic V900 camcorder

The Panasonic HC-V900 is technically a newer camcorder on the market, but much of the technology inside it has been around for much longer (it builds on models from 2018).

The Panasonic HC-V900 is here to focus on core camcorder strengths that get less fanfare in the age of smartphones and mirrorless cameras, the standout feature being the 24x optical zoom. I love shooting wildlife on my daily walks in the countryside, and I was at times blown away by how close this camcorder could get to deer, hares, and even birds in the distance.

While shooting from the back of a church wedding, I was able to zoom in on a crying groom, and at a cricket match, fill the frame with my favourite player from the other side of the pitch.

You’d need a very powerful, heavy lens to cover the same 25-600mm focal length on a mirrorless camera, or more likely several expensive, heavy, powerful lenses. I found the HC-V900’s range versatile, while being smooth to zoom in and out, and fast, should you need to move between near and far rapidly.

Of course, that zoom range is no use if your footage is too shaky to view. The HC-V900 is supported by a now-standard five-axis image stabilisation system that corrects camera shake (but won’t suppress all movement). In reality, that meant at full zoom, I was able to capture a couple of pheasants tottering across a field without too much movement up and down.

Walking shots are far more susceptible to unwanted vertical shake, which means if you’re recording pieces on the go, you may want to slow your pace slightly to avoid giving viewers vertigo. But I think most users will be pleased with how well Panasonic’s HYBRID O.I.S. + keeps things steady.

The HC-V900 has a basic autofocus system, far behind the AI-powered wizardry of the latest mirrorless and phone cameras. While filming, I found it generally struggled to switch between subjects in the mid to full zoom range (10-24x) on its own. Here, though, you can tap on the screen to pick a focus point, which makes it quicker to shift between subjects where the camcorder struggles.

Manual focus is also an option from the menu (there’s no physical switch or button), although I don’t think beginners will use this much. The minimum focusing distance varies depending on the zoom level. In ‘Normal Mode’ (at a wide-angle), it’s about 10 cm (3.9 inches) from the lens, while an Intelligent Auto Macro mode is meant to allow even closer focusing at the wide-angle end (5 cm / 2 inches). I wasn’t able to get as personal to the bugs and bees as this when filming, though.

If you’re mainly recording other people, or yourself vlogging, at arm's length, the camcorder can follow faces around the frame really effectively, but it works best with an abundance of light.

There are very few features to cover in the performance section – the HC-V900 has no ND filters or fancy video settings – so I’ll come straight to the visual quality of clips. I wasn’t bowled away, but I wasn’t disappointed either.

The HC-V900 pairs a 1/2.5-inch BSI MOS sensor with a bright f/1.8 lens, and it outperformed my expectations in low-light situations (shooting indoors or at sunset). I was also amazed by the shallow depth of field I could achieve, and the hints of bokeh when focused on a smaller subject while zoomed in midway. The footage was perhaps more cinematic than I ever captured with the HC-X1500.

Okay, it doesn’t perform miracles in pitch black, but on a typical balmy summer evening, it can produce cleaner and brighter footage than entry-level smartphones, and the "Active Contrast" helps with contrast in challenging lighting. The white balance was always neutral and balanced, if not vivid, and would give users a good base to edit from if they were interested in post-processing.

Panasonic HC-V900: Verdict

I find it hard to get excited about the Panasonic HC-V900. The compact camcorder design offers nothing new, and it isn't retro enough to have a vintage appeal. The video specs and its 1/2.5-inch sensor are basic too, eclipsed by most compact vlogging cameras of a similar price.

But that doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend the HC-V900. It's pretty much the cheapest camcorder you can buy nowadays, but it still managed to deliver in all the core areas. The zoom is smooth and incredibly impressive at the full range. And the 5-Axis HYBRID image stabilization helps you to capture footage far beyond the shaky nightmares of my childhood camcording sessions, even at 24x.

Most importantly, it's incredibly easy to use. Even total beginners should be able to get footage in a range of situations, from the low light of an indoor gig to a sports day. By focusing on the essentials and delivering nothing more, Panasonic has made an affordable camcorder that most can pick up and use in minutes.

The HC-V900 produces the kind of video for hobbyists who will never use all the features in a vlogging camera, and don't want the faff of a mirrorless camera and separate lenses.

On its website, Panasonic markets the HC-V900 to families for capturing the 'Moments That Matter,' and it's a product that I think does just that, creating acceptable, accessible video at a price that everyday users can justify.

Alternatives

Still not sold? Check out our complete guide to the best camcorders, and for an introduction to video-making options, look at our guide to the best camera for video.

Shooting for documentary features or news comes with its own set of requirements, which can vary from other types of shooting, where more control of the location, subject matter, and conditions is a viable option. Sony has for a long time had a strong presence in this field, notably with the current PXW-Z280 camcorder. However, they have just announced a new member of the family, to be available in the fall – the PXW-Z300. And, on paper at least, it looks set to be packed with just the features for the job.

While the form factor is similar to other Sony ENG cameras, the newcomer has taken feedback from users and made a few adjustments to make shooting more efficient and comfortable. To start with, the LCD mount has been redesigned and is more flexible, allowing for better repositioning. It can be more traditionally placed or moved forward, to sit near the front of the lens, perfect for shoulder-mounted shooting. The LCD is a touch panel, can display HDR content, and runs at 1280x720.

Other shooting aids include a side V-mount for attaching accessories such as a PDF-FP1 transmitter, great for streaming and uploading on the spot. Third-party developers are sure to release other devices for this too. And speaking of streaming, there are both Ethernet and WiFi connections, so you can go directly from card to FTP or cloud.

When it comes to imaging, things get interesting. The 4K 60p camera’s 3 CMOS sensors are paired with the Boinz XR 4K chip, and they sit behind an f/1.9 constant aperture lens. Having a parfocal lens is great, but even more important with wide focal range zoom, and the PXW-Z300 is equipped with a 17x optical zoom, plus a 4x digital zoom. Operators should have no trouble working this with dials for focus, zoom, and iris.

Many Sony cameras have excellent subject recognition and tracking features, and the PXW-Z300 adds to these with new AI-based tools, which can recognise people, even when they are wearing masks, or are turned away from the camera. The AI tools analyse anatomy and posture, to ensure you get the shot.

For those who don’t like adding filters, or who simply prefer on-board tools, there will be a 1/4-1/128 ND, quite a range of glass to be carrying in your kit bag, so very welcome news.

Interestingly, the PXW-Z300 has some features that could make it useful for more narrative work. It can employ user-loaded LUTs and it can shoot in S-Cinetone as well as REC.709, using MPEG HD422 or XAVC. If you shoot with a Burano or FX3, etc, then matching footage will be all the easier.

Physically, the camera has dust and moisture protection as well as cooling systems, to keep it running even in harsh environments. Storage is taken care of by dual CRExpress and SDXC UHS-II slots, which can be run in series or parallel. As for power, this can be supplied by an AC adapter, Sony batteries, or even a USB-C power bank and includes a locking USB-C port.

Now, the current climate has raised many worries about the authenticity of footage and news stories, so Sony has made sure that footage shot on the PXW-Z300 guarantees reliability and authenticity, with tools to ensure it is shot by a person and not generative AI. There will be embedded signatures using the C2PA standard, which preserves the editing history.

On top of that, the camera will capture 3D data of the scene shot to prove that it isn’t recording a picture of a picture. Clever stuff and with much fake news distributed, it will be useful for the diligent and genuine to be able to authenticate their stories.

The PXW-Z300 will be released later this year at a price of around £9,600 in the UK. US pricing is still to be confirmed, but conversions suggest it might cost around $10,799.

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As a long-time camera nerd, I’m always obsessing over tech specs – which is why I was surprised when I actually fell in love with the low-tech Camp Snap, a screen-free digital compact camera for unplugging.

But now Camp Snap is moving beyond compacts. The Camp Snap CS-8 is a digital camcorder inspired by the retro Super 8 film cameras – and I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about a camcorder launch.

The Camp Snap CS-8 has digital guts, but the design and even the way it shoots are inspired by Super 8 – the pre-VHS camcorder of the Sixties and Seventies.

Like a retro Super 8, the CS-8 has a large body with retro styling and a handle. Super 8 cameras recorded whenever the trigger was depressed, and the CS-8 is the same way.

Like the original Camp Snap compact camera, the CS-8 is screen-free, but that doesn‘t mean users are shooting totally blind. There’s a viewfinder built in. A retro gauge at the side indicates the battery level, and there’s a dial to change the aspect ratio, including 1:1 for Instagram, 16:9 for a more cinematic look and 9:16 for Reels and TikTok.

Camp Snap says that the CS-8 will also offer different vintage digital filters, including sepia, grainy analog, washed-out retro tones, black and white, and a standard film look.

The Camp Snap CS-8 feels decidedly low-tech – but that’s exactly why I’m excited. I’m more of a photographer than a videographer, but I’m always taking videos with my iPhone. The trouble is, I don’t have the time to really make them look good, so I’m really hoping the CS-8 delivers dreamy retro vibes straight out of the camera.

I used a compact camera on my last vacation more than my mirrorless camera or iPhone – and the feeling of unplugging was liberating. That’s the other reason that I’m hoping the CS-8 is as fantastically retro as it looks – I want to take short videos of my kids growing up, without the distraction of a screen.

Camp Snap has previously teased the CS-8, but now the camera is coming out in a matter of days. The company launched a limited 30-unit pre-release on social media that quickly sold out, but the company says pre-orders will begin on July 31, with a list price of $199 (which is roughly £147 / AU$302).

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Find more retro-goodness among the best retro cameras. Or, browse the best camcorders.

Many people these days might think of camcorders as a thing of the past, a product overshadowed by smartphones and mirrorless cameras. But, much like compact cameras have held their ground among photography enthusiasts, the best camcorders remain an excellent, all-in-one video solution.

Today’s camcorders offer something smartphones can’t yet match – powerful built-in optical zoom lenses, dedicated manual controls, and excellent image stabilization; all optimized for video recording.

Thanks to modern advancements, these compact devices now also feature 4K UHD recording, intuitive touchscreens, and live streaming capabilities, making them highly relevant for content creators, event videographers, and anyone looking to capture high-quality footage easily.

Right now, during Amazon Prime Day Deals, some of Canon’s best camcorders are available at fantastic prices. Here’s a closer look at the standout models:

• See all of today's Amazon Prime camera deals
• See all of today's Amazon Prime drone deals

It’s easy to wonder why you’d choose a camcorder in today’s world of smartphones and hybrid cameras. But camcorders still offer some distinct advantages that make them an appealing option for many creators.

One of the biggest benefits is the built-in optical zoom. All of these Canon models feature a powerful 20x optical zoom lens, enabling you to capture far-off subjects with clarity; something smartphones simply can’t replicate, no matter how advanced their digital zooms claim to be.

Camcorders also offer a level of convenience that’s hard to beat. With everything built in, from the zoom lens to stabilization and audio controls, they’re ready to shoot straight out of the box, with no need to swap lenses or add extra accessories. You get a streamlined, purpose-built device designed specifically for smooth, high-quality video recording.

And with modern features like 4K UHD resolution, advanced image stabilization, touchscreen controls, and even live streaming via USB-C, today’s camcorders are far from outdated. They combine simplicity with serious performance, making them ideal for anyone who values ease of use alongside professional results.

Whether you’re filming family moments, producing content for clients, or creating videos for your passion projects, a camcorder remains a practical, reliable, and often underrated tool, especially when you can grab one at a great price during Prime Day.

Retro-inspired digital cameras are trending. But the maker behind a digital compact camera that mimics the feel of disposable film is targeting a new retro video camera next; the Camp Snap CS8 is an upcoming digital video camera designed to mimic the experience of shooting on Super 8.

The Camp Snap CS8 doesn’t just look like an old Super 8 camera – it shoots like one, too. The brand explains that, like the retro video cameras, the CS8 shoots by pressing a trigger on the handle, releasing the trigger to end the recording.

At the side of the camera, the CS8 will also have a real analog battery gauge as well as an old-school indicator for how much space remains for recordings. An assortment of dials will enable users to choose from different retro filters as well as different aspect ratios.

Camp Snap says it was inspired to create a digital retro camcorder after stumbling across an old Super 8 camera in the attic.

The manufacturer first gained traction for its screenless digital camera, the Camp Snap, which skirted summer camp rules but also found a following among digital minimalists and retro camera fans.

The CS8 will actually have a screen, but a small one built inside the viewfinder. The company stresses that the little screen is only for viewing footage as you shoot.

Like the Camp Snap compact, the CS8 won’t offer any playback to view video files on the camera. With physical dials for the different aspect ratios and film simulations, there’s also no need for any menus in the camera.

Camp Snap teased the development of the CS8 earlier this spring and hasn’t yet revealed a full list of specifications. The company’s website lists a US$139 / £104 price – which to me suggests that the camera will have a small sensor like the brand’s disposable-film-lookalike.

Part of the charm of the retro look is imperfection, so a small sensor may not necessarily be a dealbreaker.

While the retro experience is charming, the hold-the-trigger-to-shoot style of recording is likely better for shorter clips than extended videos. Unlike the original Camp Snap made for stills, the CS8 isn’t pocketable.

“The CS8 isn’t built for your pocket – it’s built to be carried,” the brand said in a teaser blog. “It turns heads at concerts. It gets smiles at recitals. It starts conversations when you’re out with friends.”

I found Camp Snap’s digital still camera to be a charming experience, snapping photos without the distractions of a screen. The company has had low stock notices due to unexpected demand ever since I started following it, and I predict the CS8 will be similarly trendy if the brand manages to deliver on all those early promises.

Originally teased in 2024, Camp Snap hasn’t yet shared when the CS8 will be available, but teased the camera once again just a few weeks ago. Camp Snap instructed fans to follow its Instagram for updates on the upcoming camera.

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Panasonic has just unveiled a brand-new professional camcorder that’s set to turn heads, particularly if you’re into live production, broadcast, or serious video work.

The Panasonic AG-CX370 is the latest in the company’s CX series, and while it may look familiar at first glance, it’s packing some powerful upgrades under the hood. If you're someone who likes to keep pace with pro-level gear, even if it's more than you personally need, it’s worth a closer look at what this new model brings to the table.

The AG-CX370 is essentially a turbocharged evolution of the AG-CX350, a camcorder that’s been around since 2019 and found a solid fanbase among video professionals. Back then, the CX350 made a name for itself with 10-bit 4K capture, a 20x zoom lens, HDR options including V-Log and HLG, and a great set of streaming tools. It hit that sweet spot between professional functionality and mobility, providing handheld, high-performance, and built for a wide range of use cases.

With the AG-CX370, Panasonic keeps that winning formula but builds on it in all the right places. One of the biggest changes is the new 12G SDI output, which enables uncompressed 4K transmission, which is an essential upgrade for workflows using cutting-edge switchers and recorders. It also supports simultaneous 4K output over SDI and HDMI, which adds more flexibility for live events or multi-output setups.

Another new pro feature is the addition of a Genlock input. If you’ve ever worked with multi-cam rigs and had to deal with sync issues, you’ll know this is a huge deal. It means you can lock the timing of multiple cameras together for seamless switching and post-production.

Audio has also had a thoughtful upgrade now with four channels of input, including two XLRs and a stereo mini-jack, each with its own independent volume control. That’s a level of manual control you don’t often see in this form factor, and it’s going to be a big win for those working in environments where audio capture is just as critical as video.

Panasonic’s also leaning into vertical video with a dedicated flag system, making it easier to ingest and edit content for social platforms. That may sound like a minor touch, but for anyone shooting cross-platform content, it’s one of those small things that makes a big difference in workflow.

Other notable features include the same excellent 20x optical zoom lens, full 4K/60p 10-bit recording, support for HEVC and AVC-ULTRA codecs, and advanced autofocus with face detection and tracking. There are also dual SD card slots, plenty of streaming protocols built-in, support for NDI HX2 for IP production, and full remote control over LAN or wirelessly via an app.

The AG-CX370 is expected to hit the market in the second quarter of 2025. Pricing hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, but likely to be in the same ballpark as the CX350 which retails for $3,999 / £2,999.

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The Panasonic HC-X1500 is one of the last camcorders left standing in the prosumer price bracket between expert and total newbie. If you're anything like me, camcorders are best remembered at school plays, birthday parties and sports days. However, their all-in-one handheld designs and oft-epic zoom ranges can still win over some consumers in today's video market.

I've tested almost all of the best camcorders you can still find on sale (a diminishing list) over the last few years, and I think Panasonic is the brand with the most skin still in the game. Despite its mirrorless Panasonic Lumix S5 II proving itself as the best camera for video, the brand has still launched two new budget models within the last year, the HC-VX3 and HC-V900.

These fresh faces are geared more toward family moviemakers and messing-around-filmmakers though, while the X1500 is a camcorder for more serious applications – live concerts, news gathering or even sports events, the latter made all the easier by the 4K recording at 60p or 120fps by switching down to Full HD.

With a small sensor (1/2.5-inch) by modern camera standards (but similar to competitors like the the Canon HF G70) I knew it was never going to give me the same bokeh-laden, high-res footage as the best cinema cameras. But then that's not what the HC-X1500 is about.

It wins in its versatility, and the fact you don't need a monitor, cage or tripod for decent results. The 24X zoom gets you close to a diverse set of subjects from birds to football players, and the camcorder is equally being able to capture vlogs in your bedroom-turned-office-turned-studio at home, or become a run-and-gun documentary partner.

Camcorders like the HC-X1500 are still said to be in their "comeback era", but why? I tested the HC-X1500 for several weeks to find out whether, in 2025, it's simply a pleasingly nostalgic reminder of a bygone era, or a genuinely professional video tool worthy of your money.

Panasonic HC-X1500: What's new?

The HC-X1500 was announced at the infamous annual CES tech show back in January 2020 alongside its pricier sibling, the HC-X2000. It replaced the HC-X1000, which was the first camcorder capable of recording 4K 60p/50p images onto a commonplace SD card rather than specialist media storage. These video specs are matched with the HC-X1500, but Panasonic did upgrade the zoom range from 20x to 24x. That means the HC-X1500 camcorder effectively covers a versatile 25 - 600 mm focal range compared to its predecessor's 29.5 - 626 mm, and while subtle, this view is more usable for wide-angle people shots and up-close pieces video diaries.

Panasonic HC-X1500: Price and Availablity

The Panasonic HC-X1500 may have been released years ago, but it's still widely available at retailers like Amazon and Adorama. Depending on where you buy, it costs around $1,500 (a wider range of £1,000 - £1,500 in the UK the last time I checked). 

This is around 30% more than the prosumer Canon HF G70, which feels fair given you get a longer optical zoom, extra iris ring, and built-in ND filters. However, the sensor size and low-light performance are similar. For around the same price as the HC-X1500, you could buy the hybrid Panasonic Lumix S5II mirrorless camera with its far superior phase-detect autofocus system and excellent stills functionality. But you'd also need to add the cost of a lens on top. 

Overall, I think the HC-X1500 represents fair value for the build camera and monster zoom range you get.

Panasonic HC-X1500: Design & Handling

When the Panasonic HC-X1500 arrived, I was surprised at how big the box was. Your perception of its size and design is likely to come down to what kit you've used before, but in a world of tiny vlogging cameras, the main selling point here isn't compactness.

The camcorder weighs 1.2kg, including the lens hood, battery, and eyecup. Compared to my usual Canon EOS R6 Mark II mirrorless camera, which is 670g (body-only), the budget Sony AX43 camcorder I most recently tested (510g), or the Canon HF G70 (953g), it starts to look and feel like quite a chunky offering.

But in real use, I never found the HC-X1500 uncomfortable or unwieldy. It needs to be as big as it is to accommodate five customizable buttons, two SD card slots, a built-in variable ND filter (with three strengths), and two manual rings at the front of the lens – one for focusing and the other for zoom or aperture changes. The strap is also more padded than the cheaper recorders I've used, and the recording button is raised enough to make it easy to find when you're filming yourself.

On overall design, the HC-X1500 sports the same matte black plastic casing as every other camcorder out there. It's not officially waterproof or weatherproof – and therefore not a confident purchase for outdoor filmmakers – but it also doesn't feel brittle or like it would get easily scratched.

Up top, there's a thread to accommodate a Panasonic VW-HU1 handle unit (sold separately), standard hot shoe mount, built-in stereo microphone and satisfyingly sensitive zoom rocker. As you'd expect there's a standard tripod thread underneath.

As far as other ports go, you get a 3.5mm mic, remote line and micro-USB input to the right of the lines, and these are protected by substantial plastic covers. If you do buy the optional handle, that adds two 3-pin XLR audio inputs and a switch for phantom power to turn the camcorder into a more professional tool.

On the lens hood, you'll find a slider to open and close the aperture, rather than the lens opening up when the camcorder is switched on. It's important to remember to close this when you're done filming, or you risk dust and dirt getting on the lens in your bag.

I could lay the HC-X1500 sideways in a standard over-the-shoulder camera bag, although because the lens hood is much wider than the camcorder's barrel, you have to be careful not to catch it when lifting it out. Fortunately, all the other elements and buttons are more streamlined. Where some camcorders have their power packs awkwardly sticking out at the back, here, the long-life battery sits flush at the rear end so that your finger can always reach the red button.

Unlike beginner camcorders and vlogging cameras, the HC-X1500 has a screen and viewfinder for whizzing around menus and framing and reviewing footage. I was immediately impressed by the brightness and clarity of its 3.5-inch LED monitor, which can be tilted upward and flipped 180 degrees toward you so you can capture yourself talking to the camera. No surprises there. Bettering the Canon HF G70, the screen also snaps neatly into place and doesn't fold back on itself.

On the downside, I found the touchscreen unresponsive unless you're very precise with your finger. It was impossible to press with gloves on, and with no physical buttons next to the screen, I soon got frustrated. However, the menu button is tucked away just under the screen, and there's a pushable scroll wheel beyond this to move up and down and between submenus with your left hand. Once you get used to this approach, navigation becomes quick and easy.

