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With our picks for the best slow-motion cameras you can buy, you can catch all the action in stunning slow-motion. With the best slow-motion cameras, you can get dynamic footage that will stay with you forever. A slow-motion camera opens up a whole new world of visual expression by slowing down fast-moving things to a crawl and capturing the smallest details of movement that the human eye can’t normally see.
Most consumer cameras and even smartphones that come out today will have some kind of slow-motion feature and high frame rates for high-resolution video. Different cameras have different maximum frame rates, but as a general rule, the higher the frame rate, the better it is for slow motion. So, if you’re interested in slow-motion cameras, you should start by looking at cameras with higher frame rates. This is the most important thing on the list below.
Best Slow Motion Cameras Comparison Table
| Camera Model | Optical Sensor Resolution | Screen Size | Video Capture Resolution | Dimensions | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon EOS 90D | 32.5 MP | 3.0 inches | 4K | 140.7 x 104.8 x 76.8mm | 701 g |
| Sony ZV-1 Camera | 20.1 MP | 3.0 inches | 4K | 105.5 x 60.0 x 43.5mm | 294 g |
| GoPro HERO8 Black | 12.0 MP | 2.0 inches | 4K | 66.3 x 48.6 x 28.4mm | 126 g |
| DJI Pocket 2 | 64 MP | 1.3 inches | 4K | 124.7 x 38.1 x 30.0mm | 117 g |
| GoPro HERO10 Black | 23.6 MP | 2.3 inches | 5.3K | 71.0 x 55.0 x 33.6mm | 153 g |
| Canon PowerShot G5 X II | 20.1 MP | 3.0 inches | 4K | 110.9 x 60.9 x 46.0mm | 340 g |
| Canon PowerShot G7X III | 20.1 MP | 3.0 inches | 4K | 105.5 x 60.9 x 41.4mm | 304 g |
| GoPro HERO11 Black | 23.6 MP | 2.3 inches | 5.3K | 2.64 x 1.34 x 1.85 inches | 1pound |
Canon EOS 90D
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 32.5 MP APS-C CMOS sensor |
| Processor | DIGIC 8 |
| ISO Range | 100-25600 (expandable to 51200) |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | 10 fps |
| Video | 4K UHD 30p/ Full HD 120p |
| LCD Screen | 3.0-inch Vari-angle touch screen |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
This versatile and powerful all-around camera is a good choice for anyone who likes to shoot a little bit of everything, including slow-motion. You’ll be able to record at up to 120fps in Full HD, and the face and eye tracking will work well to give you results that are sharp and clear. In fact, some of Canon’s other cameras can only shoot at 120fps in 720p.
So the 90D is the one to look at if this is something you’re interested in, especially if you want to use the wider range of Canon lenses that are available for EF mount DSLRs. With other features like 4K recording, a headphone jack, and a mic jack, this is a flexible tool that can be used to make many different kinds of shots, including slow-mo ones when they are needed.
The Good
- Sensor with high resolution
- Fast and accurate autofocus
- Excellent image quality
- Excellent for both photos and videos
- Touchscreen that can be tilted to make framing easy
The Bad
- No image stabilization inside the body
- Compared to some competitors, a little on the heavy side.
Sony ZV-1 Camera
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 20.1 MP 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS sensor |
| Processor | BIONZ X |
| ISO Range | 100-12800 (expandable to 25600) |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | 24 fps |
| Video | 4K UHD 30p/ Full HD 120p |
| LCD Screen | 3.0-inch Vari-angle touch screen |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
This is another option that can be used in a lot of different ways and is easy on the wallet. It has a lot of features that people who make videos and other content will find useful. As well as slow-mo options like 120fps, there is also a super-slow-mo setting that lets you record at an amazing 960fps.
With this, you can really slow down the action and look at every detail of what’s going on for the most dramatic results possible. The slow-motion options were made with vloggers in mind. They can help you add interesting extra shots to your footage and are also great for the rest of your regular recordings.
The Good
- Excellent autofocus system
- 4K video recording of high quality
- Good performance in low light
- The design is small and light.
- Ideal for vloggers and people who make content.
The Bad
- No microphone input from the outside
- Limited zoom range
GoPro HERO8 Black
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 12 MP CMOS sensor |
| Processor | GP1 |
| ISO Range | 100-6400 |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | 12 fps |
| Video | 4K UHD 60p/ Full HD 240p |
| LCD Screen | 2.0-inch touch screen |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
This is one of the best inexpensive slow-motion cameras. As was said above, frames per second is one of the best places to start when thinking about slow mo. The brand’s newest product is the GoPro HERO8 Black, an action camera that gives you high frames per second at a price you can afford.
It has 240 fps at 1080p and HyperSmooth 2.0 technology, which is an improved stabilization feature that really makes this one a contender for capturing great slow-motion footage. Because it’s an action camera, the main problem is that the sensor is small and the lens doesn’t change.
The Good
- Waterproof and built to last
- Stabilization with HyperSmooth 2.0 lets you get smooth video.
- Excellent image quality
- Battery life is good
- There is live streaming and time-lapse video.
The Bad
- No built-in place to mount it.
- Fewer ways to change manual settings
DJI Pocket 2
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 64 MP CMOS sensor |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 |
| ISO Range | 100-6400 |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | 240 fps |
| Video | 4K UHD 60p |
| LCD Screen | 1.0-inch touch screen |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
The Osmo model came before this one, but this one has a lot of new and better features. This handheld gimbal camera is one of the best and least expensive slow-motion cameras on the market. The slow-motion frame rate of the Pocket 2 model is twice that of the Osmo.
It can shoot at 1080p at up to 240 frames per second. Since the new sensor is bigger than the old one, the pictures are clearer. It also has a wider 20mm lens and better autofocus than the last version with Hybrid AF 2.0.
