Sony ZV-1 Review
A review of the Sony ZV-1.
Introduction
Sony has introduced a compact camera geared towards vlogging, and that is the Sony ZV-1. It comes with a new and novel directional mic just next to the hot shoe. What’s great is it comes with a fully articulating touchscreen display.
The Sony ZV-1 also shoots 4K up to 30p and Full HD up to 120p and features a 24–70mm equivalent F1.8–2.8 lens.
Not only is the Sony ZV-1 designed with vloggers in mind, but it’s also capable of being a conventional compact stills camera. For people interested in capturing both video and stills but feel that carrying two cameras around is a hassle, the Sony ZV-1 is an excellent choice.
Key specifications:
- 20 megapixel 1” BSI CMOS sensor
- 24–70mm equivalent F1.8–2.8 lens
- Fully articulating, 921K dot, 3” touchscreen display
- 4K/30p, 1080p/120p and high-speed modes up to 960fps
- 8-bit. Log and ‘HLG’ shooting modes
- Directional 3-capsule microphone with windscreen
- Excellent autofocus in stills and video
- Can be charged via USB while in use
- 3.5mm microphone jack
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for image and video transfer
- Rated at 260 shots per charge
The Sony ZV-1 is retailing for about $800, and on top of that, you can purchase an additional Sony GP-VPT2BT Bluetooth shooting grip, which doubles as a compact tripod for an additional $98.
What’s it like to use?
The Sony ZV-1’s ergonomics is pretty intuitive when you shoot videos with it. There’s a grip on the right-hand side that makes it comfortable when shooting in both selfie or standard shooting mode. When shooting with the camera held at arms-length with the lens facing yourself, you can control the zoom rocker with your thumb, and you can use your index finger to hit the record or release the shutter.
The ability to quickly change between shooting videos and stills is one of the best features the Sony ZV-1 has, made even easier if using the memory recall functions of the camera.
The Sony ZV-1 allows you to customize settings that include shooting mode (Auto, PASM, video), exposure settings, image or video quality settings, and it is easy to change between each mode when shooting.
The Sony ZV-1 has also included a fuzzy mic windscreen which helps to cut down on distracting wind noise when recording video. However, it will cover up the power button of the camera.
On the back of the Sony ZV-1, which is where the camera’s single control ring is, you can adjust the shutter speed and aperture with it while shooting.
If you’re using the Sony ZV-1 to capture stills, the adjustments can be made using the touchscreen for focus. To adjust anything other than the AF area, the camera has to be flipped back around.
The Sony ZV-1 lacks EVF, but that will not be a dealbreaker in this case. However, it can be pretty frustrating when shooting in bright sunlight as it will be difficult to see the image on the rear screen.
Other than all that, the exposures captured were pretty accurate when shooting in full auto, shutter priority, or aperture priority modes.
On the right side of the camera are the ports for the microphone, HDMI cable, and charging USB, which is the opposite of the articulating screen. That means you will be able to operate the camera without those cables interfering with your vision.
Sony has removed a headphone port for audio monitoring, which may be a deal-breaker for some users as it cannot monitor pre-set audio levels.
You can easily customize the C1 and C2 buttons as well to control Background Defocus and Product Showcase. The Product Showcase mode is handy for content creators promoting products because it automatically focuses on a product when it enters the frame and defocuses its background. The Background Defocus setting opens up the aperture to its widest setting, helping to blur the background behind the subject.
The Sony ZV-1 offers impressive image quality as well. Setting the camera to ISO Auto with a range of ISO 125–6400 is good enough for great video quality. The Sony ZV-1 also does a good job when shooing in either P, A, S, or M mode.
The white balance works very well, the colors were great, and the noise was minimal when shooting at lower ISO. However, when moving up to 6400, the noise will become a little more noticeable, and at ISO 12800, it’s very noticeable.
One drawback would be the lack of pop-up flash on the Sony ZV-1 makes it difficult to use the camera late at night or in dark settings.
The camera’s scene selection modes can be a hit or miss. The ‘gourmet’ and ‘macro’ mode works well when shooting food. However, the ‘Pet’ mode, which is supposed to reduce blur when shooting subjects in motion, can be a little inconsistent, and it also adds a softening effect to your furry subject.
In this case, it’s better to shoot in S mode with the animal eye-tracking activated. The same goes for other scene selection modes, including the ‘Night Scene’ or ‘Night Portrait.’
