Sony ZV1 review

Sony ZV1 review

Sony usually updates its premium compact RX line once a year, but this year it took the decision instead to introduce a new line in the shape of the ZV1.

Primarily aimed at vloggers and those who like to create video content, it’s similar in size, shape and weight to the RX100 line of cameras, but with a few key differences which should be more appealing to that kind of audience.

Good examples of those kind of specifications include 4K video recording, a vary-angle 3-inch touchscreen, the ability to add an external microphone and modes such as “product showcase”. You can still use it as a stills camera if you like, and it could also be considered as a pocket-friendly camera for everyday shooting.

Although not cheap, the ZV1 is certainly a lot cheaper than brand new RX100 models tend to be. It’s significantly cheaper than the latest RX integration - the RX100 VII.

(Image credit: Sony)

Sony ZV1 Review: Design and Handling

Sony has made some tweaks to its premium-compact style design that it has been using for its RX100 series for several years. Although it’s roughly the same kind of size and shape, some changes have been made, generally to accommodate the video-friendly features that the ZV1 offers. The front grip, for example, is pronounced and is designed to feel comfortable when holding the camera facing forwards when recording vlogs.

On the top of the camera, you’ve got a hotshoe, and the microphone, which takes up the bulk of the top plate. This means you sacrifice a viewfinder, but that’s unlikely to be problematic for the average user of the ZV1.

Three buttons over to the right hand side of the top plate allow you to switch the camera on/off, select the shooting mode and start video recording. One small annoyance here is that the on/off button and the mode button are identical in size and shape so it’s very easy to press one when you meant the other - particularly pressing the mode button when you want to switch the camera off to conserve power.

The RX100 series of Sony’s premium compact cameras had tilting screens, but they’re of little use when you’re trying to record a vlog to camera. As such, it comes as no surprise that the ZV1 has instead been equipped with a touch-sensitive screen that fully articulates to face forwards. You can use the touch-sensitivity to select a focus point, and switch on focus tracking, but frustratingly you can’t use with it with either the full menu or the quick menu.

As a vlogging camera, there’s a couple of other buttons which are particularly useful for that kind of work. The “background defocus” button immediately throws the background in and out of focus, without having to faff around changing apertures, which is particularly useful for video. One of the custom buttons can also be set to give you direct access to “product showcase” mode, which again is handy.

(Image credit: Sony)

Bear in mind that the Sync Module does need to be plugged in somewhere. It can handle up to 10 cameras, either the new Blink XT models or the older plain Blink models, which aren’t weatherproof and can’t go all the way up to 1080p in terms of resolution.

Video resolution tops out at 1080p, which puts it among the best in the business, and the 110-degree field of view is perfectly respectable too. On the downside there’s no two-way audio with the Blink XT, so you can’t warn away burglars or scold the cat while you’re out at the office.

With Blink being an Amazon-owned company, you can of course control the Blink XT camera with Alexa: you can ask to see live footage from a particular camera on your network, or arm and disarm the entire system using your voice, which might be slightly more convenient than tapping through on your phone.

Sony ZV1 Review: Features

Similarly to the RX100 series of cameras, the ZV1 features a 20.1 megapixel one-inch Exmor RS CMOS sensor. That’s joined by a 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 (equivalent) lens, which although somewhat restricted should be more than enough for the average vlogger - especially those who are presenting to screen at arm’s length.

Given that this is specifically targeted towards video content creators, the ZV1 features a special 3-capsule microphone on the top of the camera. You can also use an external microphone if you prefer, via a 3.5mm input jack or the multi-interface hotshoe via an adapter. Inside the box, a windshield is provided for use when recording outside in windy conditions.

Naturally, 4K video recording is available, while there’s also in-body image stabilisation and Real-Time Eye AF which works even when recording video - another very useful feature vlogging, to ensure you’re always in focus.

One thing which is lacking from the ZV1 - especially in comparison to the latest RX100 models - is an inbuilt electronic viewfinder. That’s potentially bad news for stills shooters hoping to use this as a travel camera, but it makes sense for vloggers who would have no use for it. It also perhaps helps to keep the price down, so it shouldn’t be too much of a deal-breaker for most people, and certainly not the intended audience of the ZV1.

