In this post, you will find a list of the best point and shoot for video, which are great for Youtube videos and traveling.
Before you even start reading, know that you won’t find cameras here under the $400 mark, so be aware. You can check my lists of cheaper cameras by price if you are looking for more budget friendly machines.
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Our 5 Favorite Point-and-Shoot Cameras for Video
Are Point-and-Shoot Cameras Good for Video?
This depends on the type of point-and-shoot. Most cheap ones aren’t made for recording video. However, in the last few years, many brands have released pretty decent point and shoots for video recording.
These are small, compact cameras that can record in 4k, come with a fast lens that helps with low-light recording, and most of them come with stabilization, which results in a smooth video.
Most of them don’t come with external microphone jack or flip screen. But, thankfully, vlogging has become more popular and the best brands have started releasing good vlogging compact cameras that have everything most filmmakers would want.
Is a Point-and-Shoot Camera Good for Vlogging?
Most point-and-shoot cameras that are good for video, are also good for vlogging. However, there are some particular models that are specifically made for recording vlogs. These are the ones you should stick to if you’re a vlogger. We’ll list them below.
For a P&S camera to be good for vlogging, it should have all of the following:
- Flip Screen
- In-body or optical stabilization
- Good eye-tracking autofocus
- Good audio recording or an external microphone input
Best Point-and-Shoot Cameras for Vlogging
Sony ZV-1
The Good
- 4k recording
- All the features for vlogging in a small size
The Bad
- Pricey for a compact
The Sony ZV-1 is not only the best point-and-shoot for vlogging, but also for video in general.
It’s a tiny camera that can record 4k at 30 fps and 1080p at 60 fps. But the resolution isn’t the main reason why this is a great compact for video.
It comes with a fast f/1.8 lens with stabilization. Add a flip-out touchscreen, excellent eye-tracking autofocus, a directional microphone, and an external mic jack, and you have the best competitor on the market right now.
The camera also comes with a button they call a “background defocus switch”, which will prioritize lens aperture to get a more intense Bokeh. It’s still a small sensor, so the Bokeh won’t be nearly as good as a mirrorless camera, but it’s a beginner-friendly feature that most vloggers will like.
The only disadvantage is that you can’t change the lens, but that’s the norm in all point-and-shoot cameras. If you’re looking for a good small camera for video, you can’t go wrong with the Sony ZV-1.
Canon Powershot G7 X Mark III
The Good
- High-quality lens
- Excellent image stabilization
- Great autofocus
- Small and lightweight
The Bad
- No external mic port
- There are cheaper cameras with 4k
The Canon G7 X lineup has been one of the favorites among YouTubers. This is due to the fact that they have very vlogging-friendly features.
Now, the G7 X Mark III has improved this model and made it even better.
This camera has everything you would want in a vlog camera. Its autofocus is incredibly fast and accurate. It really is on point and doesn’t lose its focus point easily when you’re moving around.
But my favorite feature is its lens. The camera comes with a high-quality lens that could be priced for much more than what this whole camera costs.
It is a f/1.8 24-100mm lens that gives you all the focal length ranges you will find useful for vlogging and it has optical image stabilization.
Its f/1.8 aperture lens can give you the blurry background effect we all like, and combined with its 1-inch sensor, it gives the camera good performance in low light when compared to most compact cameras.
Finally, it has a flip-up touchscreen that you can use to change the focus point while recording.
It also includes a time-lapse video feature you can use to record the videos that YouTubers like Casey Neistat made famous.
This is the camera I recommend for those who want a vlogging camera they can use during the night and day without losing image quality. It is the definition of a camera for vlogging.
Panasonic LX10 – Affordable 4k Recording
The Good
- Most luminous lens at wide focal length
- 4k Recording
- Relatively low price
The Bad
- Unreliable autofocus
- Slightly shaky stabilization
The Panasonic LX10 is the third option of the top compact cameras you can choose for vlogging. It is also the cheapest option between the very best, so you can expect that it can perform a little bit worse in some ways, but the price difference makes it worth it.
To start with the good things, you can expect a faster lens at wide, with the f/1.4 maximum aperture. This is an amazing lens for low light and it’s without any doubt, the best feature about this camera.
And this is saying a lot because we’re talking about a camera that can also record 4k video, something that even the popular G7 X cannot do.
However, some of the good things about having a fast lens get lost since you can’t rely on this camera’s autofocus. It often loses its focus subject, so you should probably use the manual focus mode and close the lens aperture, which won’t allow you to achieve the blurry background effect you might love.
As for the rest, it is a light, pocketable camera with top-quality recording quality and a flip-up screen.
It is a good tradeoff for the price, and it’s the reason why this camera is still at least the top 3 choice between compact vlogging cameras.
Read the full review: Panasonic LX10
More Point-and-Shoot Cameras for Video
These are point-and-shoot cameras that weren’t made specifically for video blogging. Most of these lack a flip screen and external mic port, but can record outstanding video.
