Choosing a camera to use for vlogging can often be a difficult task with so many different choices available and with all the various resolutions of video quality on offer now it’s easy to get confused especially when it comes to choosing the best 4K vlogging camera.
But we’re guessing you’ve found your way here because you’re looking for your next camera investment to have 4K recording capabilities.
Fear not, we’ve got you covered. In this post we’re going to round up all the best 4K cameras on offer at the time of writing to help you get the best bang for your buck and really improve your video quality to make you stand out from the rest of the vloggers on youtube.
Best 4K Vlogging Cameras 2018
PANASONIC LUMIX LX10
- POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERA: Large, 1-inch 20.1-megapixel MOS sensor plus 3X zoom LEICA DC VARIO-SU millimeter ILUX lens (24-72 millimeter) and POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) delivers brighter, more colorful photos with fewer image artifacts
- TILTING SELFIE DISPLAY: Rear touch-enabled 3-inch LCD display (1040K dots) tilts upward 180 degree for easy selfie photos
- 4K VIDEO CAPTURE: 4K QFHD video recording (3840 x 2160), plus exclusive LUMIX 4K photo and 4K Post Focus with internal Focus Stacking allows you to record photos up to 30fps and set your desired focus points after the photo has been taken
- LENS-MOUNTED CONTROL RING: Manual lens-mounted control ring brings DSLR-like exposure control to a compact point-and-shoot camera body
- USB CHARGING AND WI-FI CONNECTIVITY: Enjoy travel ready technologies like USB charging and Wi-Fi connectivity to your mobile device; micro-HDMI type D (3) and USB 2.0 micro-B provide additional connectivity to your favorite devices
First up we have the Panasonic Lumix LX10 which is a compact camera with some impressive specs packed inside. The fact that it’s a compact camera is a great start as this makes it a hell of a lot easier to carry around should you be vlogging outside as well as strapping it to your tripod in your room.
Obviously given the title of this blog post it has 4K video recording capabilties meaning that you’re going to get the best video quality available on consumer level cameras at the moment and give you that one step ahead of other vloggers in 2018.
Paired with the aperture range of f1.4 – 2.8 you can be safe knowing that this camera will perform well in low light conditions thanks to that nice wide 1.4 aperture, which basically means how much light the lens lets into the sensor.
The LX10 also features a flip up screen letting you see exactly what you’re filming should you be standing in front of the camera holding it at arms length to record yourself.
If you’re looking to film so slow motion b-roll then you can capture up to 120fps in Full HD quality which can then be slowed down to give that buttery smooth cinematic look that has become so popular with some of the bigger youtubers at the moment.
- POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERA: Large, 1-inch 20.1-megapixel MOS sensor plus 3X zoom LEICA DC VARIO-SU millimeter ILUX lens (24-72 millimeter) and POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) delivers brighter, more colorful photos with fewer image artifacts
- TILTING SELFIE DISPLAY: Rear touch-enabled 3-inch LCD display (1040K dots) tilts upward 180 degree for easy selfie photos
- 4K VIDEO CAPTURE: 4K QFHD video recording (3840 x 2160), plus exclusive LUMIX 4K photo and 4K Post Focus with internal Focus Stacking allows you to record photos up to 30fps and set your desired focus points after the photo has been taken
- LENS-MOUNTED CONTROL RING: Manual lens-mounted control ring brings DSLR-like exposure control to a compact point-and-shoot camera body
- USB CHARGING AND WI-FI CONNECTIVITY: Enjoy travel ready technologies like USB charging and Wi-Fi connectivity to your mobile device; micro-HDMI type D (3) and USB 2.0 micro-B provide additional connectivity to your favorite devices
Sony Alpha a6300
- FASTER AUTOFOCUS: Shoot up to 11fps with 425 phase detection auto focus points and 0.05 sec AF speed
- INCREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHY: Advanced 24.2 MP Exmore CMOS sensor expands sensitivity and minimizes noise
- ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER: Cameras feature a high resolution XGA OLED Tru-Finder for enhanced viewing
- 4K & HD RECORDING: Record professional content with multiple movie functions and full pixel readout
- LENS INCLUDED: Sony E-Mount 16-50 mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS retractable zoom lens shoots in stunning detail
For any vlogger it’s important to have great video quality and in 2018 having 1080p footage is what I would consider at least the minimum that a video should be shot in. Nobody wants to watch grainy videos unless your content is mind blowing, but usually first impressions count for a lot and if your video quality isn’t up to scratch then people will click off and probably won’t return.