(Image credit: Sony)

Sony ZV1 Review: Performance

There’s two aspects to look at when it comes to performance with the ZV1. In terms of still image quality, you can take very nice shots with it. They are bright and punchy and there’s a good amount of detail. Although 24-70mm isn’t super flexible, it should be more than enough for most everyday scenarios, and having the f/1.8-f/2.8 maximum aperture is great for low light and creating shallow depth of field effects.

For these reasons, although not the primary objective of this model, the ZV1 could be considered a decent pocket-friendly camera for everyday shooting and for travel, especially if you don’t have a particularly well-equipped smartphone (or just prefer to keep your devices separate).

However, the main consideration of this camera is for vlogging and video performance. The ZV1 copes well with tracking the subject as you walk along “presenting” to camera, with Eye AF being very good at keeping you in focus. Image stabilisation however is a little on the shaky side, so if you’re somebody looking for ultra-smooth footage, you might be better suited to cameras with even stronger stabilisation, such as the GoPro Hero 8.

Sound is also something to consider. The in-built microphone copes well indoors, and even does well outdoors if you attach the inbuilt windshield to the top of the camera. It might struggle in very crowded places with lots of background noise - for obvious reasons, we weren’t able to test that - but an external microphone would likely be a good investment for any dedicated vlogger anyway.

(Image credit: Sony)

Sure, there are some rough edges (especially in the app), but these cameras are sturdy, reliable, and easy to set up. It’s definitely worth considering these as budget options for blanketing your home with a network of cameras. Even just having them in place might be enough to put off would-be trespassers.

For the very best in home security though, we’d look elsewhere – you don’t get any advanced face or person detection, you can’t set activity zones, and the video recording isn’t as reliable or as high quality as it is on some other security cameras we’ve tested in the recent past.

Being able to pay your money, set the cameras up, and then not have to pay anything else goes a long way in the smart home market, and those are the areas where the Blink XT really excels. If those are the factors most important in your choice of smart home security camera, the Blink XT fits the bill.

Sony ZV1 Review: image samples

Image 1 of 5 Sony ZV1 Sample Image (Image credit: Amy Davies ) Image 2 of 5 Sony ZV1 Sample Image (Image credit: Amy Davies) Image 3 of 5 Sony ZV1 Sample Image (Image credit: Amy Davies) Image 4 of 5 Sony ZV1 Sample Image (Image credit: Amy Davies) Image 5 of 5 Sony ZV1 Sample Image (Image credit: Amy Davies )

Sony ZV1 Review: Verdict

If you’re a vlogger and you’re in the market for a new camera, then you’ve got quite a lot of choice at the moment. You could even just stick with your smartphone.

However, if you’re looking to give your vlogs a little extra sheen, the ZV1 has a lot of tools to help you do that. We particularly like the background defocus button and the fact that the screen flips all the way forward. Sound is recorded pretty well, but again, including a windshield in the box is a nice little extra which should save you from immediately having to rush out to buy an external microphone.

If you’re somebody who just wants a good-quality pocket-camera, you might also consider the ZV1. While there’s no denying that the latest RX model - the RX100 VII - is certainly better for shooting stills, it’s also almost twice the price.

The ZV1 is not without its quirks though, which is a little bit frustrating in an otherwise excellent device. The buttons on the top of the camera being the same size and shape can lead to accidental presses of the wrong one, while the touchscreen not being able to be used for menu changes is annoying for those used to working with their smartphones.

It’s also not the smoothest for those who are recording videos with a lot of movement in. It’s not too terrible for just walking along, but if you’re keen to record any kind of action - such as mountain biking, you’d definitely be better off with something like the GoPro Hero 8.

Still, overall, this is a camera which pretty much does what it sets out to do and for the price and size, comes highly recommended as a vlogging camera.