As for the 0.24-inch, 1.56 million dot viewfinder... it's fine. You have to tug it out from the body to extend and activate it – something I kept forgetting to do because I'm so used to my mirrorless camera switching automatically when my eye gets near. The view is also dimmer than I'd have liked. But for the price of this camcorder, I'm probably asking too much.

Panasonic HC-X1500: Performance

The camcorder market isn’t flush with new models, but the Panasonic HC-X1500 is one of the best camcorders you can buy for sheer zoom power. With a focal length range from wide-angle to super-telephoto (equivalent to 25-600mm on a full-frame camera), its versatility and magnifying power are astounding. The furthest zoom was excellent for sports games, and the model’s 4K 60p footage is best in class specs-wise. However, I wish the autofocus had been able to keep up with the action.

One big difference between the Panasonic HC-X1500 and a hybrid mirrorless camera like the Panasonic Lumix S5 II is their autofocus capability. Panasonic’s content-creator camera has a more advanced phase hybrid detection AF system that can detect subjects—such as humans and animals—immediately. However, this camcorder’s AF tech is more vaguely called “High-Precision AF.” 

For me, the HC-X1500 shines in full autofocus mode. It offers basic face detection and skin tone recognition for tracking subjects as they move. The camcorder kept up as long as people didn’t move too erratically around the frame, and it’s just right for vlogs, live streams, and static interview scenarios. 

Area mode is also effective; when activated, you tap on the screen to maintain focus on one portion of the screen and can move it quickly during filming when that point of interest changes. It’s not revolutionary, but it makes switching between near and far subjects smooth, if not speedy.

I often end up featuring my dog in camcorder reviews, not least because capturing the same moving animal over again is a great way to compare the focusing performance of different models. When filming her running toward the HC-X1500 from about 20 meters away, the camera was able to follow her movements sharply until the last 5 meters or so. It didn’t lock onto her body and eyes in the almost creepily good way my Canon EOS R6 Mark II will, but I wouldn’t expect it for its age or price.

The HC-X1500’s 24x zoom is such a draw for wildlife lovers, that my final autofocus tests involved trying to focus on small birds through branches. This is handled with ease by most Sony, Fujifilm and Canon cameras now thanks to bird-specific algorithm-powered AF modes. Sadly the HC-X1500 isn’t equipped to focus on a small subject through layers of foliage, and most of the time I found it easier to swap to manual mode to lock onto the target.

With such a long zoom comes a lot of camera shake. Or so I'd have thought. Optical image stabilization is standard in the camcorders still on sale, but the HC-X1500’s 5-axis compensation gave the most impressive footage of any I’ve tested. Whether walking over uneven ground, filming a kestrel at the full optical 24x, or panning, the footage was never jerky or wobbly.

One feature I loved when filming on the HC-X1500 was its built-in, selectable neutral density (ND) filters, which were incredibly useful for reducing intense sunlight. With four strengths (including clear/off), it’s quick and easy to toggle through these options physically, view the live effect of the exposure on the screen and adjust your exposure. It meant I was able to shoot in brighter conditions than I had with other models, with a greater level of control.

Despite being chunkier than rivals, I hugely enjoyed using the HC-X1500 as a run-and-gun model. It's a generalist capable of shooting a bit of everything (as long as the light is decent). The color reproduction is faithful in auto and there's the ability to set white balance manually. Wi-Fi and live streaming features are also both easy to use. So what gives? 

Its undoing is its tiny 1/2.5-inch sensor. I did much of my testing outdoors, but as soon as I brought it indoors, I noticed how poor the low-light footage was. The HC-X1500 adjusts its sensitivity to light using "gain," similar to how ISO works on a camera. By increasing the gain manually (up to 30dB), you can amplify the signal from the sensor, but this also introduces big levels of noise. This isn't the camcorder for you if you're going to spend long portions filming inside without extra lighting.

Panasonic HC-X1500: Sample video

Above: sample video show with Panasonic HC-X1500

I tested the Panasonic HC-X1500 for several weeks, carrying it on daily nature walks in the countryside with my dog, taking clips in the house and garden, and when visiting family. I also used the camcorder to capture a local football (soccer to US readers) match.

I tested the camcorder in manual and auto mode, manual focus mode, and used all of the ND filter strengths when shooting in bright, direct sunlight. The clips in the sample footage were taken at full resolution, using automatic exposure and focus, as I think that's how most shooters will use the HC-X1500. I didn't include the clips of sports events or chasing children due to lack of official permission.

Panasonic HC-X1500: Final Verdict

The Panasonic HC-X1500 hits a real sweet spot in the current camcorder industry. Its auto mode gives good enough results for many subjects, and I can see it being popular in families with enthusiast-level skills. Conversely, advanced filmmakers can gain full creative control by switching to manual mode and setting the shutter, white balance and ND filter strength, all while tweaking custom buttons to get the handling just right.

This camcorder is relatively affordable, and the money goes on doing a few things well rather than a host of party tricks you'll use once or twice. The HC-X1500 lacks common features on modern vlogging cameras, such as the ability to recognize products and switch between them and your face (helpful for influencers or unboxing videos). The autofocus technology is at times plodding, and while the camcorder stays sharp on faces in front of the lens, it can't recognise eyes so accurately.

The reason to buy the HC-X1500 over a vlogging-specific or hybrid mirrorless camera is because of its versatility. The epic length of optical zoom up to 600mm optical zoom – with stabilization to match – was the biggest draw for me during testing, and I was continually amazed by how close I could get to tiny creatures in the distance.

It's part of a dwindling set of camcorders, which makes its appeal all the more potent. Handling isn't perfect thanks to the unresponsive touchscreen and lacklustre EVF, but filming with a camcorder feels so natural I still can't mark it down too harshly. The sensor isn't big enough for low-light performance either, but as one customer review put it online, "it's fine unless you plan to go cave-diving". The HC-X1500 is a professional video equipment that still warrants a place among filmmakers today.

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Panasonic’s newest camcorders are designed for mixing high quality with mobility to appease both one-man operations and filmmakers that prioritize compact gear. Today, January 21, Panasonic announced four new pro-grade camcorders. The Panasonic AG-CX20, HC-X2100, HC-X1600 and HC-X1200 are all 4K 60p outfits with built-in 24x zoom lenses and five-axis stabilization. Panasonic also said that the company will continue to introduce more camcorders in the future.

The announcement comes shortly after Panasonic revived its consumer camcorders with the HC-VX3 and HC-V900 last fall. But the four newly announced pro-grade options overhaul three models that aren’t quite as dated as the consumer options, upgrading the HC-X1500, HC-X2000, and AC-CX10 that were announced back in 2020. It could be a sign that camcorders are making a comeback like the compact camera as video becomes the favorite for social media algorithms, offering features like a long optical zoom that smartphones don’t offer.

The Panasonic HC-X1200 is the most basic of the four models, with a retail price starting at $1,299 / £1,099 (equivalent to AU$2,072). The camcorder shoots in 4K at 60p; Panasonic didn’t specify the size of the sensor, but the earlier models used a 1/2.5-inch. The HX-X1200 uses a 24x lens with a 25mm equivalent view on the wide-end. The list of specifications also includes what Panasonic is calling 4K High-Precision AF, a 5-axis hybrid stabilization system, and HEVC 4:2.0 10-bit recording. The camcorder will also have a built-in ND filter, a heat dispersing system, two manual rings and dual SD card slots.

The HC-X1600 encompasses the same base specs as the HC-X1200 but adds built-in Wi-Fi and live-streaming capabilities, as well as MOV recording, two XLR inputs, an LED light, and upgrading to 4:2:2 10-bit. It also has a tilting viewfinder and can be paired with an optional handle.

Both the HC-X2100 and AG-CX20 include a removable handle, unlike the HC-X1600 that sells that handle separately. Those two models again build on the features from the HC-X1600 but add specs like 3G SDI-Out, simultaneous SDI and HDMI output capabilities, USB tethering, Ethernet and Dual Codec recording. The AG-CX20 adds P2 MXF and MicroP2 card support, along with being NDI HX2 compatible. A future firmware update will also add SRT Protocol to that high-end model.

Much of the specification list comes from the predecessors, like the 4K 60p recording, but Panasonic says that its added a number of features based on feedback from those earlier models. That includes an improved 177K dot viewfinder, a USB-C port, and better low speed zoom. The cameras will also now support live view from the HC-ROP mobile app. Future firmware will add a low-bitrate FHD MP4 recording mode, Panasonic says.

While the new camcorders don’t overhaul key aspects like the resolution, Panasonic has also hinted that it's not done launching new camcorders. “Panasonic will continue to introduce camcorders that meet a wide range of needs, from directors who conduct on-location shooting and interviews to video creators who pursue high-quality video production and live streaming,” the press release states.

The four new camcorders are slated for a March 2025 sale date, with prices ranging from $1,299.99/£1,099 (equivalent to AU$2,072) to $2,199.99 (equivalent to £1,784 / AU$3,508).

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The Sony AX43 is only four years old, but in many ways, it harks back to another era. Before the term vlogging became mainstream, there was filmmaking (or moviemaking depending on your region), and for that, you needed one of the best camcorders. New camcorder releases might be few and far between, but the AX43 has hung on, and it's one of Sony's last Handycams on sale. So what, if anything, sets this last cam standing apart?

Sony undoubtedly makes some of the best cameras for vlogging, with models for total content newbies through to master YouTubers. There's the Sony ZV-1F, a pocketable fixed-lens model with better image quality than the average smartphone, and the small Sony ZV-E10 II, which has advanced focus features and video formats to help with post-production editing.

Camcorders like the AX43, with their barrel-shaped form, couldn't be more different from these mirrorless miniatures, but that's no bad thing. People still buy them in today's crowded video market because of their impressive built-in zoom lenses and easy-to-use functionality. 

If you're a hobbyist wanting to get closer to subjects than your phone, want a decent built-in mic and a big zoom lens, but definitely don't need the codecs and confusing jargon of the best cinema cameras or best camera for video, the Sony FDR-AX43 might make sense to you. I tested it out for a month to find out who this camcorder is for, and whether its tech is too outdated to recommend for videographers and creators.

Sony FDR-AX43: What's new?

The Sony FDR-AX43 was launched in Europe in 2020, aimed mainly at content creators wanting the all-in-one form factor of a camcorder over the company's compact Sony ZV-1. The AX43, as its name suggests, slotted between the more expensive Sony AX53 – a fantastic model I tested earlier this year - and the cheaper AX33 in Sony's amateur range. These two adjacent models have since been discontinued, making the AX43 the only Sony option readily available for hobbyists.

The AX43 looks and feels similar to the AX53 Handycam, with 4K video quality, a maximum 20x optical zoom (250x digital zoom) and the same modestly-sized 1/2.5-inch Exmor R CMOS sensor. The main difference is that the AX53 had a viewfinder, while with the AX43 there's only a 3-inch tilting LCD touchscreen for framing, focusing and reviewing footage.

When it comes to video settings, you can change the video recording format, the resolution, and the video recording rate. But you won't see options like Sony's S-Log recording, found in its more expensive camcorders to maximise the sensor's performance and allow for more advanced color grading and post-production.

The shooting features are mostly beginner-level, aimed at making it easy for all types of videographers to get good footage. Motion Shot Video creates stills of motion sequences, Time-lapse Capture takes stills over intervals, and high frame rate capture can record up to 100fps/120fps in Full HD. Nine scene selection modes can also be selected to help the camcorder adjust to environments like night or snow. The AX43 is truly video-first, but if you want to take the occasional still you can do so in 8.29-megapixel resolution.

Sony AX43: Design & Handling

The AX43 is designed to be turned on and used straightaway without any lengthy learning curve. My first experience of using it involved slotting the battery in, opening out the LCD to power it up and hitting record (which all took less than ten seconds). Power-up is generally rapid, and there's no lens cap or cover to slow you down or get lost. Instead, flaps open automatically once the camcorder turns on to reveal the lens. The only downside is that once or twice during testing, I noticed they hadn't closed again, leaving the lens exposed to any dust and debris in my camera bag.

The AX43 isn’t the most compact camcorder I’ve ever used (that accolade goes to the Sony HDR-CX405) but I found it small enough to be carried in a satchel or camera pouch; even a coat pocket at times. Unlike professional camcorders – all buttons, modules and handles – its round exterior is smooth and interrupted, save for the battery pack. The plastic build quality doesn't feel cheap, but if you're looking to film outside a lot, note that it isn't waterproof or officially built to resist dust and dirt damage.  

As you'd expect for an entry-level camcorder, the AX43's button and port layout are straightforward and minimal. Underneath, there's a 3.5mm tripod thread, while on the right-hand side, there’s a stereo minijack headphone port nearer the lens, a mic input minijack, and multi-connector back right, plus a charging indicator, start/stop record button and DC power back-right.

I like that all of these ports are covered by a flap to protect them when not in use. I also found that the mic and headphone ports are far enough away that the cables don’t get tangled when both are in use – not always the case with camcorder design.

A 5.1-channel zoom microphone sits flush on top of this camcorder, with a hotshoe behind and underneath the chassis for attaching an external microphone. Behind this, a rectangular zoom rocker and a raised photo button to snap stills. Pulling out the 460K-dot, 16:9 LCD touchscreen reveals an SD card slot, a separate power button, plus playback and a highlight movie maker button. And that's it. While simplicity is key here, I would have loved a few buttons such as record or playback dotted around the display, as I've found these much easier to use with a left hand while your right is hovering over the record button.

As I mentioned earlier, the big difference between the AX53 and the AX43 is that there's no viewfinder. The same can be said for many vlogging cameras and smartphones, of course. While relying on the LCD is fine if you're just recording clips to the camera, I found tracking any moving subjects like planes or birds more difficult this way. The screen, which happily rotates 360 degrees, also has a lot of glare in brighter light, especially when it's pointed up toward the sky for low shots.

And what about interesting camera angles? As there’s no handle on the top of the AX43 (again, not to be expected at this price point) getting stable and well-balanced shots from lower angles is less straightforward. The side strap is flexible and can be adjusted to suit different-sized hands, but I'd like it to be more substantial, as I found my smaller hands couldn’t always get enough of a tight hold. If you are mostly an out-and-about vlogger, I suggest getting Sony's shooting grip (GP-VPT1) for a better handheld experience.

One of the things I dislike about camcorders is their bulky, protruding batteries. The AX43 is no different, with a chunky lithium-ion pack that slots into the back of the unit. On the one hand, it gives your thumb something to rest against when it’s against the record button, but it also blocks access to that button from different angles. Generally, though, filming is comfortable; with your index finger on the zoom and thumb on the red record button, which is raised so that you can find it without looking, or pressing it accidentally.

Sony FDR-AX43: Performance

I found the AX43's video performance pleasantly surprising – in decent daylight, that is. You can delve into the menus, and in fact, you have to delve into the menus, to take control of the exposure and white balance settings manually. But the AX43 shines brightest in Sony's Intelligent Auto Mode, where it effectively adapts to the closeness and brightness of subjects. 

I kept the camcorder in auto for 90% of testing and found that it was able to change to the best mode for the subject – from Macro to Low Light to Walk – in seconds. It's hard to measure how effective these modes are, though, as the results don't seem to drastically change between them. 

Overall, the AX43's video quality is undoubtedly best when you're in an evenly lit and relatively still setup such as vlogging at home in front of your computer. The Sony AX43 has a 1/2.5 type sensor, and this is much smaller than the 1-type you'd find in the Sony ZV-1F, and smaller still than a full-frame model. That makes its light-gathering abilities fairly poor, and I found that the shadow areas became noticeably noisy in low light levels, including during a pretty city sunset or even inside my house (on a dark winter's day).

Generally speaking, the higher a video's bitrate, the better its quality. The AX43 maxes out at 100Mbps, and Sony uses the XAVC S file format because it compresses files efficiently for easily manageable file sizes. It's a bonus having smaller file sizes if you've got an old PC or limited editing software, and I found an average 10-second video clip was just 3MB. However, I noticed so many compression artifacts in the video files that brought down the overall quality of the results.

One of the big selling points of the AX43 is its gimbal system that floats around the lens and results in stable footage when you're walking around. The intelligent mode continues for stabilization, and I was able to keep the picture pretty shake-free while trekking on bumpy ground, and over cobbles. I don't think you'd want to run with this camera as Sony's marketing suggests you can, though.

In my day-to-day life, I use an iPhone 15 Pro and a Canon EOS R6 Mark II for photography and videography; the Apple phone is a compact companion for taking silly reels of my dog and friends, and the mirrorless camera for professional-quality video at weddings. The AX43 camcorder sits somewhere between these two, with a huge zoom range (equivalent to 26.8-536 mm focal length on a full-frame camera) to help it carve a niche all of its own. It's another major selling point over a newer compact vlogging camera.

During testing, I started filming the wildlife on countryside walks, as well as the birds in my garden. The camcorder's 20x optical zoom was big enough to bring the leaves of distant trees into frame-filling proportions, make a tiny Robin the star of the shot bring out all the imperfections in the crystal decorations on my Christmas tree, and follow a plane in the sky hundreds of miles away. 

Although I sometimes found it hard to track fast-moving subjects without a viewfinder, honing in and out with the zoom rocker is a smooth operation, and I like that the camera keeps your zoom position fixed in place even if you turn the camcorder off. Unfortunately, if you head past 20x optical zoom the digital zoom kicks in, and that's where the picture quality degrades beyond anything I'd recommend. 250x digital zoom? Forget it.

I think you could get better image quality from pretty much any modern smartphone compared to the AX43, which gives flat and muddy results at best (see above). Given that it's not why you'd buy this camcorder, I'm not going to mark it down too harshly because of that or linger too long on the subject. 

Frustratingly, the AX43's 4K footage is limited to 25fps, and you can’t access smooth slow motion (120fps) at the best-quality 4K video setting. Dropping down to HD unlocks this mode (basically the same as the slow-mo setting on a smartphone) and it's more of a gimmick than anything, but it does work if you want to create a fun effect. Unlike the Sony AX53, the AX43 doesn't have an infrared light-based Night Shot mode – a loss for the ghost hunting or wildlife tracking community, but not a dealbreaker for most users.

I haven't talked much about focusing in this review, and that's because the AX43 mostly just works as it should. Tapping on a subject on the screen will lock on and follow it for the duration of filming, but you should know this is a very basic box-type focus, rather than the sometimes scarily-accurate eye-detection or animal detections of the latest mirrorless cameras. Focus transitions while zooming with the AX43 are painless, unless you zoom in very far, very quickly, or very close – then it takes a few seconds to catch up.

Last but not least, what is the audio like? Given how important sound is to video productions, I'm pleased to say that the AX43's 5.1-channel microphone is ace. Its wind-reduction setting worked well on a blustery dog walk, it picked up my voice clearly and warmly while in my home studio and on location, and for wildlife and ambient sounds, it caught the songs and calls of birds excellently. There is a little background hum in some outdoor clips, but you could easily edit these out with the right software.

Sony FDR-AX53: Sample video

Above: sample video show with Sony AX43

I used the Sony AX43 every day for several weeks, giving me enough time to test the different video modes, assess its performance in different lights and environments, and how its handling and design contributed to a good (or poor) experience.

All the sample clips were recorded using the in-built microphone and the highest quality video setting of XAVC S 4K 100MB/s unless otherwise stated.

Sony FDR-AX43: Final Verdict

I was quite impressed with Sony’s previous AX53 camcorder, although it did have some handling niggles, including an outdated menu system and hard-to-see screen. Unfortunately, I can't see that Sony has addressed any of these complaints in the Sony AX43 more than four years later, but that doesn't mean the camcorder is a flop.

If you're shooting in decent light, the AX43 offers okay-quality 4K video with continuous recording. It won't overheat and you'll only be limited by the size of your memory card and the battery (the high-capacity battery back gives you enough life to record, uninterrupted, for a good hour or more). The built-in microphone is rich and crisp when you're talking to camera and picks up ambient noise well (sometimes too well). On the whole, I also found that the gimbal stabilizes shots effectively, but you'll want a tripod for long-range zoom and any work at night.

Although focus tracking for fast-moving subjects is light years behind the latest AI-powered systems in Sony's mirrorless cameras, focus finding for static subjects is quite accurate until you reach the end of the 20x optical zoom range. And that zoom range is impressive and versatile, although without being able to change the lens, there’s no way to change your aperture and take greater cinematic control over the visuals.

The AX43 has a few limitations. Despite being able to shoot stills, I wouldn’t recommend its photo function to anyone serious about image quality. And its small sensor means grainy video in low-light conditions. If you're a modern streamer used to your smartphone, the AX43 isn't particularly dynamic or well-connected either, but it offers an easy-to-use LCD touch interface and a mainly grab-and-go approach to shooting. You could stick this camcorder in Intelligent Auto mode and never touch the settings again if you didn't want to.

While the AX43 isn't the perfect all-rounder, it's simple to use, helpful in loads of different settings and affordable for what you get. If you’re looking for a video recorder you can turn on and use straightaway – for home videos, vlogs or even travel diaries – the AX43 is a brilliantly dependable device. But if you want the latest autofocus technology and features, or best-in-class cinematic visuals, it's best to keep searching.

Alternatives

Checkout our complete guide to the best camcorders, and for an introduction to video-making options look at our guide to the best camera for video

Launched back in 2022, the Canon XA65 is one the latest camcorders on the market – so we are really pleased to see it drop in price, to make this professional video camera more affordable to filmmakers. In fact, this deal at Clifton Cameras is the best-ever deal on this mode - dropping to just £1,549.

The XA65 offers a 20x optical zoom and records 4K footage to a 1/2.3in sensor - which ensures great video quality for the price. You get image stablization to help you shoot wobble-free footage if shooting handheld, and there is a 3.5in flip-out touch-sensitive LCD panel, as well as an eyelevel electronic viewfinder.

