Although a DSLR or a mirrorless camera might seem to be the default choice for YouTubers and vloggers, you would be surprised how many of them use a point and shoot camera for video.

At A Glance: Our Top 7 Best Point and Shoot Cameras for Video

And to your surprise, Cutiepiemarzia, one of the most popular YouTubers out there, ended up switching from an advanced DSLR to a point and shoot, as she found the former too bulky and uncomfortable to use and carry around.

A large number of vloggers go for a compact camera when starting out, given it’s advantages:

3 Advantages of a Point and Shoot for Video



In contrast to what we said above, let us also make it clear:

Point and shoot camera isn’t the absolute best choice for video or vlogging.

Generally speaking, most people looking to vlog or record videos would be much better off with a DSLR or a good mirrorless camera.

But:

For many users a point and shoot may be a great camera for YouTube filming.

And this is because of these three biggest advantages it offers over them:

Advantage #1 Advantage #2 Advantage #3 The Price While a good vlogging DSLR often costs a bomb, a mirrorless doesn’t come cheap either. And that’s where a point and shoot camera comes in. A good point and shoot with features and functionality is affordable. The Size Many users choose a point and shoot for its compact size. Needless to say, a bulky DSLR or even the relatively compact mirrorless can sometimes be too much to carry around, especially when traveling. Point and Shoots are made to be extremely compact. Many of them even fit into your pocket easily, making them best small cameras for video. Beginner Friendly If you’re someone new to cameras or photography/videography in general, a DSLR can be very overwhelming. While you may get used to it over time, you may not enjoy using it the way you would like using a point and shoot. This is because even the most functional of point and shoots come with surprisingly simple controls and user interface, and make it much easier to shoot professional quality videos. In general, a point and shoot would turn out to be an ideal option for beginners, vloggers and pretty much everyone on a budget.

List of Features to Focus On

There are some important features to keep in mind when choosing the best compact camera for video or vlogging.

Let’s take a quick look at them below:

AutoFocus System

Video Recording and Image Quality

Low Light Performance

Ease of Use

Are Manual Controls Available

What are the different shooting modes, continuous shooting

Maximum aperture

Responsiveness and shockproof

Long zoom, zoom lens

Flip Screen

Battery Life

Top 7 Compact Cameras for Video and Vlogging

So now without further ado, let’s cut right to the chase by reviewing the best compact cameras for video on the market.

WINNER #1 Sony RX100 Mark V: Best Point and Shoot for Video Quality 93% Affordability 80% Why I Like It Amazingly fast hybrid Autofocus that allows you to set the focus as fast as in just 0.05 seconds

The AF system is surprisingly accurate as well, with as many as 315 Auto Focus points

Extremely fast video recording with 24fps burst shooting

4K video recording with no real limitations – you would have no loss of details or colors whatsoever

Super slow motion video mode – allows up to 960 fps shooting Used By YouTubers: Will Smith, Casey Holmes and ChrisMD CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Review

The Sony RX100 Mark V is one of the most popular point and shoot cameras for videos and vlogging for a reason. (It’s also our favorite Sony vlogging camera)

It’s an advanced video and vlogging machine packed into a super compact body.

And that’s precisely what makes it a great option for anyone that wants to record videos when traveling or on the go. You would easily be able to produce professional quality video content without carrying around bulky equipment. When we say professional quality, we really mean it. The kind of video quality the RX100 Mark V offers as an extremely compact point and shoot camera would totally blow you away. Now, while we covered the more technical features above, there’s actually a lot more that this little beast brings to the table. One of the things most videographers and vloggers would really love is full manual controls. Ranging from the aperture to the ISO or even the ND filter, there’s pretty much nothing that you can’t control according to your needs. As a particular (vlogger) customer mentioned in their review, these features make the RX100 Mark V the best point and shoot camera for vlogging (or for recording videos in general for that matter). The advanced 4K recording is far better than what you would expect from a point and shoot, allowing you to shoot at up to 30p 100mbps. The 4K videos come out amazingly sharp, and the richness of colors and details is very real. Even in 1080p, the quality is extremely clear with no distortion of any sort. Further, you would also be able to shoot S-log, which is very hard to come by when going for a point and shoot camera. Finally, the only major issues with this otherwise better-than-expected point and shoot camera is the disappointingly poor battery life when shooting in the super slow motion mode, the complicated menu system (it can take a while to customize it to your liking and get used to it) and the camera being so compact that it can sometimes be hard to hold, especially when shooting for a long time. Read More

WINNER Canon G7X Mark II: Best Compact Camera for Vlogging Quality 89% Affordability 83% Why I Like It Great quality lens that delivers extremely sharp video content

The autofocus is very accurate and fast

The low light shooting is incredibly good

Super responsive touchscreen would take a lot of effort out of your usual recording

It’s very lightweight, portable and easy to use for beginners Used By YouTubers: RomanAtwood, Dom Tracy and Alex Wassabi CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Review

This point and shoot camera is very similar to the Sony RX100 Mark V in the sense that it too is pretty much a complete videography or vlogging package, without the need of any expensive equipment to get professional quality results.

