By Tati Taylor 8 days ago, Cameras & Lenses
What is the best budget slow motion camera?
Create stunning slow motion videos with these affordable high frame rate cameras.
Even though we all would like to get professional slow motion cameras as Phantom VEO 1310, which can shoot a crazy 10.860 fps at 1280 x 960, most of us will have to check some less expensive options.
The most important aspect of a good slow motion camera is frames per second (FPS). The size of the sensor and the resolution of the camera also play a significant role in the quality of a slow motion video.
If you want to shoot gorgeous, cinematic wildlife slow motion, sports events or an action movie with the hero slowly walking away and something exploding behind him, keep on reading.
Type: Point and Shoot Camera | Sensor size: 1.0" | Resolution: 20.1MP | Lens: LEICA DC| Viewfinder: Electronic | Screen type: LCD | Maximum continuous shooting speed: 60fps
⊕ Has 16x zoom lens
⊕ Has 1-inch image sensor
⊕ Equipped with vari-angle touch LCD
⊕ Big, sharp EVF
⊖ Lacks dust and splash protection
⊖ Built not as well as similar cameras
Panasonic FZ1000 II is a 20-megapixel long-zoom bridge camera that is more suitable for beginners. It provides fast performance and a vivid, wide 16x optical zoom lens. It’s universal and comes in a quite compact package convenient for traveling. Also, this is a 4K slow motion camera as it can record videos in this resolution.
The original FZ1000 impressed us and we like this new model too. FZ1000 II has the same lens and sensor which are both very qualitative.
However, this version doesn’t offer many improvements in other features, which is why it seems more responsive than the original camera. Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II is a great camera but the only disadvantage it has is the lack of weather protection.
Type: Action Camera | Sensor size: 1.6" | Resolution: 20MP | Lens: Digital | Viewfinder: Electronic | Screen type: LCD | Maximum continuous shooting speed: 60fps
⊕ Professional design
⊕ Great wide-angle lens
⊕ Supports underwater depth of up to 40 meters
⊖ Limited battery life
⊖ Remote control distance is limited
Campark X30 is one of the best slow motion camera models which provides stunning footage due to its amazing megapixels. It can easily record 20MP stills and produce 4K at 30 frames per second.
This camera records top-quality images at day and night time with resolution varying from 12 MP to 14 MP. As for the video resolution, at 30 fps, this camera can capture at 640×480, 848×480, 1280×720, and 1920×1080.
At night, it will provide black and white videos and pictures but the details and colors will be as bright as during the daytime.
Type: Cinema Camera | Sensor size: 1.38" | Resolution: 19,4MP | Lens: EF | Viewfinder: Electronic| Screen type: LCD | Maximum continuous shooting speed: 120fps
⊕ Great quality of the image
⊕ Compatible with Canon EF-mount lenses
⊕ Inexpensive
⊖ Not long battery life
⊖ Screen is not bright outdoors
⊖ Not the best autofocus
Blackmagic Design benefited to compact cinematic video recording with Super 35 sensor Pocket Cinema Camera 6K. This is the best slow motion camera as it can record 50 fps 6144 x 3456 video and has an active Canon EF mount allowing users to use a wide range of EF / EF-S mount lenses available.
You can use BMPCC 6K to turn one frame into two ones by cropping the second shot from one frame, to enhance to 8K or to record deep, detailed video with the EF/EF-S–mount lens on your choice.
Due to the same internal color processing, it’s easy to intercut BMPCC 6K with BMPCC 4K footage. You can record videos using the internal CFast 2.0 and SD/UHS-II card slots or output through the USB-C port to record long videos to an external drive.
Type: Action Camera | Sensor size: 1.0" | Resolution: 21 MP | Lens: F4 Zeiss | Viewfinder: Electronic | Screen type: LCD | Maximum continuous shooting speed: 960fps
⊕ 1-inch sensor
⊕ Flip-up screen for vlogging
⊕ Very durable design
⊖ Inconvenient controls
⊖ Pricey
It’s good when a camera has a small frame and quite a large sensor. Sony RX0 II is a professional slow motion camera with a 1-inch sensor. This camera might have quite a large sensor but it lacks optical image stabilization.
This camera provides amazing videos and stills but it can’t be named inexpensive, regarding both the initial outlay and the lack of performance-boosting features like proper image stabilization and a touchscreen.
This ‘tiny’ camera has an amazing build quality and due to its 1-inch sensor, it can record great stills and videos.
Type: Digital Camera | Sensor size: 1/2.3" | Resolution: 16.1MP | Lens: NIKKOR ED | Viewfinder: Electronic | Screen type: LCD | Maximum continuous shooting speed: 7fps
⊕ Amazing 125x zoom range
⊕ 7 fps burst mode
⊕ Has vari-angle LCD
⊕ EVF
⊖ Image quality worsens at max zoom
⊖ Not responsive after bursts
⊖ Lack of weather protection
Four years ago, a regular superzoom 'bridge' camera had a zoom of about 50x. Recently this number has risen and then leveled off at 65x. Then Nikon Coolpix P900 appeared on the market with 83x zoom and 24-2000mm equivalent. The lens spontaneously took zoom ranges from 'very long' to 'absurd'.
