Rating of the most inexpensive camcorders for 2022

Photographs, video recording are available to every modern person at any time of the day. You can choose a budget model for a child, a novice operator, a blogger by studying the rating of the most inexpensive video cameras for 2022.

What are

Camcorders simultaneously perform several functions: video of different formats and genres, still images, macro modes, work at night, slow motion, photos during video, video surveillance.

Cheap models are designed for amateurs, beginners, children. They differ in the year of manufacture, the number of functions, the quality of materials.

Main product parameters:

1. Class (amateur, professional).
2. Information carrier types.
3. Permission.
4. File formats.
5. Modes.
6. Functions.
7. interfaces.

Important parameters are the manufacturer, equipment (flash, LCD screen, PictBridge, interchangeable lens, remote control).

Class

Amateur - home use, small size, easy carrying, auto and manual settings.

Professional - overall parameters, high-quality matrices, external microphones, interchangeable optics. Used by operators of television, film industry.

Action cameras (from the English action - action) - small weight and size, there is resistance to falls, moisture ingress. Mounted on the handlebars of a motorcycle, bicycle, bicycle helmet, arm, belt. It is used for filming jumps from bridges, mountain slopes.

3D models – video recording in 3D mode. May have a special adapter, two lenses.

Media Types

There are three main types:

• Flash - data is written to a memory card (additional, built-in), MPEG2, MPEG4 formats;
• HDD – data is stored on the hard disk (MPEG2, MPEG4, AVCHD);
• MiniDV - recorded on cassettes.

Compact, inexpensive models - Flash. Professional models, long working time, high price - HDD.

Recording resolution

Denoted by numbers and letters. The numbers are the number of lines in the image.Letters - scanning (i - interlaced, frame in two passes, p - progressive, frame in one pass).

Standard: 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p.

High: 720p - HD (High Definition), 1080i, 1080p - FullHD.

A high-quality picture is a large number, file size, p (no distortion).

Formats

Three main types:

1. MPEG4 is a standard format, high quality, small file size.
2. MPEG2 - high quality, large file size.
3. AVCHD is a format for professional cameras based on MPEG4.

Modes

Popular modes wired into standard models:

• widescreen - 16:9 video format;
• macro photography - small objects at a distance of 2 to 20 cm;
• night - twilight, night, but the color is lost;
• photographs - simultaneously or separately, portrait (blurred background);
• sports - fast moving objects.

Most models have a widescreen mode, the ability to simultaneously take pictures. Night video recording is poor quality.

Functions

Important categories affecting quality:

1. Stabilization - reduces fuzziness during vibrations, it can be optical and digital.
2. WB - white balance, automatic or manual settings.
3. Face focus.
4. Zoom.
5. Special effects, faders (smooth transition between episodes).

Optical stabilization - better quality, high cost.

Interfaces

There are two main types of data transfer:

• USB is a convenient, common way to transfer to a PC, laptop;
• HDMI - high-quality transmission, copy protection.

Sound transmission is carried out: headphone output, microphone input (separate microphone output).

How to choose

Before buying, it is worth studying the algorithm of actions in order to avoid mistakes. Main steps:

1. Decide on the functionality of the product (for children, for an amateur, for a YouTube blogger).
2. Select the main functions (macro, video stills, night view).
3. To study the main technical parameters (stabilizer, zoom, sensitivity, resolution).
4. The amount of memory (built-in, additional).
5. Data transfer method.
6. Power (battery capacity, charging from powerbank).
7. Convenience, simplicity of the menu.
8. Compact, easy to carry.
9. Manufacturer, warranty, conditions of the seller.

For children up to 7-8 years old, special children's models with games, additional frames, and music are suitable.

For children, beginners - simple controls, convenient buttons.

Rating of the most inexpensive camcorders for 2022

Amateur budget models were selected based on customer reviews, users of online video stores, Yandex market. Three categories are selected by cost: up to 5.000, up to 15.000, up to 25.000.

