The Sony ZV-1 is a vlogging-oriented 20MP compact camera. It features a new directional microphone next to the flash shoe and a fully articulating touchscreen display. The ZV-1 shoots in 4K up to 30p and Full HD up to 120p and has an F1.8-2.8 lens equivalent to 24-70 mm. Although the Sony ZV-1 was designed specifically for vloggers, it can also function as a traditional compact camera. If you are a hybrid photographer interested in capturing both video and photos, but don’t want to carry around two cameras, the ZV-1 has a lot to offer.
The ergonomics of the ZV-1 may seem a bit quirky at first, but it is quite intuitive once you start shooting. There is a modest grip on the right side and it is comfortable to use when shooting in selfie mode or in a standard shooting position. When shooting with the camera held at a distance with the lens facing you, you can control the zoom rocker with your thumb and use your index finger to press the record button or release the shutter.
The ability to easily switch between shooting video and stills is one of the ZV-1’s strengths, made easier if you use the camera’s memory recall functions. These allow you to customize banks of settings including shooting mode (Auto, PASM, video, and so on), exposure settings, image or video quality settings, and quickly switch between them. Buy the Sony ZV-1 Digital Camera right now at $ 698
Why include the 24-70 mm lens of the Mark V, rather than the 24-200 mm lens of the last two Sony RX100 cameras? Because the former is simply better suited for vlogging, thanks to its brighter f/1.8-2.8 aperture. This combines well with the camera’s 1-inch sensor to give videos a pleasing background blur, while stills benefit from the ripple effect of being able to shoot at lower ISOs in equivalent scenes (albeit at the expense of the longer 200 mm range).
Sony camera menus are famous for being as easy to use as a book of hieroglyphics, and it has done a couple of things to make the ZV-1 a little more intuitive for beginners. These include two new default settings for the camera’s two custom buttons. The first of these, called the “Bokeh switch,” instantly switches to a wide aperture to give shots a blurred background. Unlike “portrait” modes on smartphones, there is no computational trickery here: it’s a simple shortcut based on traditional optics.
If stabilization is important to you, it might be worth considering alternatives or accessories. As you can see in our comparison video above, both the GoPro Hero 8 Black and the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 (with a smartphone) offer superior stabilization to the Sony ZV-1, at the expense of image quality. The best of all worlds might be the combination of the Sony ZV-1 with a gimbal such as the Zhiyan Crane M2: we will update this review when we have had a chance to try this combination.