The new Nikon Coolpix P1000 has brought the zoom range to 'ridiculous' due to an equivalent focal length of 24-3000mm. Exactly, 3000mm. This is such a long lens that we managed to fit in a frame a 1-meter (3.3 foot) tall monkey that was standing 70 meters (230 feet) away.
However, this leads to some issues. This slow motion footage camera is very large and its lens experience a slow maximum aperture (and diffraction), so the quality of the image can suffer from the same thermal and atmospheric issues.
Type: Digital Camera | Sensor size: 1.0"| Resolution: 20.1MP | Lens: Zeiss Vario Sonnar T | Viewfinder: Electronic | Screen type: LCD | Maximum continuous shooting speed: 120fps
⊕ Awesome quality of the image
⊕ Great 20MG resolution
⊕ Produces qualitative 1080/60p video
⊖ Limited in camera-macro
⊖ Not the best depth of field
The Sony RX100 VII is the best slow motion camera for underwater shooting. Sony has added amazing upgrades to autofocus and burst shooting. Due to the enhanced autofocus tracking system which includes animal eye autofocus, this camera will be ideal for you if you are looking for a compact camera to shoot underwater.
It has a compact form and provides amazing quality of the image. A 1-inch sensor and 24-200mm zoom lens will provide the best shooting experience for you during your land travels.
Also, due to an articulating screen and a microphone jack, this camera will be ideal for vlogging. If you like going on safari, the 24-200mm (35mm equivalent) lens will provide amazing footage of landscapes and animals at the distance. Sony RX100 VII is a universal camera that will easily fit in your pocket or backpack.
Type: Mirrorless Camera | Sensor size: 1.0" | Resolution: 24.2MP | Lens: Canon EF-M 32mm F1 | Viewfinder: Electronic | Screen type: LCD | Maximum continuous shooting speed: 10fps
⊕ Speedy Dual Pixel CMOS AF
⊕ Inbuilt electronic viewfinder
⊕ Great vari-angle touchscreen
⊖ Surprising 4K limitations
⊖ A manual lens retraction mechanism
Canon EOS M50 (EOS Kiss M in Asia) is a lower-level mirrorless camera that comes with an electronic viewfinder, fully articulating touchscreen, single control dial and a 24MP APS-C sensor.
This professional slow motion camera has Canon's newest DIGIC 8 processor and provides extended Dual Pixel AF coverage, 4K/24p video capture (with a 1.7x crop), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC.
Canon EOS M50 contains many technologies into its compact size and a viewfinder that it has is a very impressive feature as a lot of similar mirrorless cameras don’t have it.
However, the retracting 15-45mm kit lens is a bit inconvenient to use and the 4K video mode has some limitations. Nonetheless, it’s a large improvement in the development of the Canon EOS M series.
Type: Mirrorless Camera | Sensor size: 1.0" | Resolution: 24MP | Lens: Sony E | Viewfinder: EVF| Screen type: LCD | Maximum continuous shooting speed: 11fps
⊕ Real-rime tracking focus system
⊕ Large battery
⊕ Enhanced handgrip
⊕ Has an integrated EVF
⊖ Reduces in-camera flash
Sony a6600 is an E-mount mirrorless camera with an interchangeable lens and a 24MP APS-C sensor. It uses Real-time tracking autofocus technology from Sony which smoothly and safely switches from subject tracking to face and eye detection.
Its tilting touchscreen can tilt 180 degrees for your selfies or vlogging. This camera also comes with a microphone and headphone ports, due to which you will be able to record and monitor audio while recording video.
This camera can record 4K/30p video with HLG or flat log profile options for those who need to perform video editing. It can shoot at 11 fps with autofocus and auto-exposure and has a large long-lasting 'Z-type' FZ1000 battery.
Type: Action camera | Sensor size: 1/2.3" | Resolution: 12 MP | Lens: Digital | Viewfinder: Electronic | Screen type: LCD | Maximum continuous shooting speed: 60fps
⊕ Image stabilization optimized
⊕ Integrated fingers simplify mounting
⊕ Personalized UI
⊖ Removes the integrated HDMI port
⊖ Simple opening of the battery door
It was a time when GoPro cameras had no Wi-Fi and offered no way to see the image because they were not equipped with a screen. But today things have changed!
It is worth noting that with the arrival of Hero 8 Black high frame rates camera everything has improved slightly, but is it all that modern technology can give us? Or is there something even better waiting for users? Of course, considering that with the launch of new GoPro HERO8 Black all photographers’ expectations were met.
