Updated Nov 22

Whether you’re just sharing clips with friends or you’re launching an online on-camera career, vlogging matters. And there’s a point at which your smartphone may not give you the look or control you’re after. With 180-degree selfie screens, wide-angle lenses, microphone inputs and great video quality, more and more dedicated cameras offer just what you need to look and sound your best.

Here are our top picks, giving particular attention to 4K video quality and dependable autofocus.

Best camera for vlogging: Sony ZV-E10

The ZV-E10 is the interchangeable lens option in Sony's vlogging lineup (we also quite like the smaller-sensor ZV-1, but were less impressed by the ZV-F1). The ability to add other lenses gives the E10 a level of flexibility a smartphone just can't match, along with genuine shallow depth-of-field that's never going to accidentally blur out the wrong thing, as phones can still be prone to.

The ZV-E10 has excellent autofocus and a product showcase mode that will refocus to anything you hold up in front of the camera to show your audience. In video terms, Nikon's Z30 is a little better, showing less rolling shutter than the Sony and not having to crop in for its 4K/30 footage, but the choice of lenses, provision of a headphone port and autofocus give the ZV-E10 the edge, we feel.

Read more about the Sony ZV-E10

To start your own channel: Sony FX30

The Sony FX30 is a pro quality video production tool that goes way beyond the needs of most vlogging. But if you're looking to elevate the production values of your business to the next level, it's one of the most cost-effective tools for doing so.

Its autofocus is some of the most reliable we've encountered and its Super35 (APS-C) sensor produces some of the best footage we've seen this side of dedicated cinema cameras. It provides a range of gamma, framerate and codec options to let you shoot it the way you want, and can utilize one of the most extensive ranges of lenses out there. It may be too heavy to hold at arms' length for any amount of time, but if your vlogging is becoming a career, the FX30 is worth considering.

Read more about the Sony FX30

Richard Butler

Also consider:

These are the other vlogging-focused models we think are worth a look:

• Canon EOS R10
• Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III
• Nikon Z30
• OM-D E-M10 IV
• Panasonic Lumix DC-G100
• Sony ZV-1