6 Best Camcorders for YouTube Videos & Vlogging [2023]

Camcorders have been a companion to our happy memories for a long. Also, camcorders defined what a good video looks like.

While that job is completely taken over by smartphones and vlogging cameras today, camcorders remain the first choice for YouTube videos!

However, it’s not an easy job to find the camcorder for the task.

Let’s look at our provided list of the best camcorders for making YouTube videos and vlogging in 2023 and detailed information about why it is helpful to have a camcorder in your vlogging equipment.

We have collected and shared information on how to buy a camcorder along with its pros and cons, you could check it in the Buyer’s guide first.

Best Camcorders for YouTube Videos

1. Canon Vixia HF G50 – Best Camcorder for YouTube Videos 2023

Canon Vixia HF G50 Camcorder was the first Vixia G-series camera to hold the 4K UHD (30 frames per second) video recording capability. It comes equipped with most G-series features as well as a high-level performance with optical magnification and HD image quality.

The camera comprises a 21-megapixel CMOS image sensor and a powerful Digic DV6 processor. This allows the camera to record at Full HD with over-sampling HD processing, a feature absent in all previous Canon G-series cameras.

The Canon Vixia HF G50 Camcorder has a 20 times optical zoom lens. Its 29.3mm wide-angle field of view for 4K and 30.5mm for Full HD recording allows the camera to adapt to different environments quickly.

In addition, the G50’s 5-axis in body image stabilization (IBIS) reduces shakiness and thereby substantially reduces distortion allowing for smooth videos. To ensure further quality, the camera has an 8-plate circular aperture assisting with a depth of field and background blur during photography and videography. At default camera settings, the G50 records in Mp4 format.

The Dual Vixia HF G50 holds space for 2 memory card slots for greater storage capacity. The Camcorder has the capability of simultaneous recording and relay recording. When one card fills up, the other memory card starts recording without a lapse. Recording at different speeds offers plenty of creative options like slow motion, fast motion, and interval recording for HD and 4K.

These settings can easily be viewed and adjusted from the 3” tiltable touch panel LCD. The electronic viewfinder is also tiltable up to 45 degrees. The Camcorder comprises a see-saw zoom lever, joystick, a focus zoom ring, and 5 fully customizable buttons, which may be assigned to frequently used features like aperture mode or exposure correction.

Design:

The Canon Vixia HF G50 Camcorder measures 4.3” x 3.3” x 7.2” (109mm x 84mm x 182mm) and weighs 735g (body only) or 870g (including lens hood, BP-820, and memory card).

The Camcorder has a sturdy, compact exterior and is made of high-quality materials, but the design is outdated.

Specs:

• Video Resolution: 4K UHD (30 frames per second)
• Sensor: 1/2.3-inch 4K UHD CMOS sensor
• Screen: 3” tiltable touch panel LCD
• Optical Zoom: 20x

Battery:

Canon Vixia HF G50 Camcorder comes with a BM BP-828 3000mAh battery which takes just over 4 hours to charge fully.

Connectivity:

Livestream connectivity (via ATEM mini Pro). The Camcorder can also connect to a computer with a USB cable.

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2. Sony FDRAX33 – Best Daily Camcorder For Vlogging

Sony FDR-AX33 Camcorder came with state of the art in body image and video stabilization, focusing on the best quality shake-free 4K video recording capability.

At the time of release, this Camcorder was one of the best in its class in terms of optical stabilization. The camera incorporates electrical stabilization as well, if and when needed, allowing great action videos to be captured.

The camcorder packs a quality Zeiss lens which goes out to 26mm, and an F-stop of 1.8, which helps catch low light environments.

A customizable manual ring is placed around the lens, which can be assigned to Zoom, Focus, Exposure, Iris, Shutter speed, White balance, or AE shift. Shortcuts can also be set on the home screen to provide convenience and assist with ease of use.

The Camcorder comes with a mount located at the top. Several accessories can be attached, such as a microphone or a video light, which can easily be connected to the camera via USB (no adaptor or installation required). This USB port can also be used to upload data onto a computer or a laptop. The Camcorder can be charged with a wall-mounted charger, a PC, or even a power bank on the go.

