Budget Friendly Camera with Mic Input and IBIS? (Around $400 used?)

Off The Mark wrote:

Thanks for the input. Thinking maybe step up to the FZ1000 depending on if there is much of an improvement in image quality. (larger sensor). Yeah, that puts it over $400 but then no need to buy a lens.

That might make sense, though for me there were some minor turn-offs with the FZ1000:

• It isn't splash proof. While I don't go out looking for storms to shoot in, I've shot with my splash proof cameras in a lot of rain storms in the last few years, plus for things like taking them on flume rides and the Niagara Falls boat ride where you do get wet. For the FZ300, I was looking for an all-in-one camera to use when I didn't want the full gear bag, and being splash proof meant I had to be less concerned about the weather.
• The FZ1000 does not have a touch screen. Particularly when I'm shooting video on a tripod, I find the touch screen to be extremely useful to set the focus point. However, it does support the wireless app, so I would imagine you could use the phone app to set the focus point.
• When I bought the FZ300 (used) it was much cheaper than the FZ1000. With the current Panasonic USA discount, the new FZ1000 is only $100 more than the FZ300.

Speaking of remote control, I've started using the phone to control my fixed lens compact cameras. With the compact cameras, you can control the zoom from the phone app. With micro 4/3rds cameras, you only have 4 lenses that support electronic zoom. These lenses are older, slower lenses, but if your son is interested, they do exist. You want to look for either the PZ (Panasonic power zoom) or EZ (Olympus electronic zoom) suffix on the lens.

Of course if you are primarily shooting video and want better auto focus, perhaps you should look at camcorders instead. Perhaps the Pansonic HC-V770HK or HC-V800 if you don't need 4K video.  Or the Panasonic HC-VX981K or HC-VX1 if you do need 4K.