Up to 5.000

4th Place SQ11 Full HD 1080P Portable Mini Camera

The cost is 550 rubles.

The manufacturer is the Chinese company OFOPRO.

The main difference is the small size. The black plastic case has a square shape. A multicolored stripe runs down the center. Front panel - camera lens in the center, six IR cameras in a circle. Top side - two protruding buttons (on / off, Mode - modes), light indicator.

Side: USB port, reset (Reset), TF card. On the corner is the place for attaching the carrying strap.

Properties:

• two formats: HD Ready (720P), Full HD (1080P);
• AVI video, JPG images, 12 MP;
• video recording is cyclic - every 5 minutes;
• motion sensor, night shooting mode (6 IR diodes);
• memory - SD card (up to 32 GB);
• battery 200 mAh, operating time 1.5 hours;
• review 140⁰.

The data is recorded in separate files. Can be connected to TV, computer.Charging - through a 220V charger, PowerBank, car cigarette lighter. It can be used as a DVR, action camera.

Parameters (mm): height - 23, width - 23.

Complete set: USB cable, holder-bracket, clip, instruction.

• miniature dimensions;
• photo, video;
• sound recording;
• convenient battery charging;
• Motion Sensor;
• night shooting.

• sound quality.

3 seat Rekam DVC-360 black

Price: 4.887-6.083 rubles.

The product is made by the popular brand "Rekam" (Canada).

The classic form is a black plastic case of an elongated type. There is a 2.7″ LCD screen. The outer side has the main characteristics, the company logo, a series of goods. Next to the display on the inside are three buttons (display, flash, modes). Rear panel - USB, AV inputs, closed with a tight cover, off button.

The right side is a place for AAA batteries (3 pieces), a convenient belt.

Peculiarities:

• media - rewritable memory (Flash);
• Full HD 1080p video, widescreen;
• 5 MP CMOS sensor;
• lens focal length 3 mm;
• Zoom digital 8x;
• electronic stabilizer;
• photo 2592×1944;
• card types: SDHC, SDXC (up to 32 GB).

Additional functions: face detection, auto exposure, built-in flash, special effects (Japanese style, negative, warm, sunset).

Parameters (mm): length - 114, depth - 55, height - 60. Weight - 0.186 kg.

Equipment: wires (USB, AV), three AAA batteries, instructions, warranty, fabric case.

Warranty period - 2 years.

• functionality;
• digital zoom;
• flash;
• information on the map;
• many special effects;
• light;
• simple control.

• without a video finder;
• battery powered;
• bad sound.

2nd place Mini with recording on Ambertek RS101 memory card

Cost: 1.980 rubles.

The manufacturer is the American company Ambertek.

Differs in the miniature sizes. It has a square shape, removable lens. Above the lens is a settings reset button, a microphone. Top side - power buttons, charging indicator. Bottom panel - slots microSD, USB. The side part is a loop for a lace.

Properties:

• JPEG photo, resolution 1600x1200;
• AVI video, speed 30 pcs/s, resolution 640x480;
• autofocus;
• 2 MP image sensor;
• battery Li-Pol 140 mAh;
• works 35-40 minutes;
• Micro SD up to 32 GB.

You can set the time and date, there is a built-in microphone. Permissible distance (m): video - 7-8, sound - 2-3.

Sold with instructions, carrying lanyard, USB cable - microUSB.

Used as a hidden (spy) camera, PC webcam.

Warranty period - 12 months.

Dimensions (mm): height - 25, length - 25, depth - 26. Weight - 11 g.

• suitable for surveillance, webcam;
• two modes;
• battery powered;
• sound, photo, video recording;
• autofocus.

• audio quality.

1st place Veila Kids Digital Camera 3446 blue

Price: 1.911-2.343 rubles.

The manufacturer is the Chinese company Veila.