Sony RX100 VII
The Good
- High-quality lens
- Excellent image stabilization
- Great autofocus
- EVF and flash for photography
The Bad
- No flip screen
The RX100 VII is a great camera for video, but it also has more features for photography than the cameras above.
For starters, it has an electronic viewfinder, flash, and burst speeds of 20 fps. These are vital for most photographers, but its video capacity is also great.
It can record 4k at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps and has an external mic input. Although, unlike the ZV-1, it lacks the flip screen and the lens is not as fast with the minimum f/2.8 aperture.
As with every late Sony camera, its autofocus is fast and reliable. This is one of the main reasons it’s included in this list.
This is a good camera that offers what photographers want, but that can also record good and smooth video.
Sony RX100 VA – Best Video Quality
The Good
- Flip screen
- Great lens quality
- 4k video recording
The Bad
- No touchscreen
- No external mic jack
If you’re willing to pay more than what you need to spend on a G7 X MII, the best option will probably be a Sony RX100 VA.
This camera is extremely small for all that it can achieve. It’s even lighter than the G7X, and has more features (although it lacks a touchscreen).
The Sony RX100 cameras have been the favorite choice between professional photographers and filmmakers for quite some time now.
Each one of its versions has offered a great deal to them since they’re basically a professional camera in a very small body.
Its fully manual mode, RAW shooting, high-quality lens, incredibly fast continuous shooting, and 4k video recording have made it a really good option for demanding people that are tired of carrying heavy gear around.
Colors with this camera feel more real than with the G7 X, and it has incredible ultra slow-motion modes with a really high-quality lens and optical IS.
However, it still lacks the external mic jack, which is another disadvantage compared to the Mark VII. But take into account that this one is a lot cheaper.
Canon Powershot G9 X Mark II
The Good
- Really close to the G7X’s lens quality
- Good low-light performance
- Good price and lightweight
The Bad
- No flip screen
- No 4k recording
This camera is similar to the G7 X, and we could even say that it’s a tuned-down version. So expect a cheaper price and just a few missing features, but it is still a good option if you don’t have a big budget.
It comes with a high-quality lens, with f/2 aperture, touchscreen, and even a time-lapse video recording feature.
It’s the option to go for if you’re really worried about low-light performance and don’t care about a flip screen or a viewfinder, and have a relatively small limit on how much you can spend.
You will basically give up a flip-out screen and have to handle shorter battery life and smaller zoom for a cheaper price, but it’s still useful for video.
Sony DSCHX90 – Best Cheap Compact for Vlogging
The Good
- Has the basic features for vlogging
- Good image quality
- Affordable price
The Bad
- Not so good in low light
- No 4k recording
This camera is not the cheapest in the market, but it might the cheapest option if you want to go for “one of the top cameras”. However, the first thing you will notice is that it doesn’t have a flip screen, but the camera compensates it in other features.
The Sony DSCHX90 is one good camera that truly gives you just what’s necessary for vlogging, but it adds a little bit extra quality, especially for low light.
It isn’t expensive and has autofocus and 5-axis image stabilization. It also has a flip-up screen, although it isn’t a touchscreen.
Its performance in low light isn’t even close to the G7X M II’s because it has a lower quality f/3.5 lens and smaller sensor. It doesn’t give you as good blurry background effect as the Canon camera. But considering their price difference, this is still a fair deal, especially because it comes with a flip screen.
It can record up to 1080p60 and you can download apps if you want to add functions like time-lapse to your camera.
This Sony camera’s quality is just great even in low light, and it all comes for a bargain price.
You might be interested in: Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras
Conclusion
I’ll just tell you that getting a high-end small camera for vlogging is well worth it. These are perfect to have for this kind of job. It’s not fun at all to carry a heavy gear around just to get a cinematic feeling.
In fact, believing you can’t achieve this result with a compact camera is a ridiculous myth.
It really is worth being able to take your camera out wherever you are and start recording. This is how the best videos are done; you don’t know when inspiration is going to hit you.
The compacts you’ll see here are all good for video blogging — with even better recording quality than some DSLRs. And still, some of them do have many incredible features that are really good for a professional photographer or filmmaker. You do not need to get the most expensive camera if you just want to vlog.
The cameras I chose for this list are especially good for this job, and they are often bought by established vloggers. Especially the first 3 cameras.
These three cameras have all you’d want for vlogging: a good quality lens for low light, OIS, good recording quality, and the treasured flip screen.
This is why these three cameras are featured in all of my top vlogging camera lists.
After choosing one of these, you can go for a windshield for your camera to improve its sound quality, or even better, get an external recorder and a good mic to improve your audio.
You’ll be ready to go and start creating awesome content for your channel. Now is when creativity will take its part.
Hope this was helpful. Let me know any questions you have.
Good luck!
Will has been a full-time content creator since 2014. He’s an audio, video, and tech hobbyist dedicated to reviewing products and giving you the best tips he knows to grow your audience.