Sony ZV-1 review
Our Verdict
The Sony ZV-1 should win the hearts of many vloggers thanks to its blend of compelling video features, very good quality footage and ease of utilise.
For
- Powerful nevertheless piece of cake-to-use features
- Relatively inexpensive
- Very good quality video and stills
- Excellent AF
- Very proficient quality audio
- Can be used every bit a webcam
Against
- May not be versatile enough for advanced vloggers
- Image stabilization could be amend
- Streaming and webcam features not available on macOS Big Sur
Tom's Guide Verdict
The Sony ZV-1 should win the hearts of many vloggers thanks to its blend of compelling video features, very good quality footage and ease of employ.
Pros
- +
Powerful withal easy-to-apply features
- +
Relatively inexpensive
- +
Very skillful quality video and stills
- +
Fantabulous AF
- +
Very good quality audio
- +
Tin be used as a webcam
Cons
- -
May not exist versatile enough for avant-garde vloggers
- -
Image stabilization could be meliorate
- -
Streaming and webcam features not available on macOS Large Sur
Sony ZV-1: Specs
Prototype Sensor: 20.0MP i-inch-blazon CMOS
Focal Length Equivalent: 24–70 mm (approx. ii.9x optical zoom)
Storage Media: SDXC/SDHC/SD, Retention Stick PRO Duo, Retention Stick PRO-HG Duo
Prototype Stabilization: Optical IS
Display: 3.2-inch affect LCD
ISO: 100-51,200 (expandable to 1,640,000)
Max video resolution: XAVC Southward 4K (3,840 10 2,160/30p at 100 Mbps)
Slow-Motion Video / Time-Lapse: Yes / Aye (using desktop software)
Built-in Wink: No
Wireless & Bluetooth: Aye
Ports: Multi/Micro USB Terminal, High-Speed USB (USB2.0), Micro HDMI, Mic jack (three.5-mm stereo mini jack), Multi Interface Shoe
Battery life (CIPA): Approx. 75 mins. (Movies, continuous shooting with monitor on); approx 260 shots (with monitor on).
Size (body): 4.3 10 2.4 x i.viii inches
Weight: 9.five ounces, body simply
The Sony ZV-1 is an intriguing compact camera for a number of reasons. It's aimed squarely at vloggers, with features such as a side-opening swiveling touchscreen LCD screen, Soft Skin Effect style, Product Showcase setting and directional mic all designed to make it easier to shoot neat video. At the same time, it maintains the loftier quality that photographers have come to expect from Sony's long-running RX100 series, with which information technology shares many similarities.
Indeed, the ZV-1 keeps many of the same specs found on the RX models, such equally a i.0-type stacked Exmor RS CMOS paradigm sensor and a 24-70mm equivalent zoom lens. It comes with an f/1.8-2.viii ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T large-aperture lens, too, offering a high quality shallow depth of field to the footage it shoots. Plus, ideally for this quarantine era, Sony has recently made the ZV-1 capable of live streaming and acting as a webcam cheers to its firmware 2.0 upgrade.
- Best photo editing software
- Save your images in the cloud with the best photograph storage and sharing sites
Subsequently using the Sony ZV-one camera for a few weeks, I found a lot to dear about shooting with it — in fact, it's shot to the tiptop of the Tom's Guide all-time cameras for vlogging list. Read on for the total Sony ZV-i review.
Notation: For this review, I besides used Sony Vlogger Kit (ACCVC1), which includes a GP-VPT2BT Shooting Grip with Wireless Remote Commander. Information technology as well comes with a 64GB memory card. The grip is compatible with a multifariousness of Sony cameras.
Sony ZV-ane: Price and availability
The Sony ZV-one was introduced in 2020 for $799, but is currently available at many outlets for a very reasonable $699. The price for the Sony ACCVC1 Vlogger Kit remains at $149.
Sony ZV-one review: Design and controls
The Sony ZV-1 looks very much like the RX100 VII, and in fact, Sony says the sensor and processor come from that camera.