The children's product is made in the shape of a small bird: a blue plastic case, yellow bright elements. There is one left wing - a folding panel with an LCD screen (2 inches). The color display contains six categories: photo, video, sound, settings, games, viewing. Inner side - control buttons. The right side is a convenient strap for carrying and holding. Bottom panel - USB cable slots, memory cards.

Peculiarities:

• media - rewritable memory (Flash);
• color display 720×320;
• video resolution 1280×720;
• 100⁰ view, widescreen;
• 1.30 MP CMOS sensor;
• mini-SD support (up to 32 GB);
• USB interface.

Additional features: games, nine special effects, four frames.

Weight - 0.210 kg.

Warranty period - 6 months.

• bright design;
• light;
• durable case;
• clear menu;
• convenient management;
• additional games, frames.

• no viewfinder, stabilizer.

Up to 15.000

4 seat Rekam DVC-560 black

Cost: 6.399-7.260 rubles.

The manufacturer is the well-known company Rekam (Canada).

Black body, oblong shape. Left side - adjustable panel, 3-inch LCD screen. The main characteristics of the model are the outer part of the panel. The battery is inserted on the bottom side. The right side is a comfortable belt, a soft overlay with the company logo.

Control buttons - back, inside.

Properties:

• CMOS matrix, 5 MP;
• Max. video resolution 2678×1520;
• lens focal length 2.8 mm
• Zoom digital 18x
• electronic stabilizer
• memory cards SDHC, SDXC (up to 128 GB);
• battery NP-40 1500 mAh, works up to 90 minutes;
• USB interface, microphone.

Additional features: auto exposure, special effects, remote control, flash.

Dimensions (cm): height - 5.9, width - 12.7, depth - 5.8. Weight - 0.313 kg.

Sold with IR remote control, fabric case, lens cap, USB cable, instructions.

Warranty - 12 months.

• simple control;
• photography;
• light;
• special effects;
• battery powered, from Power bank.

• without viewfinder:
• no sound adjustment.

3rd place Full HD Canon IVY Rec Green

Price: 9.980 rubles.

The product is produced by the Japanese brand "Canon".

The action camera is distinguished by small dimensions, a removable front panel, different frame colors, and a built-in carabiner.

The rectangular frame is made of metal alloy, covered with hard rubber. Inside - the camera takes up 2/3 of the space. The replacement panel is attached with magnets. Empty space - built-in carabiner.

Rear panel - camera disk (mode change), power button, speaker. The right side is a latch that closes the slots, Micro-USB. The upper part is the shutter button, microphone.

Characteristics:

• CMOS 1/2.3″ 13 MP;
• Full HD 1080p, HD 720p;
• Micro-USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, Wi-Fi;
• battery 660 mAh, work 60 min.;
• focal length (cm) 2.5-50;
• frame rate per second: 30, 60.

Used in hiking, cycling, active sports.

Drop protection up to 2 m, works in water for 25-30 minutes (depth 1-1.5 m).

Charging from the network, USB, powerbank.

Sold with cable and instructions.

Parameters (cm): width - 11, height - 4.5, depth - 8.5. Weight - 90 g.

• compact dimensions;
• suitable for hiking, active travel;
• fall protection;
• works underwater;
• built-in carabiner;
• convenient disk management;
• control via the Canon Mini Cam mobile app.

• the network adapter is purchased.

2 place Sony HDR-CX240E black

Cost: 12.300 rubles.

The product is manufactured by the popular Sony brand (Japan).

The case is made of black durable plastic. There are silver elements, logo letters, information. The LCD panel is repositioned.

Top - zoom buttons, photo. Side - shutter latch, port slots. A short USB cable is attached to the carrying strap, behind the lining.The back side is for video recording, from the bottom there are two tripod mounts. Under the lens on the front, there are two microphones on the sides.

Near the screen - a joystick for changing modes, viewing materials

Properties:

• media rewritable memory (Flash);
• two widescreen modes;
• Full HD 1080p, 1920×1080;
• CMOS 5.02 MP, 1/5.8″;
• Zoom optical 27x, digital 320x;
• recordings: 720p, 1080i, 1080p;
• distances (mm): focal - 2.1-57, equivalent - 29.8-804;
• ExifPrint support, recording: H.264, MPEG4;
• AV, HDMI, USB interface;
• SD, MS cards;
• photo 2.29 MP.