A really useful feature of this model is that you can use it straight of the box for streaming - thanks to its UVC-compliant USB-C socket. This makes it a great option for YouTubers who need the option of a long telephoto lens - who can also take advantage of the face-tracking autofocus.

There is a top handle which not only helps for carrying the unit, but which is useful for low-level shooting. As well as the usual 3.5mm microphone socket, there are two professional XLR inputs for use with pro-grade mics.

Check out our full Canon XA65 review, and see our full guide to the best camcorders.

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The Canon PowerShot V10 is a camera that is absolutely brilliant but is hugely misunderstood. And perhaps that's to be expected. Because not only is it the most revolutionary camera that Canon has ever made, it's the most revolutionary camera that any manufacturer has made, this side of the GoPro or the Ricoh Theta - and it's now on sale ahead of Christmas for just £229.99!

So what is it? In short, the Canon PowerShot V10 is the first dedicated vlogging camera from Canon. In fact, I think it's the first truly dedicated vlogging camera that has ever been produced.

That's going to ruffle some feathers, but bear with me. Think about the standard go-to vlogging cameras – the likes of the Sony ZV-1 II, the Panasonic G100, the Canon EOS R50. They all have one thing in common: they're all just regular mirrorless cameras with a flippy screen so you can see yourself.

Seriously, they're just photographic camera bodies made a bit more video-y. The ergonomics are completely wrong, because if you're filming yourself then everything from the handgrip to the buttons are the wrong way round. You can't even hold them properly without an accessory. You need to buy and / or change lenses, manually zoom them, and manage your exposure settings either by wrestling with framerates or by choosing one of the automatic modes.

There really is nothing about them that actually makes them vlogging cameras, other than the flippy screen and maybe some codecs. In truth, your phone is far more fit for purpose when it comes to vlogging.

And it's exactly this that makes the Canon PowerShot V10 such a revolutionary product. It's not just another photographic camera with a bigger microphone on top or the "REC" button placed a bit more prominently – it has been built and designed, from scratch, for the sole purpose of recording vlogs as simply and conveniently as possible.

It's the size of a packet of smokes, so it's tiny enough to fit in a pocket and handhold for as long as you like. There are minimal buttons on it, with the only one being a big red record button when the camera is facing you. Turn it on and everything is ready for you to literally just press record and point it at whatever you want to film. No need to even go into the menus if you don't want to. And it has a built-in kickstand, so you don't need to find something to balance it against and worry about it falling over.

In other words, the Canon PowerShot V10 takes the simplicity of using your phone, but combines it with the power of a massive 1-inch sensor, Canon's brilliant autofocus, the look of a "proper camera" (rather than the overcooked, HDR look of a phone), built-in ND filters… and you can even take manual control if you want to.

Most reviewers got it twisted up. They looked at this and didn't see the point, when a Panasonic S5IIX does such a better job. But this camera isn't intended for reviewers who would go to all the trouble of setting up an S5IIX and an Atomos Ninja and a gimbal and cinema lens and everything else – it's designed for non-camera geeks who want what their phone does, the way their phone does it, but better.

So my hat is off to the Canon PowerShot V10, and to Canon. Viva la revolución.

Check out the best lenses for vlogging with your existing camera, along with the best Canon cameras that the manufacturer makes in the non-vlogging sphere.

Looking for a great gift for the would-be content creator in your life? We have just spotted this great Black Friday camera deal on Amazon that could be just the thing to set them on track to YouTube success!

The Panasonic Lumix G100 has a good-sized 20-megapixel APS-C sensor - which helps give the quality that serious influencers will look for. And for video shooting you not only get 4K resolution, there is a 3-inch vari-angle screen so you can easily turn the lens on yourself.

You not only get a handy 3x zoom lens with this kit, it also comes with a specialist vlogging grip. This provides a handy handle with a record button that makes it easier to shoot one-handed – but also transforms into a table-top tripod, for when you are shooting at home. 

The best bit, is that all this is just £499 - which is the lowest price we think we have ever seen this on sale for.

Read more: 

Panasonic G100 review
Best vlogging cameras
Best Panasonic camera
Best Micro Four Thirds lenses

Panasonic has just launched two new camcorders, aimed at the family moviemaker and budding filmmakers. The HC-VX3 offers 4K shooting, whilst the simpler HC-V900 offers 2K video resolution.

With new consumer-focused camcorders rarely being launched nowadays - and companies like Canon discontinuing its cheaper models - so the new additions are a very welcome addition.

Camcorders had their heyday back in the 1990s, but have become less popular as smartphones and video cameras have become such a viable alternative to the casual moviemaker. However, the form factor and the huge built-in zoom mean that the modern digital camcorder remains a very sensible option for many filmmakers.

The new VX3 and V900 are essentially replacements for Panasonic's VX1 and V800/V808, which were launched way back in 2018. The updates bring a suite of useful additions - including USB-C charging, a remote control socket, and an improved LCD that now offers touchscreen functionality.

Both models offer a microphone input and offer wifi connectivity.

Panasonic HD-VX1

The Panasonic HC-VX3 uses a 1/2.5in 8.5MP sensor to offer 4K recording at 30fps. The built-in 24x zoom offers the equivalent coverage of a 25-600mm zoom, with a bright maximum aperture of f/1.8, and 5-axis image stabilization.

The 1.5-million dot 3in LCD touchscreen folds out, swivels and rotates to aid shooting from a variety of angles - including vlogging straight to camera. 

Weighing 433g, the VX3 records to a single SDXC memory card, and offers 3.5mm sockets for both connecting an accessory headset and microphone. 

HC-VX3 is equipped with Timestamp recordability and Audio Line-in which are designed to appeal to more professional users.

Panasonic HD-V900

The V900 is very similar to the VX3, but records in Full HD rather than 4K. The has the same 24x zoom range, and uses the same 1/2.5in CMOS sensor, and also features an identical 3in articulating touchscreen LCD.

Although the V900 offers a very-welcome mic input - it doesn't offer the audio line input function of the VX3, and also does without the timestamp. 

The Panasonic VX3 is available to order now for $899.99 / £679, while the V900 will sell for $699.99 / £529. Both are scheduled to go on sale towards the end of November.

Check out our guides to the best camcorders, and to the best cameras for video of all types

If you've been thinking about vlogging or content creation, this Amazon Prime Big Deal is for you! 

My favorite vlogging camera just hit its lowest ever price: the Canon PowerShot V10 is just £239, a whopping £190 off its £429 retail price! 

The problem with most vlogging cameras is that they're complicated to use and time-consuming to set up, between picking the right lens, selecting the right settings, tuning your audio and choosing the correct codec. On top of that, they're just normal cameras with video specs – they're really not ergonomically designed for vlogging! 

This is why I love the Canon PowerShot V10 (review). It's as easy to use as your phone, but offers superior image quality and is tailor-made for video and vlogging – from the tilting touchscreen to the built-in stand to the single big red record button on the front. It really couldn't be easier! 

Use the stand to set up the camera anywhere you are (no more propping your phone up on random objects!) or take advantage of the image stabilization if you want to walk and talk. 

Shoot crisp 4K or FullHD video with great sound quality, and you can even livestream to your audience. And if you want to take photos for your thumbnails or Instagram feed, the 20.1MP sensor also takes great stills. 

This Starter Kit includes a pair of microphone wind mufflers, to protect your sound quality when it's windy, as well as a lens cap, SmallRig camera cage to mount accessories or use a tripod, wrist strap, carry case and a 64GB memory card – everything you need to get shooting right away!

You might be interested in the best vlogging cameras from other brands, along with the best lenses for vlogging and the best cameras for streaming.

Canon's super cute, super compact vlogging camera now comes in a clean new colorway, as a white version of the Canon PowerShot V10 has just dropped.

Eyebrows were raised in some quarters when Canon launched its cigarette packet-sized content creation camera last year. But it keeps on going from strength to strength, as evidenced by this fresh new finish.

Everything else about the camera is the same as it was before. The same 20.1MP 1-inch sensor, same 4K 30p / FullHD 60p video, same 2-inch touchscreen, same autofocus system… the only difference is, the camera now comes in a very attractive white finish.

Which, if the company's launch video is anything to go by, Canon seems to think will appeal to fashionable young women.

I personally love this little camera. The "camera people" I speak to don't understand the point of the V10, pointing out that other vlogging cameras like the Sony ZV-E1 and ZV-E10 do a better job.

The problem is, both cameras still have way too many controls and dials for anyone unfamiliar with a camera, the ZV-E10 burdens you with choosing a lens, and they're both still designed like conventional cameras that you point at yourself with all the buttons on the wrong side.

That's why the "non-camera people" I speak to really like the V10, because its ergonomics actually suit its purpose, there are minimal controls, and you basically just turn it on and press record. It even has a built-in stand.

Right now the white version of the Canon PowerShot V10 is only available in select Asian territories, but I can see it making its way to other regions sooner or later. Canon sells the white EOS R50 all over the world, after all.

Patent applications are filed by companies all the time, and more often than not they don't amount to anything other than to aid in research and development. On the other hand, they sometimes result in groundbreaking new technology that finds its way into the best mirrorless cameras on the market.

On August 16, Panasonic submitted a patent (design registration 1777795) in Japan for a three-dimensional camera. On first inspection of the design illustrations, it resembles a vlogging-style camera, especially when it is attached to a selfie stick with a separate monitor.

The design looks less like a traditional camera and something more akin to the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. The Pocket 3 has been an incredibly popular camera with creators, especially in the Asian market, and with the demand for content creation rising, it would be a great idea to take advantage.

Recently Panasonic launched the slightly revamped Lumix G100D and the full frame Lumix S9, both conventional cameras aimed at creators. Perhaps it is taking a leaf out of DJI's playbook and creating a more unique vlogging-focused camera.

There isn't much to go on from the patent design, except for a short description:

"This product is a camera with a slide filter used to measure three-dimensional space. As shown in the reference figures showing an example of how it is used, images are taken while checking them using a stretch bar or a touch panel monitor".

There are many different ways in which this can be interpreted, as 'three-dimensional' can relate to many approaches. From Canon's recent 3D lenses and cameras designed for creating content for the Apple Vision Pro, to 3D mapping as often employed in drone and interior photography (such as the Matterport Axis).

More companies are leaning into 3D content since the release of the Vision Pro, with many seeing it as the future of content. Blackmagic Design recently created the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive, a cinema camera specifically for this purpose, and with Apple keen to create more options for the platform, perhaps Panasonic is exploring these options.

The truth is we don't know for sure, and we may never. Patent applications are a fun insight into what a company's research and development may be working on but, as mentioned, more often than not don't amount to anything. Although it is definitely interesting to see that more companies are thinking about 3D capture.

You may also be interested in our guides to the best camera for vlogging, the best camera for YouTube videos, and the best cinema camera.

Sony has added two handheld camcorders for streaming and broadcasting aimed squarely at individual creators and small teams – although Sony is promising that this can be done with the minimal of experience, perfect for those put off by the technical challenges of live broadcasts.

The new camcorders have the catchy names of the Sony HXR-NX800 and Sony PXW-Z200. Fundamentally, the two cameras are the same, both being built around Sony’s 1.0-inch-type Exmor RS CMOS stacked sensor and a Sony BIONZ XR processor, and both capable of up to 4K60p/50p footage oversampled from 5K, 120p in 4K with hybrid AF, or up to 240p in Full HD.

The camcorders feature a 20x optical Sony G f/2.8-4.5 Power Zoom lens, which covers a full-frame equivalence of 24mm to 480mm, this can be boosted even further with digital zoom, which can reach 30x (720mm) zoom in 4K and up to 40x (960mm) zoom in FHD using Sony’s Clear Image Zoom image processing to clear up the picture. The lens also has optical stabilization for steadier handheld footage, which can be combined with Sony’s tried and tested Active Stabilisation for heavier movement, but at the penalty of a crop to the final footage.

The lens has in total 14 different assignable buttons, as well as rings for the focus, and zoom, and a dial for iris control. The HXR-NX800 and Sony PXW-Z200 also feature a built-in electronic variable ND filter with 1/4 to 1/128 stops – this can either be deployed manually using an additional dial on the lens, or you can use a new auto-ND feature which allows the camera to adjust the ND filter between stops which is useful for filming in environments with changing light sources or going from inside to outside. 

Both cameras sport a tiltable 0.39m dot OLED viewfinder, a folding 3.5in LCD monitor for recording at awkward angles, a removable microphone holder, as well as a built-in silent fan for unlimited recording times. The camcorders can be powered by Sony BP-U35/70/100 type batteries.

The HXR-NX800 and PXW-Z200 are equipped with a plethora of ports including HDMI Type-A, USB Type-C, LAN, and REMOTE terminals, as well as dual SDXC/CFExpress Type-A memory card slots. 

The PXW-Z200 has a few more port options with SDI (12G, 6G, 3G [Level A/B], HD) input/output, and TC input/output. 

Both cameras are compact and relatively light, coming in at slightly under 2kg (around 4.5 lbs), with the PXW-Z200 naturally being the slightly heavier of the two.

This new pair of camcorders takes advantage of the latest developments we have seen recently from its Alpha, ZV, and FX camera lines including AI-powered autofocus and auto-framing tricks. Autoframing allows the camera to crop on a subject and maintain them in the center of the frame as they move around – I have used this on the Sony ZV-E1 and it is very cool and very effective. Autofocus also has Sony’s latest algorithms that use predictive skeletal tracking, which has been shown to produce some incredibly sticky autofocus in Sony’s other cameras.

If you want to color-match footage with other Sony cameras, then the HXR-NX800 and PXW-Z200 can record footage in S-Cinetone, ITU709, 709tone, HLG Live, HLG Mild, and HLG Natural to match cameras in the Sony Alpha, ZV or cinema ranges. 

The cameras also feature a night shot function which uses infrared light to create B&W recordings even in total darkness.

The camcorders can also take advantage of Sony’s range of recording formats including XAVC HS, XAVC S, and XAVC SI, with the PXW-Z200’s also having access to the XAVC (MXF) standard (but not until summer 2025). Both cameras can also record proxy files for easier transfer for post-production which can be automatically uploaded to the cloud or FTP server – both cameras will also be compatible with Sony’s PDT-FP1 portable data transmitter for uploading on the go away from a steady connection. For streaming, the cameras are capable of streaming in RTMP/RTMPS or SRT via wIFi or USB tethering.

The new cameras will be available in September, with the HXR-NX800 costing $3,299 and the PXW-Z200 $3,999.

Check out our guide to the best camcorders, at all budgets

If you're a budding filmmaker and love seeing the best cinema cameras being used in productions, then you are going to love this new documentary series. 

Guardians showcases the valiant efforts of anti-poaching rangers in Mozambique's Zambezi Delta. Produced by Conservation Film Company for EarthXTV, the 7-episode, 23-minute docuseries highlights the daily challenges faced by these unsung heroes as they protect endangered wildlife in one of Africa's toughest environments. 

Through breathtaking cinematography filmed with a Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro 12K, along with numerous other bodies from the Australian manufacturer, director and camera operator Sean Viljoen' intimate storytelling offers viewers a rare glimpse into the lives and dedication of these remarkable individuals.

Below is a behind-the-scenes look at how this amazing docuseries was filmed:

"Guardians is a character-led factual series that goes beyond the headlines to show audiences the effort that goes into safeguarding wildlife in Africa through the eyes of the local people on the front line," explains Viljoen. "We wanted to tell their story as cinematically as possible.” 

The series unfolds against a backdrop of a country recovering from civil war, where wildlife populations had plummeted by 90%. With conservation efforts leading to a gradual recovery, the resurgence of poaching posed new threats that the rangers tirelessly combat.

Filming Guardians required versatile and robust equipment to capture high-quality footage in challenging conditions. The production team, alongside 19 rangers, patrolled the 2,000 square kilometers of the Coutada 11 safari concession. They relied on a comprehensive outfit digital cinema cameras including the Ursa Mini Pro 12K, Ursa Mini Pro 12K OLPF and Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K G2, along with several Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pros.

"Most of the content we were creating was handheld," notes Viljoen. "We were often jumping on the back of motorbikes with the anti-poaching guys, so that limited the amount of kit we could bring with us."

The harsh filming conditions, with daytime temperatures reaching 104°F / 40°C and high humidity, tested the durability of the camera gear. Viljoen was impressed with the performance of the Ursa Mini Pro 12K, especially in handling highlights and natural light exteriors. "There's a lot of latitude within the Blackmagic RAW codec to work with." 

The production also employed DJI Mavic 3 drones for aerial shots, and LUTs applied by DP Garth de Bruno Austin ensured consistent and high-quality visuals throughout the series. 

"We wanted to get the most out of the image and tap into some of that downsampling benefit by shooting in 8K," says Viljoen. "We were extremely happy with the images and the amount of information to work with."

It's amazing to see some of the best video cameras and the best camera drones being put through their paces in a real-world environment, and it goes to show that you can have multiple camera setups all tuned to offer the best overview of certain products. 

They might be out of reach for many of us, but being able to see how they were used to produce the docuseries is a real eye-opener to any aspiring filmmaker.

With TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram Reels video is the new frontier of social media, and if you care about the quality of what you're putting out there, then you really should invest in a great quality video camera.

Luckily, cameras that shoot epic video are no longer out of most of our price range, with most cameras now offering some hybrid video functions. However, its Sony's ZV range that has really shown it means business with some amazing video features and high-quality stereo audio in a compact and affordable package.

With some tasty discounts on some of the best Sony ZV cameras in Amazon's Prime Day event (running from 16-17 July), there has never been a better time to start creating videos and winning an online following.

My favorite on this list is the Sony ZV-E10, even though it has just been succeeded by a newer model (the ZV-E10 II, which I reviewed this week) there is still a lot to love with this camera. The APS-C-sized sensor will immediately give you more cinematic and professional-looking footage over what is possible with a phone. Its interchangeable lens makes it super versatile, meaning you can pair it with a tiny pancake lens and use it like a compact camera, or you can put the biggest beefiest lens on it and shoot like a pro.

Check out the deals below:

Check out more Prime Day deals over on our Amazon Prime Day 2024 hub covering cameras, lenses and more!

With TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram Reels video is the new frontier of social media, and if you care about the quality of what you're putting out there, then you really should invest in a great quality video camera.

Luckily, cameras that shoot epic video are no longer out of most of our price range, with most cameras now offering some hybrid video functions. However, its Sony's ZV range that has really shown it means business with some amazing video features and high-quality stereo audio in a compact and affordable package.

With some tasty discounts on some of the best Sony ZV cameras in Amazon's Prime Day event (running from 16-17 July), there has never been a better time to start creating videos and winning an online following.

My favorite on this list is the Sony ZV-E10, even though it has just been succeeded by a newer model (the ZV-E10 II, which I reviewed this week) there is still a lot to love with this camera. The APS-C-sized sensor will immediately give you more cinematic and professional-looking footage over what is possible with a phone. Its interchangeable lens makes it super versatile, meaning you can pair it with a tiny pancake lens and use it like a compact camera, or you can put the biggest beefiest lens on it and shoot like a pro.

Check out the deals below:

Check out more Prime Day deals over on our Amazon Prime Day 2024 hub covering cameras, lenses and more!

Sony ushered in something new with its ZV series of cameras, call them what you will  – vlogging cameras, travel cameras, YouTube cameras, but there is certainly a demand for smaller cameras with bigger capabilities, so much so that they apparently made up almost half of Sony’s camera sales last year. 

The first generation of ZV cameras offered a lot of potential but managed to trip over a few hurdles on their way to greatness. The ZV-E10 especially uses a sensor that probably should have been marked for retirement, but instead left the camera struggling with hefty crop factors on 4K footage and poor streaming performance. However, if Sony had learned anything was a little unclear after the first ZV camera to get a follow-up, the ZV-1 II did little to move the needle, and in fact, I prefer the original. 

Thankfully Sony has pushed a bit harder with the ZV-E10 II, with much more substantial and noticeable improvements, with a new 26MP sensor (well not new new, it's the same as in the Sony FX30 and Sony a6700), a much larger battery, and Sony’s modern and infinitely better menu system. 

Sony ZV-E10 II: Specifications

Sony ZV-E10 II: Price

The ZV-E10 II costs $999 / £925 / AU$1,699 for the body only or $1,099 / £999 / AU$1,899 with the kit lens. I usually don’t get to say this, but despite a whopping price increase of $200 over the previous model, the ZV-E10 II actually represents good value. 

Where the first model was compromised, the sequel manages to correct those mistakes with a new sensor and new battery which I think entirely justifies the price increase. The ZV-E10 II also managed to shave a healthy $400 off the price of the Sony a6700, and $800 off the price of a Sony FX30 which shares the same sensor, processor, and battery.

It is hard to find direct comparisons for the ZV range, as they are still fairly unique, but if 4K footage is the main priority, there are cheaper cameras such as the Nikon Z30 and Canon EOS R50, but these lack the same features and audio capabilities. I still think the Fujifilm X-S20 is the hybrid vlogging camera to beat, but that will set you back an additional $300 (without a lens).

Sony ZV-E10 II: Design & Handling

There isn’t much of a noticeable change in design from the first ZV-E10, but then I really didn’t have any complaints about that original model. The camera is still wonderfully compact and small weighing just 10.3oz/292g, with a squared-off shape that is minimalist and inoffensive in design. On the rear, there is still a 3-in 1.04m-dot screen that is articulating for movie-making but as this is a ZV camera there is no EVF. 

If you look very closely you might be able to tell the grip has gotten ever so slightly larger to accommodate the new Z battery, it's impressive that Sony has managed to squeeze this 50% larger capacity battery in the camera without having to compromise on the camera's compact size. The SD card reader is on the opposite side of the camera, and not in the battery compartment, which is how it should be done.

