Having a secret vlogging camera doesn’t mean you will spy on somebody and interrupt their privacy.
Opposite, you can find that many people are using hidden vlogging cameras for other reasons. One of them could be filming home-type pranks or directed vlogs.
In this guide, you are going to find out the main features to look for a secret camera and what are the best secret cameras for vlogging, YouTube videos, and general security in 2024.
Keep in mind, that if you are going to use secret and spy cameras you have to follow all privacy rules according to your location.
- Which cameras will offer the best value?
- Do you need any skills to use this type of camera?
All of these questions will be answered.
Key Features for Spy and Secret Vlogging Camera
Before considering buying a secret camera for vlogs and YouTube videos, we will provide the main features that a good spy camera should have and where you should pay more attention.
Video Quality: Of course, this feature is the main one for any camera, including the secret mini cameras. Filming and monitoring the surroundings is useful if only you can see the image or video footage.
We are not saying that you should be looking for a mini camera with 4K video quality; however, as the technologies are constantly increasing, the quality should be decent.
Look for a mini secret vlogging camera that at least provides 1080p/720p video quality. It will be easy to find one, as most of the mini cameras come with this video quality.
Microphone: According to the regulation of US law, mini cameras can only record video, some sellers provide this feature, but you need to contact them.
Anyway, if you are making mini prank videos at home, you could always turn on a mic nearly and then combine audio with video by editing a video clip.
If you are searching for a separate camera to film a prank – check this list.
Size: A secret camera for vlogging should stay as small as possible. If the size doesn’t matter, you can easily buy a big and bulky DSLR, but then it would be difficult to hide it. The smaller the secret camera is, the easier it is to hide it.
Cloaking Feature: Well, if you don’t succeed in finding a small camera, then choose the one that you can easily hide and make it almost impossible to find.
The cloaking feature for a secret vlogging camera is essential, as you want it to keep as hidden as possible.
Many spy cameras can perfectly blend with other home things or be just invisible according to their size. We will mention that type of spy cameras in our shortlist.
Best Hidden Cameras for Vlogging
Now it is time to find out what are the best hidden cameras where you can easily film your pranks or other funny videos.
| Name | Video quality | Weight | Size | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full HD | 0.15 lbs / 68 g | 3.80 x 3.80 x 1.50″/ 96 x 96 x 38 mm | Price | |
| Full HD | 3.2 oz / 90 g | 1.88 x 1.45 x 2.17″/47 x 36.8 x 55 mm | Price | |
| Full HD | 1.7 oz / 48 g | 2.00 x 1.90 x 1.40’’/ 50 x 49 x 36 mm | Price |
1. Mini Spy Camera – Best All-Around Secret Camera for Making Videos
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This mini spy camera might look similar to a sugar cube, but it does a big job. Besides, it is an excellent camera for prank type vlogs and continuous shooting – you don’t even need to buy a separate prank camera.
What to find out why?
Well, first of all, it doesn’t have any indicator lights that can blow away the disguise. Also, the camera has sensors that indicate when the surroundings are darker and when to start recording in night vision.
Moreover, the Mini Spy camera is an excellent choice for making vlogs because it can record a regular video, record continuously for 24 hours, and do time-lapse.
It offers a Full 1080p HD video recording in both day and night vision. The Mini Spy Camera also comes with a 150° wide-angle lens and offers even 12MP photo quality.
Main features:- Full 1080p HD video recording
- Continuous shooting for 24 hours
- Night vision
- Motion detect feature
- Invisible LED lights
- 150° wide-angle lens
- 12MP photo quality
- Dimensions: 3.8 x 3.8 x 1.5″ (96 x 96 x 38 mm)
- Weight: 0.15 lb (68 g)
- Tiny and small design suitable for hiding the camera
- Full 1080p HD video recording and 12MP image quality – impressive for such a little spy camera
- The Mini Spy camera comes with night vision and motion detection features
- The motion sensor can be too sensitive leading to the recording when don’t need
If you are looking for the best tiny spy vlogging camera that provides a Full 1080p HD video quality and offers night vision - the Mini Spy camera is a great choice.
It fits everywhere, and with a motion detection feature, the camera can start recording once it detects a movement. However, we need to note that the motion sensors can be too sensitive sometimes, so you should work on this to prevent camera filming when not required.
2. Mini Wearable Camera – Great Hidden Outdoor Camera
We can say that this mini wearable camera is one of the most practical hidden outdoor cameras.
