6 Best 4K Cameras for Shooting Videos in 2020–2021

4K recording has taken the shape of a standard feature in all modern-day cameras. This is why it is being embedded even in smartphones. But all 4K cameras available in the market are not of the same quality. They differ in terms of outcome possibilities, sensors used, capture method and other factors. Today we are going to take you through 6 of the best 4k camera which can provide you with optimum value for money.

#1. Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K — Best 4K Video Camera

The Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K earns its place on our list with a comprehensive feature set and competitive price. It packs in a brilliant 5-inch touch screen and can help you shoot razor-sharp 4K footage. It even has external SSD recording capabilities that can keep you buffered from all storage woes. The ribbed grip of this 4K video camera guarantees better tactility and can be easily used on the go. It is compatible with both SD and CFast cards wherein the later helps out with premium grade raw 4K video storage.

Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

Pros

1. It has a playful design that feels pretty solid to touch.
2. It is not too angular and this, in turn, ensures a comfortable grip.
3. The standard tripod mount located at the base features a horseshoe which is perfect for attaching an LED light or external monitor.
4. USB-C port supports data transfer.
5. 5-inch LCD screen having a stellar resolution of 1920*1080 offers an extremely sharp display.
6. The aspect ratio of 16:9 helps in examining the focus with optimum accuracy.
7. The touch interface is both responsive and comprehensive.
8. The user interface is highly customizable which helps in exercising greater control over everything ranging from audio input to zebra levels, shutter angles and many more.
9. Autofocus onboard works brilliantly while trying to focus on dark objects.
10. 4K video recorded comes off as beautifully sharp without being too over the top.

Cons

1. Battery life is not up to the mark.
2. Lacks an articulating screen.
3. Battery meter shows inconsistent results.

#2. GoPro HERO8 Black — Best 4K Action Camera

If you are on the lookout for a 4K camera that can offer you a tremendous level of stabilization, then you are bound to feel delighted with the GoPro HERO8 Black. It has retained its tried and tested design while offering support to higher frame rates and that too across higher resolution range. The folding feet design and housing-free mounting help with hassle-free storage of the HERO8. It packs in just one optical field of view but serves up four focal lengths.

GoPro Hero8 Black

Pros

1. Scratch and smash resistant glass of the GoPro Hero8 comes off as highly durable.
2. The responsive touchscreen retains its brightness even in the sunniest conditions.
3. Users are provided with the option of capturing footages at multiple resolutions ranging from 1080p 240fps to 4K 60fps.
4. Can shoot at dual aspect ratios of 16:9 and 4:3.
5. Stands out from its peers with the Hypersmooth 2.0 stabilized footage captured across all resolutions.
6. Boost feature helps out in scenarios where stability is more necessary than clarity.
7. It can capture brighter images having less grain than its peer cameras during night time.
8. The TimeWrap 2.0 shooting mode allows both slowing and speeding up the footages on a real-time basis.
9. The SuperPhoto feature of GoPro Hero8 can capture a better dynamic range.

Cons

1. Lowlight performance is not up to the mark.
2. The rear screen is smaller than its peer models.
3. It doesn’t rank high in terms of affordability.

#3. Nikon Z50 Mirrorless Camera — Best 4K Mirrorless Camera

Nikon has targeted all wannabe Instagrammers around the globe with the Z50 Mirrorless camera. If you are someone who wishes to share the attractive moments of life over social media channels, then the Z50 can surely serve you well. The camera is built around an oversized lens mount but its retractable kit zoom helps in bringing down its overall footprint.

Nikon Z50 Mirrorless Camera

Pros

1. Can capture 4K video across full sensor width in stark contrast to its competitors which capture only cropped versions.
2. Features an electronic viewfinder which helps in understanding the effect of exposure settings before taking the shot.
3. The deep grip of this camera feels pretty comfortable to hold.
4. Rear and front-mounted scroll wheels enable quick changing of shutter speed and aperture.
5. The compact nature of this camera helps in storing it easily in a messenger bag for transportation.
6. The tilting touchscreen LCD makes it well suited for street photography.
7. Users can easily find plenty of detailing in the footages in spite of shooting the same in a grey and overcast day.

Cons

1. Lacks image stabilization attributes.
2. Battery life is not up to the mark.
3. Rear screen cannot be used as a touchpad while having the camera on your eye.

#4. Nikon D5600 DSLR Camera — Best 4K DSLR Camera

This latest entrant into the D5000-series camera club of Nikon provides the brilliant combination of compact size, variable angle screen, and novice-friendliness. Such attributes make it ideal both for photography students as well as amateur users. The USP of Nikon D5600 is its wireless SnapBridge technology which maintains a Bluetooth LE connection with your smart devices and that too while diminishing power consumption.

Nikon D5600 DSLR Camera

Pros

1. Aggressive sharpening and lack of optical low-pass filter make the images sharper and crisper.
2. It offers brilliant color accuracy than its peer models.
3. It has a deep and well-sculpted grip in spite of being compact.
4. Responsiveness and speed of Live View autofocus work very well with the touch control of the screen.
5. It offers excellent ISO performance which surely comes in as a great surprise.
6. Supports impressive in-camera processing and superb dynamic range performance.
7. Autofocus performance comes off as both reliable and quick.
8. Generous 100 frame JPEG buffer allows users to keep on shooting at burst mode.
9. NFC helps in pairing the camera easily with Android devices.
10. SnapBridge functionality helps with the automatic transfer of images to compatible smart devices from your camera.
11. Articulating touchscreen can be both extended and rotated for capturing self-footages while maintaining proper framing.

