Vlogging, or video blogging, has become a popular, interactive past-time—and lucrative career—for the youth and young-at-heart. While there sure has been a significant increase in vloggers in the past year, many are still hoping to jump on the bandwagon but are wary about spending too much on high-end vlogging cameras.
Believe it or not, you don’t necessarily have to buy an expensive mirrorless or DSLR camera to start vlogging. Let’s check out some of the best vlogging cameras that you can get with just $100 (and change)!
Best Vlogging Cameras Under $100
Here is our short list of compact digital cameras that can help you produce impressive, high-quality videos for your vlogs. Once you start getting serious about vlogging and would like to improve your video quality output, you can decide to upgrade and make any of these your back-up/second camera.
Nikon COOLPIX A10
Adorama Price:
First in our short list of the best affordable vlogging cameras is the Nikon COOLPIX A10. It’s one of the cheapest models from the COOLPIX line, but vloggers can truly benefit from its 16.1MP CCD sensor and 720p HD video recording capability. The built-in NIKKOR lens allows up to 5x optical zoom, so you can zoom in on faraway subjects without compromising image and video quality.
The camera also offers 15 different scene modes and a scene auto-selection feature so you (or your camera) can choose the best setting that fits any shooting situation. But what really makes it ideal for vlogging is its Electronic Vibration Reduction feature, which applies to both picture taking and video recording modes, so you always get sharp photos and smooth videos.
Key Specifications:
- 1/2.3in CCD Sensor
- NIKKOR 26-130mm f/3.2-6.5 Lens (35mm Equivalent)
- 5x Optical Zoom, 4x Digital Zoom
- 16MP Photos / 720p HD Videos
- 80-1600 ISO Range
- 2.7in 230k-Dot TFT LCD Display
- Electronic Vibration Reduction
Kodak PIXPRO FZ53
Adorama Price:
Another compact digital camera option for vlogging is the Kodak PIXPRO FZ53. Aside from the fact that it comes in two colors—classic black for blending in and dark red for more adventurous users—it weighs only 106g and makes for a versatile choice that fits right into your pocket. As for its specs, it features a 16MP CCD image sensor that’s capable of capturing high-resolution 16MP images (even at its maximum ISO of 1600) and 720p HD videos at 30fps.
Of course, it is also equipped with an effective Optical Image Stabilization feature—a must-have feature for vlogging cameras in order to record blur-free videos. Furthermore, it has 21 Scene Modes for a wide range of shooting situations, up to 30x total zoom, a large 2.7-inch LCD monitor, and many more.
Key Specifications:
- 1/2.3in CCD Sensor
- 28-140mm f/3.9-6.3 Zoom Lens (35mm Equivalent)
- 5x Optical, 6x Digital, 30x Total Zoom
- 16.2MP Photos / 720p HD Video Recording at 30fps
- 80-1600 ISO Range
- 2.7in 230k-dot LCD Monitor
- Optical Image Stabilization
YI Action Camera
Adorama Price:
The Yi Action Camera is the smallest and the most affordable product on this list, but you’ll be surprised at how it can produce the highest quality videos currently possible among cameras in this price range. Equipped with a single-chip Sony Exmor R CMOS sensor, this baby can produce 1080p Full HD videos at up to 60fps. It also takes pictures at a fairly decent resolution of 16MP and saves up to 64GB of media to a microSD/HC/XC memory card.
What makes it even more ideal for vlogging is its 155-degree ultra-wide camera lens, which is great for capturing a wider scene, and it’s easy mountable on any surface or grips. This set on Adorama already includes a selfie stick and a Bluetooth remote, so you can film yourself and operate the camera without using your hands.
Key Specifications:
- Sony Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor
- 155-Degree Ultra-Wide Lens
- 16MP Photo Resolution
- 1080p Full HD Videos up to 60fps / 720p Videos at 120fps
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connectivity
- Optional microSD Storage
Canon PowerShot ELPH 180
Adorama Price:
This one is for the Canon lovers out there. The ELPH 180 is one of the cheapest cameras you can buy from the brand and is quite popular among many new vloggers—no wonder it’s already gone a little past $100. If you’re willing to add just a few more dollars, you get a camera with a 20MP CCD image sensor, a zoom lens that offers up to 8x optical zoom, and a matching digital image stabilization system.
The ELPH 180 can only produce HD videos with a maximum resolution of 720p at 25fps, but you can be assured of great quality results that many expect from a Canon camera. It also features a 2.7-inch rear LCD monitor with a 230k-dot resolution for easy framing and previewing of captured media. If you also like taking pictures, this camera doubles as a great photography camera.
Key Specifications:
- 1/2.3in CCD Sensor with DIGIC 4+ Image Processor
- 20MP Photos / 720 HD Videos at 25fps
- 28-244mm f/3.2-6.9 Lens (35mm Equivalent)
- 8x Optical Zoom, 4x Digital Zoom
- 2.7in 230k-dot Rear LCD Monitor
- Digital Image Stabilization Technology
- 16GB Ultra UHS-I SDHC Memory Card
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W800
Adorama Price:
Last but definitely not the least is the widely popular Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W800. This high-resolution compact digital camera has actually gone past the $100 mark, but it would be a mistake not to mention it in our shortlist of best vlogging cameras under a hundred bucks.
So what makes it stand out among tons of other affordable cameras? It’s definitely the high-megapixel HAD CCD sensor, which is capable of capturing crisp and highly-detailed 20MP photos as well as its fairly high frame rate of 30fps when recording vibrant 720p HD videos. It noticeably provides greater contrast and clarity compared to other similar point-and-shoots and is a great tool for shooting and recording in a wide range of environments
Its built-in lens also offers a variable optical zoom and covers a wide focal range, but the wide 20mm field of view already works very well for vlogging, more so when matched with the decent maximum aperture of f/3.2. Like most cameras at this price point, it only records up to 720p videos. But with Sony’s premium-quality optical specs, it’s not a huge step below 1080p—your viewers may not even notice the difference! One thing is for sure: With this camera, you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck.
Key Specifications:
- 1/2.3in Super HAD CCD Sensor
- 26-130mm f/3.2-6.4 Lens (35mm Equivalent)
- 5x Optical Zoom, 10x Digital Zoom
- 20MP Photos / 720p HD Videos at 30fps
- 2.7in 230k-dot Clear Photo LCD Display
- Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization Technology
If you don’t necessarily have a tight budget, check out this article for our top vlogging cameras in varying price points.