In aperture priority mode, the images shot with the Sony ZV-1 looks slightly underexposed. The Raw files are quite malleable when making adjustments to exposure, contrast, and shadows. It’s sad to say that the Raw files in-camera can’t be reprocessed, but ‘Beauty Effects’ can b applied after the image has been shot if the image includes a single face.
We also can apply each effect on a scale from 1–5. One drawback would be the effects don’t work on photos with multiple people or pets.
As expected, the Sony ZV-1 has excellent autofocus capability. It is speedy, accurate, and incredibly reliable when an object faces the camera, detecting eye movement and tracking subjects.
The touchscreen also helps to make it easier to use the camera regardless of what object you are trying to shoot.
The Sony ZV-1 can shoot 4K/30p, 1080p/120p, and high-speed modes up to 960 fps. It also offers HLG shooting if planning to view footage on an HDR-capable display and S-Log2/3 for advanced users who want to tone their video in post-production.
For newer users, an ‘intelligent auto’ mode automatically adjusts settings based on a scene, and there are standard P, A, S, or M modes.
The Sony ZV-1 has settings for zebra and focus peaking and wind-noise reduction and image stabilization (the ‘SteadyShot’). The detail in 4K, Full HD, and high-speed modes is impressive, and the footage is smooth.
Rolling shutter effects are minimal but may be significant if doing a walk and talk-style shoot. The high-speed footage can be incredibly cinematic; however, the need to enable buffering before shooting makes it hard to anticipate the footage you are capturing.
An iPhone, on the other hand, doesn’t require this extra step.
How it compares to other vlogging cameras
Compared to its peers, like the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III, the Sony ZV-1 is more expensive, but it’s also the only camera of its kind that features the directional 3-capsule microphone — for most people; this will eliminate the need for an additional mic when vlogging.
It also has the most reliable autofocus system.
The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III offers additional zoom with its built-in lens and has the same size sensor as the Sony. It also has similar dimensions and a similarly-sized screen but uses contrast detection autofocus prone to distracting hunting.
On the other hand, its touch interface is responsive and refined, and it offers live streaming to YouTube directly from the camera (and using your phone as a hot spot).
Panasonic’s G100 also has a novel microphone set up, using three small microphones and software for ‘audio tracking’ of talking subjects. In our testing, we found the Sony to sound a little better, though. The Panasonic’s contrast-detect autofocus may ‘wobble’ too much for your taste, and it has a substantial crop in 4K that makes vlogging at arm’s length impossible.
The Apple iPhone 11 will give you the widest field of view and the largest screen — not to mention it’s also the lightest, and you’re likely to have it with you. Its smaller sensor, though, will limit how much you can blur your background.
Conclusion
The Sony ZV-1 is a unique camera with a particular user in mind — and its settings speak to that. The camera's guts are similar to the RX100 VA, and if you can live without a viewfinder and a pop-up flash, the Sony ZV-1 is very capable when it comes to shooting stills.
The camera's ergonomics actually make it easy to swap between video and still settings, especially if you take advantage of the memory recall functions within the camera. It’s comfortable in hand but still compact enough that it won’t feel like a burden to bring along. The directional 3-capsule microphone with a dedicated wind-screen makes it fast and easy to record video clips with quality audio.
We do wish that the camera had a headphone jack so you could actually monitor those audio levels and that the windscreen didn’t cover the On/Off button when attached to the top of the Sony ZV-1. It would also be nice if you could adjust settings from the touchscreen.
Image and video quality are excellent, and the autofocus, regardless of the situation, is accurate. It would be nice if the screen were slightly brighter, as it is difficult to see on sunny days, and without a viewfinder, that’s the main way you compose your frames (to be fair, you could also pair the camera with your smartphone).
Though almost every camera on the market these days can shoot videos and stills (and using one’s phone is quicker to record and publish instantly), the Sony ZV-1 is a good option for vloggers interested in having something a little more advanced.
The Sony ZV-1 is also a good option for photographers interested in dipping their toes into the world of vlogging or simply capturing quality BTS videos of their process.
In the end, the Sony ZV-1 may have been designed for vloggers, but we think this would be an excellent compact camera for families, travelers, and creatives of all kinds looking to document what they do.
Our opinion
The Sony ZV-1 is a solid option for vloggers and photographers looking for a compact camera with a fast lens and great video and still image quality. Its novel microphone and video-friendly ergonomics are big plusses.
Still, we want to see Sony introduce a more modern touch interface and update its menus to appeal to a wider audience.
Overall, whether you’re a dedicated video maker or want an easy-to-use camera for good quality clips, the Sony ZV-1 is worth a look.
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