A unique feature this Camcorder comes with is the ‘night mode’ feature, which allows the camera to record in complete darkness. Sony FDR-AX33 Camcorder can also be attached to a smartphone and remotely controlled by it. The smartphone display can also thereby view what the AX33 Camcorder is recording.

Design:

Though now an outdated design, at its release, the FDR-AX33 was the smallest Camcorder by Sony, measuring 2.8” x 3.1” x 6.1″ (71mm x 79mm x 155mm) and weighing 600g, with the battery adding 55g.

Specs:

• Video Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels / 4K@30 fps
• Sensor: 24MP, 29.8mm wide-angle ZEISS lens
• Screen: 3.0 Inch 270 Degree Rotation LCD
• Optical Zoom: 10x

Battery:

The NP-FV70 V-Series 1960mAh lithium-ion battery, included in the box, when fully charged, lasts for about 2 hours and 30 minutes of use. The battery takes about 3 hours and 25 minutes to charge fully.

Connectivity:

Sony FDR-AX33 Camcorder comes with Wi-Fi (IEEE8 02.11b/ g /n/ 2.4GHz band) and NFC compatibility with multi-camera control and Livestreaming.

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3. Canon XA11 – Best Affordable Professional Camcorder for Short Movies

If you are looking for an affordable professional camcorder for YouTube videos or making short movies – Canon has a great offer.

We’ve tested out the Canon Pro XA11 camcorder and let us tell you what we think.

Firstly, it has a Wide Dynamic Range Gamma sensor that offers you excellent low-light shooting. The camcorder provides 1920x1080p Full HD video resolution for your high-quality videos.

Thanks to the 20x HD Zoom lens, you can get excellent image and video quality even in low light.

You don’t have to worry about image or video stabilization. We have noticed that the Dynamic SuperRange image stabilization feature works excellently in the XA 11 camcorder (even when we’ve held the device without any tripod).

Design:

Sometimes good things come in small packages. It is a great way to describe the Canon XA11 camcorder. Even though it is way smaller than other professional camcorders, the XA11 offers Full HD image and video shooting, excellent audio, and other necessary things for high-quality vlogging.

You can see an audio handle on the top of the XA 11 camcorder. It enables any external microphone extension for additional audio quality.

Specs:

• Image Sensor: 1-Chip 1/2.84″ CMOS Sensor
• Image Stabilization: Hybrid with both sensor shift and electronic
• Battery: Rechargeable Li-ion
• Zoom: 20x optical
• Resolution and Frame Rate: 1080p at 60 fps
• Video Shooting: Full HD 1920x1080p
• Screen: 3″ LCD touchscreen

Battery:

It comes with a rechargeable Li-ion battery that allows you to record your videos for a more extended amount of battery life.

Connectivity:

The Canon XA11 camcorder provides not only an incredible video shooting experience but also various types of inputs and outputs for additional connections.

The camcorder has a USB Hi-Speed input connection, 2 XLR audio input connections (with the attached handle), microphone input, headphones jack, and accessory shoe (with the attached handle.)

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4. Canon VIXIA HF R800 – Best Budget Camcorder For YouTube Beginners

We have a great suggestion if you are looking for a simple, cheap, and easy-to-use camcorder to shoot your videos.

Why not try out the Canon VIXIA HF R800 camcorder?

Compared to a lot of camcorders, this one is way smaller and cheaper; however, it lacks a lot of advanced features that high-end camcorders have.

But do you really need all of them?

Let us tell you more about this device and why it is still shining in our TOP camcorders for the YouTube videos list.

Design:

After unboxing and testing out the Canon XA11 camcorder, it was a huge shock after we opened the box of the Canon VIXIA HF R800 camcorder.

It has a tiny and small design that fits into your hand. It is the same size as your usual consumer-type vlogging camera. It is certainly not common for such devices. Really great job!