Cons

1. Bluetooth connection tends to get slow at times.
2. The viewfinder offers just 95% coverage.
3. The Wi-Fi range is not up to the mark.

#5. DJI OSMO Action — Best 4K Vlogging Camera

OSMO Action is the first attempt at DJI in the field of the action camera. It packs in a 16:9 touchscreen and allows front live-view display while maintaining video stabilization even while capturing shaky frames. The OSMO Action is tailor-made for vloggers who are on the lookout of a good photo and video capturing option within an affordable price range.

DJI Osmo Action

Pros

1. Sports a solid metal body having a textured band that seamlessly wraps around the frame.
2. A 1.4-inch front display screen helps with perfect outdoor viewing.
3. Its giant lens is shielded with a screw-on lens protector.
4. On-point touch sensitivity gets further accelerated with its intuitive menu system.
5. It provides users with the option of choosing between normal and D-Cinelike color profiles.
6. HDR mode expands the dynamic range by allowing it to work in all challenging situations.
7. The user-friendly interface of Osmo Action makes it well suited for amateur photographers and videographers.
8. Voice controls can be activated for undertaking basic tasks like shutting down, recording, switching screens, etc.

Cons

1. Image stabilization is accompanied by a heavy crop.
2. It does not have an HDMI port or GPS.
3. Mounting requires housing, unlike its peer models.

#6. GoPro Hero7 Black — Best Cheap/Budget 4K Camera

Your search for an affordable action camera offering excellent video and stills ends with the GoPro Hero7 Black which can serve you well especially while capturing shaky frames. Its HyperSmooth stabilization can provide gimbal like results even while shooting 60fps footages at full resolution.

GoPro HERO 7 Black

Pros

1. A waterproof camera can serve you well even at depths of 10m.
2. Model is compatible with old GoPro accessories like Karma drone, Karma Grip, etc.
3. A 2-inch touchscreen at the back of the Hero 7 helps in changing the settings and framing the shots.
4. Three built-in microphones help with canceling out wind noise and enhancing stereo sound.
5. The camera supports Protune options which are meant for professional users wishing to manually set the exposure.
6. The accompanying plastic skeleton bracket helps in attaching the GoPro Hero 7 Black with other GoPro accessories, two adhesive mounts, and a Type-C charging cable.
7. HyperSmooth stabilization works very well in masking the jerks of your footfall to make the ultimate footage seem like as if captured through a gimbal.
8. TimeWrap feature helps in shooting stabilized handheld footage for adding motion to the time-lapse videos.
9. Allows shooting vertical videos and sharing them over social media channels like Instagram.

Cons

1. Images tend to become grainy in low light conditions.
2. The screen becomes unresponsive at times.
3. Struggles in keeping up with voice commands.

How To Choose The Best 4K Camera

Skill Level

You need to consider your particular skillset before selecting a 4K camera. There is no upper limit on the degree of advanced equipment you can choose but it always pays to take a fair call. Professional cameras are constructed for catering to specific skill levels. You can easily demarcate a good investment from the bad one by using the right one.

Ease Of Use

Even after spending years in the film industry, photographers get confused with the functions and features of new equipment. Simple manipulation of the menu might even impose a stringent learning curve ahead of the users. This is why it becomes imperative to bring home a 4K camera that doesn’t require prior knowledge or skill for understanding the menu or working out the controls.

Video Quality

Professional cameras usually stack along with more features than their consumer counterparts. This holds for everything ranging from the lenses to the sensor. Bigger lenses help with capturing footage even in low light scenarios and make it ideal for shooting full-length movies as well as documentaries.

Compatibility

4K cameras usually come with a bulky price tag. Thus, you need to ensure that your camera is compatible with other professional tools in your arsenal. If the built-in microphone of your camera is not up to the mark, then you might require the help of an XLR microphone for picking up better audio. Your camera needs to be compatible with all such external peripherals for offering greater convenience.

What are the Benefits of Using a 4K Camera

1. 4K cameras shoot footages which can be zoomed in cleanly and are ideal for capturing close-ups.
2. Cropping frames do not lead to any loss in image quality of the ultimate output.
3. High resolution still images can even be captured from the videos recorded.
4. 4K cameras record at higher bitrate which reduces chances of color banding.

Prerequisites of Using a 4K Camera

1. 4K camera having a large sensor has better light gathering ability.
2. Some 4K cameras have a 1-inch imaging sensor which helps in capturing better dynamic range and depth of field even in low light.
3. Built-in digital image stabilization of 4K cameras can reduce blurry footages captured on the go.
4. Normal cameras capture videos at 30fps but 4K cameras on the other hand capture videos at 60fps which leads to silky smooth footages.

Conclusion

We hope you were benefitted from today’s discussion of the best 4k camera. Although we have mentioned six different models, the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K stands out from its peers with 13-stops of dynamic range, a Four Thirds sensor and a dual native ISO which ranges up to 25600.

Its next-generation design also strikes the right balance between portability and durability while bringing along the complete feature set of a 4K digital camera. Users can take their pick amongst Fast 2. 0 cards, UHS-II cards and standard SD cards for recording 4K content. It can also be recorded into an external SSD directly using the built-in USB-C Expansion port. So, try it out today and get ready to experience the magnificent possibilities of this pocket-sized powerhouse.