Sony ZV-1 – The Best Vlogging Camera?

As the name suggests, The New Sony ZV-1 is made for the modern-day Vloggers.

If you are looking for a camera that takes great still images, this camera does it but it limits you to use of single lens that they provide.

So, if you’re into photography, there are tons of other options. This camera focus on very specific set of customers (Youtubers, Content creators, vloggers, etc.).

So let’s jump into it and look at what this videocentric camera from SONY has to Offer.

Specifications

The Sensor used in the ZV-1 is the same 20.1MP stacked back illuminated 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS sensor that was seen on the RX100 series.

It comes with a 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* lens.

The sensor is incredible as we have already seen it but the improved autofocus takes it to another level in the ZV-1.

The battery is also the same as previous other models (NP-BX1) So you can use them if you have the older models of RX100 series.
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Features

Side-articulating LCD screen

Finally, SONY provided the side-articulating LCD Screen. The screen is good. It’s a 3-inch touchscreen.

Sadly, the camera does not come with a EVF. The company may have ditched the EVF to keep the price low. It may be a bad move, but the camera is targeted at specific set of customers (Vloggers).

3-Capsule directional mic and wind screen:

The mic on this camera is one of the best in-built microphone you can find at this price point. The quality is good and it also comes with wind shield that will help you reduce the wind noise. You can also add external microphones using 3.5 mm mic input socket and hot shoe.

Background Defocus Mode

It automatically sets the camera up for the maximum bokeh in the background. So, there’s no need for you to change the settings and it can be done quickly with just a button.

The inbuilt ND filter is also provided so that you can use the wider f1.8 aperture in bright daylight. It’s a bonus addon.

Product Showcase

This is the mode made if you are branding or showcasing a product in your video. The camera will shift the focus efficiently to the product if you bring it closer to the camera and shifts back to your face when you take it away. It is surprising how well this function works. The video above shows how smoothly it works.

Let’s quickly jump into Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Versatile 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 lens.
• Great 20.1MP CMOS sensor.
• Side-articulating LCD screen
• Industry standard 3.5mm microphone input.
• Product Showcase Mode.
• Good inbuilt microphone with wind shield.
• Great slow-motion capabilities.
• larger grip.
• Multi-interface shoe for additional mics or other camera accessories.
• The built-in ND filter, which makes shooting in bright sunlight easier.

Cons:

• No pop-up electronic viewfinder.
• No flash.
• No focus ring around the lens.
• Battery backup is bad. You will be buying extra batteries.
• The position of the battery compartment is bad. It becomes hard to access when you have release plate attached to the camera.

Our Thoughts

The camera looks incredibly sleek and is very compact. The performance is top-notch and the video quality is amazing.

The images are sharp and that wide (f1.8) aperture helps you get amazing depth of field. It’s hard to frame a shot because of the lack of EVF, but the screen is not bad. It gets pretty bright but that directly affects the battery performance.
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This camera is made for vloggers and content creators on social media platforms. The Background Defocus mode is easy to access and ND filter helps in obtaining great background blur. Also, the Product Showcase mode works like a charm.

This camera is perfect for anyone looking for a compact camera that is capable of recording good videos and capturing decent images.

The options are limited as there is no option for interchangeable lens. So, if you want to get versatility, this camera is not for you.

Overall, it’s a great camera for starters and vloggers as it is compact, lightweight and it will not get you tiring hands. At the price of 799$ , it’s the best vlogging compact camera available right now.

The Two Aces

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