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Sony ZV-1實測：拍片最強！3單元收音、強化自拍操作、售價有驚喜

【Sony ZV-1實測】雖然現在用手機就可以拍片，但利用相機拍攝仍有一定的魅力，無論質素及功能上始終比手機稍為優勝。Sony在相機的範疇上不斷推陳出新，繼超人氣輕便相機RX100系列之後，最近推出全新輕便相機系列「ZV－1」，以RX100的血脈變奏出來的全新機，而它更是「拍片」而生的相機，在拍攝影片功能上大幅加強，不單影片、收音質素更高，更方便用家自拍的操作，相信喜歡自拍的Youtuber或Blogger都非常合適。我們就在正式發售前已經到手，立刻上手速評，試試拍攝影片是否如官方描述般出色。

↑↑↑↑Sony ZV-1 vs iPhone 11 Pro 自拍質素比併（點上圖睇片）↑↑↑↑

最新Sony ZV－1配備了如RX100系列的2010萬像素1吋堆疊式CMOS，而且配合極速對焦系統（有幾快暫時手頭上未有資料），期待在影相及拍片上有上乘的表現。它擁有RX100系列同樣的血脈，單睇外表還以為是RX100的後繼機。但其實它不單擁有相同的CMOS感光元件，就連鏡頭都與RX100 V同級，24-70mm焦距、F1.8大光圈，而且更罕有地在輕便相機上配備3吋可扭動反轉的觸控式LCD屏幕，自拍就更為方便。

Sony ZV-1機身的外型有著濃厚RX100系列影子（林勇攝）

以上只是單純規格及外表上的改變，最大與RX100系列不同，或者說是對於拍片者改良位，便是機頂內置3單元收音咪，比起一般只有向前收音單一收音咪的RX100或其他相機，收音質素更出色，提供更高質量的聲音捕獲性能和全立體聲降噪效果，尤其人聲方面更為清晰。而它更難得「hot shoe」回歸，令拍片人士更有彈性地加插其他外設裝置，如利用3.5mm收音咪插頭配上hot shoe來設置外置收音咪、又或者外插LED補光燈拍片。另外，跟機還附送了防風罩，利用hot shoe固定在機頂上，在室外拍攝時大大降低風噪聲音。

隨機附送防風罩，在戶外收音時效果更好。（林勇攝）

↓↓↓↓Sony ZV－1機身細節（點下圖放大解說）↓↓↓↓

• 4 + 4 + 4

系統方面亦都加入不少強化拍片功能，首先比以往更強的光學及電子防震效能，在行走時拍攝影像比其他相機效果更出色，實測時行走一般平路幾乎沒有震動感，就如放在gimbal手持穩定器拍攝。對焦亦加入了一般只會在大機上使用的Real-Time Eye眼睛對焦系統，利用AI來偵測眼睛訊息（亦有動物眼睛對焦系統），就算在4K拍攝時仍有極高準確性及速度，同樣對於常用來自拍的用家（如Youtuber或blogger）非常實用。

接下來呀脆幫忙一試Sony ZV-1與iPhone 11 Pro自拍影片時的影像質素、防震及收音效果比併。（林勇攝）

另一方面，它亦內置了「臉部優先曝光」系統，全天候偵測面部的光暗變化，如在室外走至室內時，因為曝光值不同而出現臉部過黑或過光的情況，系統會更快調節臉部的光暗。記者在測試時，在行走於室外及室內交接時臉部曝光轉換非常快，只花1－2秒便完成調節，的確有驚喜。

錄影按鈕加大後，令自拍時操作更就手。（林勇攝）

ZV-1於機身上細節亦針對時常拍片人士而設計，如錄影鍵由以往RX100的機邊細小按鈕搬上機頂與快門一樣的大按鈕，在單手操控時更就手。另外，機身設置的C1及C2快捷鍵按鈕，基本設置亦都非常便利Youtuber或Blogger，如C1按鈕的「一鍵背景虛化」功能（轉大光圈等調節）及C2按鈕的「一鍵產品展示模式」（快速向展示在鏡頭前的物件對焦），當然C1及C2都可以自行再設定其他功能。