The first thing that came to notice is that the camcorder has a small number of control buttons. However, it offers a touchscreen where you can find all of the control.

The LCD touchscreen rotates, allowing you to film and see yourself at the same time. For us – it is a pretty basic and excellent super cheap camcorder for those who are looking for a simple, but a reliable device.

Specs:

• Sensor: 1-Chip 1/4.85″ CMOS sensor
• Effective pixels: 28MP
• Video resolution: Full 1920x1080p HD
• Screen: 3″ LCD tiltable touchscreen
• Image stabilization: Optical & Digital
• Weight: 8.5 oz / 235 g

Battery:

The battery of the Canon VIXIA HF R800 camcorder is pretty simple. It is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that helps you to enjoy continuous video shooting.

Connectivity:

The one downside of this Canon VIXIA HF R800 camcorder is that it doesn’t offer any Wifi or NFC connection. However, you can still transfer your files using a USB cable.

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5. Canon VIXIA HF R700 – Great and Cheap Camera for Amateurs

The Canon VIXIA HF R700 is visibly different from the G-series camcorders, and for a good reason.

It provides almost everything you might want from a camcorder for YouTube videos and does an excellent job at that for a perfect price!

Let’s check the main features of the camcorder.

Design:

Once again, Canon doesn’t score high in the design department. The look is plain and not very appealing. However, it looks more like a Handycam and less like a DSLR, and that’s good.

A 3-inch capacitive LCD screen is attached to it with 180-degree rotation. It comes with a built-in mic and slot for an external mic too, which is one of the main criteria for YouTube videos.

Specs:

The R700 can record videos at 1080p and 60 fps. The standard bitrate is 35Mbps for Mp4 and 28Mbps for AVCHD. The LCD panel comes with better brightness and a new UI. A memory slot exists for SD or SDXC cards.

Images are shot at 1920×1080 resolutions with a 3.28MP Full HD CMOS image sensor and DIGIC DV 4 image processor. Moreover, the R700 comes with 57x Advanced Zoom!

Battery:

The R700 comes with a high-capacity BP-727 battery pack. It is a type of rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The battery life under standard operation is about 3 hours.

Connectivity:

The absence of built-in Wi-Fi is a downside of this camcorder as we get Wi-Fi connectivity option in other camcorders of this segment. Additionally, you get a USB 2.0 high-speed port for transferring recorded videos and captured images, a 3.5 mm jack for connecting audio accessories and a mini HDMI port for connecting to large screens.

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6. Canon VIXIA HF G40 – Superior HD Quality Semi-Professional YouTube Camera

Canon is a force to be reckoned with, and this goes for every product it launches.

The VIXIA HF G40 is a camcorder that puts its entire stakes on quality and comes off with flying colors.

However, for some people, the price could be too high. Despite this fact, this camcorder, in our opinion, deserves every single penny! Especially if you are looking for a semi-professional YouTube camera for high-quality videos.

Design:

The design resembles a DSLR camera. Anyway, compared with many professional camcorders, it is not very bulky, plus it has a sturdy body and a classic look to it. There is a 3.5-inch OLED screen attached to it, and the device also supports dual SD card slots.

Specs:

Canon VIXIA G40 is capable of recording both MP4 and AVC videos in HD, with 1080p resolution and 60 fps.

The images are at 2136×1362 pixels with a 2.91MP HD CMOS image sensor. The camcorder comes with a 20x HD Optical Zoom lens. Manual buttons are provided that could be assigned appropriate functions by you.

Battery:

Canon VIXIA G40 uses a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery. It has a life of 4-5 hours battery life under standard operation. However, the use of special features like WiFi affects the battery life.

Connectivity:

For connectivity, Canon has provided built-in Wi-Fi in the camcorder. The integrated dual-band Wi-Fi allows you to connect the camcorder with your smartphone or tablet using the Canon Movie Uploader app which is available on the Google Play Store. The Wi-Fi also facilitates remote browsing features for operating the camcorder with your smartphone.

