Best Vlogging Camera Under $100
Тhese days, more people are getting into vlogging than ever before. It’s become an extremely popular hobby, but a way to make a living as well. However, if you want to start working on your vlog — you’re going to need some video equipment to do it right. For starters — a vlogging camera.
Unfortunately, not all of us can afford to spend a million bucks on a luxury vlogging camera; many quality vloggers start out with subpar budgets. With that in mind, we’ve scoured the market for suggestions on what the best vlogging camera under $100 is — and we’ve reviewed the models that fit this bill. Check it out below!
- Nikon COOLPIX L32 — Best of The Best
- Canon PowerShot A2500 — The Runner Up
- SOSUN Video Camera Camcorder — Best Flip Screen Camera
- Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V
- Canon PowerShot A2300
- Nikon COOLPIX S33
- What To Consider When Buying Vlogging Cameras Under $100
- Frequently Asked Questions About Vlogging Cameras
- A Final Word on Cheap Vlogging Cameras
Nikon COOLPIX L32 — Best of The Best
We’re going to start this list off with the absolute winner when it comes to affordable vlogging cameras, and then take a look at the closest competitors. In this category, the Nikon Coolpix L32 is a certain champion. It’s an affordable camera for vlogging that allows you to create the most visceral videos and photos you could hope for at this price range.
The design of the camera is both smooth and compact. You won’t have to worry about the quality of your HD videos with this baby, as it’s 720p-compatible. It isn’t a pain to set up, and you can handily begin vlogging as soon as you turn it on. Beginner vloggers that don’t have a lot of experience with cameras will appreciate its intuitive design.
When it comes to technical features, the camera shines with its 5x zoom. Travel vloggers are bound to appreciate this, giving you the ability to take gorgeous close-up shots during your travels without any hassle.
The operation of the camera is controlled with a nifty 3-inch LCD screen. The screen is as clear as it could be at this resolution, and it allows you to browse your pictures. The camera’s software even allows for rudimentary editing right inside its interface!
When it comes to video quality, it’s not exactly full HD — but it’s the best quality you can hope for with a below-100 price tag. It also has some interesting features that could prove to be useful, such as the Smart Portrait capability. This allows you to make gorgeous portrait photos more easily.
There are some downsides here as well — namely its shorter battery life and very tiny size. Sure, the compactness makes any handling issues moot regardless of where you’re going — but it also means you can’t do much professional work. The battery life can also be extended because the camera runs on ordinary AA batteries; stock up on these and you’re good to go.
In summary, the benefits of the camera are its wide-angle zoom, 720p capability, extreme portability, and portrait system. The downsides are the short battery life, potential glitches, and a lack of a 1080p video that some vloggers look for.
Still, it’s the best option for vloggers who are just beginning to find their footing and can’t afford to spend a bunch of money on a high-level camera.
Canon PowerShot A2500 — The Runner Up
Next up we’ve got another similarly-priced camera that offers more than enough competition to the above-mentioned Nikon L32. We’re talking about the Canon Powershot A2500 — an extremely affordable, and yet high-quality vlogging camera. Just like our previous pick, this Canon model is also known for its compactness — you don’t have to worry about being able to take this camera for any outdoor shooting.
And it’s a well-known fact that vlogging is moving beyond the realm of podcast interviews. Vlogs are at their most interesting when they’re dynamic and something is happening — making portability an important aspect of any vlogging camera.
In that regard, the Canon Powershot A2500 does not disappoint. It’s a recording powerhouse you can fit in your pocket without problems.
The design of the camera is quite smooth, and it provides a solid grip for those with slippery fingers. Plus, you don’t have to worry about catching a stable image, as this camera will help you do it with its internal stabilization.
Even experienced vloggers appreciate the fact that this camera is perfect for unplanned, on-the-go shots. The zoom also doesn’t leave much to be desired, at least at this price level. If you want to capture big landscape shots or extreme closeups, you’ll be able to do it with this Canon model.
When it comes to the features you should be familiar with, it’s important to note that the camera has an extremely useful ECO feature. This is just a power saving mode by another name; it turns off less-used functions to optimize the camera for maximum battery life. You can adjust what you want to turn off, and how many features you’re willing to sacrifice for more power. It works similarly to newer smartphones in this regard.
Video quality is the standard 720p HD that you can expect for around $100. Still, you can get gorgeous shots with this, and you can capture live video with the amazing quality too. There’s a little more haziness compared to the Nikon we’ve reviewed above, and the image is a tad less stable — making it the runner-up when it would otherwise be tied for first place.
The sensor boasts a solid 16MP and a quality image processor. Vloggers can expect the ability to capture decent-quality footage, regardless of light conditions.
Compared to previous iterations, this camera has a more decent optical zoom. If you want to focus a part of your recording on a particular object, this will prove to be useful. There is also a built-in lens for wide-angle shots — incredibly important for landscape shots.