Opportunities: night shooting, manual settings (exposure, focus), automatic (white balance, autoexposure), focusing on the face.

Main shooting modes: macro, twilight, fireworks, snow, sand, portrait.

Parameters (cm): width - 12.8, height - 6, depth - 5.4. Weight - 0.190 kg.

• fast work;
• many special effects;
• optical zoom;
• high-quality shooting;
• the function of taking a photo during the video;
• compact dimensions

• no built-in memory;
• body noise is recorded;
• additional lighting.

1 seat Sony DCR-SX65E

Price: 15.500 rubles.

The manufacturer is the well-known Japanese company Sony.

Case cover - matte, smooth, silver. Left side – power, view, brightness adjustment buttons. The side is closed with a 3-inch touch screen panel. The right side is a black leather strap with a built-in USB cable, audio and video connectors under the cover. The back part is the key to start recording, the place of the battery. Top - zoom control, mode switching, photo capture. The bottom is a memory card slot under the cover.

Properties:

• video resolution 720×576;
• CCD matrix, 0.80 MP, 1/8″;
• touch screen;
• built-in memory 4 GB;
• photo 0.56 MP, 640×480;
• distances (mm): focal - 1.8-108, equivalent. - 38-228(4:3), 39-234(16:9);
• two zooms: digital 60x, optical 2000x;
• AV output, USB interface;
• SD, SDHC, SDXC, MS Duo.

Features: manual settings (focus, white balance), face focusing.

Modes: Portrait, Motion, Beach, Fireworks, Sunrise.

Dimensions (cm): length - 12.3, height - 5.7, thickness - 5.2. Weight - 0.230 kg.

Sold as a set: 500 mAh battery, wires (USB, AV), charger, software disk, instructions.

• good zoom;
• high-quality pictures, videos;
• stereo sound;
• quick start;
• clear management;
• iAUTO;
• 4 GB internal memory;
• touchscreen;
• compact, lightweight.

• not identified.

Up to 25.000

3rd place Sony HDR-CX350E

Price: 22.450 rubles.

Product of the famous Japanese company "Sony".

Differs in surface, silver lens design, inscriptions (characteristics, company logo). There is a hybrid display, touch surface (Clear Photo LCD, 2.7 inches, 230400 pixels). Convenient control, menu.

Properties:

• Full HD 1080p, 1920×1080;
• CMOS sensor, 4.20 MP, 1/4″;
• lens (mm): focus - 2.9-34.8, equivalent. - 36.5-438 (4:3), 29.8-357 (16:9);
• built-in memory 32 GB;
• SD, SDHC, MS Duo;
• Zoom optical 12x, digital 160x;
• pictures 3072×2304;
• USB interface, outputs: AV, S-Video, component, HDMI.

Functions: stabilizer, manual focus, face focus, PictBridge support, built-in flash, MPEG2 recording. There are 10 auto exposure modes: portrait, landscape, twilight, snow.

Audio recording - Dolby Digital 2-channel.

Dual Rec - photo during video shooting.

Dimensions (cm): width - 11.2, depth - 5.2, height - 6.4. Weight without battery - 320 g.

Included in the package: AV wires, USB, charger, Li-Ion battery NP-FV50, software CD.

Warranty period - 2 years.

• turns on quickly;
• optical stabilizer;
• touch screen;
• strong zoom;
• clear menu, management;
• built-in memory;
• additionally - photo during shooting, slow motion;
• compact.

• low light - poor focus, WB auto-adjustment;
• weak battery;
• without viewfinder;
• buy the card separately.

2 place Sony HDR-CX405 black

Cost: 20.879-25.575 rubles.

The manufacturer is the popular Sony company (Japan).

