The best camera for video in 2024: find the best model for you (2024)

If you ask a professional or any camera expert about which is the best camera for video, you'll probably get a different answer every time. It all comes down to what you want to use it for. The best camera for streaming won't be the same as a camera you'd choose for shooting a movie, your next vacation, or for launching your career as an influencer!

This guide is for anyone just starting out in video that doesn't know what camera to get. If you already know what you're looking for, you can jump straight to our dedicated buying guides to the best camcorders, the best cameras for filmmaking, the best action cameras, and more.

Here at Digital Camera World our experts have tested and reviewed a huge range of camera types and price points. We will walk you through all the options available, whether it's a camera phone, mirrorless camera, or one of the best cinema cameras – and tell you our favorites. They all shoot video in completely different ways and some are much better all-rounders than others, so if you want to take pictures too it's worth keeping that in mind.

Video doesn't have to be difficult, so don't be put off by all the accessories, technical terms, or complex-sounding techniques. Remember, your first project doesn't have to be a masterpiece, the more you do, the more you'll learn…

Best camera for video: our top picks

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Best camera for video in 2024

Best overall

Mirrorless cameras are the most popular choice for serious video shooting – offering you an interchangeable lens system that means you can pick the right lens for what you are shooting.

The Panasonic Lumix S5 II is our top pick for videographers - but its full-frame sensor make it a great camera for shooting stills too. It builds on the original Lumix S5’s tough compact frame, class-leading 5-axis in-body image stabilization, and excellent color science.

For our review team, the most significant new addition is a Phase Hybrid autofocus system that combines PDAF with Contrast Detect AF to provide 779-area metering. The S5 series was always a favorite of ours but this newer model is now much, much better at getting the focus right on low-light and moving subjects.

We were also impressed that the Lumix S5 II gives you truly unlimited 4K/60p 4:2:2 10-bit recording internally - and FHD/180p for slow motion effects- making it a highly versatile camera for content production. And at $2500/£2000, we think the Lumix S5 II is astonishingly good value for money.

Read our full Panasonic Lumix S5 II review for more details

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Best action camera

Action cams are one of the simplest ways to get into video. There’s almost nothing to know. Apart from a handful of basic settings for the video resolution and frame rate, you just press a button to record and press it again to stop. What action cams lack in finesse they make up for in immediacy, impact, and their bulletproof go-anywhere attitude – and one name stands above all the others: GoPro.

It looks very similar to earlier GoPros but what we love is that it has an 8:7 - that makes it much easier to edit your videos for vertical TikTok use, as well as for standard 16:9 platforms. What's more it produces stunning 5.3K video, and 27MP stills.

There is a more recent GoPro Hero 12 Black - but we don't recommend this as not only is it more expensive, it also has stripped out the GPS feature, which is great of adding things such as a speedometer display in post production

If you shoot a lot of slow motion, it can record at 240fps in 2.7K making it perfect for those smooth action shots. This is hands down the best GoPro on the market - but its fixed lens means it does not give you the range of angles of view of alternative video cameras.

Read our full GoPro Hero 11 Black review for more details

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Best for aerial video

The DJI Mini 3 is one of the best sub-250g camera drones - and the first to come with collision sensors as found in some of the more expensive models - making it easier to fly than many of its rivals. We also love that it includes a new camera gimbal capable of turning to capture images in portrait orientation (handy for TikTok).

The new 'DJI RC' remote is also now available, allowing customers to use the remote's built-in screen rather than connecting via their phone. Choose from heavier batteries with longer fly time (although this will make the drone heavier) or stick to the classic batteries that ensure it weighs below that magic number.

With all the added benefits that come with the DJI Mini 3 Pro, it is considerably more expensive than previous models so if you're on a budget we suggest considering the DJI Mini 3, which offers stunning image and video quality but lacks sensors and pilot assist.

Read our full DJI Mini 3 Pro review for more details

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Best for 360 video

This is another variation of the action cam design that takes video into whole new areas. 360 cameras are essentially two 180-degree cameras fixed back to back that film simultaneously – and the camera merges both sets of images in real-time to produce seamless 360-degree ‘spherical’ footage. It’s amazing and disorientating at the same time. It doesn’t matter where you point the camera (!) because it captures everything around you.

