Slow motion recording has been becoming increasingly popular in the world of today, given the exception mood it produces. Be it shooting something as cool as a lion catching a deer or yourself diving deep into the water, slow motion footages help to underline the effect it is meant to have, taking you through the detailed parts of a specific moment. If you are looking for the perfect device to film such cool videos, you need to keep a few important factors in mind. With so many distinguished choices available in the market, you will find it challenging to come to a conclusion about your recording companion. Check out some of the best slow motion camera available.
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Slow Motion Cameras Buying Guide
Hence, before going straight to the curated list that we have compiled for you to pick the right Slow motion camera, let us take a look at all the important properties of the camera that you should consider during the quest.
Frame Rate of the Camera
This is probably the most important factor to consider when it comes to slow motion video cameras. When you want to record footages in slow-motion mode, your camera needs to allow recording at a high frame rate. This is because you can only capture the variability of motion.
In order to slow down the video you are recording you need to record at high frame rate. Recording it at very low frame rate, such as at 30 fps, will cause your video to look crappy.
This means, you must pick a camera which is able to record at 120 fps or higher, even, for instance, 940 fps. This is because, the additional frames will allow you to record movements in specific seconds, causing the motion recorded to appear more natural.
In the case of the minimum frame rate, 60 fps is what is suggested for slowing down your footage. Having the chance to shoot top resolution video in the slow motion mode gives a lot of options to the person shooting the videos or films. You will want to having a low resolution recording at high fps. Hence, the prime focus will be to record 4k at low frame rates.
Playback Speed and Recording Time
If you talk about standard playback speed, for normal videos, in today’s world is 29.7 frames per second or 30 fps. When you start shooting above 30 fps, for instance, 120 fps, you can spread the illusory vision over 120 frames over 4 seconds and create a smooth footage. The timing for each playback can be written as follows:
- 30 fps = 1 s
- 60 fps = 2 s
- 120 fps = 3 s
- 240 fps = 8 s
- 480 fps = 16 s
- 960 fps = 32 s
Auto Focus
It is essential that your camera is equipped with a good Auto Focus feature as focusing accuracy is mandatory when it comes to slow motion footage recordings.
Top 7 Cameras for Slow motion recording
Considering the aspects discussed above, we have scoured the market to bring to you’re the top 7 picks for the cameras for Slow motion recording.
|
Image |
Product |
Features |
Price Range |
Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
GoPro Hero 8 Black Camera |
Frame Rate: 1080 p at 240 fps, 4K at 60 fps
HyperSmooth 2.0 stabilization possible Comes with 2 inch touchscreen Sleek Design Live Burst option available 12 Megapixel camera 1-Chip CMOS sensor 4K time-lapse option available at night |
$290-$355 | |
 |
Sony A7 III ILCE7SM3/B E-mount Camera |
Mirrorless DSLR
Full Frame CMOS Sensor Megapixel: 42.2 MP Lens: Sony- E 3” touchscreen (tiltable) Max Video resolution: 4K Ultra High-Definition at 30/ 24 fps Max burst speed: 10 fps |
$1990-$2000 | |
 |
Sony α7R IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera (ILCE7RM4/B) |
Frame Rate: 1080 p at 240 fps, 4K at 60 fps
Real time auto focus option (in the eye) available Precision is high when focusing even in low light Does not produce any sound while recording (silent shooting) 60.1 Megapixel camera with 35 mm full-frame camera CMOS sensor included |
$3490-$3500 | |
 |
DJI Pocket 2 Camera |
Comes with a 1/1.7 -inch CMOS sensor
Able to record 4K at 60 fps Allows zooming up to 8 times Comes with matrix stereo option HDR recording available Pocket-sized, weighing only 117 g Comes with long battery life: 140 minutes Has a 3- Axis stabilization feature 64 Megapixel quality of photos |
$340-$350 | |
 |
Panasonic GH5 Lumix 4K Mirrorless Camera |
Comes with a Sony 64GB SD card
Includes 2 batteries Can take 20.3 Megapixel photos Records 4k video at 30 fps or 60 fps Freezeproof Durable shutter Built from Magnesium, and hence pretty long lasting |
$1390-$2000 | |
 |
Sony CyberShot RX10 IV Digital Camera |
Comes with a LCD protector
72 mm 3 piece filter kit Includes a 64GB memory Card Includes 2 batteries Can take 20.1 Megapixel photos Records continuous video at up to 24 fps CMOS sensor technology Can go up to 240 fps with Auto focus tracking |
$1690-$1750 | |
 |
Canon PowerShot Digital Camera [G7 X Mark III] |
Allows full HD video recording at up to 120 fps
Comes with 20.1 Megapixel camera 1 inch CMOS sensor UHD 4K recording possible up to 30 fps 24-100 mm equivalent focal length 4.2 x zooming lens Maximum aperture range: f/1.8-2.8 |
$670-$680 |
1. GoPro Hero 8 Black Camera – Best Overall
One of the best slow motion cameras in the market, and on a budget, is the GoPro Hero 8, one of the latest cams from the top brand.
It comes with the ability to record 1080 pixel at 240 fps, and excellent stabilization aspects that makes the camera one of the top players in the world of slow motion recordings. However, given that it is an action camera, the sensor of the camera is small.
