So you’re on the lookout for a camera to film youtube videos but without paying an absolute fortune. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best vlogging cameras under $300.
We’ve picked out some of the best cameras available on a budget that still give you the best features you would want when it comes to using it for youtube. We’ll also tell you exactly why it’s a good camera for the budget, so you can be sure you’re making the right choice.
Sony W800
This camera is great for those of you really on a tight budget and comes in at under $100 at the moment making it one of the cheapest cameras for youtube. We’ve put this camera into our list because although it’s quite cheap it still manages to record at 720p, which is probably the minimum quality you would want to upload your videos in to youtube. Anything lower than that is almost too low quality to really have an impact, so the 720p is a good starting point.
The Sony W800 also has pretty simple controls so you won’t have to read a huge manual to figure out how to use this camera. You should be able to turn it on, stick it on movie mode and start shooting.
Image stabilization is also one of the main features of this camera that made it one of our better choices for vlogging. Although it won’t be the highest of quality image stabilization, any is better than none so it gets another plus point for that reason.
- MP Super HAD CCD sensor for beautifully detailed images. Blink Detection
- Sony Lens w/ 5x Optical Zoom and 360 sweep panorama
- Reduced blur with SteadyShot Image stabilization.Recording Format:Still Images: JPEG , Movie: AVI (Motion JPEG)
- Capture your videos in 720p HD Movie mode
- Simplify camera menu with Easy Mode; Digital Zoom- Still images: 20M approx.10x, 10M approx.7.1x, 5M approx.9.9x, VGA approx.40x, 2M(16:9) approx.13x, Movies: Digital Zoom approx. 10x (*1)
Sony DSC-W830
Similar to the Sony W800 listed above is the W830 model which has 20.1 megapixels which is great for photos should you wish to take photos with your camera as well as shoot video as we know many vloggers also run blogs too, so having the ability to shoot both on the one camera is a great benefit.
Video quality is captured at 720p which we think is probably the minimum quality you should be aiming for when shooting your vlogs. Anything below is almost too dated for the demand of viewers to enjoy these days.
This is an incredibly easy camera to use and also features in built stabilization making it great for hand held shooting when out and about and is a bargain for anyone looking to start filming youtube videos.
Nikon COOLPIX B500
Although a little bit bigger than most cameras and probably not the best for portability this Nikon Coolpix B500 makes our list for having some fantastic features for the price tag.
With the ability to shoot 1080p video at 30fps this is the ideal camera for those looking for high quality video capture at a more budget friendly price tag. This camera also has built in wi-fi, bluetooth and NFC allowing you to quickly share footage from your camera to your phone or laptop without the need for cables.
The B500 also uses AA batteries which means that should you need to carry back up batteries they will be pretty cheap and available easily should an emergency crop up if travelling or out and about.
- 16 megapixel 1/2.3 inches BSI CMOS sensor
- Nikkor f/3.0 6.5 millimeter ED lens
- 22.5 900 millimeter (35 millimeter equivalent)
- 40x optical zoom lens, 80x dynamic zoom
- 3 inches 921k dot tilting Lcd. Highest ISO sensitivity: 6400
Canon PowerShot SX720 HS
Another fantastic camera for youtube that costs less than $300 at the time of writing is the Canon Powershot SX720HS which we’ve written a full post about.
Some of the best features of this camera include the fact that it’s lightweight making it great for throwing in your bag should you want to vlog on your travels or outdoors.
The camera can shoot full 1080p video at 24,30 and 60fps making it great for editing should you want to create more engaging videos through the use of slow motion shots or more cinematic video.
As with almost all canon cameras of the last few years this one has great focus abilities allowing you to be sure that you’re sharp when filming. With built in face detection included in this camera it should do a pretty good job at keeping the important parts in focus.
- Powerful 40x Optical Zoom with Intelligent IS helps optimize image stabilization for virtually shake free images
- Built in WiFi and NFC allows for easy sharing and transferring of images and videos
- 20.3 Megapixel CMOS sensor with DIGIC 6 Image Processor helps deliver stunning image quality even in low light
- Capture spectacular 1080p Full HD video at 60p with stereo sound
- Large 3.0 inch LCD (approx. 922,000 dots) allows easy viewing even from a wide angle
So there you have some great cameras for youtube that cost less than $300 at the time of writing. We’ll be constantly updating this list as prices drop on some camera models, so keep checking back if none of these listed above fit your needs.
If you want to check out a wider range of cameras then look at our list of best cameras for vlogging for more information.