↓↓↓↓試片中畫像質素逐格睇（點下圖放大）↓↓↓↓

• 11 + 11 + 11

總結

擁有Sony RX100拍攝水準的ZV-1，不單擁有同樣的拍攝質素，強化拍片功能、更合適單手的操作，亦都是ZV-1最大的賣點。最重要是今代回歸hot shoe及3.5mm收音咪插口，令相機擴展性能大增。最重要一點，便是官方指這部新機售價六千有找（官方售價為$5,990），比起RX100 VI或VII都平一截（因為沒有了長焦距鏡頭及電子觀景鏡，令成本減低），對於喜歡自拍影片的用家，的確是不錯的選擇。不過究竟它與手機自拍效果比較如何？不妨睇睇片比較。

↓↓↓↓收音及拍攝質素如何？大家可以睇呀脆試片了解↓↓↓↓

Sony’s first vlogging camera almost nails it

In 2020, I hope I don’t have to convince you that vlogging is not a frivolous activity, but a real genre of video that can range from hobby to full-time job to full-blown media company. That is why it’s so strange to me that so few cameras are custom-designed for it.

Sony’s ZV-1 is an attempt to fill that gap — and also to fill the gap between what you can achieve with your smartphone and what you can do with a more expensive mirrorless camera. Rather than start from scratch, however, Sony has modified its venerable RX100 into something more specifically designed for taking video of yourself.

The result is an $800 camera that has a lot of very advanced video features and a handful of quirky or frustrating limitations. But it is also small enough to fit in a pocket, and it’s a solid camera for taking regular photos, too.

It makes no sense at all for the people who don’t need it, and it will be a godsend for those who do.

The easiest way to describe the Sony ZV-1 is to compare it to the Sony RX100. Sony essentially stripped away some of the more expensive parts of an RX100 VII, mixed in the lens from an RX100 V, and then added in a few vlogger-specific features.

Unless you’re familiar with Sony’s RX100, that description likely isn’t super useful. So let’s briefly talk about the RX100. For eight years now, it’s been (with apologies to Canon) the canonical example of a camera that crams all of the advanced features of a DSLR into a tiny point-and-shoot body. It may look like the low-rent pocket camera you can pick up anywhere, but, in fact, it can cost well over $1,000 and do things that are normally only available on pro cameras.

I am, if you haven’t guessed, fond of the RX100 and have used one for many years now. What I love about it is that in trading off a smaller sensor and non-interchangeable lenses for pocketability, you don’t also have to give up versatility or features. It can do nearly anything: I’ve shot long 4K videos on it, I’ve tethered it to my Mac and live-blogged Apple keynotes with it.

The full auto modes are competent, but you’re free to mess with ISO, shutter, white balance, aperture, color profiles, focus modes, and more. It’s powerful. But as anybody who’s ever tried to navigate Sony’s obtuse menu system can attest, it’s also complicated. Once you get the hang of it, though, it often fulfills the “DLSR in your pocket” promise.

That brings us to the ZV-1, which takes all of the features and functionality of the RX100 and tweaks the camera’s hardware to optimize it for vlogging. Sony actually grabbed the parts from two different RX100 models: you get the sensor and smarts of the latest RX100 VII but the brighter lens and ND filter (for outdoor shooting) from the RX100 V. You want the VII’s smarts for autofocusing, but you want the V’s lens because it provides better background blur.

Additionally, the screen articulates in a much better way, letting you put it in much more convenient positions. I can’t emphasize enough how important this is: a fully articulated screen is the difference between getting the shot and not, and the ZV-1’s side hinge lets you flip the screen around without it getting blocked by whatever you have in the hot shoe. There are other changes: the record button gets bigger, there’s a nicer handgrip, a “tally light” recording indicator, a new three-mic array, and a hot shoe for accessories. That last one is important: not having to fuss with wires or external rigs just so you can attach a shotgun mic is huge.

Oh, and you also get a free dead cat. (That’s the name of the puff wind filter that goes over a microphone. Don’t look at me; I didn’t make that up.)

Sony is also trying to make the ZV-1 more accessible by bringing the price down. A brand-new RX100 VII costs $1,200, and the ZV-1 is based on that camera. So much of the work on the ZV-1 isn’t about optimizing for vlogging; it’s about cutting costs.