PROS:
- Able to record full High definition to 240 fps
- Allows HyperSmooth stabilization
- Allows recording of 4K time-lapse videos at night or dark light
- Comes with improved design
- The touchscreen LCD is very responsive
- Ease of use of the battery and memory chip in design
CONS:
- Can get hot after recording for a long time
- The flexibility with lenses and the voice sensor is a bit low
2. Sony A7 III ILCE7SM3/B E-mount Camera – Best for Features
One of the best slow motion cameras in the market, and on a budget, is the GoPro Hero 8, one of the latest cams from the top brand.
It comes with the ability to record 1080 pixel at 240 fps, and excellent stabilization aspects that makes the camera one of the top players in the world of slow motion recordings. However, given that it is an action camera, the sensor of the camera is small.
PROS:
- Able to record full High definition to 240 fps
- Allows HyperSmooth stabilization
- Allows recording of 4K time-lapse videos at night or dark light
- Comes with improved design
- The touchscreen LCD is very responsive
- Ease of use of the battery and memory chip in design
CONS:
- Can get hot after recording for a long time
- The flexibility with lenses and the voice sensor is a bit low
3. Sony α7R IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera
One of the best slow motion cameras in the market, and on a budget, is the GoPro Hero 8, one of the latest cams from the top brand.
It comes with the ability to record 1080 pixel at 240 fps, and excellent stabilization aspects that makes the camera one of the top players in the world of slow motion recordings. However, given that it is an action camera, the sensor of the camera is small.
PROS:
- Able to record full High definition to 240 fps
- Allows HyperSmooth stabilization
- Allows recording of 4K time-lapse videos at night or dark light
- Comes with improved design
- The touchscreen LCD is very responsive
- Ease of use of the battery and memory chip in design
CONS:
- Can get hot after recording for a long time
- The flexibility with lenses and the voice sensor is a bit low
4. DJI Pocket 2 Camera – Best value of money
One of the best slow motion cameras in the market, and on a budget, is the GoPro Hero 8, one of the latest cams from the top brand.
It comes with the ability to record 1080 pixel at 240 fps, and excellent stabilization aspects that makes the camera one of the top players in the world of slow motion recordings. However, given that it is an action camera, the sensor of the camera is small.
PROS:
- Able to record full High definition to 240 fps
- Allows HyperSmooth stabilization
- Allows recording of 4K time-lapse videos at night or dark light
- Comes with improved design
- The touchscreen LCD is very responsive
- Ease of use of the battery and memory chip in design
CONS:
- Can get hot after recording for a long time
- The flexibility with lenses and the voice sensor is a bit low
5. Panasonic GH5 Lumix 4K Mirrorless Camera
One of the best slow motion cameras in the market, and on a budget, is the GoPro Hero 8, one of the latest cams from the top brand.
It comes with the ability to record 1080 pixel at 240 fps, and excellent stabilization aspects that makes the camera one of the top players in the world of slow motion recordings. However, given that it is an action camera, the sensor of the camera is small.
PROS:
- Able to record full High definition to 240 fps
- Allows HyperSmooth stabilization
- Allows recording of 4K time-lapse videos at night or dark light
- Comes with improved design
- The touchscreen LCD is very responsive
- Ease of use of the battery and memory chip in design
CONS:
- Can get hot after recording for a long time
- The flexibility with lenses and the voice sensor is a bit low
6. Sony CyberShot RX10 IV Digital Camera
One of the best slow motion cameras in the market, and on a budget, is the GoPro Hero 8, one of the latest cams from the top brand.
It comes with the ability to record 1080 pixel at 240 fps, and excellent stabilization aspects that makes the camera one of the top players in the world of slow motion recordings. However, given that it is an action camera, the sensor of the camera is small.
PROS:
- Able to record full High definition to 240 fps
- Allows HyperSmooth stabilization
- Allows recording of 4K time-lapse videos at night or dark light
- Comes with improved design
- The touchscreen LCD is very responsive
- Ease of use of the battery and memory chip in design
CONS:
- Can get hot after recording for a long time
- The flexibility with lenses and the voice sensor is a bit low
7. Canon PowerShot Digital Camera [G7 X Mark III]
One of the best slow motion cameras in the market, and on a budget, is the GoPro Hero 8, one of the latest cams from the top brand.
It comes with the ability to record 1080 pixel at 240 fps, and excellent stabilization aspects that makes the camera one of the top players in the world of slow motion recordings. However, given that it is an action camera, the sensor of the camera is small.
PROS:
- Able to record full High definition to 240 fps
- Allows HyperSmooth stabilization
- Allows recording of 4K time-lapse videos at night or dark light
- Comes with improved design
- The touchscreen LCD is very responsive
- Ease of use of the battery and memory chip in design
CONS:
- Can get hot after recording for a long time
- The flexibility with lenses and the voice sensor is a bit low
Final Thoughts
Using the right camera for your slow motion footages is indeed essential to produce what you have been dreaming about. It is true that it can be a challenge to tick off everything that you desire with even the best range of options available out there, but it is always worth looking at the list of the aforementioned cameras which can allow 4K video production, including a good range of specification, features and making it to your budget.