Viewers can look around the full 360 scene in 360 viewers (YouTube can do this). More usefully you can edit the video to produce a regular ‘flat’ movie where you can pan the camera and control where it’s pointing as you edit the movie; this feature is brilliant for single-camera productions, allowing you to present to camera and also show what you are looking out.

Our favorite 360 camera right now for new users is the Insta360 One X2, which we love as it small enough to fit in a shirt pocket.

Read our full Insta360 ONE X2 review for more details

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Most versatile camera

In our field test, I found that Fujifilm X-S20 is the perfect camera for most people. I love its very straightforward controls, excellent fully automatic modes, it’s small and compact size, and its deceptively powerful processor capable of 6K video and subject recognition tracking. Photo enthusiasts, content creators, and vloggers will find a lot to love - making it such a great all-round choice.

The price is a little higher than the previous version, which might put some people off, although, for the cost, you are getting a considerably capable mirrorless camera that is more than enough for most users’ needs.

Read our Fujifilm X-S20 review to find out more

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Best phone for video

You don't have to invest in a dedicated video camera to shoot great video. Like other flagship smartphones, the iPhone 14 Pro can shoot incredibly well-stabilized 4K video of a quality that's perfect for vlogging and even indie filmmaking.

And if you mostly shoot video for social media, a camera phone makes recording, uploading, and sharing content very efficiently.The iPhone 14 Pro is one of the best. We found the macro mode really usefu - and we noticed an improvement to low-light shooting with the ultra-wide camera.

New picture styles are worth experimenting with, while the Cinematic video mode is a clever feature and nice to have if you're a budding movie-maker. As for camera hardware, Apple has gone for a quadruple-lens setup on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Max which include a 48MP 24mm f/1.7 lens, and an ultra-wide 12MP 13mm f/1.78 lens, a 2x telephoto 48mm f/1.78 lens and finally a 12MP 3x telephoto 77mm f/2.8 lens. But it does lack the longer lenses of some its rivals, including the more recent (and more expensive) iPhone 15 Pro.

Read our full Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max review | Best phones for video

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Best for live streaming

Streaming is become an increaingly popular way shoot and share video. 'Streaming', whether it's to Facebook or YouTube or some other video-sharing platform, is sharing video live, as you shoot it, whether that's out in the field or in front of your computer hooked up to a camera.

Streaming from a phone is the simplest solution, but if you want a proper camera that's easy to carry around, the PowerShot G7 X Mark III is ideal. It was also the first camera of its kind with a microphone input – vital if you want clean audio, not to mention the ability to Livestream straight to YouTube.

This means that even if you’ve got an expensive cinema camera if you also have a G7 X Mark III you can create a fuss-free live setup without any expensive capture cards and a PC.And unlike with mirrorless cameras, the zoom lens is built-in - offering a 4x zoom range at no additional cost.

With its flip-out screen, the G7 X III also gives vloggers a clear view of themselves when they shoot, and thanks to its 20.1MP 1-inch stacked CMOS sensor and DIGIC 8 processor it’s also able to capture great stills, so your custom thumbnails can pop nicely.

Read our full Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III review for more details | Best cameras for streaming

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Best camcorder

Camcorders peaked in popularity in the 1990s, but it is a mistake to think they don't have their advantages for videomaking in the modern era. Unlike mobile phones or mirrorless cameras, camcorders have huge built-in zooms - making them great for shooting sport, wildlife and current affairs. What's more they are designed for the needs of the moviemaker - so the electronic viewfinder and the screen fall naturally to your eye and eyeline.

The Canon HF G70 is one of the best camcorders around right now with an impressive 20x zoom that will take you from 29mm wideangle to 600mm telephoto using the motorized rocker switch so you can frame up each shot as tightly as you need it.

Read our fullCanon Vixia / Legria HF G70 review

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How we test the best video cameras

We test cameras both in real-world shooting scenarios and, for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, in carefully controlled lab conditions. Our team of reviewers have tested hundreds of different cameras, of different types - and for us we are looking for great looking video footage, something that is designed well so that its features can be used easily, and something that offers good value compared to its rivals. Our lab tests measure resolution, dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio. Resolution is measured using ISO resolution charts, dynamic range is measured using DxO Analyzer test equipment and DxO Analyzer is also used for noise analysis across the camera's ISO range. We use both real-world testing and lab results to inform our comments in buying guides. Action cameras, phones, compacts and camcorders are assessed using our field tests alone, but footage is assessed by our expert reviewers in a variety of different lighting conditions.

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Frequently asked questions

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