10 Best Cheap 4K Cameras: Your Buyer’s Guide

If it’s in your budget and an action camera is aligned with your shooting, there’s no reason not to get the GoPro Hero 7 It boasts everything people love about the original GoPro series and much more. Waterproof out of the box, robust apps (and better smartphone integration than ever), LCD screen to monitor your shots, and Cineform (GoPro’s log equivalent) meaning it’s a professional camera in action camera form factor. Users love it for its ease-of-use, simple interface, and overall approach which says, “Set it and forget it.” What’s new in this update are tons of features like voice control (think Siri for recording), video stabilization (gimbal-like quality), and most importantly: footage quality. Check out the video below.

The footage speaks for itself: GoPro is ready for the cinema with this latest update. The humble maker has ascended well into the realm of top camera makers with clarity, sharpness, and dynamic range that mimics much more high-end cameras with none of the complicated headaches.

This may be the most expensive camera on our list, but it’s also the best cheap 4K camera, at least if $1,048 is cheap (which for high-end cameras, it definitely is). The A6300 offers amazing value as it’s definitely the best stills shooter in this Top 10. It also boasts robust filming options, including the unique capability of 1080P at 120 FPS. It has a tiny profile as a compact mirrorless, but unfortunately, this is where the trouble starts. The A6300 is known to overheat if used for longer than 20 consecutive minutes; the instruction manual itself says this. Therefore, it is not practical for videography nor for some professional shots. Still, if that doesn’t hit your ears an immediate deal-breaker, then there isn’t a better camera on this list. It may not be a workhorse, but it does have superb dynamic range, detail, and low noise (see video below). It’s a pocket pistol and a half; but no, you can’t shoot a wedding on it, even a short modern one.

For those who want a swath of features in a camera that takes awesome footage, this Panasonic camcorder is not to be missed. Boasting solid image quality and great zoom (20x), you won’t miss the action. It also has a slew of gimmicky (but useful) features included picture-in-picture recording, and live stream capability. That said, a few minor drawbacks include noisy lowlight performance and for some, the UI was difficult to navigate. Still, at this price point, with its in-camera editing features, and high footage quality, this camera is very practical for those looking for quick shooting and robust capabilities.

Boasting excellent features and 20x zoom, this Sony model is a serious contender. It offers 16.6 megapixels for stills and great clarity. Users love its convenient touchscreen and unique manual focusing ring. Perhaps its biggest weakness is its relatively short battery life, but a replacement can be purchased at a low cost. Not without its flaws (especially for live streaming, as it only does playback via HDMI and Wi-fi connectivity is spotty), this camera offers decent bang for the buck and superb image quality.

The little brother to the above camera, the FDRax 33 has only a few, minor downgrades. Its optical zoom is only 10x. Also, some users have issues with its touch screen. Beyond this, however, the FDRAX33 offers great value at a significant reduction in price. Users love everything about it that they do about the FDRAX 53. That said, some of the same issues persist. Outputting HDMI and using via Wi-fi are limited. Users say it just won’t do for live streaming. For everything else, however, this camera offers a lot of bang for the buck.

It’s the editor’s choice because live-streaming isn’t a priority, and the reality is that this camera takes excellent quality footage at a reasonable price. Below one can see that the dynamic range is solid, the low-light is great, and nothing makes shooting video easier than the form factor of a camcorder. While the price may be on the high side for casual users, shooting 4K is future-proofing at least for the next few years.

With its splash and dust-proof body, the Panasonic FZ300 is an interesting choice. It may not be the best for stills, but it boasts a great zoom range and a mirrorless camera form factor. Users love it for its ease of use and feature set. It has built-in stabilization and great ergonomics. That said, some found processing its files cumbersome. Low light quality isn’t great either. Still, for the price, the FZ300 is a fantastic way to shoot 4K footage, though for stills the camera below (same price) will perform better.

While many may opt for pricier mirrorless or DSLR models, the G7 4K offers huge capability with tremendous quality. Users love its fast auto-focus and sharp 4K. For the photographers, it’s a fairly common feature that camcorders let you shoot photographs, but not RAW; this is where the G7 shines. The camera also boasts integrated wi-fi sharing and a DSLR build, for that convenient handheld feel. Users love its output and claim it “punches above its class.” At this price, it’s a great alternative to number one on our list, and offers more capability, but with more complexity via interchangeable lenses.

For those looking to get sweet zooms and who don’t need the practical functionality of a camcorder, the FZ80K offers a unique proposition. What it lacks in image clarity and, it makes up for in zoom. Stabilized 60x zoom means one can get closer to the action than with any other camera on this list. Sure, it’s ultimately a point and shoot, so the sharpness and color quality pale compared to say, the A6300, but for those who like to shoot from far away and want something affordable and practical, this camera offers a fun time. It’s not great for indoor shooting, but it should do as an outdoor camera in almost any situation.

If you’ve ever seen GoPro footage and thought, “I’d pay half as much for footage that’s 80% as good,” the Yi is the perfect camera for you. It boasts 4k shooting and superb clarity and color, just a notch below GoPro. Another tradeoff to the king of action cameras is its inferior app quality which makes distributing footage a bit more challenging. Still, Yi! offers the best bang for one’s buck in the action camera department if you have demanding needs and need footage that really pops.

It’s the budget action camera that’s tough to beat. Boasting solid 4K footage, waterproof housing, two batteries, and a remote, the Akaso offers insane bang for the buck. It can’t take great photographs, but the footage quality (below) speaks for itself. For action footage, this camera may not be the best, but at 1/4 price of a top of the line GoPro, it’s certainly much better than 25% as good.