In fact, the G7 X Mark II is probably as close to a DSLR as a point and shoot can get.

It doesn’t have the 4K recording, but that’s probably the only not-so-DSLR thing about it. Its f1.8 aperture is unexpectedly good, and produces surprisingly sharp video content at 24MM. The autofocus is just as good, and there’s absolutely no lag whatsoever at most settings. Sure, it can take a second to adjust itself properly during the night or when shooting in low light conditions, but it’s still pretty accurate most of the time. Talking about shooting in low light, it’s hard to beat the G7 X Mark II on this front. A customer that does a lot of YouTube videos said how they felt both absurd and surprised at the same time when they analyzed the low light shooting ability of the G7 X Mark II. They said that even when shooting in a room that was almost pitch black, it managed to produce a video where it looked like the room was almost fully lit. This is how good this camera is when shooting in low light conditions. If you’re someone that’s into vlogging or videos and tend to record most of your stuff in low light or during the night, don’t waste another second and just go for the G7 X Mark II! Another great feature for vloggers is the excellent touchscreen, which you don’t get with the relatively expensive RX100 Mark V. The touchscreen is very responsive, and you would be able to find or adjust pretty much everything you need to right from the screen itself. Don’t take the screen’s ability to tilt lightly either – you will likely find yourself using it more often than you may think. It also comes with lots of presets, making it easier for beginners to record a quality of content that’s easily comparable to what the pros do using manual settings. The G7 X Mark II is also incredibly lightweight and portable, yet packs a lot of punch in its compact but ergonomically well-designed body. What can be improved: You can find some noise when going beyond 1600 ISO

The bokeh can get tricky when you’re trying to blur out things that are very close to your subject

The battery life could be much better

No 4K recording, although this doesn’t seem to affect the camera’s ability to record great video content in any way Read More

UNDER $700 Panasonic Lumix LX10: 4K Compact Camera for Video Quality 86% Affordability 84% Why I Like It The fast, versatile f1.4 lens, coupled with solid image stabilization, helps ensures that every video you shoot with the LX10 comes out great and without any distortion issues

Responsive touchscreen that’s easy to use to set the focus properly

4K recording

Great low light performance

Flip-up screen

Great audio quality even when shooting outdoor, especially if you get a windshield CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Review

First things first, this point and shoot may not turn out to be a great option in general for vloggers and videographers, but if you can live with a couple major flaws, then it may very well offer a better value than even the other two point and shoot cameras we discussed above.

One of the best things about it is the fast lens that can record great videos at a low ISO and smaller aperture.

But the fast lens isn’t accompanied by any distortion or other similar issues, thanks to an excellent image stabilization system. Another great thing is that two important features that are not available in some of the considerably pricier point and shoot options are included in the Lumix LX10: Touchscreen to focus and the 4K video recording. The LX10’s f1.4 lens is fast and works great in low light conditions. It’s versatile enough to deliver an impressive performance both indoor and outdoor, even in conditions where the natural light is on the lower side. This kind of versatility is what allows the LX10 to be the preferred camera for many vloggers, who tend to shoot a diverse set of videos. That is, if you can somehow learn to adjust with a couple issues. The biggest issue is the relatively poor autofocus system. Most users using the camera right out of the box find the AF system unimpressive. However, that’s because they use it right out of the box. With some tweaks to the settings based on your preferences, the AF system would improve to a great extent – perhaps still not be like what you get with the other cameras we reviewed above – but decent enough to help you shoot high-quality videos without much of a problem. That said, a department in which the LX10 easily beats most of the top options is overheating. While even the best point and shoot cameras for videos experience overheating even shooting at 1080p or 4K, the LX10 can continuously shoot in rounds of 15 minutes without any overheating issues whatsoever. What can be improved: Poor autofocus system, but can be improved with some changes to the settings

Not as compact as some of the other options, and there’s no tilt-down screen – can be hard to hold at times Read More

ZOOM Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ70 Quality 78% Affordability 88% Why I Like It Large zoom range and no quality issues when shooting videos with zoom

The videos come out great in 1080p quality at 60fps

The colors and details in the videos are vivid and without any distortion

The lens is really wide and comparable to the type you get with a DSLR

The autofocus is fast and very functional

Very easy to use with great automatic settings CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Review

Let us tell you right off the bat that the DMC-FZ270 is only a perfect choice for you if you’re a travel or adventure vlogger that needs to use the zoom frequently when shooting your videos. And that’s simply because the zoom is what this point and shoot is pretty much all about.

