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Cheap camcorder 500 dollars or less

Started 6 months ago | Questions thread
John Koch Senior Member • Posts: 1,602
Re: Cheap camcorder 500 dollars or less

A new 4k camcorder, priced at $500 or less, is apt to be a knock-off brand with few reliable reviews.   Some might in fact be OK, but you'll incur some risk.   The price may be low, but the "4k" might be only interpolated 1080p.  Stabilization might be absent or weak.  Perhaps the zoom is digital only.

Option B might be to seek brand-name models, sold and well-reviewed over the past 5 years, and then bid for lightly used units sold on eBay.  Some might be in very good condition.  Some HD models probably sell for under $300.  The Lumix G7 is an older hybrid model, but shoots good 4k video, provided one uses stabilized lenses or a tripod.  I see used units for sale on eBay for under $400, often with one or more lenses included.   It also has a mic jack. The auto-focus is contrast detect, less reliable than PDAF, but I don't think any camera priced under $500 will offer PDAF, except perhaps a very battered used unit.

Depending on your goals or viewership, what you spend may matter very little.  Lots of successful social media channels seem to rely on stock footage or borrowed sources.  Perhaps the "author" will appear only as a picture-in-picture talking head or need not appear at all.  The quality of narration or audio can be critically important.

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