When Sony announced the ZV-1, it immediately became a fan-fave. The Sony brand captured the essence of the modern vlogger with this camera and for under $1000, this is the best vlogging choice.
Vlogging has its specific list of requirements, and I wanted to use my experience to find out if it is the real deal for serious vloggers.
Let’s get the technicalities out of the way first. Here are the major specs of the Sony ZV-1:
- 20.1-MP CMOS Sensor
- Zeiss 24-70mm (35mm format equiv.) f/1.8 – 2.8 lens
- UHD/4K 30p video
- HLG & S-Log3 Gamma
- 3-inch flip-out LCD touchscreen
- Directional 3-Capsule Mic with Mic Jack
- Bionz X image processor
So should I buy it or not!? Well, that’s exactly what we’re here to find out.
But, before we dive right into the camera specs, let’s review what you need to look for in a camera as a vlogger.
- Video Resolution: With YouTube gradually moving more towards 4K videos, you need a camera that is future proof and won’t need to be replaced soon after. While a lot of people still watch videos in 1080p or even 720p on their smaller devices, 4K is quickly catching up as people get bigger, high-definition TVs and high-speed internet packages.
- ISO: ISO is responsible for the low light performance of your camera. As a vlogger, you want something that can capture enough light even in poorly lit conditions, but not so much light that it turns the quality of your image grainy. In short, you need a camera that can handle higher ISO without causing a significant drop in the quality of the picture.
- Lenses: What kind of vlogger are you? Do your videos include a lot of wide-angle shots, such as scenery and travel destinations? Or, are you more interested in capturing the details, such as wildlife? You need to figure out what kind of vlogger you are before picking out your camera lens.
- Autofocus: This is an extremely important aspect that can easily make or break the quality of your video. While shooting videos, especially action shots, you need to ensure that your subject is always in focus. Losing focus will detract from the viewer’s experience.
- Microphone: Several YouTubers, especially reviewers, use an external microphone in order to give their voice that clear, “studio quality” sound. But, you shouldn’t always rely on external microphones. Remember that your camera’s microphone should still be of a high enough quality to remove any noise and distortions coming from the background.
Who Needs the Sony ZV-1 Camera?
There are two main type of vloggers who will prefer the ZV-1:
- Those who love to shoot vlogs on the go
- Those who need better quality videos than a smartphone
- Those who want to get into cameras & videography
The ZV-1 is perfect for you if you fall in either of the above three categories.
However, it is still an excellent choice for a secondary camera if you already have one and need a second one to take multiple angles of a shot or don’t want to expose your main one.
Major ZV-1 Camera Advantages for Vloggers and YouTubers
Although it isn’t the most impressive camera ever made, it is still an impressive package that you might want to consider as a vlogger.
Let me share with you all the great things you’ll find if you buy this vlogging camera:
1. It has 4K/UHD video recording capabilities
The maximum frame rate when recording video is 30p. So, you can basically record more frames than the cinematic 24p.
Why is this important?
At 30p, the movements appear natural and fluid. Perfect for holding a conversation, moving around to show where you are, or make a point.
You can use the 24p mode to add some cinematic B-roll shots for a product you are reviewing, but it’s not a great choice for the entire vlog.
2. It comes with a 3-inch flip screen vlogging touchscreen
Vloggers often shoot as a one-person unit. They need to know whether they are in focus while recording themselves and a vari-angle screen allows them to do just that.
However, not many mid-level camera systems come with this functionality.
Thankfully, the ZV-1 does that, and that is why I recommend this camera for anyone looking for a good compact vlogging camera.
3. Its 3-capsule microphone system captures clean audio
And to make the deal sweeter, and just so that everyone understands who Sony had in mind when making this camera, it also comes with a small dead-cat in the box.
The dead-cat I’m referring to is the noise-canceling mic with a furry cover that prevents wind-noise from goofing up your audio. So don’t worry, I am 100% against animal abuse.
4. It has a built-in HLG shooting mode and S-Log2/3 support
The first technical specification refers to the HDR capability of the camera. If you give your audience the option to view your content on an HDR-enabled display, the ZV-1 can capture really stunning footage in a higher dynamic range.