The grip is very comfortable to hold, although very large hands might struggle slightly. I have mostly been using the camera with the new kit lens, which is the perfect size for this camera, and the two together feel like this is a compact camera. However, despite this decent grip, there is an issue trying to use the ZV-E10 II with large lenses. In fact the camera is so compact that your lenses don’t even have to be that “large” before they start causing a problem handheld, with lenses quickly becoming front-heavy and requiring a two-handed shooting style.

But this camera is clearly not designed with big glass in mind, and the camera should pair well with entry-level Sony lenses, or Sigma’s Contemporary range – although Sony will deny you focus breathing compensation on third-party lenses.

The only other changes to the ZV-E10 II’s layout are the swap to a three-way switch for the photo/video/S&Q modes rather than a button, which makes it so much easier to know which mode you are in with a glance, and the on/off button has also moved to a switch under the shutter button, which is fairly standard, so no notes.

The camera is very light on buttons and dials compared to Sony’s more advanced cameras, but it still manages to hold onto the essentials, with common settings including ISO, exposure, and timer positioned around the scroll wheel. There are also buttons dedicated to some of Sony’s ZV tricks including background defocus and product showcase which put them front and center, and also helped me remember they were there rather than being lost in a menu and rarely used.

Talking of menus though, the ZV-E10 II has Sony’s latest revamped menu system, which will be a revelation for anyone coming from Sony’s older and positively dreadful menu system on prior cameras. Not only are the settings menus easier to navigate, but there are also now easy options on the main screen for quickly changing common settings, which is a much more smartphone-like experience for anyone who may be less familiar with digital cameras. The menus are also fully customizable and flip automatically into a vertical orientation. This is clearly an area where Sony heard user frustrations and has come though with solid fixes.

Sony ZV-E10 II: Performance

Sure the ZV-E10 II can take pictures, it can even take really good pictures, but it really isn’t a photographer’s camera. The body has minimal control over settings for images, the lack of an EVF means you only have the screen to compose on, and the camera has no mechanical shutter so fast-moving subjects can turn into a house of mirrors. 

Lens choice can also make all the difference in how useful this is as a photography camera. The included kit lens is a video-oriented lens, as while it has no issue with 4K60p video, it is not the sharpest photography lens out there. Of course, this being a Sony E-mount camera there is no shortage of lenses to pair with this camera, although as discussed earlier, the compact size of the camera is a very limiting factor in lens choice. 

However, all that said, the camera does share the same sensor and processor as the photography-oriented Sony a6700, so with the right lens and the right conditions, images themselves have the potential to be every bit as good as that camera. There are some 'Looks' on the camera for tweaking the style of your images, although Sony's are a little like an Instagram filter and are not nearly as advanced and useful as Fujifilm's film simulations or Panasonic's photo LUTs. You can see a couple below to get an idea.

How much benefit you will get from the ZV-E10 II’s photography mode really depends on how you intend to use the camera. If you are primarily a videographer who might want to snap some pictures on occasion, then the ZV-E10 II is perfect. However, if you are a hybrid shooter and pictures matter more to you than that, I would recommend looking harder at the Sony a6700 (or even Sony’s Alpha series) instead.

When it comes to video, the ZV-E10 II is essentially a Sony FX30. Okay, there are a few more differences, but the sensor and processor are the same between the models, so we know how good the ZV-E10 II footage should be, and the ZV-E10 II does not disappoint. 

After the missteps with 4K on the previous model, there is very little to complain about, with 4K30p here with no crop, and 4K60p with a negligible 1.1x crop, the only omission is 4K120p which is possible on other cameras sharing this sensor but isn’t really make or break for this price. 

With regular 4K, the ZV-E10 II does get hot, although it didn’t cut out for me with my short bursts of filming, longer periods of filming, or long streaming sessions might cause a few more issues. I left the camera filming in 4K60p, where it managed around 45 minutes before needing a cooldown. I suspect that it might not have been able to cope with 120p footage which is why it was left out.

The regular 4K footage directly out of the camera is great, with a good amount of detail and the dynamic range producing a good balance between the highs and lows. However this is the tip of the iceberg, and the ZV-E10 II is capable of so much more. Cinematic vlog mode can automatically use Sony’s S-Cinetone grading makes for great-looking footage with minimal effort, you can also import your own LUTs directly into the camera, or if you want to edit after the fact, then the ZV-E10 II can record in S-Log with 10-bit color. For a camera of this size and price, it is great to have this much flexibility when it comes to recording.

Above: footage shot in Sony's 'Cinematic Vlog' mode using S-Cinetone makes for some great-looking footage straight out of the camera.

Sony’s product showcase focus trick is also fantastic for product or beauty vloggers who might want to hold products up to the camera. The ZV-E10 II will automatically focus on whatever the nearest object to the camera is, and snap back to a face when the product is lowered. It works really well and the autofocus is seamless. The other gimmick for more ‘cinematic’ footage is to use the background defocus mode which uses the widest aperture possible to achieve the most blur, but it really will depend on your lens for how beneficial this is, with the standard kit lens, I didn’t notice a massive difference with its mediocre maximum aperture.

There is the now ZV-signature three-capsule stereo microphone built into the top of the ZV-E10 II. This microphone offers three-way directional audio (front, back, and surround), which can be manually selected or you can leave the camera to pick the best direction to record audio from. There is also a dead-cat-style microphone cover in the box, which did a good job of keeping the wind noise at bay. 

The directional pickup works well, I found when setting the audio to the rear and walking around outdoors filming and chattering away behind the camera, it picked up my voice out of the surrounding din. However, I did find this led to an overall more compressed sound, and lost the richness of the environment, and if I was filming in a more serious capacity then I would have recorded dual audio channels and mixed them in post. 

Overall the inbuilt mics in the ZV-E10 II are excellent, and leagues ahead of almost any other built-in microphone on any other camera, and in a bind, the built-in directions definitely can save the day without an external mic. However, they are not going to be a replacement for a good external microphone used correctly. When recording a quick piece to camera for the review, I much preferred the sound captured from my RØDE shotgun mic for its richness and depth. 

Above: footage captured using the ZV-E10 II's automatic settings is nicely sharp and colorful and a huge step above video from a smartphone.

The ZV-E10 II features improved autofocus from the previous model, which is definitely faster and more accurate with far more focus points, and some of the best you can get at this price point. However, I did notice a few times that the autofocus would be slow to adjust itself in more complicated scenes. One example was when filming a flower bed, the camera had trouble determining the most prominent flower in the scene where it should have been quite obvious due to the scale and framing.

The ZV-E10 II also falls behind other Sony cameras in subject recognition and tracking due to the lack of AI chip. But first, the good news is I had no issue getting the camera to recognize my face and eyes, so for vlogging. However, the animal recognition was a step back from what I am used to from other cameras, with the ZV-E0 II having a lower-than-ideal hit rate on domestic animals, but failing miserably on more exotic animals at the zoo.

As mentioned a few times already, battery life has been significantly improved in the ZV-E10 II as it now uses the NP-FZ100 battery. Sony thinks you should be able to get a total of 195 minutes of continuous recording on one charge which seems reasonable based on my tests. Battery life will depend quite dramatically on how you use the camera. Still, in my experience, each day I mostly was filming short video clips totaling around one to two hours when combined and came back home with around 20-30% battery. 

Sony ZV-E10 II: Lab Results

We are awaiting the release of an update to our testing software to recognize the RAW files from the ZV-E10 II. We will update this section in the coming weeks when the camera and update become publicly available.

Sony ZV-E10 II: Verdict

I was quite impressed with Sony’s first ZV-E10 camera, although it did fall short in a few areas, such as its limited battery life and restrictive crop factors. Fortunately, Sony has addressed nearly all of these issues in the ZV-E10 II.

This time around, the ZV-E10 II offers great quality 4K video with (mostly) no crop, which is a significant improvement. Handling is a dream with small lenses and the generous grip is a welcome feature for such a small camera. The hugely improved battery life also ensures you can shoot for longer without interruptions. Finally for streamers, the camera offers better resolution streaming options with more ways to connect.

However, there are still some limitations. The absence of an AI processor means subject recognition is limited, and it misses out on cool auto-framing tricks. The tiny body doesn’t pair well with bigger lenses, which can be a drawback for those with bigger optics. Additionally, the camera lacks in-body image stabilization (IBIS), which would have been a valuable feature for smooth shooting without relying on active stabilization and more crops. 

While it isn't the perfect all-rounder, it comes remarkably close to achieving vlogging camera perfection. It is priced higher compared to the original, however, remaining under $1000, it still provides good value for the features, and there is nothing else quite like it on the market. Despite any drawbacks, the ZV-E10 II comes as one highly compelling option for vloggers and content creators. 

Alternatives

Amazon Prime Day is just a few days away, and this week we've got new product releases, scathing reviews, firmware fixes, and a big tease from Canon. 

We were also very sad to hear of the passing of esteemed photojournalist, Thomas Hoepker, at age 88. 

While the Nikon Z6 III left us wanting, Sony has created its best vlogging camera to date and Fujifilm has released a bounty of fresh firmware. On top of that, Canon has revealed a big announcement for Wednesday that could be very big indeed…

Fujifilm firmware fixes 

Fujifilm has issued firmware updates fixing bugs and issues to its entire GFX camera line, including some postponed lens firmware. 

Fujifilm is great at updating its cameras and lenses, future-proofing existing models and ensuring they work to maximum potential. Firmware updates usually fall into one of two categories: one that adds new features and one that fixes issues. We recently saw what Fujifilm dubbed Kaizen firmware updates, which added new features, however, the new wave of updates focuses on fixing issues.  

The cameras benefiting from the updates are the Fujifilm GFX 100 II, GFX 100S II, GFX 100, GFX 50S II, GFX 50S, GFX 50R, X-T4, and X-T50…

Read more: Fujifilm rolls out firmware fixes for multiple cameras and lenses

Canon has a big announcement…

Canon has just announced that it is making an important announcement next week. All we are being told is that it is a "Canon EOS R System live event". But the very fact that it has told everyone it's happening almost a week before it happens, means that the news must be big. And that almost certainly means it's a new EOS R camera.

The launch takes place on Wednesday July 17 at 06:00 ET / 11:00 BST / 20:00 AEST. The big bonus is that the announcement will be live online, so that everyone can follow along with the news…

Read more: Big Canon EOS R announcement next week (and we're all invited!)

The Nikon Z6 III might not be as good as the Z6 II

Reports have been emerging that the new Nikon Z6 III might have a more restricted dynamic range than the old Z6 II. This observation was made by William Claff over at Photons to Photos, who does in-depth testing of camera sensor performance and plenty more besides. Claff's findings show the Z6 III maxing out at 10.44EV of dynamic range at ISO 100, compared to the Z6 II's 11.26EV at the same sensitivity. 

Now, Claff evidently knows his stuff and has been testing sensor performance for many years, so I'm not about to criticize his results or testing methodology. But what I can say is when I lab tested the Z6 III, I found that (in contrast to Claff's results), the Z6 III's dynamic range was almost identical to that of the Nikon Z6 II at lower sensitivities, although the new camera did trail the previous generation by 0.5-1EV at ISO 6400 and above…

Read more: The Nikon Z6 III's image quality has been compromised, and we can prove it

Sony has created its best vlogging camera yet

Sony’s ZV series of vlogging cameras is a little convoluted, but my personal favorite is the Sony ZV-E10 – a camera that strikes the perfect balance between affordability and features. That isn’t to say the camera wasn’t without its faults, however, being criticized for its poor menus and limited streaming resolutions. Now Sony is hoping to address any shortcomings in a brand new update – the Sony ZV-E10 II.

Glance at the exterior of the ZV-E10 II and you might not notice anything has changed from the previous version, with just a subtle update to the photo / video / S&Q button, becoming a three-way switch, and the on / off switch moving to underneath the shutter button. 

Yet, Sony engineers have also found a way to squeeze a Z-battery inside the grip, giving an additional 50% power improvement over the previous model – which equates to 610 images or 130 mins of video. We praised the ZV-E10’s tiny vlogging-focused body with its decent grip and 3-in vari-angle screen, so no complaints here that Sony hasn’t tried to reinvent the wheel for its sequel…

Read more: The Sony ZV-E10 II is a sequel to Sony’s best vlogging camera

German-born photojournalist Thomas Hoepker has died

Thomas Hoepker, the esteemed German photographer and long-time member of Magnum Photos, has passed away peacefully at the age of 88 – announced on Instagram via Magnum Photos.

Born in Munich, Germany, in 1936, Hoepker's career spanned 70 years, leaving an indelible mark on the world of photojournalism and documentary photography. Hoepker's fascination with photography began early. Aged 14, his grandfather gifted him an old plate camera, igniting a passion that would shape his future. He pursued studies in art, history, and archaeology at the University of Göttingen, but his calling was always behind the lens. 

In 1960, before completing his studies, Hoepker was hired by Münchner Illustrierte magazine. He continued to hone his craft at Kristall until 1963 and joined Stern magazine in 1964, where he gained widespread recognition for his compelling photojournalism…

Read more: Thomas Hoepker, legendary Magnum photographer, passes away peacefully aged 88

Interested in any of the brands in this article? Check out our guides to the best Canon cameras, the best Fujifilm cameras, the best Nikon cameras, and the best Sony camera.

Sony’s ZV series of vlogging cameras is a little convoluted, but my personal favorite is the Sony ZV-E10, a camera that strikes the perfect balance between affordability and features. However, that isn’t to say that the camera wasn’t without its faults, criticized for its poor menus and limited streaming resolutions. Now Sony is hoping to address any shortcomings in a brand new update – the Sony ZV-E10 II.

A glance at the exterior of the ZV-E10 II, and you might not notice anything has changed from the previous version, with just a subtle update to the photo/video/S&Q button, becoming a three-way switch, and the on/off switch moving to underneath the shutter button. Yet, Sony engineers have also found a way to squeeze a Z-battery inside the grip, giving an additional 50% power improvement over the previous model which equates to 610 images or 130 mins of video. We praised the ZV-E10’s tiny vlogging-focused body with its decent grip and 3-in vari-angle screen, so no complaints here that Sony hasn’t tried to reinvent the wheel for its sequel.

Inside, the ZV-E10 II now features a 26MP sensor (up from the 24MP sensor in its predecessor), this is actually the same sensor that is used in both the Sony FX30 and Sony a6700 and has been shown to be a very capable sensor in both those models. The sensor features 759 focus points that cover 94% of the sensor, which is a significant jump from the 425 and 84% from the original ZV-E10.

The ZV-E10 II is capable of producing video footage up to 4K60p in 4:2:2 10-bit with data oversampled from 5.6K, or 4K40p from oversampled 6K, however, there are no options for 6K recording or open-gate footage. You can also go down to FHD120p to get 5x slow-motion video.

The sensor is paired with a Bionz XR processor, however, the camera misses out on the AI co-processor that has been featured in other more pricey Sony models like the Sony ZV-E1 which enables some of the more fancy AI-powered auto-framing options and subject recognition.

However, despite not featuring a separate AI processor, the ZV-E10 II is still capable of tracking human subjects including faces and eyes, as well as animals, but misses out on insects, vehicles, and planes. The processor also enables the use of Sony’s ‘Active’ image stabilization for steadier handheld filming although at a 1.4x crop (or 1.5x when shooting in 4K60p). Sony is also promising the new processor is going to reduce the effects of rolling shutter versus the prior model.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a ZV camera without featuring advanced sound recording capabilities. The ZV-E10 II has a three-capsule stereo microphone on the top of the body with options for directional recording either in front of the camera, behind, or all around. There is also digital wind noise reduction, and the ZV-E10 II comes with a dead-cat microphone cover in the box.

The ZV series is made for getting footage that is instantly sharable, and the ZV-E10 II continues in that tradition with Sony’s usual options for cinematic vlogging modes, with different creative looks including S-cinetine from Sony Venice cameras, or looks to mimic “film”. Users can also import their own LUTs onto the camera for a consistent or unique look to footage. The ZV-E10 II also features Sony’s background blur mode, which artificially enhances the blur behind a subject to give a more cinematic feel, and ‘product showcase’ which identifies and focuses on products that are held up to the camera during recording, which is a useful feature for product and beauty vloggers.

For live streaming, the ZV-E10 II can be hooked up to a computer via USB-C to stream in 4K30p or FHD60p. Or if you want to free yourself of wires, the camera is capable of direct network streaming over WiFi.

The ZV-E10 II will launch alongside a new kit lens – the Sony E 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ OSS II. This is an update on the current kit lens that ships with the ZV-E10 offering improved image stabilization and auto-tracking performance, as well as supporting 120fps shooting, and maintaining focus while zooming.

The Sony ZV-E10 II will be available at the end of July and will cost $999 / £949  / AU$1,849 for the body only, or $1099 / £1049 / AU$1,999 for the ZV-E10 II body + Sony E 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ OSS II kit lens.

Want to find out more about vlogging? Check out our guides to the best YouTube cameras or the best cameras for vlogging.

Sony will announce a new camera next week, which will be a member of the company's ZV series of vlogging cameras. 

The announcement will take place on Wednesday July 10 at 10:00 EDT / 15:00 BST / Thursday July 11 at 00:00 AEST. 

A series of teasers have been posted to Sony's social media channels and sent out as email blasts, and a microsite has been set up on the official Alpha Universe webpage.

The messaging differs slightly depending on the territory. In the US and Japan, Sony is leading with the tagline "Unlock your aesthetic"; in Europe, the tag is the slightly broader "Your new creative chapter". 

The new camera will join Sony's labyrinthine ZV range, which includes the entry-level Sony ZV-1, Z-V1 II and ZV-1F compacts, the midrange Sony ZV-E10 and ZV-E10L APS-C cameras, and the advanced Sony ZV-E1 full-frame camera. 

"The countdown to next week begins," reads the post on the Sony Alpha Instagram account (above). "Stay tuned for a new ZV camera coming on 7/10/24". The email blasts reveal little more, simply promising "an exciting new camera announcement from Sony".

Sony's ZV line feels like it is constantly the subject of camera rumors, such is its increasing scale and importance to the company, with 48% of sales coming from its vlogging cameras. 

With so many branches to the ZV tree – covering everything from fixed-lens bodies to zoom lens bodies to interchangeable lens bodies, and 1-inch sensors to APS-C sensors to full-frame sensors – the new product could fit any number of categories.

You can check out the latest Sony rumors to see if you can work out what this new launch might be, but Sony is staying understandably silent on the matter. 

All will be revealed next Wednesday – and we'll be right here to tell you what it is and whether it's worth looking at.

You might be interested in the best Sony cameras and the best Sony lenses, as well as the best lenses for vlogging.

Zoom has been making portable sound recorders – known as "handy" recorders – for decades. Beloved by videographers and filmmakers, the company has also been a major innovator in the music space, launching multi-effect processors for guitar straps, iPhone microphones, and more recently in a world where everyone seems to have a podcast, podcast recorders.

One of Zoom's latest novel releases is the Zoom Q2n-4K, a palm-sized video recorder aimed squarely at musicians and users wanting to share their music online. It's an adorably small device, with a wide-angle lens on one side, an LCD screen on the back, and a wraparound microphone design incorporating an X/Y stereo array. It can function as a standalone webcam and audio recorder, making it an incredibly versatile product for music teachers and YouTubers equally.

Of course, you might ask yourself – and I have done – why not just get one of Zoom's best audio recorders and pair it with your smartphone, or one the best cameras for vlogging with a decent microphone? There are two reasons. Firstly, Zoom is known for its audio quality, and its handheld devices can capture a wide range of sounds and environments brilliantly with minimal training or setup required. 

Adding a camera to the mix with the Q2n-4K, Zoom has created a convenient all-in-one without trailing wires or moving parts. Secondly, at around $200, the Zoom Q2n-4K is affordable for music students, musicians breaking into the industry, or those building up a following online. 

The Zoom Q2n-4K is cheaper than the Zoom Q8n-4K I've previously tested, but that offers 4-track audio, XLR-mic inputs, plus a rechargeable battery to bring it in line with vlogging rivals. 

The Q2n-4K is affordable, for sure, but does it offer the quality that its target market needs? I've always been pleased with the build and audio quality of Zoom products but found their usability more varied. I tried the Q2n-4K for several weeks to discover whether it was a livestreaming dream or a musician's nightmare. Read on to find out whether it's the right handy recorder for you.

Zoom Q2n-4K: Specification

Zoom Q2n-4K: Price

Considering its compact size and feature set, the Q2n-4K delivers excellent value at around $200/£200. It's a more budget-friendly option compared to the Q8n-4K, which makes sense as it sacrifices some audio capabilities, recording in stereo only, and lacking XLR microphone ports for professional setups.

What lets down this handy recorder is its reliance on two AA batteries for power. These weren't included with my sample, so unless you have rechargeable AA batteries, you'll have to factor in the cost of buying and replacing them. I found frequent replacements were necessary, so this will be an ongoing expense unless you plan to power the camera from your computer (with a cable also sold separately).

Zoom Q2n-4K: Design & Handling

The Zoom Q2n-4K looks nothing like the Zoom Q8n-4K, and that's a good thing as it's designed to be more portable. In fact, it doesn't look like any camera I've tried before, but that doesn't mean it's hard to use. On the front is the 15-degree wide-angle lens and a handy light to indicate when you're recording (it turns red when you are). You also get a lens cap for protection and a tiny lens hood to block out flare in sunshine or bright studio lights.

On one side, there's a headphone jack – always important for checking audio levels – an external input, and volume buttons for the headphones. Flip the camera around and there's a small dial for controlling the microphone level, plus micro USB and mini HDMI ports. I'm surprised that in 2024 we haven't got a USB-C port instead, both for charging the camera and connecting it to a computer. My iMac only has USB-C ports, so I had to get an adapter just to connect it.