The Good
- Compact and portable design
- Good quality pictures and videos
- Three-axis gimbal to keep videos steady
- It can be used as a stand-alone camera or attached to a smartphone.
- There are a lot of creative shooting modes and options.
The Bad
- Not enough battery life
- A small screen
GoPro HERO10 Black
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 23.6 MP CMOS sensor |
| Processor | GP2 |
| ISO Range | 100-6400 |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | 30 fps |
| Video | 5.3K 60p/ 4K UHD 120p |
| LCD Screen | 2.0-inch touch screen |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
Every time we’ve used a friend’s GoPro, the picture has let us down. But with this new model, the footage, especially the slow motion, looks better. So, how is the HERO10 better than models that came before it? It has a better sensor, the ability to record in 5K, hyper-smooth 4.0 image stabilization, and “8x Slow-Mo” at 2.7K. At 2.7K, the 8x is a huge win.
Most of the time, when we use ridiculously slow frame rates, especially on small cameras like this one, the quality of the video takes a huge hit. And mixing 1080p slow-motion with 4K or 6K native footage seems like a bad idea in 2022. All of that is stopped by the HERO10.
The Good
- Excellent image and video quality
- Stabilization for smooth video with HyperSmooth 4.0
- Waterproof and built to last
- Built-in mounting point
- Great for taking pictures of action and sports
The Bad
- Compared to other action cameras, it’s pricey.
- Battery life is short
Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 20.1 MP 1-inch stacked CMOS sensor |
| Processor | DIGIC 8 |
| ISO Range | 125-12800 (expandable to 25600) |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | 20 fps |
| Video | 4K UHD 30p/ Full HD 120p |
| LCD Screen | 3.0-inch Vari-angle touch screen |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
The next price point up is the Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II, which is a good point-and-shoot camera because, why not? Like its predecessors, the G5 X Mark II is great for taking videos with a high frame rate. It can record in full HD at up to 120 fps and has a good 20.1MP sensor and UHD 4K video recording as standard.
The Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II came out in 2019 as a small digital camera. It has a DIGIC 8 image processor, a 1-inch type stacked CMOS sensor with 20.1 megapixels, and a 5x optical zoom lens (24-120mm equivalent). The camera also has a 3.0-inch touchscreen LCD display that you can tilt and a 2.36-million-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF).
The Good
- Large sensor for excellent image quality
- System for focusing quickly
- High-speed shooting in rapid succession
- Touchscreen that can be tilted to make framing easy
- Compact and portable design
The Bad
- No viewfinder Limited zoom range
Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 20.1 MP 1-inch stacked CMOS sensor |
| Processor | DIGIC 8 |
| ISO Range | 125-12800 (expandable to 25600) |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | 20 fps |
| Video | 4K UHD 30p/ Full HD 120p |
| LCD Screen | 3.0-inch touch screen |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
This is a good choice if you want to be sure of something while you’re on the go. It is a point-and-shoot camera, so the lenses can’t be changed. However, it is a great camera for high frame rate cinematography for people who travel.
With full HD up to 120 frames per second and 4k video recording, it works well with the 20.1 MP sensor. You can also shoot straight to YouTube, which can live-stream video and saves you from having to shoot it first on your phone.
The Good
- Large sensor for excellent image quality
- System for focusing quickly
- Compact and portable design
- Capable of making good videos
- Good performance in low light
The Bad
- No viewfinder Limited zoom range
GoPro Hero11 Black
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 23.6 MP CMOS sensor |
| Processor | GP2 |
| ISO Range | 100-6400 |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | 30 fps |
| Video | 5.3K 60p/ 4K UHD 120p |
| LCD Screen | 2.0-inch touch screen |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
Even though the Hero 11 Black looks like every other GoPro made before 2019, its hardware and software have been updated, making it a success on all fronts. The camera’s software has been successfully streamlined, and the GoPro companion app, has also been improved. The new sensor, which is almost square, is very flexible and can be used in a lot of different ways.
The Hero 11 Black is a great addition to the line. It has the best stabilization in its class, great-looking video in all but dimly lit and dark scenes, and fun new features like light painting. The Hero 11 Black’s 8:7 aspect ratio is another great feature for people who make videos. It can shoot 8:7, 5.3K video at up to 30fps, and the footage can be cropped without losing quality to make new 4K clips in portrait, landscape, and square shapes from a single video.
The Good
- Excellent image and video quality
- Stabilization for smooth video with HyperSmooth 4.0
- Waterproof and built to last
- Built-in place to mount
- Great for taking pictures of action and sports
The Bad
- Compared to other action cameras, it’s pricey.
- Battery life is short
FAQs
What is the best slow-motion camera?
The Panasonic Lumix S5 can autofocus up to 150 times per second, while the GH5 can only do it 120 times per second. In general, though, Panasonic’s autofocus is not as good as Sony’s. For slow-motion, you can shoot up to 60 frames per second in 4K and up to 180 frames per second in full HD.
What cameras do the slow mo guys use?
A variety of Vision Research Phantom high-speed cameras that can shoot over 1,500,000 frames per second were used to film a wide range of things in very slow motion for the series.
What is super slow motion camera?
Super Slow Mo (960fps) is a feature that lets users record videos with a high-speed camera at 960fps and capture moments that the human eye can’t normally see by playing them 32 times slower than normal videos (30fps) and 4 times slower than videos shot with the existing Slow Motion option (240fps).
What is the highest FPS camera?
An ultrafast camera takes 1 trillion pictures per second of things and events that are see-through. Lihong Wang of Caltech made the world’s fastest camera a little over a year ago. It can take 10 trillion pictures per second. It moves so fast that it can even slow down the speed of light.