The zoom is really large at 60x and will allow you to go further than you probably ever have with any camera, but without compromising on the quality of your videos. Yes, the videos come out surprisingly good even when you use the zoom to the fullest when shooting them. It allows you to shoot in full HD 1080p quality at an impressive 60fps. The colors look vivid and the details are not blurred or distorted even in zoomed-in videos, and the overall performance is fairly good for the price. The lens has 20mm wide angles and that would allow you to catch considerably more details than with most other point and shoot cameras. This is a feature that you usually only get with decent DSLRs, so it’s definitely something worth considering especially if you think it would be useful for you. The fast autofocus and the integrated EVF makes the FZ270 a pretty neat videography system without having to spend too much on extra equipment. Sure, you can do with a monopod to ensure the required stabilization when shooting videos with the zoom, but that’s about it. However, one of the best things about it is that despite the cheap price and no major compromise on the video quality, it’s very beginner-friendly. The controls are easy and adjusting the settings to match your preferences would be a breeze. What’s more, if you don’t want to mess with the settings, the automatic settings would have you covered while still getting great results. What can be improved: Many better options if you don’t need the zoom in your videos

Low light performance is disappointing Read More

CHEAP TRAVEL CAMERA Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II Quality 76% Affordability 90% Why I Like It Easy connectivity for transferring media

Speedy continuous recording

Great ergonomics

Accurate AF system in low light conditions CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Review

This is another great little point and shoot that packs a lot of power in a small body. However, it’s also much cheaper than the other options we reviewed above.

And this is what makes it a great choice for beginners, especially the ones that are looking for something to accompany them while traveling.

The G9 X Mark II’s compact size, responsive touchscreen, decent low light performance and overall impressive video quality at 1080/60p make it a pretty good option for travel vloggers at this price point. The controls are very easy and even a beginner would have no problem using the camera within a couple hours. The large 1.0 inch sensor is definitely pretty impressive in this price range. What can be improved: It doesn’t come with a viewfinder

The battery life isn’t very good for a travel camera

It doesn’t support 4K recording – it shouldn’t be a surprise at this price point though Read More

BUDGET Sony DSCHX90V/B Quality 73% Affordability 94% Why I Like It Functional electronic viewfinder

Decent low light performance

Compact and lightweight pocket camera

Great zoom range with little to no blurriness issues; great quality images

Very easy and quick to connect with your smartphone or iphone

Comes with a flip screen

Great video stabilization and an impressively accurate focus system CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Review

One of the things we really liked about this point and shoot is that despite being priced at the lower end of the price range for point and shoot cameras that work well for videos, it comes with some great features that you would otherwise only find in some of the much more expensive point and shoot cameras.

These include an electronic viewfinder that’s surprisingly functional for the price, above-average low light performance, great zoom range and seamless, easy connectivity with other devices, especially your smartphone. A great plus is that it comes with a flip screen, another rare feature to find in this price range. Also, despite its small sensor, videos shot in low light come out great, with little to no noise or blur. This is something worth noting especially given that the blurriness is of an acceptable level even when you’re shooting a video in fully-zoomed mode. If you stick to a lower zoom range, you would be surprised how detailed and clear your videos turn out to be. Finally, the 5-axis stabilization is an excellent feature for shooting professional quality videos that look high-end production, which the DSCHX90V/B certainly does. A particular customer mentioned how they were shooting a video with fast-changing subjects and had also zoomed in, and yet this point and shoot managed to take a great video with no shakiness issues. Further, it also didn’t keep performing an annoying focus search which many other point and shoot cameras do in this price range. What can be improved: Slow focus

The lens is of a considerably poorer quality compared to the other cameras we reviewed in this post Read More

CHEAPEST Canon PowerShot SX720 Quality 70% Affordability 98% Why I Like It 40x zoom – good luck finding another point and shoot in this price range that can beat this zoom range!

Very easy to use with beginner-friendly menus

Large, responsive LCD screen

Good battery life CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Review

This is the cheapest option on our list, but a great one all the same for anyone on a budget.

Sure, it isn’t exactly comparable to the best 2 or 3 options we have here on our list, but if you’re just starting out and need a point and shoot camera that’s both simple to use and produces high quality video content without a lot of fuss, then this is it. Now, the videos shot using the SX720 would have a small amount of noise if you use the zoom, but that’s perhaps the only thing you won’t like about the video quality. The video quality is otherwise excellent without zoom, and the image stabilization works great. This also means that you would be able to record great quality videos without getting a tripod or any other equipment, which would truly allow you to get started on a tight budget without having to make any major compromises with respect to the quality of your content. You would also get full manual controls, something we would usually not expect at this price point. Being able to have everything your way is a great thing when vlogging or making video content. Overall it’s a great camera for under $300. Read More

Summing It Up

It’s easy to see why the Sony RX100 Mark V is a clear winner in the best camera that is compact category. With a great AF system, extremely fast recording, super slow motion mode and 4K recording, all packed into a super compact body, it probably really can’t get much better for a point and shoot camera designed for shooting videos.

If you would rather have a touchscreen over 4K recording, however, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II may make more sense for you.

But if you want both of them, plus a decent low light performance, then the Panasonic Lumix LX10 would be right up your alley. Be warned though, you will have to live with a not-so-impressive AF system.

If you’re after something that’s specifically designed for traveling, then either of Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ70 or Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II may turn out to be a great fit for your needs.

Finally, the Sony DSCHX90V/B is a great value for money bet, while the Canon PowerShot SX720 would one of the few decent options for vloggers or videographers on a very tight budget.