Best Video Cameras Under $300 (£250)

by Tom Barrance | Updated September 2021

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I’ve picked the best camcorders, SLRs and mirrorless cameras you can buy in the entry-level price range. All of these cameras can shoot 1080p Full HD.

I’ve explained the differences between these kinds of camera, and their advantages and disadvantages here. Basically, camcorders are smaller and easier to use, but SLRs and mirrorless cameras offer more creative possibilities and a more ‘film-like’ look.

If you’ve got a good smartphone (e.g. iPhone 13 or later) I’d seriously consider kitting it out for video rather than buying an entry-level camcorder. You could get the free BlackMagic Camera app then add a microphone and a cage or stabiliser for well under $200/£200.

Avoid very cheap camcorders with unfamiliar brand names: most are poor quality and have fixed non-zoom lenses (they only have digital zooms).

Camcorder with microphone input: Canon HF-R700 and 800 (NTSC only)

The Canon HF-R800 (now discontinued) can record in a range of AVCHD and MP4 formats, including the 24fps that filmmakers like.

The zoom doesn’t go that wide – only 32.5mm equivalent – but there’s a filter ring so you could fit a wide angle adapter. It has a fairly large 3 inch touchscreen. Most importantly, it’s the cheapest good-quality camcorder you can buy with a microphone input socket. The older HF-R700 is almost identical.

Find used HF-R800 on eBay | Find used HF-R700 on eBay

Small wide-angle camcorder: Panasonic HC-V180

The big advantage of this little Panasonic is its genuine wide angle lens (28mm equivalent). So you can get in close for dramatic perspective and better audio.

It’s the first low-end Panasonic with optical image stabilisation. It’ll shoot in AVCHD and MP4, so it’ll be compatibile with most editing programs. If you use a Mac and want to save space, it also records in iMovie’s native iFrame mode. You can shoot time-lapse, and it can also record full 1080p HD with 50% slow motion.

But there’s no microphone input, headphone socket or viewfinder. The 2.7 inch touchscreen could be fiddly if you have large hands. Low-light performance from the 1/5.8” sensor – and battery life – isn’t great.

Find used Panasonic V180 on eBay

SLR or mirrorless

If you want an SLR or mirrorless camera in this price range, you’ll need to buy used.

The Canon EOS T4i (US) / Canon EOS 650D(Europe) SLR has a large APS-C sensor, which is good for shallow depth of field, and it has Canon’s excellent colour rendition. It’ll accept all current Canon SLR lenses, and you can fit other makers’ lenses with adapters. It’s the first entry-level video Canon DSLR with a tilt-and-swivel touchscreen. It can shoot slow-motion, but only at 1280×720 rather than Full HD 1080. Like the other two cameras in this category, it doesn’t have a headphone jack.

You can install free Magic Lantern firmware (at your own risk) to add more video features.

It’s bigger and heavier than the camcorders, though it’s relatively light for a DSLR. Battery life is better than mirrorless cameras.

Find used Canon EOS T4i on eBay US / Canon EOS 650D on eBay

Canon EOS-M

The original Canon EOS-M was the first mirrorless camera with a Canon APS-C sensor. At around $200/£150 or less used, it’s the most affordable camera you can buy for creative filmmaking.

As with Canon SLRs, colours are great and you can get good shallow depth of field effects. There’s a limited range of small lenses devised specifically for the M series, but you can get adapters enabling you to mount any current Canon lens (or older manual focus lenses). It has a solid metal body, but it’s much smaller and lighter than an SLR. It has a fixed million-dot touchscreen.

It’s really small and neat and produces lovely images. Downsides: the touchscreen interface is slow to use, there’s no eye-level viewfinder, and battery life is poor so you’ll need spares.

It has the same range of video options as the T4i, and you can install Magic Lantern firmware for extra video features.

Find used EOS-M on eBay

If you can afford a bit more it’s worth seeking out newer EOS models such as the M3 (review). It has a tilting screen, better controls, and the option to add an electronic viewfinder.

Find used EOS M3 on eBay

DJI Osmo Pocket

The original version of DJI’s tiny stabilised camera is a neat alternative to a camcorder. It has a 4K camera with a 28mm equivalent lens, and can record 1080p slow motion. I’d buy the wireless module and extension rod as well – it makes the camera much more useful. More about the Osmo Pocket

Osmo Pocket on eBay

Wireless module on eBay

Extension rod on eBay.

What else you’ll need

Here’s my basic filmmaking kit list.

This page includes affiliate links. For more information click here.