What I liked most about the Zoom Q2n-4K was its ease of use. At the back of the camera, there's a 1.77-inch four-color LCD (160 × 128 resolution) for viewing the scene and menu settings, while nine buttons aid handling, as the screen isn't touch-sensitive. It only takes a few hours of use to remember what these buttons do, although I'd love them to be slightly more responsive when pressed.

Underneath the screen is a power/play button, an obvious red record button, and a button for exit/settings. You also get physical buttons for tweaking the field of view between five settings, the video quality (or setting audio only), the scene type (there are twelve, including outdoor, sunset, monochrome, and film), Lo Cut, the audio quality, and auto gain. A camera like this is designed to be used quickly, and I love that almost everything you need can be accessed without having to dig into the menu, which themselves are still clear and accessible.

Given that the LCD screen doesn't articulate in the same way as the Q8n-4K for forward-facing shots, it's hard to know when you're in the frame when you're filming yourself. There were many takes where I was filming myself for a few seconds with the camera on a tripod, reviewing it back, and then moving around to improve my positioning.

One advantage is that the light on the front of the camera goes red to tell you you're recording. There's no remote or timer delay function built into the system to start recording, so you have to start the camera and get into position, which adds editing time to your footage and could make your live streams a bit janky.

You access the battery and memory card slot by unclipping the plastic cover underneath the Zoom Q2n-4K. It's a MicroSD card, a size which I assume was chosen to keep the size down, and while the two AA batteries were easy to slot in, the card slot was a slight paint point for me. There's no spring mechanism, making it difficult to remove. When I wanted to take the card out to transfer the footage to my Mac, I had to prise it with my nails or tweezers. This is fiddly and makes you worry you'll cause damage.

Zoom Q2n-4K: Performance

Overall, I'm impressed with the performance of the Zoom Q2n-4K, for its price bracket, and I think musicians will find a lot to love about the audio quality. Thanks to the camera's three WAV audio formats (96 kHz/24-bit, 48 kHz/24-bit, 44.1 kHz/16-bit) you can tailor the quality and size of files to your project's needs. And using “Camera Off” mode opens up the Q2n-4K to become a handy recorder in its own right, or to replace your computer mic if you so wish.

I found it easy to monitor the audio output levels using headphones with the stereo output jack or to glance at the levels on the LCD screen and see when they were peaking too high. I mainly recorded in 98kHz/24-bit during testing and loved the well-balanced, rich tone, whether at home, in a field at a festival, or in an echoey conference room. I noticed that setting the microphone to auto-gain (you've got the chance of concert, solo, or meeting here) left some of my recordings on the quiet side, but then the Zoom Q2n-4K handles loud music so well I don't mind this.

The X/Y mics within the recorder sound great. I did a test recording at a loud folk music night, and not only was my voice clear, but the three different instruments could be heard clearly and evenly. The Q2n-4K handles bass notes well, giving them a rounded sound even at low or extreme volumes. The recorder also performs well as a USB mic, much better than my iMac's in-built microphone and rivaling the pro-grade Sennheiser mic I usually have plugged in.

If I were to sum up this review in a sentence it'd be; audio great, video not so great. Even at the maximum 4K resolution, the Zoom Q2n-4K's video is serviceable, but nowhere near as good as my iPhone or even my GoPro from a few years back. In anything but bright sunshine, the small camera sensor produced footage with muddy shadows and a noisy picture overall. By their nature, music settings are often low-light environments, so it's a shame that the Zoom Q2n-4K struggled so much with detail and color here. I'd recommend that musicians keep the room as well-lit as possible when recording.

Having five steps for changing the field of view, rather than a rolling ability to zoom in and out of your chosen subject, means you’re limited somewhat by the framing options. If you press the field of view button to toggle through zoom levels during filming it's also very audible, and hard to remove in post. The video quality degrades the further you zoom in, as the camera crops in on the image rather than relying on a physical lens zoom.

The Q2n-4K was designed to take in performances on a tripod or stable platform and it excels at that. It doesn't feature built-in stabilization, which is something to bear in mind if you want any freedom of movement while filming, or to get handheld footage at a live show. The footage becomes incredibly shaky when you try shooting vlog-style videos and if you're that type of music YouTuber you may want to look elsewhere.

Given that the Zoom Q2n-4K comes at such an affordable price point, I can live without Bluetooth or WiFi, or a remote control to start recording. But its biggest downside is the battery life and power source. One set of AA batteries lasted me less than an hour of recording time, and I felt I was constantly replacing them during filming. For one live music event, I'd checked the battery before leaving home and it showed two-thirds full. Unfortunately, when I started recording, the camera only lasted a few minutes before dying completely, meaning I missed capturing footage of my favorite teenage artists. There are two lessons here: always pack spares and ensure the camera can't turn on in your bag.

Of course, at home or in a studio you can power the camera via micro-USB when it's used as a webcam (why not USB-C?). And if you buy the Zoom BCQ2n battery case Q2n-4K, which takes four AA batteries, you can significantly expand the camera's battery life for field work and live gigs without a power outlet.

Zoom Q2n-4K: Sample video

Above: sample video show with the Zoom Q2n-4K

I had the Zoom Q2n-4K for a few weeks, testing it for recording sessions at home (a keyboard and guitar, and my rusty playing skills), live gigs, folk performances, and some spoken word. Unfortunately on several opportunities to record, the battery was lower than displayed and the camera ran out of power before I could get any decent clips.

Zoom Q2n-4K: Verdict

The Zoom Q2n-4K is a great choice if good sound is more important than good video, and you have about $200/£200 to spend. I'm not a professional musician, but I do play several instruments, get incredibly hung up on audio quality, and have a ton of experience using microphones for filmmaking. While the Zoom Q2n-4K feels a bit dated in terms of video performance and lags behind the best camera phones, the clarity and richness of its sound make up for that.

Although there's no video stabilization, it's easy enough to pop the Q2n-4K on a cheap mini tripod to keep the footage nice and stable. The fact, that you can pop the Q2n-4K in your pocket, then whip it out and get usable clips in seconds is fantastic. The automated nature of the camera means that even those new to recording themselves should get decent results, but there are enough audio options for budding audiophiles too.

The recorder isn't marketing itself as an advanced broadcast-level device. Instead, its size and convenience make it perfect for musicians wanting to capture clips and quick videos on the go, when they don't have the budget for pro gear – or the desire to carry it around. I found it could handle everything from jazz to folk to heavy metal in the car, and still produce a rich, well-balanced tone.

I've loved using the Q2n-4K to get back into keyboard and guitar playing, grabbing snippets at gigs, and recording vocals for video projects. It's just not going to be my recorder of choice until Zoom swaps those AA batteries for a rechargeable, sustainable option.

Zoom Q2n-4K: Alternatives

Zoom is a specialist manufacturer known among videographers for making high-quality, portable audio recorders. In fact, it was the only brand I used during the filmmaking modules of my university course when – like most budding creators – I learned that audio is just as important as visual quality when it comes to video. 

Zoom makes some of the best audio recorders out there, and its handheld devices are trusted by professionals who need to capture a range of sounds while filming on location. But the Zoom Q8n-4K, one of its latest releases, combines 4-track audio and adds a wide-angle fixed lens camera on the front, to make a portable all-in-one content recorder. It's a successor to the Zoom Q8, an HD video recorder that left some disappointed with the video features. 

The Zoom Q8n-4K offers more than a smartphone but is cheaper than a mirrorless or DSLR camera. It's aimed at musicians, teachers, and filmmakers wanting something quick to set up and operate. It's also suitable for podcasters, given that it can record four tracks of audio at the same time.

I'm sometimes surprised that the best camcorders are still going steady, and the release of the Zoom Q8n-4K surprises me even more. But with 4K resolution at 30fps, an f/2.8/150º wide-angle lens, and its multi-mic input capabilities, I can see this being a hit with music students and YouTubers who value audio in their production. I tested it for several weeks to discover whether it's a one-trick pony or a genuinely handy video recorder for different creators.

Zoom Q8n-4K: Specification

Zoom Q8n-4K: Price

The Zoom Q8n-4K scores favorably for price. At around $399/£329, it's slightly more expensive than the aging Panasonic HC-V180 camcorder, and that's limited to Full HD recording rather than 4K. Given that the Q8n-4K is marketed as a step up (or sideways) from using a smartphone, I'm pleased to see that it doesn't cost just as much as the best phones for video recording, as some vlogging cameras do. 

Anyone serious about improving their online content should be looking to invest at least as much money as the Q8n-4K. The flip-out LCD screen may be more basic than most modern creators are used to, but for the price, the fact that you're also getting high-quality 4-way audio is impressive.

Zoom Q8n-4K: Design & Handling

The Zoom Q8n-4K takes some of its design cues from the Zoom Q8 before it, with a long cuboid design that folds in on itself for neat carrying. It's about the right size to fit in a palm; solid-feeling but not too cumbersome, and the plastic exterior feels smooth rather than cheap. Looking at the recorder front-on, the lens cap unscrews easily and is attached to a cord so you don't lose it. There's a big red power button directly above it, which isn't as springy as I'd like but is at least very obvious. 

On the right side, a large cover unclips fully to reveal the battery, and above this, there's a "push" button to unlock the microphone unit and rotate it upwards to reveal the LCD screen behind it. On the left are two 3-pin XLR microphone inputs with corresponding volume button dials above (between 0-10), a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a micro-HDMI and USB-C port. The dials are smooth and satisfying to turn, but I found the numbers hard to see in a dim concert environment and larger, brighter printed numbers would have helped with handling here.

The Zoom Q8n-4K's entire design concept is puzzling, partly because the Q8 is more like a traditional camcorder – it has a flip-out LCD touchscreen revealing key buttons behind. Instead, to use the Q8n-4K (and access the memory card slot or power button) you need to move the retractable mic arm upwards and open out the LCD screen – which adds unnecessary steps. You're also slightly limited by the angles you can shoot without a fully articulating screen. Interestingly, the camera takes microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC cards up to 512 GB, whereas the Q8 takes SD cards.

Turning the camera on with the power button first brings up a language selector, followed by some prompts for the date and time. Once these are in, you're ready to start filming should you want to. Powering up the recorder does take a few seconds, and it's made more awkward by the fact that the button is behind the 2-inch LCD screen, meaning you either have to pull it out if it's faced towards you or turn the recorder around to find it if you're recording vlogging footage.

Minor gripes aside, I like how easy navigation is on the Zoom Q8n-4K, given you can change all the key settings using the labeled buttons arranged around the LCD screen. FOV means Field of View, for example, and you can toggle through the five different camera views (from Wide to Tele) by repeat presses of the button. Of course, this approach isn't ideal if you miss your setting, as you have to toggle through all the options again to get to your choice. 

It's simple and works, but a touchpad or arrow pad would have been a better choice. The LCD also feels small, cramped, and low-resolution (320 x 240), but this is a well-priced budget choice rather than a fully-fledged mirrorless model for pros, and corners had to be cut somewhere.

Zoom Q8n-4K: Performance

Despite having very grab-friendly dimensions, the Zoom Q8n-4K isn't a recorder you'll want to use handheld often. For a start, it doesn't have the stabilization smarts to support that sort of application – I found walking clips very stuttery when compared to my iPhone 15's smoothed footage – and it also feels awkward to hold it in your hand for too long, use the settings buttons, and potentially support any XLR mics simultaneously. You'll want to use the 1/4-inch-20 female tripod thread to mount the Q8n-4K for most things, but it's more than light enough to sit atop a mini tripod.

Visually, the footage is as I expected it to be from a 1/2.3-inch sensor. There's little depth to scenes, and the recorder's low light performance is poor – which is a shame given this is the environment where so many gigs and concerts happen. The scene modes did little to change the image style, and I failed to get a rich, detailed video with any of them. It's nice to have a range of frame rate options (24/25/30fps) but I'd have to keep the resolution at 4K for the most usable content.

By default, the camera has a 150-degree field of view, which is nice and wide for fitting in small rehearsal rooms, and that most prolific of locations – the YouTuber's bedroom. I disliked having buttons to step the zoom rather than a rolling ability to zoom in and out of your chosen subject subtly, and the video quality dipped noticeably at full zoom so I used it sparingly. Pressing the FOV button was also audible on clips, so I'd advise against doing this during an important recording. 

I had to remind myself of the Zoom Q8n-4K's low price during testing, but I still found the LCD frustratingly small. Previewing video on a bigger monitor via the micro HDMI output was easy and helped me to pay attention to what I was filming properly. This handy recorder is also incredibly versatile, and you can plug it into a PC or Mac via USB-C to use it as a webcam, mic, or SD memory card reader. It was also picked up automatically by Google Meet, with audio quality crisper than my computer but video quality much darker and grainier than my iMac's built-in webcam.

If the visual quality was expected but disappointing, the audio quality from the Zoom Q8n-4K was surprising and exceeded my expectations. The X/Y mics up top were subtle enough to put up crowd ambience at a live music event, and conversations from passers-by in the street while filming buskers.

The mixer on the screen made it easy to check the levels and effects for all four channels, and you can easily balance the audio sources while filming. I used the helpful headphone jack to monitor the sound more carefully, as the camera's speaker is very quiet and tinny. While I haven't yet had the chance to record a full show with all four channels, I can see how useful it'd be to plug a mic for vocals and a direct instrument, or a mixing board straight into the XLR ports. Being able to record audio and video in a combined file, multi-channel audio, or stereo audio only adds to the Q8n-4K's versatility as a content-creation tool.

While its video quality isn't pristine, the Q8n-4K offers enough options for budding musicians to capture clips for social channels. It fulfills its brief of a jack-of-all-trades recorder and for many will be the stepping stone they need from smartphone to semi-professional recordings of their live performances.

Zoom Q8n-4K: Sample video

Above: sample video clips shot with the Zoom Q8n-4K in a variety of conditions

I had the Zoom Q8n-4K for several weeks. I captured footage and audio in various scenarios – in a crowd at live music events, at home recording my keyboard, and out in the field for vlogging scenarios. I tested the video at all resolutions and the audio at all sampling frequencies.

*The wind noise in the outdoor clips is an unfair representation of the Q8n-4K's audio capabilities. It's not designed for that usage, and I didn't have the windscreen on.

Zoom Q8n-4K: Verdict

If you’re a musician or YouTuber looking for an all-in-one video and audio recorder, the Zoom Q8n-4K is an affordable albeit niche option. I found its design awkward compared to a traditional camcorder or vlogging camera, and easiest to manage when used on a tripod or support – which is likely what you'd do if you were recording yourself. While the Q8n-4K is compact, its cuboid shape is unusual to handhold, and I wanted the screen to be bigger, brighter, and sharper.

One of the great things about the Zoom Q8n-4K is that you don't need much technical knowledge to start using it, or to get decent results. You can monitor audio using the LCD screen as a guide, and tweak the unit's microphone volume via a dial on the top. Its simplicity is also a downside, as this product doesn't give you any manual control over exposure settings, which means you're reliant on its metering even in dim conditions. You also don't get the option to change lenses or zoom in and out more gradually than the preset fields of view, which can be annoying making transitions feel more cinematic. 

The Zoom Q8n-4K is not just a camcorder but a fully-fledged audio recorder that can capture your music and vocals admirably. If you're looking for a portable recorder that you can set up in one place and rely on for great-sounding audio recordings at gigs, concerts, or in a home studio setup, the Zoom Q8n-4K is a great buy. If you're looking for high-end visuals and a raft of video settings, there are better buys.

Zoom Q8n-4K: Alternatives

Following the announcement of the new Canon EOS C400, Canon has released major new firmware updates for seven models in its Cinema EOS range of cinema cameras and camcorders.

Firmware updates have become a crucial part of future-proofing cameras. Mirrorless technology makes it easier for manufacturers to add new and improved features, and these latest updates add new modes and focusing systems.

The cameras receiving the updates include the Canon EOS C500 II, EOS C300 III, EOS C70 and EOS R5 C cameras, and the XA75/70, XA65/60 and Vixia HF G70 camcorders. All updates are developed in direct response to user feedback and are available via a free download from the relevant product page on Canon's website.

Here are the official update notes for each product:

Canon EOS C500 Mark II & C300 Mark III

“Sensor Mode” will be saved to an assignable button on the camera body to quickly change between Full-frame, Super 35mm and Super 16mm crop modes.

The Focus Guide box will have two size options: Standard and Large (approximately two times larger than standard).

Camera LCD screen will display a playback marker in Media Mode.

For the EOS C300 Mark III camera:  

• Cinema RAW Light HQ/ST/LT recording modes will be added.
• Auto ISO/Gain functions that can be operated from the camera menu, an assignable button, or with a compatible remote-control unit will be added.

Canon EOS C70 & R5 C

Same Focus Guide and playback marker enhancements as the C500 Mark II and C300 Mark III cameras will be added.

Option of assigning functions to the select dial on the back of the camera, including AF subject selection, shutter, iris, ISO/gain, and white balance mode will be added.

For the EOS R5 C, the following will be added:

• Ability to adjust the thickness of the AF frame, making it easier to see in certain lighting conditions

• Ability to reset the AF position by pushing the joystick or set buttons

• When shooting RAW VR content with Canon’s dual fisheye lens, you will be able to record both the peripheral illumination and chromatic aberration data. This will help with processing footage into smoother and even more amazing VR content than before the firmware update.

• New features from the March 2024 R5 firmware update.

Canon XA75/70, XA65/60 & Vixia HF G70 Camcorders

Option to view the date and time in the on-screen display (OSD) while recording will be added. White balance will be able to be changed while recording.

You can find all of the new firmware notes, a guide to download, and the links for download on the Canon website.

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Canon cameras, the best Canon lenses, and the best cameras for filmmaking. 

When Panasonic launched the Lumix GH6 just over two years ago, the reception was pretty overwhelmingly positive, with it quickly racking up accolades as one of the best video cameras for independent filmmakers. In our review, we gave the camera the full five stars, saying “the GH6 holds its own with cameras almost twice its price in terms of functionality and image quality and excels beyond the competition”. 

The only major complaint of the camera was its outdated contrast-detect autofocus system, but since then Panasonic has answered its critics with its much-improved phase detect auto-focus (PDAF) in the Lumix S5 II and Lumix G9 II – now PDAF is coming to the GH series with the launch of the new Panasonic Lumix GH7.

On the surface you’d be forgiven for thinking not much has changed with the Lumix GH7, as the camera shares the same body as the previous GH6 model, and as the old adage goes, if it aint broke don't fix it. The GH7 offers the same chunky grip, in-built cooling fan, array of tactile buttons, and articulating LCD that favors filmmakers. Anyone familiar with using any of the latest Lumix cameras will instantly feel at home as the camera follows a nearly identical layout to the recent Lumix S5II, S5IIX, or G9 II. 

Inside, the GH7 still features a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor, while this sensor has been newly developed for the GH7 it has the same pixel density as the previous model with 25.2 megapixels, but now on a BSI CMOS sensor which enables up to 13+ stops of dynamic range. The sensor is backed up with advanced image stabilization including distortion correction in videos and a High I.S. mode for even steadier digital stabilization in tough situations.

As mentioned already, the sensor also features the biggest upgrade from the latest generation of Lumix cameras, with PDAF autofocus, enabling faster and more accurate focus and tracking for human faces and eyes, as well as animals, birds, cars, and motorcycles – and two new additions with airplanes and trains.

A video camera first and foremost, the GH7 builds on the already incredible specs of the GH6, with internal recording of 5.7K 30p ProRes 422 HQ and ProRes RAW HQ for advanced color work, as well as 5.7K60p, 4K120p or Full HD 240p video. The GH7 is also capable of unlimited video recording through its integrated heat dissipation and cooling fan.

You can also record in Open Gate which records using the entire sensor making it easier to crop videos later for different aspect ratios – perfect for social media. The camera also supports proxy recording and Adobe Frame.io for camera-to-cloud backup, allowing teams to edit small proxy files quickly which can then be seamlessly swapped out for the full-quality video. The GH7 is also capable of recording using the Real Time LUT feature that was recently used to great fanfare on the Lumix S9, enabling user-programmed color grading baked directly into footage.

Also bringing new audio tricks, the Lumix GH7 features the world’s first 32-bit float recording in an interchangeable lens camera when used with the new XLR microphone adapter – the Lumix DMW-XLR2. This allows a much wider range of noises to be recorded without having to worry about fiddling with levels during recording to make sure you aren’t clipping the highs and lows.

The Panasonic Lumix GH7 will be available at the end of July and will cost $2,199 / £1,999/ AU$3,899 . 

The DMW-XLR2 will also be available at the end of July for $499 / £499 / AU$899.

For more check out our guides to the the best camera for filmmaking or the best hybrid cameras.

The best camcorders are something of an anachronism in today's market. Yet, their barrel-shaped handheld format, built-in zoom lenses, and ability to get going with minimal setup see them continuing to be popular with a certain type of buyer. If you're an enthusiast looking for something that can shoot decent, stable 4K video out of the box then the Sony FDR-AX53 makes some sense. 

It makes even more sense if you're looking for good value, want to upgrade from a smartphone, and don't need or understand the features, codecs, and interchangeable lenses offered by the best cinema cameras.

The Sony FDR-AX53 4K Handycam was released in 2016 when the best phones for video recording were nothing like the conte-creating flagship devices they are today. Designed to offer high-quality 4K video to families and enthusiasts, it reflected the idea that 4K content was becoming more mainstream in the homes of enthusiast consumers.

Sony's mirrorless camera lineup is comprehensive, with advanced hybrid cameras catering to professional creators and the Z lineup leaning towards vloggers. So where do its remaining camcorders fit in for recording video? The FDR-AX53 is ideal for family users with more to spend or filmmakers on a budget. It's around three times the price of the entry-level Sony HDR-CX405, but half the cost of the Sony FDR-AX700 with its larger 1-inch sensor and phase-detect autofocusing system.