The software that comes with the camera is impressive as well, as it gives you predefined shot settings that adjust the camera for various environments. There are 32 scenarios and a nifty Smart Auto option that confidently selects the best scenario based on your current environment.
In short, the advantages of this camera are its amazing power saving mode, the usability it brings to travel vloggers, decent picture quality, and its affordability. The downsides are that it doesn’t support any 1080p HD and somewhat grainy footage after extended use.
SOSUN Video Camera Camcorder — Best Flip Screen Camera
For our next pick, we’ve got something a bit different. Instead of a camera that’s more suited for photography than vlogging, we’ve got a great camcorder — the SOSUN Video Camera. Most people think that camcorders are a bit too clunky to use for vlogging.
However, that largely depends on the kind of content you intend on filming. For instance, outdoor vlogs can indeed be cumbersome if you’re carrying a camcorder around — but for indoor scenes without much sudden movement, these are a great option. There are many professional content creators and vloggers who use a camcorder setup — PewDiePie being the most famous among them.
If you want to film your reactions to gameplay footage or movies that will be running concurrently in the background this SOSUN model is definitely a great pick. Plus, it’s quite cheap, landing itself at a top spot on this list. If you want to capture selfie videos or individual shots, the camera also has a great flip screen.
The most important feature found in this SOSUN camcorder is its extremely high video quality. For a below-100-priced vlogging camera, it’s interesting to see that it’s capable of capturing 1080p HD shots. Thus, you’ll be able to create gorgeous videos that have all the professional quality you need to monetize your content.
The camera isn’t bad for photos either, seeing as it boasts a lofty 24-megapixel sensor. The camera is optimized for low-light conditions, and it’s more than capable of clarity even in such a scenario.
As we have mentioned above, the camera has an LCD flip screen for interface interactions. If you want to capture interesting footage from unusual angles, this will prove to be incredibly useful. Plus, the interface can be used for quick edits and replaying already captured footage.
One of the most important things that we can mention about this camera is its exquisite battery life. The battery found within can give you up to 4 hours of interrupted footage at the highest possible resolution! That’s extremely good for $100, and stationary footage can be captured even longer because you can use the camcorder while it’s being charged.
For instance, if you forget to charge the camcorder and have to conduct an important interview, you’ll be able to set it down on a tripod and plug it into the nearest socket — you will be able to use it nonetheless!
All in all, this camcorder brings some excellent benefits: it’s quite affordable for the features it provides, it’s not too heavy, the image sensor has 24MP, and the flip screen is very useful. On the other hand, SOSUN isn’t known for great customer support if something goes wrong in Western markets, and the build quality isn’t exactly the best we’ve seen.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V
Our next model is a Sony Cybershot camera — another solid pick for anyone who’s not too demanding in terms of specs but wants to start vlogging. You can showcase your vlogging know-how with ease using this nifty little camera, and come up with impressive-looking videos. If your budget doesn’t stretch beyond a hundred dollars, this is what you need.
The benefits of this camera are the fact that it can shoot 1080p footage, its 16x zoom is great for focused outdoor shots, it has a very attractive price, and a geolocation feature via GPS. On the other hand, it’s not as great as 4k-capable cameras, and it has no flip screen.
Canon PowerShot A2300
When it comes to solid cameras with decent price tags, the Canon PowerShot A2300 is definitely a nice choice. It provides you with an efficient design and shape that gives you the most portability you could ask for. It’s also durable, meaning it’s not likely to be damaged unintentionally, and you’ll be able to use it for a long time. On top of that, a decent zoom sets it apart from its peers in this price category.
Its features include a neat 16MP image sensor that allows for solid vlogs wherever you go. The videos you can make seem incredibly vivid even in low-light conditions, so you can shoot quality content after dusk as well. This also goes for indoor shots, making sure that you don’t need professional studio equipment and external lighting.
Speaking of image quality, it has a standard 5x zoom that’s pretty common for vlogging cameras in this price range. Unfortunately, the zoom is a bit grainy even at the lowest levels, meaning you may be better off with another model on this list if you like precision shots.
The video quality is at usual 720p, but it’s nothing to write home about. Still, for this kind of money, you won’t find something drastically better; apart from our top picks above. The images are rarely hazy when you’re not using a zoom, seeing as the software stabilization found inside is more than able to accommodate your needs in this regard.
Finally, this camera has some of the best-designed interfaces we’ve seen in a while. This is found on an LCD screen that’s a bit smaller than the one found in competing models, standing at less 3 inches in diagonal.
In short, the positive side of the Canon Powershot A2300 is its image sensor, digital image processing, 720p video quality, durability, and low price. Apart from the downsides we’ve already mentioned, it lacks 1080p resolution capability and a flip screen.
Nikon COOLPIX S33
Here’s another model from Nikon’s Coolpix series — but this time for a more specific use. Most of the vlogging cameras we’ve reviewed up until now are for general use, and without any location-specific features. The Coolpix S33 model is something else entirely, due to its water resistance.