First, the device is tiny, so you can easily attach it anywhere you want to record secretly – nobody will notice it! Besides, 1080p/30 quality gives you an excellent video with great details.
With this wearable mini camera, you can record up to 4-6 hours.
What is even more impressive:
This hidden mini camera has really decent night vision IR and Loop record features. One of the best ways to use this camera for your YouTube videos and pranks is to take it as your secondary camera.
Just attach that camera to you, and you will be able to get high-quality extra video footage for your videos from the first person.
Main features:- Lopp recording
- 1080/30p video resolution
- Up to 4-5 hours of battery life
- Night vision
- Built-in 128GB card storage
- Dimensions: 1.88 x 1.45 x 2.17″ (47 x 36.8 x 55 mm)
- Weight: 3.2 oz (90 g)
- Easy and Convenient
- Records 1080/30p videos
- Great battery life
- Attachable mostly everywhere
- It has a night vision mode
- It has built-in storage
- The camera weighs almost nothing
- It has quite visible blinking red light on the front of the camera
If you are looking for a simple small secondary attachable camera that records in decent quality and precise details, then this wearable mini camera can be named as the one of the best in this segment.
3. Blink Mini – Best Compact Smart Security Camera
The Blink mini is a small pocket-friendly plug-in smart camera with two-way audio, high resolution (1080p), and a motion detector.
As the name suggests, the Blink Mini is conveniently small and can store videos in the cloud for a 30 days (free trial) Blink subscription or simply save locally with a USB flash drive which is sold separately.
The camera has a battery life of up to 2 years! Amazing right? For easy use, the Blink mini can be paired with Alexa to arm or disarm it, engage live view and so much more by using your voice.
There’s more:
With an optional Blink Subscription, you can live view and save unlimited videos for 60 days. If you are using a blink sync module 2, you can save videos and photos from up to 10 Blink cameras and view them from your smartphone (Blink app) or the computer using a USB drive at no extra cost.
It’s worth noting that all the live view features and motion alerts are automatically available with Blink mini at extra cost.
So basically the main purpose of the spy camera is for security but you could really do some quick and funny pranks to your friends and convert these to your vlog series.
Main features:- Full HD 1080p resolution
- In-built microphone with two-way audio
- Infrared night vision
- Motion detector
- Adjustable angle (110° diagonal)
- Dimensions: 2 x 1.9 x 1.4’’ (50 x 49 x 36 mm)
- Weight: 1.7 ounces (48 g)
- The camera is Wi-Fi enabled
- Works with Alexa
- 1080p HD video resolution
- 2-way audio recording
- Extended battery life (2 years)
- Live viewing is not continuous; you have to tap on the app screen to continue after 30 seconds
- No ability to view all of your cameras at once. You can only select a single camera and activate it to view real-time video
- After the 30 days of free trial, you have to subscribe to the blink subscription to keep saving in the cloud
You get one of the best spy cameras at an affordable price for your upcoming vlog videos. The camera is small and can blend in with house décor for the ultimate home vlog experience. Additionally, you can arm or disarm it with a smartphone and choose the videos you want when you want them.
Conclusion
A secret camera for vlogging can be a useful tool to film various YouTube secret videos that shouldn’t be exposed to your big and bulky DSLR camera.
These types of videos, most of the time, get a lot of viewers and can become trending videos easily – you just need to have a good idea for your channel.
The small spy cameras can fit everywhere, and they are easily hideable. Besides, nowadays, most spy cameras offer Full 1080p HD video recording, so don’t worry much about the quality.
Anyway, need to mention that we don’t recommend filming full video footage with a spy camera only. These should be used for extra footage to make your vlog more engaging.
Also, if you want to film a prank, I would suggest looking for another type of hidden camera because due to some regulations, you can’t record audio and it requires you to contact tech support and ask for help.
On the other hand, you can use that type of hidden camera for your house security to monitor babysitters or caregivers and film everything that you want without anybody noticing it.
All in all, remember that these cameras are recommended for use only as your secondary device. If you are going to shoot a video that requires a hidden camera, don’t forget to have your daily vlogging camera as the primary device.
Glen Beker
I am Glen and I’m a 100% tech-addicted guy, Blogger, Video Editor and Entrepreneur. I spent a lot of my time learning how to properly edit videos, I've tested a lot of vlogging equipment and now with my team, I share all these tips with you.
