Aepannay DC101-AF 4K Digital Camera

I have to say this new vlogging camera from Aepenny is far better than I was expecting, cheap vlogging cameras are widely available but are usually not much use but this one is not at all bad provided you do not expect too much from it.

The camera itself is nicely constructed, has got some weight to it and does not feel cheaply made, although not quite to premium levels.
It has a large 3 inch fold out but non rotating LCD screen, well labelled buttons which are simple and intuitive to use. It has a good range of ports and interfaces including a microphone port, USB and HDMI out. It has a 52mm thread around the lens to allow for external filters or add-on lenses to be fitted. I was pleased to see it came with a lens cover, two batteries and a 32GB full size SD card. It can be connected directly to your computer via USB for use as a webcam, for file transfer or for streaming.

There are three operating modes - Video, Stills and Replay with
a range of special effects and filters available from the settings menu along with white balance, backlight and EV compensation but otherwise, there are few options for manual focus or exposure selection. Simple file editing can also be made in the camera. There is also built-in x16 digital zoom in both stills and video modes.

Videos are AVI wrapped MJPGs with the following resolutions available
4k@15fps, 2.7K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@30fps, VGA. So far as I can tell there are no other shutter speeds available other than when used in optional Slow Motion mode. Audio seems to be only recorded as 16bit 16000Hz.

The video quality is good and better than I expected for the budget price, although it falls off somewhat in low light. It gives a good quality video at various modes from 4K to 480p but for me works best at 2.7K@30 fps. 4k image quality is fine but the 15 fps frame rate is too slow for general use.
It has an HDMI out port and I was pleased to see that, unlike with some rivals, this works in all modes and so allows the camera to be connected to an external monitor when recording video, a nice touch for vloggers.

The audio quality from the built-in mic is pretty good too, with a decent gain level, and was also better than I expected. I was very pleased to see a standard 3.5mm microphone in port which allows the use of lav, wireless or other external mics, important for vlogging use. The only audio resolution seems to be 16bit at 16000Hz, which is OK for vlogging but is a bit too thin for more serious use. Remember that the bit rate is determined by the camera and a low bit rate will limit the performance of a good quality external mic.

As a stills camera, it works well too with a range of image sizes up to 48MB available. Image quality is OK with no noticeable colour shifts or distortions but with reduced quality low light performance. Burst or single-shot options are available and there is a two stage shutter with an on screen focus confirmation. Flash modes - auto, manual, and off - are available and easily selected using the navigation controls on the rear of the camera with no need to delve into the settings to do so.

Switching between modes is quick and easy and all the buttons are nicely laid out, well labelled and intuitive to use. This is an easy camera to use and it does not take long to become familiar with the controls.

For the £105 price, this is an excellent camera and fine for use as a first vlogging camera or for general use.