The price tag is always a detail and the first thing that you notice while searching for a product. Based on your budget you make the best choice for you, and in this article are five products under the price of 500$. You will encounter a mixture of camera types starting from action cameras, DSLR, and some others! For deeper details, let’s take a closer look at the cameras that are mentioned in this article.
Key Takeaways
- My favorite camera for filming hunts is the DJI Osmo Action
- The most popular type of cameras for filming hunts are action cameras.
- A camcorder is also a great option if you want video footage.
- Focus is the most important aspect of a video camera for filming hunts.
A Quick Look At My Favorite Hunting Video Cameras Under $500
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Value  | 10 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best DSLR  | 9.8 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Compact  | 9.1 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Camcorder  | 8.8 | Check Price On Amazon |
The Best Hunting Video Cameras Under $500
4. DJI Osmo Action – Best Value
What I Like
- Amazing Built
- Waterproof, drop-proof, dustproof
- Great Video Quality
- RockSteady Technology
What I Don’t Like
- Battery Life could be Better
Action cameras are always a choice when it comes to hunting, based on their rugged design and their capability to record videos from many angles. As some of you may know, DJI is a company which is known mostly for drones, and making an action camera with great video recording features wasn’t that hard! The Osmo Action is a very famous action camera that hunters seem to love!
Starting with this camera’s design, it is obviously very small in size by measuring only 2.6 x 1.7 x 1.4 inches and has a weight of 0.275 pounds. Based on the size and weight it is a camera that would fit everywhere and that’s in a way what we need while going hunting. On a first look, it may look like a GoPro but still, there are some differences. The camera’s body is made of solid metal, it owns a magnet in order to be put on anywhere that you want, and also it is considered a wearable camera since you can attach it also on your clothes.
The durability of a camera is the key when you choose a camera to film hunting and this action camera promises long usage as well as it is fully waterproof, dustproof, and also drop-proof, all of these combined make this camera durable enough for any place that you may be in!
What will the video look like? The CMOS sensor on this camera has a size of 1/2.3 inches and it has a resolution of 12MP, it allows you to record 4K HDR videos that are very clear and lifelike. There are also some features of the video recording! You can record on 8x slow motion so that the hunting will be more epic than it already is, the resolution while recording on slow motion is 1080pixels at 240fps. The camera also allows you to record in time-lapse mode! With the RockSteady technology, your videos will be more than perfect, without any shake and no blur at all!
The battery life that is promised by this camera allows you to record all day if you only take short footage and if you want to record for long periods then you should carry on with you an extra battery!
Why should you buy it?
It’s one of the best cameras for the price. It also has wireless, connectivity, can take amazing pictures, and best of all it doesn’t cost that much. That’s why, I’d recommend it to every expert and beginner photographer
Dji Osmo Action Sample Photos
3. Canon EOS Rebel T7 – Best DSLR
What I Like
- Small in size
- Light in weight
- Built-in Microphone
- Great Autofocus
What I Don’t Like
- Plastic Build
- No 4K Resolution of Video
DSLR cameras in general are used a lot starting from professional photographers and even for the simplest usages based on your preference. Canon has a lot of DSLR cameras and they are in a way expensive, but however, some of them are under 500, and they bring to you amazing features, just like the Canon EOS Rebel T7.
Design-wise, this camera measures 3.1 x 5.1 x 4 inches and weighs 1.04 pounds. It is considered a portable camera that fits any bag and comes with you everywhere, such as in this case when we are more interested in going hunting.
Put this camera on your bag and you are more than free to go hunting! It comes fully covered in a black matte finish and as a whole, the body is made mostly of plastic and that is shocking because the price of this DSLR camera tells it all. All in all, it is considered a durable camera!
This camera is an advanced one that has a 24.1 MP CMOS APS-C sensor that also works perfectly with the Digic 4+ Image Processor. When taking a picture or recording a video based on the sensor’s high resolution you will have a detailed display with very accurate colors!
The video shooting is on Full HD (1080p) and with its wide-angle lens type, you will have an impressive hunting video! Its focus on the other hand comes in two modes, manual and automatic.
The automatic one is very accurate and very fast while taking pics and recording videos, while the manual one needs adjustment before you start shooting a video, so it may be a little bit harder! The ISO range is referred to the light gathering ability of a camera, and this one works at 100-6400.
If you use this camera only for pictures it allows you to take more than 300 shots while it is fully charged, but for video, you can have a battery life that allows you to record for 30 minutes.
Why should you buy it?
It’s one of the best cameras for the price. It also has wireless, connectivity, can take amazing pictures, and best of all it doesn’t cost that much. That’s why, I’d recommend it to every expert and beginner photographer
Canon EOS Rebel T7 Sample Photos
2. GoPro HERO 9 – Best Compact
What I Like
- Rugged
- 5K Video
- Very Smooth Videos
- Battery Life
What I Don’t Like
- Not very good on Low Light
- No Viewfinder
- Slightly Bigger than its predecessors
Another action camera, but this time, this one, comes from GoPro, and it is the GoPro Hero 9. Hero cameras from GoPro have always been and are one of the most used cameras when it comes to hunting or any other outdoor activity.