However, Sony redesigned many other aspects of the ZV-1 to entreatment to vloggers, such as the fact that its LCD opens to the side, instead of up or down. This is a feature that makes it much easier to compose shots in selfie mode while connecting external audio accessories.
Because of the photographic camera's minor footprint, Sony needed to make some tough choices as to which buttons and controls to include and which to omit — while besides reworking it for vloggers. For example, you'll find that the video record button is larger than whatsoever found on the RX100 series models, plus, there's a light on the front of the camera to permit y'all know yous're recording.
At the same time, the popular pop-upward viewfinder, pop-upwardly flash and command ring that are found on the RX100 VII are all absent here. Yet fifty-fifty with these omissions, I even so constitute the photographic camera enjoyable to use.
Sony ZV-1 review: Video
Overall, I was impressed with the Sony ZV-1's video quality, both in the daylight and in some low-light settings.
Every bit I mentioned, I used the Sony Vlogger Kit (ACCVC1) for this review, which allowed me to pair the camera with a gimbal-similar grip which likewise doubles as a tripod. This was really useful when I shot video of myself singing with my guitar in a pub in Mattituck, Long Island, equally it meant I didn't have to worry about bringing even more gear; the fact that information technology doubles as a tripod is really quite handy.
Overall, I found my video clips had very good dynamic range and for the most part included crisp, sharp details. However, you may not always want abrupt detail — and that's where the Sony ZV-1'southward dedicated defocus button comes in.
This is plant on top of the camera body, and when turned on sets the camera to its widest aperture of f/1.8; this creates a very nice bokeh effect in the background, which allows you to focus on the subject affair. And if you don't desire to apply it, you tin can simply turn it dorsum off. Plus, you lot tin apply it while you're shooting.
Some other feature I liked on this photographic camera — although it didn't work in all cases — is the new Product Showcase Setting. Here, the camera "knows" when to focus on a product — for instance, when information technology's placed in the foreground. Information technology'south some other iteration of Sony'south Real-time Middle AF and Real-time Tracking AF for video, which the company says "allows the ZV-1 to seamlessly switch focus betwixt multiple subjects while controlling the AF speed and tracking sensitivity." So, instead of maintaining the focus on the subject'south eye, information technology switches instead to focusing on the product in front of information technology.
Mostly, it worked pretty well, particularly when there was lettering or numbers on the product. Only when I tried using the supplied (and very colorful) fuzzy wind muff, it didn't always lock in as quickly, and sometimes not at all. Still, near of the time it worked very well, and I tin can see vloggers getting excited about this.
Notwithstanding, not every characteristic worked flawlessly. For example, take the Sony ZV-ane'south image stabilization. To bring up the IS way I wanted to employ, I clicked on the Fn (or function) button on the dorsum of the photographic camera, to bring upward the relevant menu. On the far left side, I selected the Active IS manner for the image stabilizer. My promise was that this would eliminate the jitter as I walked, only unfortunately all it did was minimize it; it didn't brand it smooth the style a gimbal would with a DSLR or a mirrorless camera.
As for the audio, Sony mentioned that the camera has a new type of mic: a directional 3-capsule mic designed for forward-directional audio. Sony says that this allows the photographic camera to capture articulate audio "of the subject'southward phonation while minimizing background noise, especially when operating in selfie mode."
I tested the mic in a noisy state of affairs: as mentioned before, I had the opportunity to play a gig in Mattituck and I retrieve the ZV-1 did a very good job recording the fun temper of a alive concert. I as well believe it did a decent job in existence able to distinguish my vocalization from the dissonance of the crowd.
Still, I really loved the fact that Sony included a handy wind muff (or "dead true cat" equally some call it) to put over the mic. This tin be actually important outdoors, where fifty-fifty a gentle wind tin can distort all your sound, and I institute it to be pretty constructive in utilise.
Depression light and dark are ever challenging for cameras, with even the all-time bespeak-and-shoot cameras ordinarily struggling. The ZV-1 did a decent job in low light, merely I found it began to struggle in very low calorie-free or when shooting at nighttime. That was certainly the case when using its Motorcar or intelligent Auto video settings, so I'd propose switching to manual mode in these situations.