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Camcorders Buyer’s Guide

Advantages of Camcorders

• Larger Data Storage

Despite the ease of recording videos on mobile phones (very popular now), the fact remains that you have limited memory on the device.

On top of that, this storage is also utilized by other applications, their app data, and whatever else you use on your phone. In the case of digital cameras, too, the limited data storage results in “Not Enough Space Available” message popping up quite often.

However, camcorders come with flash memory slots that can store a lot of data. Flash data storage is also relatively cheaper, so you can easily carry backups with you.

• Longer Videos

Taking up from the previous point, the limited data also limits the length of your videos. Most digital cameras come with a self-imposed limit on the length of the video recorder. This makes long videos, like recording a match or creating a time-lapse video, virtually impossible.

Phone cameras, on the other hand, can’t handle long videos at all. The high processing required to capture videos usually drains them of battery soon; if not, the memory might get filled pretty quickly.

However, camcorders are specifically designed to record long videos. There is no default limit on the length; you can record as long as there is free memory storage. Typically, camcorders can record 3 hours of video without breaking a sweat.

• Better Audio/Video

Camcorders could record at 60 fps or more. This has a significant impact on the quality of the video recorded. In general, most camcorders for YouTube videos and vlogging have a quality still unmatched by even the latest phones or cameras.

Something similar happens in the case of audio. Digital cameras are mostly optimized for still images, which have no sound. Moreover, mobile phones have microphones specialized for calls only.

On the other hand, Camcorders have dedicated microphones (or slots to add additional audio equipment), resulting in superior sound quality!

• Ease of Use

Imagine you want to record a long video – how are you going to do that?

Digital cameras are made for taking a few shots and then keeping them back (in the side pocket or hanging from the neck). Mobile phones can only go back into the pocket as well. In both cases, the only way to shoot a long video is by holding the device in hand for the said period. Needless to say, it is not a very comfortable situation.

On the other hand, camcorders keep in mind the requirements for shooting long videos. They have an excellent grip on the device and are equipped to be fitted on a tripod.

Also, need to mention, most video cameras have a flip out screen, which is an essential feature for shooting vlogs or YouTube videos.

• More Creativity

While digital cameras and mobile phones offer many features for still images, the same could not be said about video recording.

However, camcorders come with a host of features for the same. You could zoom in and out to greater lengths, adjust the exposure, and apply filters on the videos while recording.

Thus, you can customize the video you are recording without necessarily having to edit it on video editing software.

Drawbacks and Issues of Camcorders

• Camcorders Aren’t Upgrading As Quick As Cameras

For example, mobile phones started recording VGA videos a decade ago. Today, they are capable of recording 4K videos at 60 fps.

On the other hand, the resolution of camcorders has more or less remained the same. This helped smartphones to catch up, and they might soon overtake camcorders regarding sheer video quality.

• Not Easy to Share

While it is quite easy to record and edit videos on camcorders, sharing them is a whole different issue.

While you don’t have to use cables anymore, thanks to the Wi-Fi feature, the fact remains that you still have to transfer the videos to your computer/phone before you can share them.

• Not Easy to Carry

Needless to say, it is effortless to record long videos with a camcorder, but carrying them is a far enormous headache as camcorders tend to be heavier than digital cameras and far more massive than casual vlogging cameras or smartphones.

Anyway, from our list you can see that mid-level camcorders are upgrading their design and becoming more and more comfortable to carry it.

• Take Care of Proper Lighting

Everyone who wants to create video content by using a camcorder should have proper lighting. Camcorders have a very tiny sensor, and in this case, they lose the video and image quality in low-lighting.

Conclusion

All in all, camcorders are perfect devices if you are going to film video content for an extended period of time. Also, the camcorder is a fantastic device if you are a beginner or mid-level YouTuber who is looking for the best camera for YouTube to start their channel.

According to our editor’s review and opinion, these are the best camcorders for YouTube videos in 2023 you can find to buy online. Each of them has its pros and cons, and in the end, you should decide which product matches your needs the best.

If you have any questions about which camcorder to choose, leave a comment below or write us directly. We are ready to help you!