The Sony FDR-AX53's headline specs include UHD 4K video at 24 or 30fps, 1080p 120 fps for slow-motion footage, 16.6MP images, 20x optical zoom, an equivalent of 5-axis Image Stabilization, and a 5.1 channel microphone. You also get a hot shoe mount, but most of the ports feel outdated by today's standards. Despite its age, the AX53 has endured with consumers, and Sony doesn't appear to be stopping production yet.

But how does it compare to a similarly-priced vlog-friendly camera like the Sony ZV-1? Can an eight-year-old camcorder keep up with the AI-powered autofocus of today's best mirrorless cameras? And is it even fair to ask that? As a millennial, I can enjoy the nostalgic format of the Sony AX53 while also questioning who it's suitable for. Here's what I made of it throughout several weeks of testing.

Sony FDR-AX53: What's changed?

Launched in early 2016 alongside the HDR-CX675 and HDR-CX455 camcorders (no longer available), the Sony FDR-AX53 replaced the AX33. Compared to its predecessor, it's capable of smoother footage with Sony's 5-axis Intelligent Active mode and better audio thanks to a new mic structure picking up sound from more directions.

The XA53's back-illuminated sensor also features pixels that are about 1.6x larger than the previous model, which means it should perform better in low light and handle noise better in these scenarios. For handling, the 4K camcorder also has an electronic viewfinder (something you don't get in the cheaper, newer XA43) plus a customizable control ring on the lens that you can assign for focus, zoom, and exposure adjustments.

Sony AX53: Design & Handling

I've seen the FDR-AX53 described as having the dimensions of a beer or Coke can, and that's almost accurate, although it's a little longer and fatter. It feels well-built, with no rattling parts, and at just over 500g it's delightful to handhold. A sturdy velcro strap adjusts the grip to accommodate different hand sizes, and there's a standard tripod thread underneath the camera for static, stable footage.

Pulling out the flip-out 3-inch LCD screen or the viewfinder turns the camcorder, and I was impressed at how quickly it fired up and was ready to shoot. The ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T lens is hidden behind an automatic cover that unlocks when it's turned on, so you don't have to remember to open and close it as you do on cheaper camcorders. I can't imagine ever being able to clean the lens effectively, so you better hope that it doesn't pick up any real dirt.

I found the monitor too dim in Normal mode, especially when filming outdoors, but changing it to Bright (there are only two settings) improved the experience. The viewfinder also helped in bright sunshine, but - likely being spoiled by pro DSLRs - it’s small at just 0.6cm. You have to get your eye in just the right position to see it clearly, and it mirrors exactly what’s on the LCD rather than offering anything new.

One of the main distinctions between consumer camcorders and pro models is that they prioritize being easy to use over offering granular controls. The AX53 is designed to be picked up and used in automatic mode, meaning there are very few buttons on the body, save from power, Night Shot, playback, and a feature called "My Voice Canceling" (more on that later) behind the screen on the left-hand side. 

There's a button to toggle between video and stills up top (and one to take a photo) and a record button where your thumb naturally rests next to the battery at the back. The ports are sensibly placed, too. The SD card slot sits behind the screen with an HDMI micro port, and headphone and microphone sockets are on the outside so that you can use them with the screen tucked in.

For me what lets this camcorder down is the lack of any assignable buttons; something that I enjoyed when handling the Canon HF G70, and a design choice I think is still valid even for amateur filmmakers. It's hard to see where Sony would have added these custom buttons onto the body, but I feel they'd have sped up operation and taken away some of the fiddly menu navigation I experienced when changing settings like white balance (which I avoided, for this reason) on the screen.

The XA53’s interface is, to put it politely, clunky, as you might expect from a 2016 camcorder. The menu is accessed with a tap on the LCD screen, and it’s split into sections like Shooting Mode, Image Quality, and Playback. Generally, each section has a sensible label, although you’ll find all the manual shooting settings under the generic Camera/Mic. There are six submenus here, but they all appear on the screen, giving you over 30 to move through. 

Thankfully, the LCD is touch-sensitive, but modern scroll and swipe gestures don’t work and you have to tap the up and down arrows to move through each parameter. It’s not ideal, particularly when you’ve gotten used to the speed of smartphone apps or the fluidity of modern camera interfaces. But it’s not a dealbreaker either, especially if you’re going to stick to the camera’s automatic settings.

What Sony has done is made the AX53’s lens ring function customizable. It’s set to Zoom by default but you can assign it to Exposure, Shutter Speed, AE Shift, and White Balance Shift. Pressing the manual button under the lens on the left (for a few seconds) brings up the functions on the screen, and then you twist the lens and press Menu again to set it. All of this takes longer than it should, and that means you won’t want to swap modes too often.

Sony FDR-AX53: Performance

I’ve tested six camcorders in as many months, and I’m probably most impressed by the footage from the Sony FDR-XA53 – despite its average specs and features. I’m not saying it’s technically the best, but it performs admirably for its price bracket, age, and my expectations. The XA53’s 1/2.5-type sensor is back-illuminated, with larger pixels for improved low-light handling. 

I shot footage at sunset and night, and there was no evidence of the muddy details and dull colors I experienced with the XA45. When shooting at the highest 4K 100mbps in bright daylight, the tonal range and clarity blew me away, and at least matched the more expensive Canon GH70. 

I kept things largely in automatic mode, letting the camcorder choose settings for me. Great move. When recording videos to the camera, my skin tones were smooth and natural, and the Face Detection features did a great job of following my face in sharp focus around the frame. 

In outdoor shots, the greens were vivid and accurate, and the out-of-focus areas in front of and behind subjects at the long zoom range were impressive for a sensor of “children’s cute sleeping faces” (Sony’s words) or in my case, nocturnal wildlife visiting the garden. It does what it’s meant to, even if it does have a slight green tinge to it.

The widest angle is equivalent to 26.8mm, which is ideal for vlogging at arm’s length. While the 20x optical zoom let me get up close to springtime lambs several fields away. I can see it being seriously impressive for sports games or your kid's graduation ceremonies. While the digital zoom can reach 250x, I wouldn’t rely on this unless you’re not precious about image quality – given that it seriously degrades the picture beyond about 50x.

The lens is floating on a gimbal inside the camcorder, which helps with stability. The AX53’s (5-axis) stabilization compensates for vibration across five directions. While Sony says it’ll stop camera shake even while running, I’d say you’d have to be a very smooth runner for this to be true. I was able to walk fast on uneven ground and capture usable footage, while vlogging was very static with no distracting movements.

I’ve already talked about the fiddly lens ring, but it's possible to control the Sony FDR-AX53 remotely with a smartphone (or tablet) by downloading the Imaging Edge Mobile app. Within a few minutes, I'd paired the camera to my iPhone 15 and could start and stop recording, view the picture, and zoom in and out from a distance. This was perfect for moments when I didn't want to be in a shot and would be just as helpful for being in group shots with the camera on a tripod. Multi Camera Control means you can join several camcorders via Wi-Fi, but I didn’t get a chance to test this feature.

Sony’s XA53 battery lasted me around two hours of 4K recording, plus some menu faffing time on top of that. That’s a lot more than the Canon HF G70 and a great deal longer than the Sony ZV-1 vlogging camera. Once you’re out of power though, charging takes over three hours to get back to full capacity.

The audio quality could be better. The XA53 comes with a built-in 5.1 channel microphone, but this is sadly limited to stereo (2 channels) in 4K. Still, it offered brilliant clarity when I recorded pieces to the camera in a home studio. When filming in a city it picked up ambient noise from multiple directions and could distinguish between vehicles, people talking, and music in the distant background. 

Windy conditions caused a lot of noise disturbance (despite the Auto wind reduction being activated) but that’s not unusual for a built-in mic. I’d suggest adding an external shotgun mic for the best audio, which you can do without spending much extra or weighing yourself down.

If there’s any area of disappointment then it’s undoubtedly autofocus performance. Nine years is a long time in technological terms, and the AX53’s AF system can’t keep up with fast-moving subjects or rapid changes in zoom in the way that its latest AI-powered systems can. I always found myself zooming in and out gradually, rather than all at once, otherwise the camcorder would take a while to refocus properly.

And if you're a videographer or a filmmaker who likes control, you won't get it here. You can only turn off one automatic feature at a time, and all the features you've set manually then revert to full auto. Add that to the lack of customizable buttons, and it's a frustrating experience for more advanced users. 

Sony FDR-AX53: Sample video

Above: sample video show with Sony AX53

I had the Sony FDR-AX53 for several weeks and created dozens of short clips of everyday life (because that's what the camcorder is designed for). I captured footage inside and out, in low light and under LEDs. All the shots were captured handheld, relying on the FDR-AX53's microphone. These clips were shot at the maximum XAVC S 4K output (3840 x 2160 px).

Sony FDR-AX53: Final Verdict

If you're looking for a family-friendly camcorder that's easy enough to be used by most ages and skill levels, the Sony FDR-AX53 is a winner. It's bigger than the most compact of Sony's camcorders, the HDR-CX405, but still portable enough to pop in a bag. It's also very comfortable to carry around, and the built-in stabilization does a good job of keeping your wobbly walking shots steady. What it doesn't give you is the manual control over settings you'll need for professional work and documentaries.

Still, despite having a pro-level mirrorless camera with great video specs, I preferred using the FDR-AX53 for capturing footage on the fly, because of its light, one-handed handling. Although the viewfinder is a bonus in a camera of this price bracket, I preferred having the camcorder at a lower angle and using the monitor for composition and checking the audio.

The FDR-AX53 is also a good choice for film students, who want to create projects on a budget. But it's nothing like Sony's latest vlogging lineup, and although you get Wi-Fi to send clips to your phone, the process is more labored than I'd have liked. Of course, you also can't change the lens, which would be a great limitation if the wide-angle and 20x optical zoom offered didn't cover most scenarios effectively.

The Sony FDR-AX53 is a decent generalist camcorder for everyday clips but the autofocus technology is outdated. You'll notice this when zooming in and out quickly and in high-contrast lighting situations, but unless you expect it to be as zippy as the AI-powered AF on the best Sony cameras, you'll be satisfied.

Alternatives

The best camcorders are back in fashion, but were they ever out? Video is still the fastest-growing sector for content creation, and camcorders have plenty of USPs. They're great for handheld footage, come with all-in-one lenses, and, if they're anything like the Panasonic HC-V180, offer epic zooming potential far beyond what the best phone for video recording is capable of.

With a 50x optical zoom and a 28mm wide-angle setting for landscape scenic and group shots, the HC-V180 seems like the ultimate travel companion. The best cinema cameras are bulky and expensive, while the budget Panasonic HC-V180 is cheap and compact. It's the company's budget, entry-level camcorder and one of the last remaining from a bygone era, having been released more than eight years ago.

Suitable for beginners, it offers few complex settings and can be used entirely in automatic exposure and focus mode for good results. Its key features include a 1/5.8-type BSI MOS sensor, extended 90x digital zoom, and 5-axis hand-shake detection.

Unlike advanced camcorders, the HC-V180 doesn't incorporate Wi-Fi or GPS, doesn't let you attach a microphone or use headphones to check audio levels, and certainly doesn't offer 4K recording. You'll get Full HD with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, complimented by a range of filter effects to test your filmmaking prowess.

The HC-V180 is cheap, that's for certain. And usually, you get what you pay for. So is the HC-V180 worth using for home movies in today's market? Is it still a capable camcorder, or a piece of nostalgia best left in the past?

Panasonic HC-V180: What's changed?

The Panasonic HC-V180 debuted at CES in January 2016, coinciding with the launch of the 4K UHD WXF991 and HC-VX981 camcorders, as well as two additional Full-HD camcorders, the W580 and V380. It's a direct competitor to the Sony CX405, with a very similar price, size and shape, and even the same-sized sensor.

Panasonic HC-V180: Design & Handling

The Panasonic HC-V180 is a diminutive, dinky camcorder. It’s only slightly heavier than my iPhone 15 Pro, but obviously comes in a very different format – a classic barrel-shaped camcorder, shrunk down to a pocket-friendly size. You don’t need a camera bag to carry it around, and I mostly kept it in my jacket pocket during testing spells, which is something that will appeal to traveling vloggers or those who like to travel light.

The overall design is functional, with a black plastic chassis and a few silver accents around the ring, and to highlight features or buttons. The HC-V180 is reminiscent of most camcorders in the early 21st century – it won't win any style competitions and doesn't innovate in any way. But it's comfortable to hold and generally easy to get to everything you need. Overall, I felt that the build quality was rattly, and the lack of weather sealing made me worry about using it in anything but fair weather. For the price point, this level of ruggedness was expected.

Like the rival Sony HDR-CX405, the HC-V180 has very few physical controls – certainly nowhere near the amount you get on an enthusiast-level camcorder like the Canon HF-G70. To the right of the lens, there’s a mechanical switch to open and close the lens shutters. Up on top is a textured, rectangular zoom toggle that also serves as a menu zoom in playback mode. And behind that is a raised button with a camera icon for taking still images, which is easy to find without looking.

The DC-in charging port on the right-hand side of the barrel is hidden behind a slightly flimsy sliding plastic door. The chunky battery sots onto the back of the body, and underneath, another door flips up for access to the SD/SDHC/SDXC slot. A standard tripod thread is underneath, too.

Being a camcorder, handling of the HC-V180 is designed to be mostly one-handed, leaving your left hand free to change settings and angle the screen. I found it comfortable to reach the zoom with an index finger and record button with a thumb when holding the camera. When I asked my partner to test it, his large hands did dwarf the body, but it only takes seconds to adjust the velcro strap if you need to accommodate more room.

Pulling out the HC-V180's 2.7-inch LCD reveals an on/off button, playback button, and level button, plus a mini-HDMI port and micro-USB port – both connections that now feel outdated in the almost-universal world of USB-C. It feels like Panasonic could have given us a bigger screen and smaller black surround to make the most of the camcorder's size. But doing so would likely have increased the cost. You also don't get a microphone or headphone socket, which means you're reliant on the camera's in-built microphone, and can't check audio levels apart from the built-in speakers.

Anyway, there's at least touchscreen operation to change settings and navigate menus, rather than the four-way physical control pad on the Sony HDR-CX450. In theory, this should let you whizz through settings, but the touchscreen is nowhere near as responsive as I've become used to on modern phones and cameras. And in an almost embarrassing show of my millennial age, I didn’t even realize that it was a touchscreen at first because you have to press down so firmly on the screen. Still, once you’re aware of how it works, the operation is mostly smooth.

Panasonic HC-V180: Performance

The Panasonic VC-180’s 50x optical zoom is the main selling point of this camcorder, which is even more impressive when you consider that my flagship iPhone 15 Pro is only capable of a 6x optical zoom range. It also performs beyond many newer camcorders ten times its price, and I was amazed at how well it focused on birds in my back garden, or the moon on a clear night. Stretching beyond 30x optical zoom made me pause, and I was more likely to rely on a tripod to keep the footage stable. 

I found the 90x intelligent zoom function (a combo of digital zoom, sharpening, and image up-scaling) unusable unless the camcorder was completely still. Even then, it degraded the image further than I was happy with. On the plus side, the 5-Axis HYBRID O.I.S.+ suppresses blur when you’re not on a stable platform. It does enough to keep handheld walking shots stable and works particularly well when you’re talking to the camera.

In terms of video quality, the HC-V180 is fair but not amazing, which I found acceptable considering its price point and age. Recording at 1080p and 59.94 fps delivers clear footage most of the time, while finer details are captured in abundant lighting but not at night, where noise handling causes muddy renditions and duller tones. AVCHD format is the highest video quality on offer, but the option of MP4 or iFrame formats offer faster sharing and simpler editing.

I think most beginners are likely to stick the camcorder in auto and forget about it – an approach that I found worked well. I enjoyed using the camera in manual mode and changing the focus, white balance, shutter and iris (the aperture). It adds versatility and opens the usage up to more advanced shooters who want a long zoom but without the weight or cost.

Of course, the HC-V180 is mainly for entry-level users, and as such it offers a range of shooting modes and creative effects. I was impressed with the time-lapse functionality, but the video effects like the silent movie felt dated and a bit of a gimmick. Scene modes include sports, portraits and soft skin, which I tried across a football match and wedding. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between them, and think you'd be better off relying on automatic mode for the most part.

Because the VC-180 doesn’t have an external microphone port, you’re reliant on the built-in zoom stereo microphone. This two-channel mic picks up ambient noise like traffic if you’re filming outside. There's also no option for wind reduction, and I was disappointed with the audio quality through the camcorder’s weak speakers. Once the files were downloaded to my desktop, however, the audio quality was warmer and audible, but still not as crisp as the Sony HDR-CX405.

Another area where it does beat the HDR-CX405 is battery life, which is bigger off the bat but can also be upgraded from the supplied 1940mAh to double the capacity. I got over an hour of recording time out of one battery, but I'd suggest investing in spares if you're going to be out all day or at a long family event.

Panasonic HC-V180: Sample video

Above: sample videos shot with the Panasonic HC-V180

I had the Panasonic HC-V180 sample for just over two weeks, and recorded test footage during the early morning, daytime, and in low light, as well as varying weather conditions. The footage here was mainly captured at 1080p 50fps, and I turned the stabilization on and off, as well as experimenting with and without the digital zoom function. Face detection was also enabled while recording pieces to the camera.

Panasonic HC-V180: Final Verdict

Like the rival Sony HDR-CX405, the Panasonic HC-V180 is ideal for families or travellers who want one of the best camcorders on a budget. It's quick to set up and use straight out of the box, and although the menu systems aren't as intuitive as their modern counterparts, the controls are pleasingly basic.

If you leave this compact camcorder in automatic exposure and focus mode, you can expect image quality that's adequate in well-lit conditions but grainy in low light. You don't notice the lack of clarity when you view recordings back on a laptop screen but plug the camcorder into an HDTV, and things get quite muddy.

The HC-V180 offers fantastic zoom capabilities, however, and this is its main selling point. The huge 50x zoom is 20x further than the Sony HDR-CX405 and can bring faraway objects into impressively close view. I found it ideal for wildlife watching and identification, with the 5-axis image stabilization going a long way to keeping the frame stable.

If you've got little to spend and don't expect the highest-quality video or audio, the HC-V180 is an excellent camcorder to take on your travels. It's got several drawbacks which are down to its age and price bracket - no Wi-Fi, a small sensor, and a cheap build - but it still managed to impress me, and conjure a sense of nostalgia.

Alternatives

It seems sensible to think that as smartphones have become such advanced all-in-one content creators, the best camcorders would be redundant. And yet, the compact Sony HDR-CX405 continues to sell and review well. With an asking price of under $300/£300, the CX405 doesn't go toe-to-toe with the best 4K camera for filmmaking or dedicated cinema cameras like the Sony FX30. Instead, you get modest Full HD (1920x1080 resolution) video at 60p and 9.2MP stills, plus some limited options to change settings between automatic or manual exposure. 

Its appeal lies in its simplicity and portability. You don't have to be a seasoned videographer to use the CX405. Sony has designed it for people who want to make home movies or capture their family on holiday. At its release, smartphone cameras were still in their infancy and nowhere near the quality of the latest flagships, making the CX405 a more straightforward choice.

But in 2024? Well, if you don't have the best phone for video recording or don't know how to get the most out of it, you might feel more comfortable with a compact camcorder. After all, amateur users who'll be recording occasionally rather than for commercial projects don't need the best cinema cameras and probably don't have the budget for them either. That's where the Sony HDR-CX405 comes in.

It's the manufacturer's cheapest and smallest camcorder, at half the price of the 4K-capable Sony FDR-AX43 and more than half the weight. It's similar in size and price to the Panasonic V180, with the same-sized 1/5.8"-Type MOS sensor – a camcorder that also remains on sale long past its expected expiry date. At over nine years old, the Sony HDR-CX405 is showing its age, and it surprises me that it hasn't been discontinued. But then, Sony probably isn't going to put any effort into any new releases when its hybrid mirrorless cameras are so successful, or when the best Sony phones offer a wealth of video recording options.

On paper, I didn't think the Sony HDR-CX405 could do enough to wow smartphone shooters into buying it. The wireless connectivity options are poor, the sensor is tiny, and the menus offer more in the way of nostalgia than they do video settings. But there is still a desire for compact camcorders, otherwise they wouldn't be available at major photo retailers, or popping up on TikTok videos.

I'm the right age to have seen my parents use camcorders at family events, but now I use an iPhone 15 Pro for social videos or a Canon EOS R6 for anything more serious. With that in mind, I tested out the Sony HDR-CX405 for several weeks to find out where it sits among those options, and whether it's the right choice for you if you want a cheap, compact camcorder in 2024.

Sony HDR-CX405: What's changed?

The Sony HDR-CX405 was released at CES, Las Vegas in January 2015, alongside a smattering of new camcorders, including the headline Sony AX33 4K Handycam. It had a few major upgrades on the Sony CX240; optical image stabilization over digital stabilization (which is better at preserving image quality and resolution) and a new 1080p 30fps recording mode. It also got a bump to 30x optical zoom, up from 27x, which I've found to be a great range for general video work.

Rival consumer camcorders at the time included the Canon VIXIA HF R40, with the advantage of an 8GB internal flash drive and SD memory card slot. Interestingly, Sony hasn't brought out any upgraded camcorders in the sub $300/£300 price bracket since, and the CX405 is still on the shelves of major photo retailers nine years later - and is now one of only a handful of camcorders you can buy at this price point.

Sony HDR-CX405: Design & Handling

The Sony HDR-CX405 is, to put it bluntly, ridiculously tiny. At just 215g, it weighs less than my iPhone 15 Pro, and while being deeper and rounder, it's also shorter in length. Being a basic camcorder, buttons and controls on the outside of the small barrel design are minimal. On top, there's a rectangular zoom rocker, in front of a Photo button, which you press down to take a still image.