Yep, this is one of those cameras that can safely be used underwater. Obviously, being submerged isn’t something you encounter in every vlogging niche. In most cases, this is a cheap camera used as a secondary device for travel bloggers who don’t want to risk damaging their main camcorder.
This camera is not as great as the other ones in terms of technical capabilities, but it has a very specific set of uses. It can make excellent-looking shots underwater, though not at extreme depths. If you want to capture some surfing shots or coastline videos it’s great, but we wouldn’t recommend it to divers.
Apart from this obvious standout feature, the S33 offers other things as well. For one, it can maintain a neat 45-60 FPS while shooting at 1080p. Among cameras in this price range, this isn’t a feature you can see that often.
This camera features 13.2MP sensors, so it’s not the highest-level camera you can see. Still, its underwater capabilities make it a great and affordable purchase for a specific target audience. People who want to capture beach footage won’t find a more affordable water-resistant camera.
In summary, its main feature is water resistance to the depth of 30 feet, with 3x zooming capabilities. It is also quite cheap for such a device, especially seeing as it can capture 60FPS with high resolutions. The image sensors are a bit weaker, though.
What To Consider When Buying Vlogging Cameras Under $100
Now that we’ve given you an idea of some of the best vlogging cameras under $100, we’ll give you a reminder on some of the features you should look out for while buying such products.
1. Image Quality
Your biggest priority while purchasing a vlogging camera should be to find one that supports decent image and video quality. Today, most YouTubers that create vlogs have HD cameras, and not having one puts you at a severe disadvantage. That’s why you should go for 720, 1080, or 4K resolutions.
If you’re on a strict $100 budget, chances are you won’t find a camera that’s capable of 4K video in any significant manner. In that case, you’d do better going for a camera that can run 1080p at a decent framerate.
Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. Action cameras like the GoPro claim that they can shoot 4k videos, and some of them fall into your price range. Don’t be fooled by this, though — these have a very specific field of view that’s not suitable for anything that resembles stationary scenes. Those cameras also experience a lot of glittering, and they’re not suited for long-form content.
2. Size
In most cases, vlogging cameras tend to be tiny. This is because they need to be prepared for easy handling in a variety of situations. For one, you may need to take them out quickly and record a video without much preparation — you never know when lifestyle content may find its way into your blog.
That’s why compact sizes are the best thing about $100 cameras — most of them aren’t that big. For instance, DSLR cameras will offer you much better picture quality, but they’re both more expensive and harder to handle. If you want to maintain a varied vlog, find something that has excellent handling.
3. Microphone Jack
Many vloggers use incredibly expensive microphones — some of them even cost as much as their cameras. Have you ever wondered why that is? In most cases, vlogging equipment isn’t that good in terms of audio quality. That goes double if you need something on a tight budget — you’re not going to get a quality built-in mic.
With that in mind, you should think about buying an additional external microphone. Any vlogger could use this, but if your content revolves around interviews or your own monologues — it’s an absolute necessity. Considering that, you’ll also need a vlogging camera that has a port for external microphones — so you can plug one into the other.
Related: Best Vlogging Camera Under $300
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Frequently Asked Questions About Vlogging Cameras
What is the best digital camera for under $100?
Most of the models we’ve reviewed here cost around $100 — some a bit more, some a bit less. However, there are plenty of people who have a hundred dollars as the upper price ceiling. In that case, remember that you can’t expect stellar videos — but you can find something nice like the Nikon Coolpix A10. This is a pretty usable camera with an LCD 3-inch screen, 720p capabilities, and neat intuitive functions that are great for video amateurs.
What is a good cheap vlogging camera?
When we talk about cheap vlogging cameras in general, there are nice things you can get if you can go beyond $100 without splurging on something orders of magnitude more expensive. With that in mind, we recommend the Canon VIXIA R800. This camera has everything we’ve described as must-have features — the microphone jack and the flip screen. Plus, it can shoot in 1080p resolution!
What type of camera do vloggers use?
As you can see from our selection above, vloggers use all types of cameras — depending on what kind of content they want to shoot. In essence, the video resolution is one of the most important things to consider, and that’s something most vloggers concern themselves with. You want your videos to look sharp and professional regardless of what kind of content you film.
If you’re a beginner, you might want to look for something that doesn’t have a lot of complicated options and specs; a 1080p no-nonsense camera like the Canon PowerShot series — any model among those will serve you well, and Canon has some amazing customer support.
Related: Best Camera With Flip Screen
A Final Word on Cheap Vlogging Cameras
And that’s a wrap, folks. We hope this guide of use to you and that you now feel more confident about purchasing your own best vlogging camera under 100 dollars. We feel each of the highlighted products does a fine job in its respective field and that you can’t really go wrong with any of them. Make sure you’re staying safe in these times we’re going through. Have a good one, guys!