The camera as a whole comes in black color with a size that measures 9.08 x 5.42 x 3.25 inches and weighs 0.7 pounds. That being said, is more than obvious how this camera would fit in your bag, and even in your pocket. GoPro Hero cameras are in a way the same but still, GoPro chose to make changes when it came to this one. It is made of stronger materials while it is covered by strong plastic. If you find the best accessories for this camera, then it strongly stands on them so while hunting you won’t be distracted by anything!
Toughly built this camera is very durable and also it is a waterproof camera that can withstand almost everything! When you go hunting, the weather is unpredictable, and this camera comes with you and stays strongly from the lowest temperatures to the highest ones.
There are three modes of video recordings in this camera! Choose easily between HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 4K (3840 x 2160pixels), plus, you can also record in 5K which has a higher resolution and it is 5120 x 2880 pixels). The video will be perfectly clear at any angle that you choose to record! The slow-motion videos captured with this camera are in fact jaw-dropping, it works on 8x slow motion with 240 fps. With this camera, you can also set the time that you want to start recording and it automatically works and also, you can select the time that you want the camera to record! With the Hyper Smooth 3.0 stabilizer, you can record any video with no blur and no shake! Besides all of these features already mentioned, this camera also allows you to live stream with it!
The battery life of this camera if compared to the older versions of GoPro Hero cameras, is slightly improved. Since it has three modes of recordings, the battery life depends on them. While shooting at 1080p it lasts for about 100 minutes and on 5K video shooting, it works amazingly for 90 minutes!
Why should you buy it?
Its one of the most durable cameras you can get for the price. It’s capable of recording 5K video and has a pretty good battery life which will get you through the whole trip.
GoPro HERO 9 Sample Photos
1. Canon VIXIA HF R800 – Best Camcorder
What I Like
- Great in Low Light
- Good Image Stabilization
- 57x Zoom
- Long Battery Life
What I Don’t Like
- No 4K Resolution
- There’s no Voice Control
Even though cameras, in general, are packed with lots of video features, still camcorders stand as the right thing to do when you want to record anything! While hunting, with the required accessories you will have amazing videos with this camcorder since besides being the best one from Canon, it also stays among the best ones when compared with others!
Camcorders, in general, share always the same design on a first look, but still, you may encounter some differences based on their other features or just their built form. This camcorder from Canon measures 4.6 x 2.1 x 2.3 inches and weighs about 8.5 ounces. It is considered as a portable camcorder of course based on the size and it fits everywhere. It comes in a cylindric shape and it is very sturdy because it is made of strong materials, so that is related to the durability of this product.
This camcorder is furnished with a Full HD CMOS sensor which is 3.28 MP, and that allows you to capture great videos with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Even though the video quality isn’t 4K your recordings will be lifelike on Full HD that brings great color accuracy as well as it works perfectly in low light, so that’s a plus! Your hunting video will be clear and the details will be shown perfectly. It also brings to you a slow and fast motion recording, the slow-motion mode works at 0.5x, while the fast motion mode can go up to 1200x.
A specialty that is included on this camcorder is its advanced amazing zoom! It can work on up to 57x zoom in, and still, the object or subject that is being recorded still will be clear. You don’t have to worry at all about a shaky and not sturdy video because this camcorder is also equipped with the Optical Image Stabilization, for no blur and no shaky videos!
It owns a rechargeable battery that allows you to record for a very long time during a day and that means that you can film your huntings all the time!
Why should you buy it?
If you want a camera that performs well in low light and offers you great image stabilization capabilities for the price it has, this is a no brainer. It also has stunning zooming capabilities which makes everything much better.
Canon VIXIA HF R800 Sample Photos
Frequently Asked Questions:
What types of cameras are the best for filming hunts?
As great cameras for hunting mostly stand the action cameras. They are very small in size and they can also be attached anywhere you want. Plus, action cameras have impressive viewing angles and are very durable! But still, you can also use camcorders, DSLR cameras, and others.
Is durability important?
As already mentioned above, the durability of a camera is considered the most important thing, since you take a camera with you to film your hunts. Being able to use a camera on any weather condition is more than perfect since while hunting you can never know what weather condition awaits you.
Can you use a regular camera for filming hunts?
Of course, you can! As long as they have a great video quality and have a battery life that would accompany you during the whole hunting process you are more than free to use them, but always remember that they should also have stabilization! Plus, in this article are already mentioned many types of cameras!
Why is the focus important?
While filming a hunt great focus is more than important, plus, it is more important if your camera owns autofocus! It is because if you are hunting, you are not able to see what your camera is focusing on, and that’s where autofocus is needed. It should be excellent, in order to focus even the subjects that have a lot of movement!
Do I need flash?
No, you definitely don’t need flash on a camera that you are using for hunts! And that’s obvious because while filming your hunts you will have to hide the camera so that it cannot be seen by any animal! If you use flash then your hunting experience will not be called an experience anymore!
Is size important?
Just as its durability, size is also an important feature! Since in this case, we talked about cameras for filming hunts then you should always know that hunting happens in faraway places! That is the reason why you need a smaller camera. It should fit on your bag, and just as some of them that could fit even in your pocket!
Photographer & Writer
I specialize in landscape, street and portrait photography and I have been featured in various galleries and publications. I believe that photography is a way to tell stories!