Sony ZV-i review: Slow-movement video
Slow motion is bang-up on these cameras — you can shoot at 120 fps (which is about 4x as ho-hum as real-time-shooting at 30 frames per second). But yous also have the ability to shoot a college frame rates, but with a lower resolution. Here's the resolution you go with those three brusk outburst dull-movement modes (when you use the quality priority setting):
- 240fps or 8x slow motion: (ane,824 x 1,026 resolution)
- 480fps or 16x slow movement: (1,824 ten 616 resolution)
- 960fps or 32x slow motility: (i,244 x 420 resolution)
The two higher HFS modes — 960 and 480 — requite you pretty low resolution. However, at 240fps, the resolution is still almost full HD quality.
I institute the modes really fun to use, particularly with action shots, for example my son throwing a baseball game. At 960 fps, it was really compelling watching the baseball game go out my son'due south fingers so slowly — or 32 times slower than I come across him throw it in real life.
Sony ZV-one review: Livestreaming and webcam
Since the start of the Covid pandemic, many manufacturers have added the ability to apply a camera as a webcam; we've got a full guide to how to apply your photographic camera every bit a webcam here.
The Sony ZV-1 launched without the ability to be used as a webcam, merely Sony released a firmware update in Feb that added this feature. It works with Windows and Mac devices, and I found the process to exist seamless whether I was connecting via a Google Meet video conversation or a Zoom call. Both the prototype and audio were clear and consequent throughout.
Notwithstanding, you exercise demand to make one change on the ZV-1 in order to enable the feature: in the second major camera tab, yous demand to become to the fourth page (4 of 9 pages) and at the bottom, click on USB Streaming and and so select "Yes". Then you're set to use the camera as a webcam. It'south also worth noting that it doesn't currently work with macOS 11 Big Sur; I was only able to connect to my MacBook Pro because I'm using macOS Catalina.
Sony ZV-1 review: Image quality
Every bit with my earlier review of the Sony DSC-RX100 Vi compact camera, the Sony ZV-1 did an excellent job of shooting a withal life image in vivid light, with enough of item and very skillful color saturation and colour fidelity.
However, I felt the low-light prototype had a little more than noise and was a chip softer in details than I would have liked — which again matches my feel with the RX100 6. However, the racket didn't alter the color accuracy.
When shooting with it around the business firm and in the street nearby, I again found information technology to be on a par with the RX100. I even tried some panoramas, in the daytime and at dark, as well every bit seeing how the Smooth Skin Outcome characteristic worked on the wrinkles on my face; for the most part, it did a decent job in lessening them.
The ZV-1 also keeps some of the fun Picture show Effects present on the RX100. For instance, I shot a scene of my hometown, Malverne, at night, using the Analogy picture outcome; I institute it fabricated the image look a piddling like Edvard Munch's "The Scream."
It's merely one of many Picture show Furnishings that you tin can shoot still images with, including Toy Camera, Loftier Contrast Monochrome, HDR Painting and Watercolor. And although Illustration doesn't work in video mode, there are several that practise, including Pop Color, Posterization, Retro Photograph, Soft Loftier-key, Fractional Color and High Contrast Mono.
Sony ZV-1 review: Verdict
The Sony ZV-1 is an excellent investment for vloggers who are just starting out in the field, or even those who have been at it for a while merely who aren't interested in getting bogged down in overcomplicated rigs. The clever sideways-opening flip-out screen volition prove to exist very useful and the Product Showcase and Defocus modes both work really well. The Sony ZV-1 shoots nice video and records good quality audio, and all at a reasonable price.
Against that, potential buyers should be enlightened that the image stabilization won't smooth over the bumps or jitter when you're walking; yous'll desire a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a gimbal for that.
That aside, I recollect this small, very smart photographic camera will be a valuable asset for many vloggers — and even more so now that it can stream as a webcam, too.
- More than: These are the best cameras right at present
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/sony-zv-1
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