Best High-End Consumer Camcorders

Are you looking for a camcorder to match your Rolex? Is no price too high for performance? Then you'll probably find what you're looking for in this roundup. These camcorders all sit at the top of their manufacturers' consumer lines. They represent the best quality available before making the massive leap to "Pro" price tags. They are the perfect camcorders for recording the countryside as it whizzes past the window of your BMW. In all seriousness, these are as good as the consumer class gets.

Canon VIXIA HF G21

The Canon Vixia HF G21 is a pro-level camcorder on a budget -- features like 4K are missing, but options like image stabilization, manual exposure and manual focus are all included in this $825 camcorder.The HF G21 uses a 1/2.84 inch sensor, which...

Grade: B+ Price: $799.00

Panasonic WX970

4K is gradually becoming more and more accessible to the average consumer. Where 4K meant about $4K just two years ago, the Panasonic WX970 is one of two $1K 4K camcorders introduced in January 2014, alongside the Sony AX33.The Panasonic WX970 rep...

Grade: A- Price: $900.00

Panasonic VX870

Panasonic introduced two 4K camcorders at the beginning of 2015--the WX970 and the VX870. The difference between the two is simple: the WX970 has a built-in secondary camera while the VW870 does not. Opting to forgo the extra camera will save cons...

Grade: A Price: $889.00

Panasonic HC-V770

The Panasonic V750 is a solid consumer camcorder--the 2015 Panasonic V770 keeps the goods and adds a few extras, including high dynamic range video and the option for a sub-camera using wi-fi and a smartphone.Equipped with a slightly larger-than-a...

Grade: A- Price: $598.00

Sony PJ670

Sony's PJ line has long been favored for their unique built-in projector, but video quality is usually pretty good too. The Sony PJ670 re-wraps a lot of the features of the PJ540, but does give the camcorder a big boost in quality with a highe...

Grade: A- Price: $698.00

Sony AX33

Sony has long been at the forefront of 4K camcorder technology--in 2015, they're continuing to expand the technology while simultaneously lowering the price, making 4K a bit more accessible to the average consumer. The Sony AX33 offers 4K for ...

Grade: A- Price: $698.00

Sony FDR-AX100

When Sony released their first 4K Handycam last year, we were pretty impressed with the video quality, but the AX1 is huge and it doesn't just have a 4K resolution, it has a 4K price tag too. Now, the power of 4K resolution comes in a much sma...

Grade: A- Price: $1,398.00

Sony CX900

Sony's popular 1" sensor has arrived in their camcorders--and it's a big deal. Camcorders typically have smaller sensors than still cameras; the sensor on the CX900 is about eight times the average size. Larger sensors mean better res...

Grade: A Price: $998.00

Sony PJ810

We're fans of Sony's PJ line not just because of the built-in projectors but for the solid video quality too. The PJ810 is the manufacturer's latest and greatest in the line with manual modes, a 20 megapixel 1/3.95" sensor and 60 ...

Grade: A- Price: $899.00

Canon VIXIA HF G30

Canon's prosumer grade flagship, the VIXIA HF G30, brings professional quality footage to the average consumer. A manual focus ring, new 2.91 megapixel HD CMOS pro image sensor and new DIGIC DV 4 Image High Speed Processor, two memory card slo...

Grade: B+ Price: $1,550.00

JVC GC-PX100

JVCs' PX100 is the odd man out with an unusual yet comfortable design that resembles a DSLR camera. The PX100 is capable of frame rates up to 600 frames per second (at a reduced resolution) and 60 fps at full resolution. Most users will want t...

Grade: C+ Price: $1,646.00

Panasonic HC-X920

Panasonic's popular X900 camcorder received a big upgrade in the X920, going from three 1/4.1” sensors to three larger 1/2.3” sensors. The value is all in the X920's three backside-illuminated sensors, optical image stabilizati...

Grade: A- Price: $750.00

Sony PJ790V

The PJ790 is near the top of Sony's popular PJ line in both budget and features. Video quality should be suburb at 1080 24p/60p, and still shots should also stand out at 24.1 megapixels. Sony's back-illuminated sensors handle low light wel...

Grade: A- Price: $1,272.00

Sony HXR-NX30

Sony's newest addition to their NX line is high tech but handheld. Dubbed the "Palm Size" camera, it shoots full HD 1080p at 60 fps and also captures stills. Sony has taken the built in projectors of the PJ line and added it to this ...

Grade: A Price: $2,299.00

Sony AX53

Last year, Sony introduced a 4K camera for under $1,000. In 2016, the price point is staying put, but the sensor and lens sees big improvements for the manufacturers 4K prosumer model.The Sony AX53 uses a 1/2.5" backlit sensor. That's sli...

Grade: A Price: $848.00

Panasonic HC-VX981

The Panasonic VX870 was well received for its video quality--along the lines of don't-fix-what's-not-broken, Panasonic introduced very small adjustments with the 2016 VX981.Like the previous version, the VX981 can shoot in 4K at 15 fps. Wh...

Grade: A- Price: $648.00

Canon VIXIA HF G40

The Canon VIXIA HF G40 is the go-between camcorder that mixes portability with pro-level features. Compact like the other options in the VIXIA line, the G40 includes advanced features like manual controls and a front focus ring.Recording 1080p vid...

Grade: A- Price: $1,100.00

Canon XC10

Canon's basic consumer camcorder updates have been disappointing so far this year, but the camera giant seems to be focusing instead on creating multimedia products, gear that can perform well for both stills and video. While the Canon XC10 is...

Grade: A- Price: $2,434.00