It allows capturing 4K slow motion footage. Besides, Hyper Smooth 2.0 and its multiple levels of stabilization will give you a sharp image. You can also enjoy LiveBurst mode. GoPro HERO8 offers optional modules such as a flip-down display for vlogs, an external microphone, an HDMI port, and LED lighting.
Type: Digital Camera | Sensor size: 1.0" | Resolution: 20MP | Lens: Cannon | Viewfinder: Electronic| Screen type: LCD | Maximum continuous shooting speed: 30fps
⊕ Affordable
⊕ 1-inch sensor
⊕ Bright zoom lens
⊕ LCD tilting touchscreen
⊖ 4K video is not supported
⊖ Facial recognition problems
Canon has decided to listen to its users and created the G7X Mark III that has all the advantages of the G7X Mark II with 4K. It can be called the best slow motion camera of a compact size with a 1"" sensor but also a 3.5mm mini-jack microphone.
The G7X Mark III is now capable of shooting bursts up to 30 frames per second in RAW with the electronic shutter and autofocus locked on the first frame or 8.3 frames per second in the continuous mode with the mechanical shutter.
The Canon G7X Mark III stands out above other models for its ability for broadcasting videos. The previous G7X Mark II was a bloggers' delight with its space-saving size and angled LCD.
Today, you can stream live video to YouTube with just the click of a button. In terms of video, the camera can capture 4K/30p, or Full HD/120p videos without any cropping factor. The G7X Mark III has an external microphone input, but still no headphone jack.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 II
Our Choice |
CHECK PRICE→ | |
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Campark X30
Budget |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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Blackmagic Design Pocket
Professional |
CHECK PRICE → |
There is always something very interesting going on around us. However, we don't notice most of it, because a person can't see the details of the processes that last a split second. Especially for this purpose, camera manufacturers have invented high-speed video cameras, which allow, for example, to see a drop of water falling from the roof splashing thousands of dazzling splashes after hitting the ground. Such gadgets are worth tens of thousands of dollars. However, you would never have to sell the apartment to test the best slow motion camera. In this post, I will provide you with the necessary info so that you can choose, compare, and analyze various models available on the market.
Above you can find a list of cameras that are considered to be at the top today. Nevertheless, if you are interested in investigating and finding the best slow motion DSLR camera on your own, these tips and suggestions will come in handy.
Pay attention to the frame rates. If you can't operate at high frame rates while you're shooting, then it has nothing to do with slow motion. A 500fps camera is the minimum you should agree to. Control the camera at lower speeds with higher frame rates. There are things to keep in mind, though. Larger resolution reduces the frame rate. It is impossible to obtain the same slow-mo effect if you use a 4K slow motion camera or record full HD (1080p) using the same type of hardware.
Build Quality plays a role. Regardless of whether it is video or photo, make sure your camera's build quality is on top. There is little point in spending a lot of money on something that works well but is fragile. As long as the visual aspect of a slow motion camera is not good enough, you may not be free to put your trust or feel safe using it. A robust case that protects against mechanical manipulation helps during traveling. While the protector against dust, moisture, and shock is the prerogative of a serious slow-motion camera, I recommend choosing a rugged case that is not afraid of scratches, splashes, or dust.
A simple interface is important. If you aspire to get the best slow motion camera, you need to check its interface as something confusing and cluttered can drastically spoil your shooting experience. I recommend opting for cameras with intuitive and well-arranged UI, which instantly gives you access to the needed features. Some models come with exterior buttons that allow performing some actions in a quicker way. There may also be a help button, which provides info on what you should expect from each feature.
A lot depends on autofocus. Do your images look blurry when you photograph moving subjects? Do you often focus forward or backward on your subject? Maybe you're using the wrong autofocus mode on your ultra slow motion cameras! That's why autofocus is so important when it comes to choosing a camera. The choice of autofocus mode depends on the type of subjects you are photographing. Make sure that your camera is properly configured and equipped with all the necessary autofocus features according to your preferences.
Do you doubt that the camera is too expensive? Or do you think it's worth a fortune? There's some truth in your answers, but not always. Choosing the best high speed camera isn't easy. Especially when it comes to quality and price. I've already provided information on worthy cameras, but you can follow the recommendations and choose your own product.
I recommend paying attention to Panasonic-Lumix DMC-FZ1000 Gold Package, Nikon-Coolpix P500 36x Nikkor Black Digital Camera, Canon-PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12.1 MP Digital Camera.
Well, it depends on your needs. The prices vary and you can find decent models both among budget-friendly and more expensive products.
Slow Motion is an effect commonly used in cinematography to focus attention on a particular action. As time slows down, details become more expressive.
Yes, sure. A major part of professional cameras will take at least 60 frames per second, slowing it to half-speed. Most of them are now working at up to 240 fps, and the purpose-built cameras can even better.
