Cameras you can frame yourself with

Pointing an action camera at your own face and hoping is how most vlogging with one goes. The fix is a screen you can see from in front of the lens, and it comes in two forms: a small front display that shows a preview, or a rear panel that flips or rotates to face forward. The flip kind is better and rarer. Sensor area breaks the ties, because once you can see the frame the next thing that matters is how it looks indoors.

How this list is ordered: filtered to cameras with a front or flip/rotating screen, ranked by sensor area. 21 of the catalogue’s cameras qualify. Cameras their makers no longer sell in the US keep their figures but are listed last.

  1. 1DJIDJI Osmo Pocket 32.0-inch rotating touchHandheld vlogging where the footage has to look glassy, not mounted~$439116 mm²
  2. 2GoProGoPro MISSION 11.4-inch front + 2.59-inch rear OLED touchFootage that has to survive a real grade~$599116 mm²
  3. 3GoProGoPro MISSION 1 PRO1.4-inch front + 2.59-inch rear OLED touchLow light and heavy grading without giving up a waterproof body~$699116 mm²
  4. 4DJIDJI Osmo Action 41.4-inch front + 2.25-inch rear touchA big sensor on a small budget~$23972 mm²
  5. 5DJIDJI Osmo Action 5 Pro1.46-inch front + 2.5-inch rear OLED touchLow light and long days without a bag of spare batteries~$31972 mm²
  6. 6Insta360Insta360 Ace Pro 2Front status display + 2.5-inch flip-up rear touchVlogging to camera, where you need to see yourself framed~$39972 mm²
  7. 7Insta360Insta360 GO Ultra2.5-inch flip touch on the Action PodHands-free POV you can wear all day and forget~$44972 mm²
  8. 8GoProGoPro HERO12 Black1.4-inch front + 2.27-inch rear touchGetting flagship stabilisation without flagship pricing~$36934 mm²
  9. 9GoProGoPro HERO13 Black1.4-inch front + 2.27-inch rear touchHelmet and handlebar mounting where the accessory ecosystem matters~$39934 mm²
  10. 10SJCAMSJCAM SJ30Flip rear touch + front displayAll-day recording where runtime beats resolution~$25931 mm²
  11. 11AKASOAKASO Brave 81.3-inch front + 2.0-inch rear touchA GoPro-shaped camera with spares included, on a budget~$28931 mm²
  12. 12CamparkCampark V40Front + 2.0-inch rear touchThe cheapest way to have a camera in the water~$8928 mm²
  13. 13AKASOAKASO Brave 7 LE1.3-inch front + 2.0-inch rear touchTalking to camera on a tight budget~$13928 mm²
  14. 14SJCAMSJCAM C300Dual 1.3-inch touch screens, one front-facingLong-form recording clipped to clothing~$15928 mm²
  15. 15AKASOAKASO Brave 8 Lite1.22-inch front + 2.0-inch rear touchA camera you can afford to lose~$19928 mm²
  16. 16Insta360Insta360 GO 3S2.2-inch flip touch on the Action PodPet, kid and first-person angles a bigger camera cannot reach~$39928 mm²
  17. 17SJCAMSJCAM SJ11 Active1.3-inch front + 2.33-inch rear touchA dual-screen budget camera from an established maker~$18918 mm²
  18. 18SJCAMSJCAM SJ20 Dual LensFront + rear dual screensNight riding, where a fast lens beats a bigger sensor~$22918 mm²
  19. 19SJCAMSJCAM C400Rotating screen on the handleHandheld vlogging that has to run all day~$22918 mm²
  20. 20DJIDJI Osmo Action 6Not sold by DJI in the US1.46-inch front + 2.5-inch rear touchBright-light shooting and vertical-plus-widescreen delivery~$37996 mm²
  21. 21GoProGoPro HERO11 BlackNo longer sold by GoPro1.4-inch front + 2.27-inch rear touchVertical and landscape delivery from one take~$24934 mm²
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