The Sony A6300 shoots at 4K and 1080p in a variety of framerates giving you excellent abilities to capture cinematic style clips in 24fps right up to 120fps second which can allow you to really slow the video footage down in your editing software for beautiful slow-mo shots.
This feature may be completely redundant to a lot of readers, but the A6300 gives you the opportunity to shoot in an S-Log profile opens a wide range of abilities to those who like to color correct their footage in software like Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro in post production.
S-Log will let you shoot in what’s also known as a “flat” picture profile which when you first see it looks extremely washed out, but it actually lets you do much more with your video in editing. It allows you to keep a lot more information and detail in the highlights without losing the details in the shadows, something that often is lost when you have to underexpose to keep the highlights from being blown out.
For the price this is a truly excellent camera and deserves its spot on our list of best options for 4K vlogging cameras.
- FASTER AUTOFOCUS: Shoot up to 11fps with 425 phase detection auto focus points and 0.05 sec AF speed
- INCREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHY: Advanced 24.2 MP Exmore CMOS sensor expands sensitivity and minimizes noise
- ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER: Cameras feature a high resolution XGA OLED Tru-Finder for enhanced viewing
- 4K & HD RECORDING: Record professional content with multiple movie functions and full pixel readout
- LENS INCLUDED: Sony E-Mount 16-50 mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS retractable zoom lens shoots in stunning detail
Panasonic Lumix G7
- Professional photo and video: Performance: 16 megapixel micro four thirds sensor with no low pass filter to confidently capture sharp images with a high dynamic range and artifact free performance; Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11b/g/n, 2412 MHz, 2462 MHz (1 11 ch), Wi Fi / WPA / WPA2, Infrastructure mode
- 4K video Capture: 4K QFHD video recording (3840 x 2160) with 3 unique 4K ultra HD video pause and save 4K photo modes extracts individual high resolution Photos from 4K ultra HD video filmed at 30 frames per second to capture split second moments
- Intuitive Controls: Easily control aperture and shutter settings with the front and rear dials while making White balance and ISO adjustments on the fly; Assign favorite settings to any of the six function buttons (six on body, five on menu)
- High Resolution Viewfinder and LCD Display: High resolution (2,360K dot) OLED live view finder and rear touch Enabled 3 inch tilt/swivel LCD display (1,040 dot) are clear even in bright sunlight. Diagonal Angle of View: 75°（Ｗ）29°（Ｔ）
- Connectivity and Ports: 3.5 millimeter external mic port, 2.5 millimeter remote port, USB 2.0 and micro HDMI Type D; Compatible with newer BUS Class UHS I/UHS II SDXC/SDHC SD cards capable of storing high resolution 4K videos
Coming in at less than £/$600 including a lens, this mirrorless camera is capable of shooting video up to a maximum quality of 4K, which makes it one of the only cameras currently in that price range that have that ability at the moment.
Smaller than your average sized DSLR, the Panasonic G7 is relatively lightweight allowing for easy portability for those who like to attach their camera to something like the Gorillapod and vlog on the move. Weighing in at 542g (0.9lbs) including the battery and the kit lens, this is almost half the weight of other cameras like the Canon 80D which we’ve reviewed earlier.
Another major benefit of the Panasonic G7 is the fact that it has a fully articulating swivel screen which means that you can see yourself as you’re recording. This is one of the most sought after features of a vlogging camera as it can be quite important to make that you are still in focus or even in frame if recording handheld.
An external microphone port lives on the left side of the G7 allowing you to plug in external microphones to improve your audio recording quality through a rode videomic or something similar that can be attached to the hot shoe slot on top.
You won’t find a camera with this many features at such a low price level at the moment and it really is one of my favourites on the list and on the market at the moment.