To get down to $800, Sony cut the electronic viewfinder, the magnesium body, the focus ring, the flash, and it also cheaped out on the screen; it blacks out completely if you wear polarized sunglasses. Sony also just didn’t spend money on making an entirely new camera body, which means the ZV-1 still has a lens that isn’t ideal for vlogging and also that it uses Micro USB (ugh) to charge its very tiny battery (double ugh).

But maybe the most annoying part of any Sony camera is the aforementioned menu system. It is deep, confusing, arcane, and mysteriously can’t be navigated with the touchscreen. (The taps are essentially just used for focusing.) In theory, though, a new vlogger doesn’t need to go through all the effort of learning about Sony’s menu system or even necessarily the details of aperture and so on. In full auto mode, the ZV-1 is competent, and Sony has added a couple of preset buttons to make the whole thing just a little more accessible.

Grid View

One is simply called “Background Defocus,” and it’s designed to change all of the settings to maximize the amount of background blur. It’s a useful, simple tap for people who don’t want to fuss with setting the aperture manually and then compensate for ISO and whatever else. It works, but be aware that because of the ZV-1’s relatively small sensor, you won’t get the kind of bokeh results you’ll see on much larger cameras.

The second is called “Product Showcase,” and more than anything else, it reveals that the ZV-1 is meant for vlogging. The layperson’s explanation is that it ensures the camera will focus on a product you’re presenting to your viewers instead of staying deadlocked on your face. The less technical explanation is that it disables Face Priority in the focus settings, allowing it to grab focus on something that’s closer to the camera than your face.

It sounds like a silly feature, but, in fact, it’s a great example of just how good the focusing capabilities on the ZV-1 actually are. It can lock on to your eye or a pet’s eye, and it rarely suffers from the “focus hunting” you’ll get on other autofocus systems. It also is lightning-quick at changing focus — so much so that you can let the camera change its focus in the middle of a shot, and it won’t be distracting.

The three-mic array sounds much better than your average on-camera microphone (and the dead cat really works), but there’s a mic jack if you prefer that. Unfortunately, there’s no headphone jack for those times when you want to check the sound on your clips when you’re on the go. The onboard speaker doesn’t really cut it.

While Sony has done quite a lot in taking the core RX100 experience and customizing it for vlogging, the decision to start there has consequences. The most important and disappointing one is the field of view. It is 24mm full-frame equivalent at its widest, and that gets a little narrower still when you use stabilization. That’s just not wide enough to get your head comfortably framed in a shot without holding the camera way out at an uncomfortable arm’s length. Some kind of small selfie stick is virtually a necessity. (Sony will sell you a fancy Bluetooth remote one for about $138.)

Another consequence is the battery. It’s incredibly tiny and will run out much earlier than you’ll want it to. Sony rates it at 260 shots or 45 minutes of recording, but both are optimistic in my experience. Luckily, spares are super cheap since the RX100 has been around so long and the ZV-1 uses the same battery.

The ZV-1 is a kind of in-between camera. In full auto mode, the reasons to use it instead of just using your phone for photos and video aren’t necessarily clear. An iPhone is more adept at making aggressive corrections for shake and brightness when necessary. There’s a limit to what a phone can do, though, and that’s where the ZV-1 lives. With its many controls and features, it can pull off video a phone can’t.

But the ZV-1 has a ceiling: you can’t change lenses, and eventually, that may become frustrating. If that happens, though, the ZV-1 makes a solid secondary or B-camera. Were the learning curve on Sony’s menu system just a little less steep, I’d say it’s even ideal as an entry-level camera to teach you some more advanced video terms and skills. (It can be that for you, but it will take some effort.)

Vlogging is a professional job, and lots of those pros are well beyond what the ZV-1 is and can do. Many aren’t, though — and others might just want something that’s pocketable. I hope there are enough people to convince Sony to keep investing in the category. The ZV-1 is an admirable retrofit, but I’d love to see what a ground-up rebuild would look like.