You don’t get a lens cap or cover with the Sony HDR-CX405. To the left of the lens, as you look at it, there’s a mechanical slider to open or close the lens cover. It’s low-tech and yet satisfying to use. The main downside is that if you forget to cover the lens after use – as I did several times – there’s a risk of causing damage. If you don't remember to open it, the camcorder will detect a dark picture and remind you.

On the body, the only physical control left is a raised silver one to start and stop recording. There’s a tripod mount on the base, a slot for the battery, and a mini HDMI port behind a cover on the right of the body. There's no power button on the HDR-CX405. To turn it on you open out the screen. This also reveals the slots for a micro HDMI port and microSD card to store your recorder content. Left of the display, there’s a play button, and a four-way directional toggle with a central button to make selections, as the display isn’t touch-responsive.

The camcorder is charged via a standard USB rather than a USB-C cable, but a unique feature of the HDR-CX405 is that the power cable is built into the body. When not in use, it tucks away into a slot in the handle. If this were a pro-grade camcorder, I’d be worried about the durability of having a cable hanging loose constantly, but for the average user, I think this design is inspired. There's no need to carry a cable separately or hunt for it when you inevitably misplace it.

Overall, handling is simple rather than sophisticated. The camcorder felt satisfyingly snug in my smaller hands, but my partner’s bigger mitts dwarfed the body and he found it harder to reach the zoom toggle to make subtle movements. With above-average-sized hands, you’ll need nimble fingers to operate the camcorder effectively, and it's worth pointing out that it's designed for right-handed operators.

Although the buttons and zoom rocker feel very plasticky – in line with the price – they’re surprisingly responsive. When zooming in or out, I found it easy to create a smooth transition and stop suddenly if and when I needed to respond to the action in the frame. As the zoom level appears on the LCD screen, it's easy to see how far you have to go.

Speaking of the LCD screen, the 2.7-inch real estate is adequate for the camcorder's overall size, but I found it hard to see in bright sunshine, and the 230K-dot resolution felt ancient compared to the 1.6 million-dot resolution of my mirrorless Canon. Granted, it's not a fair product comparison when you consider the age and level difference. But it does affect how usable the screen is in certain situations.

Sony HDR-CX405: Performance

The core elements of the Sony HDR-CX405 are its Exmor R CMOS sensor and the BIONZ X image processing engine. Sony states that this “large” sensor enhances image clarity, lowers noise in low light and gives you soft background defocusing. However, I didn't experience these advantages myself. Overall, the 1/5.8 type sensor fails to match the video quality in low-light situations compared to the 1-inch prosumer Canon XA-75 and lacks significant bokeh behind subjects. 

Nevertheless, it's worth noting that the Canon camcorder comes at a significantly higher price point. The CX405 provides satisfactory picture quality in most daylight scenarios, particularly when utilizing the maximum XAVC S or AVCHD video format. Speaking of formats, you can record two videos simultaneously; one in the smaller MP4 format for quick sharing and another in the maximum-quality XAVC S or AVCHD format for editing. I also loved that you can capture HD video and high-resolution stills at the same time, although at 9.2-megapixels, they’re nothing like the image quality you get on the latest smartphones.

The camcorder comes with some family-friendly tricks to help you make polished films, including picture effects (like toy camera and pop), and the ability to edit in-camera using the onboard Highlight Movie Maker. It’s not advanced, but it does mean you save time in a separate program.

Most users of the HDR-CX405 are likely to be beginners who will stick the camcorder in Intelligent Auto mode, leaving the camcorder to work out what’s being shot and therefore what settings to choose. It can choose results for 90 scene types, and I was pleased to find that it adapted just as easily to a sunny backlit scene, a rainy urban scene, and landscapes. Manual mode allows you to change the iris (aperture), and shutter speed, and I found this level of control helpful to adapt to high-contrast scenes.

When filming handheld at night, the footage did become muddy and noticeably noisy, and without the option to add a hood, the lens was quickly blurred by falling rain. There’s a low lux menu feature designed to give you clear filming in a dark environment, but I struggled to tell the difference when this was enabled. The HDR-CX405’s image quality is well-balanced in well-lit conditions, but without adequate noise handling or an infrared mode, I’d avoid it for night-time filming.

The 30x optical zoom is one of this camcorder’s big selling points, as it makes it an effective all-in-one, whether you’re capturing your children’s sports team, a party, or a holiday at the beach. The zoom motion is incredibly smooth, and I was impressed by the stabilization of the SteadyShot feature, which I kept on active mode (the maximum level) most of the time. It’s excellent for walking shots, and my footage was mostly steady when carrying the camera across uneven ground. At full zoom, the footage becomes much more shaky, so much so that I didn’t go near the digital zoom of 350x, and deactivated it from the menu so that I couldn’t accidentally go that far.

Playback mode on the CX-405 feels more complicated than it needs to be. Sony has opted for a timeline approach called Event Browse, whereby your videos are grouped by date, and you toggle left or right to see a montage of your content at a glance. For me, all the way in 2024, the LCD doesn’t have enough resolution for you to see these icons clearly, and it’s not always easy to remember what you shot on what date. I prefer to see everything in one place on a grid, and it is possible to choose different display options for easy organization and viewing.

Like the beginner Panasonic VC-180 camcorder, there’s no port to add the best microphone for vlogging and filmmaking to the Sony HDR-CX405. But there is 5.1 audio capture, and a built-in zoom microphone, plus the ability to change the mic levels manually from the menu. The camcorder’s speakers are tinny at best, and it was hard to gauge the audio quality in playback mode. But when I listened to clips back on my desktop, I was thoroughly impressed, especially in those where I was talking outdoors. Activating wind noise reduction in the menu didn’t seem to make a discernable difference to the ambient noise, but my vocals were still clear and crisp regardless. And if you’re mainly going to record indoors, the HDR-CX405 mic should offer you superb clarity.

Battery life is also impressive, which is good news for those wanting to shoot on a day out. I'd estimate that I got around 2 hours and 15 minutes from a full charge, which is just shy of the 2 hours and 35 minutes Sony claims the USB-rechargeable NP-BX1 battery can cover.

Sony HDR-CX405: Sample video

Above: sample videos shown with the Sony HDR-CX405

Over a few weeks, I took the Sony HDR-CX405 to a friend's wedding, in low light while visiting the city of Bath, UK, and on long walks in the countryside. I tested all of the different video modes, and these clips were shot at the maximum 1920 x 1080 px resolution as MP4 files, and in 25p, although I also used the 50p frame rate to draw a comparison in performance. I've left the footage unedited.

Sony HDR-CX405: Final Verdict

At first glance, the Sony HDR-CX405 is a sweet and simple camcorder. But the more I used it, the more I discovered how well its manual exposure, white balance and aperture can be tweaked to suit your needs – if you already understand the basics of photography, that is. If you don't, you can rely on the camcorder's automatic scene mode and focus to get sharp footage. 

The Smile Shutter feature is effective for capturing candid snapshots and Face Detection is advanced enough to remember people when they re-enter the frame. But don't expect advanced tracking for action, or eye-detection, at this price.

The HDR-CX405 is Sony's cheapest camcorder, and its video quality reflects that, especially without an abundance of light. Given its age, you can forgive the lack of Wi-Fi for easy content sharing. But it's still a faff to get content off the microSD unless you use the built-in USB cable to transfer videos to your PC.

At this price point, the camcorder's progressive Full HD video at 60p/50p is more than adequate. After all, it's the Carl Zeiss 30x optical zoom and impressive 26.8mm wide-angle setting that will attract many users to this camcorder over a smartphone. The HDR-CX405 delivers where it needs to for quality. It's very versatile, and its autofocus, pocket-rocket sizing and usability put it where it needs to be for family filmmakers on a tight budget, or for bloggers who want a bit of camcorder nostalgia.

Alternatives

We have just spotted another superb deal on Canon's latest 4K camcorder - which will save you nearly £300 on this pro-grade video camera from Amazon. The Canon Legria HF G70 was launched last year, and builds on previous high-end digital camcorders in Canon's range - and now at  just £796.02 at Amazon it is a real bargain (and unbelievably even cheaper than we saw it over Black Friday and in the Boxing Day sales).

With most cameras and camera phones now shooting video, so may well ask why anyone would want a camcorder - a type of video camera that had its heyday in the 1990s, when they recorded on tape. And indeed, there are fewer models around nowadays, as fewer people are buying them.

But the key attractions of a camcorder is that it has a big built-in zoom. In the case of the Canon Legria HF G70 optical zoom - the equivalent of having a built-in 30-600mm lens. So capable of everything from wide shots to super-telephoto close-ups of wildlife and action. 

What's more, camcorders (unlike your phone, and most stills cameras) are designed for shooting video. There is a hand strap that ensures you keep the set-up steady - with motorized zoom controls perfectly placed for use by your right index finger. There is an electronic eyelevel viewfinder for framing - but also a fully-rotating LCD for use on a tripod, or for reviewing your footage.

See our full Canon HF G70 review

If you need a dedicated camera for recording video only, then choosing one of the best camcorders seems to make sense. They're easy to handhold, you don't have to (and indeed can't) change the lenses, and they produce decent results without too much tinkering. And yet, every time I review a camcorder, I struggle to understand why you'd buy one over the best cinema cameras or the best phone for video recording - depending on your skill level and budget. But then, perhaps I'm not the target market.

Canon released the Canon XA75 camcorder in September 2022 alongside a flurry of similar 4K-capable models; the XA65, XA60, XA70, and HF G70. It's the company's most expensive professional camcorder and top of the lineup in terms of specs, which include a 1-inch type CMOS sensor, 15x optical zoom with 40x digital zoom, and 5-axis Image Stabilization. Unlike cheaper camcorders, the XA75 also comes with a detachable handle unit, which lets you carry it from the top but also adds two XLR terminals for the best XLR microphones - the standard for recording crisp audio.

With an asking price of around $3,000/£2500, you'd think the video resolution and capabilities would make it the best 4K camera for filmmaking. On paper, the XA75 lags behind some of the best mirrorless cameras, and cine cameras like the Sony FX30. But you do get XF-AVC and MP4 files for flexible recording, not to mention Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus and face tracking as found in the best Canon cameras.

There's very little online coverage of the XA-75, and even fewer YouTube videos, which confirms my suspicions that this isn't a camcorder for content creators, even professional ones. It's also not for amateur users who just like the feel of a traditional camcorder, associate with making home movies, and don't want a mirrorless camera to do a similar job. It's too expensive for that. So who is it for?

As per Canon's own marketing, the XA-75 feels like a good fit if you're a journalist, roving reporter, or even a small-scale broadcaster looking for a compact option that you can handhold for run-and-gun footage or plonk on a video tripod when there's a need to keep the frame still. After all, with a fixed lens and no native 120p (slow-motion) recording at any resolution, this arguably isn't a video camera for creativity.

The Canon XA-75 is still versatile, however, and its limitations could be what makes it such a good fit for specific uses. I think it's a niche product that has a lot to offer a small proportion of users - specifically, those who have a fair budget, will know what to do with its detachable arm and the XLR microphone ports, but don't need high-quality stills. If you want to capture professional-looking (and sounding) documentaries or general footage for news, broadcasts, and live streams, could the XA75 be the camcorder for you?

Canon XA75: What's changed?

Launched in September 2022 alongside the Canon XA65 and prosumer Canon HF G70, the Canon XA75 replaces the Canon XA55 from three years previous. Both camcorders share a 1-inch-Type CMOS sensor and 15x optical zoom, along with H.264/MP4 4:2:0 8-bit recording modes and a maximum UHD 4K30.

Aimed at the professional end of the market, improvements to the XA75 look modest at first. They include new external recording modes, slow-motion support, and two USB-C ports - one for fast video output and another for power input. Viewing and framing content is nicer, as the articulating LED is now touchscreen, 0.5 inches bigger at 3.5 inches, and sharper with more than five times the resolution of its predecessor. There's also a higher resolution tiltable 0.36-inch OLED EVF, and on-screen display (OSD) "Time Stamp" recording, which is a requirement for videographers wanting to record legal proceedings.

Canon XA75: Design & Handling

The Canon XA75 is slightly bigger than other XA models in the manufacturer's pro lineup, but it's not unwieldy. At just under a kilo body-only, or 1465g when equipped, it actually suits larger hands compared to the diminutive XA65 and HF G70. Like other professional XA models, it comes with a detachable handle that is screwed on to aid with carrying. It's incredibly comfortable to use, even for long periods, and importantly also adds two XLR terminals as well as a 4-channel linear PCM.

You get a double-slot SD card setup on the top, and this is pinged open at the flick of a switch, rather than behind a flimsy rubber cover or hidden behind the camera's LCD screen. The majority of other ports and inputs are at the front of the camera (under a cover), including a mini HDMI, USB-C for transferring files, 3.5mm microphone and headphone ports, and an SDI port. SDI cables can support higher resolutions and are much better for professional video production, so it's great to see this included. At the camcorder's rear, there's a second USB-C port – so you can charge and transfer simultaneously – plus a remote port.

Being aimed at true professionals means that the Canon XA75 gets more physical buttons than cheaper models, although nowhere near as many as pro mirrorless cameras. I loved being able to toggle the strength of the ND filter via buttons at the front near the lens, as it meant being able to react to changing light quickly. Likewise, there are five assignable buttons on the camera body, including two on the monitor, and you can set these up for quick access to parameters like white balance. 

Limiting the amount of buttons is a clever move, as it helps to keep the camera body compact and uncluttered, and enables users to set up the device in a way that works for their workflow or chosen output. Other buttons include a big, raised, red, record button that's easy to find when you're looking through the viewfinder. If for any reason you're handholding the XA75 and recording with it facing toward you, it's very difficult to reach around to record.

Changing settings on the camcorder menu is straightforward, thanks to the big and bright LCD monitor and the five menu screens; Camera, Recording, Audio, Display, and System. As a still photographer, I generally prefer to use Live View over the electronic viewfinder when composing and reviewing images. However, the XA75's 0.36-inch EVF is a complete joy to use, being crisp (1.77-mil dots) colorful, and immersive so that you get lost in what you're shooting. So lost in fact, that at one point I tripped over a log while filming.

The XA75 is surprisingly compact, very comfortable, and sensibly designed both for physical and digital controls. The touchscreen is responsive for menu navigation and setting autofocus, and the buttons are pressable even with gloves on. My main concern is its durability and weather resistance, given that Canon doesn't give any official rating or guidance to use the camcorder outdoors.

Canon XA75: Performance

Overall, I was more impressed with the image quality from the Canon XA75 than I had been with the HF G70 or XA65. That's partly down to the larger 1-inch sensor and the way it handles low-light scenes, which have more tonal range and fewer muddy tones in the shadows. The aperture range of f/2.8 - 4.5 and nine aperture blades contribute towards pleasing bokeh in some situations, but not all. There were a few times that I purposely removed the lens hood to introduce lens flare (please don't write in), but the lens hood did a good job of reducing contrast and light leaks in footage when attached.

Autofocus is also an improvement over the cheaper XA65, thanks to Canon's advanced Dual Pixel CMOS AF. I was able to set the camera to Face Detection AF or Face Tracking and the camera would still lock onto my face when walking into or out of the frame. Stabilization set to the strongest Dynamic mode is fine for walking shots when you're using the handle, but it's still very wobbly at the full 15x zoom and not at the same standard as my Canon EOS R5 combined with a video lens. The digital zoom boosts to 300x with 5-axis image stabilization still active, but I was only comfortable trying this while on a sturdy tripod.

Even though this is Canon's most expensive professional camcorder, you don't get Canon Log for color grading. You have the option to match colors with other Canon cameras using the custom picture menu, and while this got close to my Canon mirrorless when I set both to the same value, I'd probably leave this step to the editing stage in the future. Likewise, I kept the camcorder on an automatic white balance and found it to be very accurate, but under artificial lighting, it's easy to set the value manually.

The in-built neutral density filter has three densities: ND 1/4, 1/16, and 1/64, which are motor-driven at the touch of a button and effective at blocking excess light. In terms of exposure, I mainly used Center-weighted average metering, but Av, Tv, and Sports allow you to take more control of the outcome. When left to its own devices, the camcorder tended to underexposure in high-contrast situations. You get a host of novelty modes like Snow and Beach, but I wonder whether a professional paying this much for a camcorder would ever use them.

When I set up the dual SD card slots for simultaneous recording of MP4 and XF-AVC formats – with two SanDisk Extreme Pro cards – there weren't any noticeable delays in recording or writing footage, as I've found with mirrorless cameras in the past. As promised, MP4 gives you 4K 150Mbps for smaller files against the XF-AVC's 160Mbps, but I couldn't notice a significant difference in quality.

The infrared mode enables you to capture video in conditions with little to no ambient light – think black-and-white footage reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project. Infrared mode is incredibly effective, and while the sharpness and focus speed can't match daylight footage, you can capture up to about 10 meters away from the camera without obstruction – a great advantage for filming pieces at night. 

Despite being a solid all-rounder, I'd never buy the XA75. And that's because I found the video options so limited. You get 25P at 4K UHD resolution, and that's it. Not even 24P. Compare that to my Canon EOS R6 (which is now cheaper) with 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.98fps options, and the mismatch for me doesn't stack up. It doesn't look like firmware updates will arrive to add this functionality any time soon, either.

Canon's solution to this is the addition of slow-motion (Full HD 0.5x) and fast-motion (4K/Full HD up to 1200x) options, which can speed or slow footage for greater creativity. I'm sure it's a solid replacement for more frame rate options, but it can be effective at condensing sequences in longer or shorter clips.

High-quality audio is just important for professional productions. The XA75's built-in microphone is clear enough to rely on in a pinch, but struggles in windy conditions or when noises are coming from different directions. When you add a professional XLR microphone, the experience is far superior. I slotted in an Audio Technica AT875R, and once hearing the satisfying click of the mic being securely held in the port, I was ready to record better audio immediately. Of course, high-end 3.5mm microphones will have the same effect, especially if you monitor the audio levels using a pair of headphones and check for clipping on the LCD monitor.

Canon XA75: Sample video

Over a few weeks, I took the Canon XA75 out on walks in between rain showers. I shot indoors and outdoors in low light, outside in bright light, and under artificial LED lights while the camcorder was rigged up to my iMac – to test out Livestreaming. These clips were shot at the maximum 3840 x 2160 px resolution, at 25P, as MP4 files.

Canon XA75: Final Verdict

The Canon XA75 is powerful enough to be used for broadcasting but small enough not to be noticed. That makes it perfect if you cover live events like conferences and weddings, and want to stay candid and out of the way is key. As someone who's filmed several weddings with the best hybrid cameras, I found the form factor much easier to use than a DSLR, and I was surprised by how good the XA75's low-light footage was in comparison to my Canon EOS R6.

My main gripe is that, given this is Canon's priciest professional camcorder, the omission of a Wi-Fi module feels limiting. Transferring content from the SD cards or via USB-C isn't an option when you're on the fly - which is a lot of the time with a camcorder - and want to send or share content with a team quickly. This won't affect everyone's workflow, particularly wedding shooters who are bound to create a seamless edit later on their computer, but it's something to bear in mind.

At this price point, the maximum UHD 4K30p video recording is also disappointing, especially when cheaper camcorders like the Panasonic HC-X2000E manage 4K 50p/60p at a higher bitrate, and the Canon EOS R6 Mark II offers 6K 60p ProRes RAW via HDMI. That said, the XA75 delivers where it needs to for quality, and its autofocus tracking, power zoom, XLR inputs, and unlimited continuous recording put it where it needs to be for jobbing professionals. The ease of using a camcorder as sensible as the XA75 is unmatched, and for Livestreaming events it's one of the best camcorders for the job.

Alternatives

If there's one thing I've learned while testing and reviewing the Canon XA65, it's that the acronym ENG stands for electronic news gathering. The XA65 is an ideal ENG video camera, given that it's capable of being operational seconds after being switched on. And that its epic 20x optical zoom range (29.3 – 601mm on a 35mm equivalent) and 40x digital zoom is enough to capture breaking moments up close and far away almost instantly.

Camcorders have a somewhat unfair reputation for being dated, clunky, and old-fashioned. And in many ways, the Canon XA65 is less sexy than some of the best mirrorless camera and the best cinema cameras. But if you're someone who gets paid to make news or journalism-style content, or you're a documentary filmmaker in search of something capable but compact to shoot video but not stills, the XA65 might be enough for your needs.

The Canon XA65 was released in September 2022 at the same time as three similar-looking pro camcorders; the XA75, XA70, and XA60, plus the prosumer HF G70. At around $2,299/£2,000, it's the company's middle offering in this lineup, with professional functions and quality but a price tag one-fifth lower than the top XA75. Like the XA75 though, the XA65 comes with a detachable handle unit, which allows the camcorder to be carried from the top – for low-level angles you might not reach otherwise – and provides two terminals for the best XLR microphones.

In terms of video recording, you get internal UHD 4K capture in MP4 or XF-AVC file formats; the latter is exclusive to Canon and gives you the benefit of metadata and a higher bit rate, while MP4 is pretty much universal and provides smaller files. External recording via the HDMI or 3G-SDI supports streaming at 1080p and 60fps. I can't get excited by these specs, but they're reasonable at this price point.

Canon has thought about its audience when designing the XA65. The 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor is smaller than the Canon XA75's 1-inch sensor, keeping the cost down, but the 20x optical is incredibly versatile, focusing as close as 1 cm at the widest end to 60 cm across the whole zooming range. It's a real do-it-all camcorder, allowing jobbing filmmakers to pick it up and start shooting within minutes, arguably without a steep learning curve. Once you buy a camcorder like the XA65, you only need a professional mic and a few of the best video lights and you're ready to start rolling. But is it too limiting?

Canon XA65: What's changed?

The Canon XA65 replaces the Canon XA45 which appeared after a delayed release in 2021. It sits under the Canon XA75 and above the Canon HF G70 which were both announced at the same time.

