If you are a YouTuber or a social media celebrity and looking for a vlogging camera, the Sony ZV-1 is the best option for you to go for. The latest camera from sony is a combination of a bright lens, elegant autofocus, and design tweaks like the side-flipping screen make it a compelling pocket video option with few rivals. Those interested in super-smooth walking footage might find its image stabilization a slight let-down, and it has some common usability kinks, but the ZV-1 continues to be the best video all-rounder in its class.
The Sony ZV-1 is the most compelling pocket vlogging camera you can spend your money on for good. It brings the best video specialties of the Sony RX100 series, including its class-leading autofocus system, and blends them with design tweaks that make it perfect for shooting YouTube videos at home or on the move.
Sony ZV-1
The foremost power of Sony ZV-1 is the combination of a bright 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 lens with Sony’s Real-time tracking and Real-time Eye AF systems. Together with the ZV-1’s 1-inch sensor, which is larger than those in today’s smartphones, these make it accessible to shoot high-quality vlogs with charming background blur and steady focus.
The addition of a 3.5mm microphone port suggests it’s comparatively simple to add good-quality audio to harmonize your videos, while a hotshoe allows you to attach accessories like a shotgun mic or LED light without needing a bracket to hold them.
This is especially helpful because, while the ZV-1’s three-capsule internal microphone is an advancement over the built-in mics found in the RX100 series and other compact cameras, it still falls short of giving audio that meets the quality of its video.
Despite the addition of renamed shortcut buttons for beginners, the ZV-1 also isn’t the most user-friendly camera for those upgrading from smartphones. The turning point to this complexity is that the ZV-1 is absolutely stuffed with characteristics, including a built-in ND filter, autofocus sensitivity options, and profiles like S-Log2 for those who like to color-grade their videos.
The ZV-1’s size indicates there are generally other settlements, including the lack of a headphone jack and ordinary battery life, while the lack of an electronic viewfinder suggests those interested in a stills camera should also look elsewhere. But the ZV-1 packs in more strength and video features than any other pocket camera, making it an exemplary take-anywhere camera for shooting content for your YouTube or other social media channel.
The Sony ZV-1 is like a Sony RX100 Mark V that’s been re-engineered for YouTubers. The final product isn’t ideal, but it does fix most of the objections we had of the Mark V when it came to video shooting. The most useful new feature is a side-hinged articulating touchscreen. This sort of screen is more useful than a tilting one for shooting video. It also flips around 180 degrees to face forwards.
Sony’s touchscreen performance is still much limited. You can touch the screen to pull focus in video, for instance, but not navigate menus or even zoom in on photos.
The Sony ZV-1 introduces two new default settings for the camera’s two custom buttons. The first of these, named the ‘Bokeh switch’, will immediately switch to a wide-open aperture to provide your footage a defocused background. The second and possibly more helpful custom button is called ‘Product showcase’, which is created especially for YouTubers who practice in reviews.
The built-in ND filter also supports to keep action nice and smooth in bright conditions, although the ZV-1 typically struggles a bit more in lower light due to its 1-inch sensor.
You can order the Sony ZV-1 right now, as pre-orders started on its release date of May 26, 2020. Sony announces shipping is expected to begin “in early June” in the US and UK, and by “mid-June” in Australia. The compact vlogging camera costs $749 / £699 / AU$1,299.
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