- Professional photo and video: Performance: 16 megapixel micro four thirds sensor with no low pass filter to confidently capture sharp images with a high dynamic range and artifact free performance; Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11b/g/n, 2412 MHz, 2462 MHz (1 11 ch), Wi Fi / WPA / WPA2, Infrastructure mode
- 4K video Capture: 4K QFHD video recording (3840 x 2160) with 3 unique 4K ultra HD video pause and save 4K photo modes extracts individual high resolution Photos from 4K ultra HD video filmed at 30 frames per second to capture split second moments
- Intuitive Controls: Easily control aperture and shutter settings with the front and rear dials while making White balance and ISO adjustments on the fly; Assign favorite settings to any of the six function buttons (six on body, five on menu)
- High Resolution Viewfinder and LCD Display: High resolution (2,360K dot) OLED live view finder and rear touch Enabled 3 inch tilt/swivel LCD display (1,040 dot) are clear even in bright sunlight. Diagonal Angle of View: 75°（Ｗ）29°（Ｔ）
- Connectivity and Ports: 3.5 millimeter external mic port, 2.5 millimeter remote port, USB 2.0 and micro HDMI Type D; Compatible with newer BUS Class UHS I/UHS II SDXC/SDHC SD cards capable of storing high resolution 4K videos
Sony RX100 V
- ELECTRONIC VIEW FINDER: retractable Tru-Finder EVF provides sharp resolution, bright self-illumination, and high contrast to view shots and adjust settings through a ZEISS T* coated eyepiece.
- AUTO FOCUS: World’s fastest (0.05 sec.) hybrid AF system (contrast + phase) which is great for action and wildlife photography
- AF DETECTION: The most comprehensive phase detection coverage in a compact camera utilizing 315 Auto Focus points
- SHOOTING SPEED: World’s fastest continuous shooting speed at 24fps3 w/ autofocus and auto exposure tracking to ensure exceptional high-speed photography
- IMAGE SENSOR: 20.1 megapixel 1" Exmor RS stacked back illuminated CMOS sensor w/ DRAM for outstanding image quality and continuous shooting.Battery life(still images)(CIPA):Up to 330 shots / 165 minutes
One of our top picks would be the latest model of the Sony RX100, the mark five and there are plenty of reasons why this one comes out on top. The Mark V is one of the only compact cameras that can shoot in the highest resolution currently available of 4K. There are currently very few cameras that record at that level and to have that ability in a camera so small.
TheRX100 V also has incredibly accurate and fast autofocus and has built in face detection unlike the previous models that only used contrast detection autofocus.
Another great feature of this camera is the slow-mo capabilities. This camera is fantastic for slow motion footage, although this can eat through your battery pretty quickly if you are shooting a lot of it.
The RX100 doesn’t let you change lenses which is also a major time saver if you don’t want the hassle of having to mess around with lens changes in order to get your shot, although this only has a zoom of 24-70mm, so if you’re looking to shoot telephoto, then maybe you’re better looking at some alternatives.
- ELECTRONIC VIEW FINDER: retractable Tru-Finder EVF provides sharp resolution, bright self-illumination, and high contrast to view shots and adjust settings through a ZEISS T* coated eyepiece.
- AUTO FOCUS: World’s fastest (0.05 sec.) hybrid AF system (contrast + phase) which is great for action and wildlife photography
- AF DETECTION: The most comprehensive phase detection coverage in a compact camera utilizing 315 Auto Focus points
- SHOOTING SPEED: World’s fastest continuous shooting speed at 24fps3 w/ autofocus and auto exposure tracking to ensure exceptional high-speed photography
- IMAGE SENSOR: 20.1 megapixel 1" Exmor RS stacked back illuminated CMOS sensor w/ DRAM for outstanding image quality and continuous shooting.Battery life(still images)(CIPA):Up to 330 shots / 165 minutes
So there you have just some of our top pick cameras that can record in 4K for shooting youtube videos. If these don’t tick the boxes for you then don’t forget to check out our roundup of the best vlogging cameras available for more choice.
As always if you have any questions then don’t forget to leave them in the comments below and I’ll do my best to help.