Compared to the XA45, the XA65 has the same detachable handle with two XLR connectors for adding external microphones, 20x optical zoom, and a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor. What's new is the option to record fast and slow-motion video, two convenient USB-C ports for power input and video output, a larger 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen, and a higher-resolution viewfinder. You also get a built-in ND filter for making exposure adjustments in bright conditions.

Canon XA65: Design & Handling

When I took the Canon XA65 out of its case, I was struck by how closely it resembles the Canon HF G70 camcorder. The dimensions are almost identical, as is the weight, which makes me feel that Canon has chosen to share the outside design (apart from adding an SDI port) and many of the specs. That said, the major difference is that comes with a detachable handle unit – which the HF G70 doesn't have – a power adapter, a lens hood with a barrier, a mic holder, and a battery pack. The handle mounts securely to the hot shoe and two separate screws at its rear to ensure a sturdy fit. You get quicker at getting it on and off with practice.

The chunky battery slots underneath the viewfinder securely, leaving plenty of room on the base to add a tripod mounting plate. To the right, there's a raised and red oblong-shaped record button, and right again is the menu button, plus a four-way pad and a set button to choose settings. On the left, you find two of five assignable buttons for adding custom settings, plus a zoom/focus switch for the lens ring.

The tactile zoom rocker and focus switch modes sit together on the top right, while the top left is the switch between camera, media (playback), and off. There are two bonus assignable buttons on the left of the LCD, set to AF/MF and pre-record by default. There's also an assignable button – that gives you quick access to a range of options like Menu, and WB Priority – displayed in the bottom left when information is switched on. 

Being familiar with Canon products, I found the XA65 easy to use almost immediately. And I think that's the point. The menu is split up into five Setup sections; Camera, Recording, Audio, Display, and System, which are a doddle to navigate on the touchscreen. You always get fewer physical controls on a camcorder than on an advanced mirrorless model, but what's included on the XA75 is still quite basic. Compared to the Panasonic HC-X2000, you don't get a dedicated switch for setting the ND filter or the Gain. Pros are more likely to fine-tune parameters themselves rather than rely on automated settings, and while the assignable buttons do help with quick access, the experience still isn't as smooth.

What is smooth is the focusing mechanism. You can use the rocker, or the lens ring (which can also be set to fine-tune focus). As with all modern cameras, you can compose the frame, view settings, and keep an eye on levels in two ways; with the LCD monitor or the viewfinder – but not at the same time. The capacious 3.5-inch (diagonally) touchscreen is wider than EOS R cameras to reflect the proportions of video footage, and I found the 2.76 million dot resolution made it a joy to use. At the brightest setting, I was still able to view the screen in bright sunshine. The screen can be rotated 180 degrees to face you for pieces to the camera and tucked back in when you want to use the viewfinder or stop filming.

The electronic viewfinder is just as crisp and colorful. It requires pulling out to activate and can be tilted up like a periscope to help you look through at a more natural angle. If you're planning to shoot with the XA65 handheld, it's a good idea to adjust the velcro strap on the strap so that your hand has the tightest fit possible against the camera body. It took me a day or two to notice this, but once I'd secured everything, I got far less jogging in footage. 

Canon XA65: Performance

I was disappointed at the quality of raw (unedited) footage from the XA65, simply because it's similar to the HF G70 at half the price, and noticeably worse than the XA75 which is just a few hundred $/£'s more. The XA65 is prone to lens flare without the hood attached, which happens to be a look I love – but it won't please everyone. Shooting toward the sun through a forest brought noticeable light leaks, and the camcorder struggled to expose the scene correctly on its own, underexposing by a few stops to compensate.

Many users are likely to be on a tripod or gimbal for professional applications, only relying on the XA65's 5-axis image stabilization occasionally. It can be set to three strengths – Dynamic, Standard, and Powered, and I found that Dynamic was vital for steady handheld walking shots. It did a good job at the wide end of the zoom but felt super shaky when I was recording birds at the full 20x zoom, however.

The second issue is motion blur when filming in 4K since you're limited to 25p. We take for granted the speeds that the latest cameras can record in, and if you're used to 50 or even 60p, you'll be frustrated by the XA65's 4K for sports, or people and animals darting around. Shooting in 1080/50p is an option if you're happy to downgrade the resolution. Speaking of speed, I used the Slow & Fast Motion menus to record footage up to x1200. These are a fun gimmick, slowing or speeding up the frame rate of a clip (with x2 Fast motion, a 2-minute shooting time becomes a 1-minute clip), but they don't replace more progressive frames in real-time.

As I've mentioned, the option to shoot in an MP4 or XF-AVC file format adds versatility and XML data associated with the clip. I compared both, but couldn't find enough difference visually to record in XF-AVC. With the XA65 you don't get Canon Log for color grading, but the Automatic White balance was accurate throughout my testing, and setting it manually between 2,000–15,000K means you can match another camera or lighting setup.

Unlike the XA75, the XA65 has hybrid autofocus instead of Canon's more advanced Dual Pixel CMOS. Put simply, the tracking and speed were fine, but nowhere near as impressive as my Canon EOS R6 or EOS R5 for detecting subjects or keeping them sharp. Tapping on the LCD monitor is a quick way to bring faces into focus, but it's not easy to do with your left hand without jogging the footage. And I found it impossible to keep up with animal movements or children at a family party. The camcorder performs much better on a tripod, with a fixed zoom and focus set manually – the kind of setup you'd have for a stage at an event.

What was impressive was the minimum 1cm focusing distance at the widest end of the zoom, which let me shoot to almost macro – ideal for wedding videographers wanting detailed shots of rings, flowers, and decorations, for example. The zoom rocker on the body and handle offered subtle transitions, but I largely used the tactile lens ring to fine-tune the focus.

Professional audio recording is a big draw of the XA65, given it can be recorded internally using the 3.5mm port on the body or an XLR port on the handle (in 16-bit MPEG-2 AAC-LC or LPCM). Adding an Audio-Technica AT875R condenser mic to an XLR port allowed better audio instantly, and checking the level meter on the screen and tweaking the independent level control is helpful. However, I mostly used the in-built mic for on-the-go situations and found it was able to pick up voices as well as ambient sound like birdsong even in light wind.

The XA65 is designed to run and run, so there are no limits on recording time due to overheating. Your limit is the included BP-820 battery, which Canon quotes at a  typical 95 minutes of juice at full video resolution (140 minutes with the bigger BP-828 sold separately). I recorded clips intermittently on a two-hour walk at UHD/25p (using just the built-in mic), and the camcorder died just before the end. I have no issues with the battery life given that most professionals will carry plenty of spares. And I like that you can simultaneously power/charge the camcorder via one USB-C and transfer files using a second.

The XA65 is a compact camcorder, even with the handle attached. You can fit it in most small messenger bags if you're a solo shooter, and it could become a transportable part of a much larger pro setup. As always, I feel very noticeable recording in public with a camcorder, but for a news professional, that's likely par for the course. My main concern with the XA65's design is the lack of weather resistance. Canon doesn't give the camcorder an official rating, and the ports on the body are very exposed when you open up the rubber flaps to plug in cables. The battery too, is on full show at all times, and in damp, foggy weather I'd be wary of moisture damage.

Canon XA65: Sample video

The footage in these clips comes from a week of walks in a cold, UK winter. It was recorded MP4 at 4K UHD 25P, using the camera's built-in microphone, or the Audio-Technica AT875R condenser mic where labelled on the clip.

Canon XA65: Final Verdict

The Canon XA65 is a good choice for paid professionals who need a good-quality video camera but don't want to change lenses or tweak exposure settings too heavily. If you want the extra audio controls and XLR microphone inputs that its detachable handle affords, it's worth the upgrade from the prosumer HF G70.

The lack of connectivity from either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi takes away from the XA65's versatility, although being able to stream live events via UVC is always an option. Its design and layout are sensible but unexciting, and I'd like to see some waterproofing at this point before using it in anything but fair weather outdoors. Hybrid Canon cameras like the Canon EOS R6 Mark II will offer you better video quality and autofocus in a myriad of different filming formats. And they function well as still cameras, which the XA65 certainly isn't.

The Canon XA65 is a neat camcorder for around the $2,299/£2,000 mark, and it represents better value given you don't have to pay extra for lenses. I'd recommend it to videographers who are creating quick, news-friendly content or documentaries rather than cinematic visuals to wow audiences or clients. Despite at first feeling like an outdated concept, I enjoyed the handling and simplicity of the XA65 enormously. It'll have niche appeal in a diminishing market, but if you're a professional who still believes in the form factor of a camcorder and doesn't need a larger sensor, the XA65 should serve you well.

Alternatives

There’s no denying that 2023 was a strong year for Sony when it came to vlogging and video cameras – and 2024 is gearing up to be no different. So far, Sony is rumored to release five cameras next year including a new FX system, yet another camera for vloggers in the ZV range, successors to the Sony A7S III and A1, and another E-mount video-centric camera. 

That's according to a recent report by Sony Rumors, detailing an effective "roadmap" for the year ahead. 

It’s been four years since the A7S III was released, so out of all the existing video-centric cameras this is the one most overdue an upgrade. But the FX line, featuring the FX3 and FX30, doesn’t seem to leave much demand for the A7S series – unless of course you’re desperate for an electronic viewfinder, and prefer the chunky grip on the A7S. If, however, you’re specifically after a camera for filmmaking and are likely to be using it alongside a cage, gimbal and external monitor or recorder, the FX series will likely be better suited.

In spring 2024 we’ll likely see yet another compact vlogging-focused camera in the form of the ZV-E10 II. This interchangeable camera will appeal to a broad audience including influencers, content creators, and businesses who regularly share video content. Looking towards the end of the year, another E-mount video-focused camera is likely – although we're not expecting a new model in the A6XX range, as Sony seems to be focusing more on its popular line of vlogging cameras. 

It’s also expected that we will see the Sony A1 II before the year is out, as Sony’s current top-of-the-line camera was released three years ago and is due an update. It now has to compete with the likes of the Nikon Z8 and Z9, and the upcoming Canon EOS R1. There was initially speculation it could be released at the end of 2023 but it’s now looking like the end of 2024 is much more likely. 

There is also a very small possibility we might see something completely new, which Sony Rumors speculates could be a new RX1 full-frame compact camera – the first since 2016's RX1R II. While there is demand according to surveys conducted by Sony, it hasn't given any official statement about whether the idea will turn into anything more. But it would be nice to have an alternative to the Leica Q3!

If all (or even some) of these rumors are correct, 2024 is going to be an exciting year for Sony – which seems to be shifting more and more towards video-focussed cameras. 

Take a look at the best Sony cameras, and why not check out the best Sony lenses to make the most of them!

When I was young, before smartphones or mirrorless cameras were invented, camcorders were an essential way to record life's big events. I remember them coming out at weddings, christenings, parties, or when you (I) wanted to demonstrate my directing skills and make a home movie. For serious broadcasters, camcorders were and still are ideal for documentaries and news, as the convenience of an all-in-one device trumps having the best quality.

But to my mind, if you're a prosumer in 2023 – somewhere past a beginner but not quite a professional – having a camcorder feels like an outdated concept. After all, the best hybrid cameras can capture high-end video, the best phone for video recording will be good enough for social media, and the best cinema cameras are there for big-budget productions. 

So do camcorders still have a place? The current lineup from modern manufacturers suggests so – with Panasonic, Canon, and Sony all offering a range of options for enthusiasts. The Canon HF G70 sits at the higher end of these (sold in the Vixia range in the USA, and under the Legria sub-brand in Europe), but it's still a traditional video camera sharing many issues that have made the format fall out of favor.

If you're focused on video, the best camcorder can offer many handling benefits over the best camera for video. Camcorders typically have big built-in zooms, and because their controls, buttons, and overall design are dedicated to video recording, they make it easy to stop and start recording, zoom in and out while filming, and monitor audio levels. 

The Canon HF G70 is aimed at the sort of people who might want to record their favorite sports team, a wedding, or film a documentary for YouTube without swapping lenses or worrying too much about file types and log profiles. Its headline features include a 20x optical zoom, 5-axis image stabilization, and 4K UHD video footage, oversampled from full HD quality. Several years ago these specs would have been more impressive, but mirrorless cameras have advanced so much that they sit fairly average among camcorders at this price.

The HF G70 is Canon's flagship consumer camcorder and is called the Vixia HF G70 in North America or the Legria HF G70 in Europe. It succeeds the HF G60 released in 2019, a model beloved by a niche set of people covering events and sports, thanks to its lightweight build, easy operation, and 15x optical zoom. Canon's camcorder range is much smaller than its mirrorless cameras range, and the enthusiast 4K-capable HF G70 sits under professional models like the Canon XA65, at half the price. But given the specs on paper are very similar, what differentiates the quality, performance, and functionality of these two, and of competitors?

At just over $1,000/£1,000, the Canon HF G70 is almost double the price of rivals like the Sony FDR-AX43, and the same as capable hybrid cameras like the Fujifilm X-S20 – albeit without a lens. In this review, I'll find out who the Canon HF G70 is for, how it differs from my Canon hybrid mirrorless camera, and whether it's the right choice if you're an advanced video creator looking for a modern and capable camcorder.

Canon HF G70: What's changed?

The Canon Vixia/Legria HF G70 replaces the HF G60 that was announced in 2019. Both cameras look similar, but the new iteration gets a larger 3.5-inch LCD monitor over the previous 3-inch touchscreen. Despite this, the camcorder's overall size has been reduced in all three dimensions, and the weight drops from 953g to 740g (body-only) to make it easier to handhold or stow away.

The optical zoom has increased from 15x to 20x, and this is equivalent to a 29.3 - 601mm focal length in 35mm terms, over the previous 25.5-382.5mm. Both camcorders take the same Canon Battery Pack BP-820.

Canon HF G70: Design & Handling

The Canon HF G70 instantly reminds me of the handy cams of the 00s – in my case, the ones my parents used and I borrowed. It has a long body designed to be held with one hand and a soft adjustable strap for your right hand to clasp the body securely. There's also a tripod mount on the bottom of the camera should you want to keep it fixed, or at a desktop setup for streaming.

The larger 3.5-inch touchscreen pulls out from the body, and it can be fully tilted and flipped towards you for recording pieces to camera or vlogs – selfie videos, in other words. I found it responsive to use and could navigate settings while wearing gloves during a snap of cold weather. Being picky, I would have liked the screen to snap into place more securely so that it doesn't get folded back at the slightest bit of pressure. The HF G70 takes two SD memory cards supporting backup and relay recording, and these slots are easily accessed on the left of the body.

The HF G70 comes with a traditional lens cap as well as a hood mount with a built-in lens cap that flaps over. Both are straightforward, and the flap lets you get filming quickly. On the rear, the battery sits just below the 0.36-inch electronic viewfinder - strange if you're used to it being tucked away inside a camera – but it didn't get in the way as I'd expected.

When it comes to connectivity, there's a solo USB-C power port at the rear, which works with a mains adapter or power bank. Unlike some cameras, this means you can power up the camera with the battery attached, and charge while filming. At the front flap, there's a handy second USB-C/Thunderbolt port for connection to a laptop or PC, a mini-HDMI port for TVS – a full HDMI would have been more convenient – a remote control port and separate 3.5mm ports for a microphone and headphones.

Being a camcorder, controls are more sparse than a hybrid mirrorless camera. To the right of the viewfinder, you'll find a raised record button, a menu button, and a joystick to toggle through menus. I have two main grumbles here; the menu button itself was awkward to reach down and press, and I couldn't use the camera one-handed to change settings. When navigating through menus, I had to support the camcorder with my left hand as it rolled away from me otherwise. Up top is a zoom rocker – smooth enough at different pressures – and a small switch to toggle between Auto and Manual focus. A similarly tactile off/camera/media switch top left lets you go from recording to playback mode. This is best done with your left hand, and I did notice a delay when switching between them.

You can assign five (labeled) buttons on the Canon HF G70 with customized functions such as white balance or markers. However, there's only one record button, and as I've already described, it's around the back. This is let down if you're predominantly shooting in front of the camera, as it's almost impossible to reach from that position. The screen itself has two of these customizable buttons, and not being able to set them to record feels like an oversight for handling. Of course, if you're using the camera with a remote, or software to start and stop footage, this won't be so much of an issue.

Canon HF G70: Performance

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the footage straight out of the HF G70, but that's probably more to do with my low expectations of what an amateur camcorder can do rather than it excelling in any given area. The Canon EOS R6 is my main camera for stills and video, and while the quoted stabilization from the HF G70 is on par with that (5-axis IBIS) on paper, the real-world results didn't always match up, as my Canon RF 24-70mm zoom lens has stabilization, too. Still, the stability is a million miles better than the camcorders of old if you're shooting handheld, and I was able to wander around a Christmas market at night and still take some usable footage. Dynamic stabilization allowed fairly sharp walking shots, but I'd recommend a gimbal for professional applications like reportage or wedding videos.

In terms of subjective picture quality, the footage was noticeably muddy at night, which is to be expected given the sensor size. It's worth bearing in mind that you only get the option to shoot in an MP4 file format, with a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160 (and 25P), and it's the same for stills, only with JPG format, no RAW – making the editing of both mediums very limited. Without Canon Log you won't be able to color-match as easily with other cameras, although the custom picture menu does allow you to tailor in settings slightly. You also have to drop the resolution to 1920 x 1080 to get 50P, which limits the quality further.

As someone used to mirrorless video, at first I missed the ability to change lenses with the HF G70. However, there's no denying that the camcorder's 20x optical zoom has huge reach and versatility, especially if you're a videographer wanting catch-all coverage without any faff. I think that's the main benefit of buying it over a mirrorless or even smartphone, and the zoom motion is relatively smooth across the range – with the High Speed and Soft Zoom options working well when you want to vary the rate of focus transition for different applications. Despite Canon's claims of cinema-style bokeh with the 8-blade aperture, it wasn't as pronounced as I'd have liked.

Speaking of the Hybrid autofocus, the minimum focus distance is just 1cm at the widest end of the zoom, and 60 cm across the entire zoom range, which I found helpful for close-ups and detailed B-roll footage. It's nice to be able to focus manually using a ring on the lens, with tactile grooves aiding smooth movements. I often used the touchscreen for AF point selection, but face detection was also very usable, looking on 90% of the time for vlogs – albeit without the lightning-face eye-detection precision I'd get from Canon's mirrorless cameras. In busy street scenes or high-contrast lighting, the camera lens hunted in a way I haven't seen since using a DSLR – but when locked onto a target, it kept up admirably. It also lacked the precision to find smaller subjects; I couldn't focus on a robin at around 10x zoom, no matter how many times I tapped on the subject on the screen. For sports, the camera's autofocus will keep up at a wide angle, but you can't track the movements of fast players accurately across a football pitch, for example. 

On the Canon HF G70, you get several exposure modes to choose from; center-weighted average metering and Auto, the usual P, Av, and Tv, as well as Portrait, Sports, Low Light, and IR modes. I didn't test out these niche modes like Snow or Beach (I didn't get the opportunity, sadly) but center-weighted metering was good, with a slight tendency to overexpose in sunlight – nothing that exposure compensation or the built-in ND filters couldn't fix.

I focused more on visuals than audio during my time with the HF G70, but the stereo condenser mic did an okay job of picking up vocals and ambient sound. Although background noise was an issue If I was going to use this camcorder for paid work, I'd plonk one of the best shotgun mics on top for a better outcome.

The HF G70 ships with the Canon BP-820, but an optional (slightly bigger) BP-828 is also available separately. When recording video in UHD/25p, Canon quotes the typical battery life at around 95 minutes. Given that an hour's recording (in cold weather) saw a drop off in power by about three-quarters, I'd say this was fairly accurate. You'll want a few spares if you're planning to be out all day, but if you're shooting videos at home, rigging the camera up to a USB-C for charging means you can film as long as you want to without ever thinking about running out of juice. I've not come across a mirrorless camera with two separate USB-C ports – for charging and connecting to a computer – and this is something I'd like to see more often.

The HF G70's form factor made it incredibly easy to get run and gun footage in a city. But it's worth saying that with this camcorder, I felt much more conspicuous filming in public than I would have done with my iPhone or even with a bulky mirrorless camera. You stand out with a camcorder, even one as compact as the Canon HF G70, and that's something to bear in mind if you're after subtle footage, or you don't enjoy being looked at. If you're just going to be in your home office or studio filming video diaries, that's not a problem.

Canon HF G70: Sample video

Over a few weeks, I carried the Canon HF G70 in my bag (because it's small enough to fit in a satchel) and created dozens of clips in a range of scenarios. I shot footage indoors and outdoors in low light, outside in bright light, and under artificial LED lights while the camcorder was rigged up to my iMac – to replicate the type of setup you might have as a vlogger or YouTuber. All of these shots are handheld, using the HF G70's built-in microphone. The loud noise coming from some clips is the result of shooting near a weir.

Canon HF G70: Final Verdict

The Canon HF G70 is the right choice if you want a good-quality video camera that's easy to use straight out of the box. I can see it being popular with wedding photographers who use a DSLR or advanced mirrorless for the stills side of the day but want a dedicated camera for video only. The controls aren't perfect, but the five assignable buttons do add a decent level of customization.

Given the lack of Wi-Fi connectivity, I can't see the HF G70's interesting content creators. And as there's no serious waterproofing, it's not a great fit for outdoor filmmakers either. If you're serious about video production, hybrids like the Panasonic Lumix S5 offer interchangeable lenses, greater durability, and a myriad of different filming formats. And they also serve as excellent stills cameras, which the HF G70 isn't designed for.

The Canon HF G70 is ideal for people who want a camcorder around the $1k/£1k mark, but I still find it hard to recommend. And that's purely because Canon's enthusiast EOS R mirrorless models are so good at video and stills. Even so, the HF G70 will appeal to a lot of people – people like my parents – who are familiar with the way that a camcorder works and handles, and don't want or need extra video modes, codecs, or formats for intense editing.

Alternatives