The Best Video Cameras of 2019

Professional camcorders are often smaller, lighter, less expensive, and have more controls than other camera options. With so many choices on the market, from affordable cinema cameras to DSLRs to mirrorless cameras, you may have trouble choosing the best one for your needs. We’ve narrowed down some of the best video cameras to help you with your decision. Just press record to capture every moment with these top video cameras.

Best HD Video Camera- Panasonic HC-V770K

The Panasonic HC-V770K HD features all the connectivity hardware you should expect from a modern camcorder, and all the features needed to capture beautiful footage. It has 20x optical zoom with a 4-drive lens system, HDR video capture, Back Side Illumination sensor that suppresses noise, and Full-HD (1080p) slow motion video capture. With Wi-Fi and NFC, you can instantly connect to your phone, broadcast in real time and control the cam from your mobile device. It also has a bunch of creative filters and effects, and high-quality sound recording. It doesn’t stand out in any one department, but rather hits the mark across the board.

Canon VIXIA HF 800

For family outings and home videos, the Canon HF R800 delivers outstanding 1080p picture quality at a modest price point. With an optical zoom of 57x, faraway figures come into clear focus. Not even the moody teenagers can escape from being featured in your home movies. Also, for sports tournaments and other high-action events, the R800 offers advanced stabilization controls, ensuring smooth, distortion-free camera work. For an extra flair, you can even film slow-motion videos or create a time-lapse. In addition to capturing HD 1920 x 1080 footage, you’ll enjoy the enhanced brightness and visual quality from the R800’s DIGIC DV 4 Image Processor which captures more light, eliminating noise from even the darkest scenes. At 8.5 ounces, the small video camera fits snugly in your hand, and the 3-inch LCD touchscreen offers an easy-to-read, user-friendly interface.

Sony HDRCX405

The camcorder market has traditionally been dominated by Sony and Panasonic. So it only makes sense that if you’re looking for a quality camcorder, Sony would have some great choices. A great introductory camera for teenagers and first-timers. The SonyHDRCX405 Handycam shoots Full HD (1920x1080) video at 60p with a 30x optical and 60x clear image (digital) zoom. It has a 2.7-inch clear LCD display with face detection, a 9.2-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, SensorSteadyShot image stabilization, and an intelligent auto mode. The tech is pretty basic, but it’s certainly a contender for any budget/value camcorder, especially for anyone who is a beginner video camera user.

Digital Video Camera- Nikon D850

If you’re looking for a professional video camera, there’s plenty to smile about too. When it was launched, the Nikon D850 from Beachcamera.com was the DSLR with everything, including in-camera 4K recording at 30fps using the full width of the sensor. This means that there’s no crop factor in the 4K video mode and your wide-angle lenses stay wide-angle. You can also capture 4K time-lapse movies in-camera. Videographers will also be pleased to receive aids such as a peaking display for accurate manual focus, and zebra patterns to help avoid overexposure. Both microphone and headphone sockets are built in and are located above the USB and Type-C HDMI interfaces. This do-everything professional video camera is perfect for wedding photographers and photojournalists who are increasingly being asked to capture clips as well as stills.

Whatever your reason for investing in a camcorder, one of these video recording cameras will fill your needs.