Classic design, black color, silver elements. The lens is closed by a "curtain" latch on the front. There are microphone holes on the front.

Right side - built-in USB cable (hidden in the case of the hand strap with Velcro), multi-connector. The back is a start/stop button. Top - buttons for photographing, zoom adjustment.

Left side - widescreen display (LCD, 2.7 inches), flips. Switching modes, options - a large button in the upper left corner. The bottom switch is for viewing captured footage.

The opposite part is a speaker, under the cover there are slots for cards, connections.

Bottom - access to the battery under the plug, tripod attachment points.

Simple inclusion - tilting the screen panel to the side.

Options:

• Full HD 1080p, 1920×1080;
• night shooting;
• CMOS sensor, 2.29 MP, 1/5.8″;
• distance (mm): focus - 1.9-57, equiv. - 26.8-804;
• Zoom: optical 30x, digital 350x;
• formats: 720p, 1080i, 1080p;
• frame rate: 25 fps (1280×720), 50 fps (1920×1080);
• pictures 2.29 MP, 1920 × 1080;
• interfaces: AV output, HDMI output;
• SDXC, microSD, microSDHC.

Battery powered (1.240mAh), via USB, from powerbank.

Manual, automatic settings: focus, exposure, WB.

There are 6 modes: portrait, snow, nature, beach, fireworks, sunrise, sunset.

Additional features: face focus, ExifPrint, H.264 recording, MPEG4, snapshots during video.

Parameters (cm): width - 12.8, height - 6, depth - 5.4. Weight - 0.215 kg.

Warranty - 24 months.

Kit components: charger, 1.240 mAh NP-BX1 battery, cables (USB, HDMI micro), manual, warranty card.

• simple inclusion;
• flipping the display panel;
• convenient menu;
• optical stabilizer;
• 30-krai wholesale. zoom;
• capacious battery takes 1.5 hours;
• high-quality video, pictures.

• poorly removes at dusk, darkness;
• without a viewfinder.

1 seat Panasonic HC-V260 black

Price: 22.990-29.366 rubles.

The manufacturer is a well-known world brand "Panasonic" (Japan).

Housing - plastic, black, silver details. The lens shutters open manually. Left panel with touch screen (2.7 inches), rotates 270⁰. With touch buttons, you can select modes: automatic (the ability to change color and brightness), diorama, retro, slow motion (interval setting), scene selection, manual settings, photo size.

Side side - USB, miniUSB, HDMI connectors. Right panel - strap, AC adapter connector. The battery is located at the back of the product.

Properties:

• Full HD 1080p, 1920×1080;
• MOS sensor, 2.51 MP, 1/5.8″;
• distances (mm): focus - 2.06-103, equivalent -28-174;
• Zoom: optical 50x, digital 150x;
• 720p, 1080i, 1080p formats;
• frame rate (pcs/s): 25 (1280×720), 50 (1920×1080);
• pictures 2.2 MP, 1920 × 1080;
• USB interface, AV outputs, HDMI;
• SD, SDHC, SDXC;
• battery 1940 mAh, works 1.5 hours.

Additional functions: manual adjustment (exposure, focus, WB), automatic settings, night shooting, wide modes, H.264 and MPEG4 recordings, ExifPrint.

Dimensions (cm): length - 11.6, height - 5.9, depth - 5.3. Weight without cards, batteries - 0.211 kg.

Kit components: AC adapter (VW-BC10), lithium-ion battery (VW-VBT190), wires (HDMI, USB), software CD, manual, warranty card.

Warranty period - 36 months.

• compact dimensions;
• comfortable to hold;
• great functionality;
• manual, auto-tuning;
• battery powered, external sources;
• quality zoom;
• optical stabilizer.

• small touch buttons;
• without a viewfinder.

Conclusion

Modern gadgets help to keep memories of bright events in the life of adults, children, to keep track of the house. By studying the rating of the most inexpensive camcorders for 2022, you can choose the right model for a beginner, video blogger, child, extreme athlete.