The second parameter (S-Log2/3) is for advanced vloggers. This feature allows you to color grade and do post-production to fine-tune your videos and render them a distinct look after being recorded.
5. The excellent auto-focus of the Sony ZV-1 makes it easy to shoot vlogs
Speaking of autofocus, the ZV-1 is actually very good when it comes to AF performance. Whether you are shooting stills or shooting videos, the ZV-1 can lock focus well and fast.
One of the parameters for autofocusing reliability is how soon the AF system can detect a face/eye and then keep tracking it as it moves in the frame.
The ZV-1 can detect both human and animal eyes, and the overall tracking functionality is very reliable.
Sony’s subject tracking has never been an issue, and the ZV-1 lives up to that reputation; even though it is a budget camera when you compared it to the likes of the a7S II or the a7 III, focus lock and focus tracking is crisp.
6. The features mapped into the C1 & C2 Buttons push this camera to another level
I love two features that are mapped to the C1 and C2 buttons: the Background Defocus and Product Showcase.
Background Defocus is extremely useful for vlogging. You can use it for putting the background out of focus when shooting videos or stills. This gives your footage a shallow depth of field effect that you normally see in movies.
The default setting of the C2 button is the new Product Showcase feature. When you press C2, this feature switches on. In product Showcase mode, both face/eye priority and image stabilization are switched off.
As it seems logical that a product has no eyes to lock on to or track. But I don’t quite understand why SteadyShot is switched off.
I wonder what vloggers doing product unboxing reviews would think of that.
Vloggers routinely record a tight frame of their hands while an assistant hand-holds the camera. You need SteadyShot for that!
7. The ZV-1 comes with a built-in fixed lens perfect for vlogging
The focal length is 9.4mm to 25.7mm. In 35mm format parlance, that becomes the equivalent of a 24-70mm.
24-70mm is a sweet focal length for shooting vlogs. Ideally, you won’t need to buy a second piece of glass for vlogging.
I love the maximum aperture of f/1.8. Sometimes, you can use this extensive aperture for a shallow Depth of Field (DoF) for your B-rolls (tight shots of the product, etc.) for product reviews and stuff.
When recording yourself, you can switch to a smaller aperture like f/8 and capture a large DoF. One lens does it all!
8. It handles noise effortlessly
With a BSI sensor beating at its heart, the ZV-1 can produce clean stills even in low-light situations.
I have talked about the BSI sensor architecture of the ZV-1. But how good is it in real life? Can someone who does still photography work with it? Or is it only suitable for video work?
The base ISO level of the ZV-1 is 100. It goes all the way up to 12800. But the ISO level can further extend from 64 all the way up to 25600.
Performance in low ISO and bright lighting conditions is good. I tested the camera outdoors at night with just street lights and lights from stores around me. Noise is, generally, well suppressed.
Noise starts to become noticeable when you hit ISO 6400. At 12800, noise renders the images unusable.
The best thing is the camera seems to have a decent dynamic range in difficult conditions – ambient blue hour light with mixed lighting more stores.
It captures a good amount of detail from the shadow areas while not blowing up the highlights too much.
The 4K footages are clean and ready to edit and upload, which is a nice thing if you don’t want to do too much color grading and stuff.
How to make The Sony ZV-1 Vlogging Kit perfect
The Sony ZV-1 is designed for vlogging in mind. The full kit will get you wherever you need to go in your YouTube creation and vlogging world.
Pair with the best sd cards and stabilizers for the Sony ZV-1.
What’s the best SD Card for Sony ZV-1?
To make the most of your ZV-1, having a large SD memory card will be super helpful. The SanDisk 256GB Extreme PRO UHS-I SDXC Memory Card is perfect for vloggers who capture a lot of footage.
Do you need a stabilizer for Sony ZV-1?
This stabilizer for the Sony ZV-1 will give you amazing stable footage. Using a gimbal in addition to the high quality vlogging camera is a great combo. The DJI Ronin-SC Gimbal Stabilizer will make your footage beautiful.
Main Drawbacks of the ZV-1 for Vloggers
Time for the ugly!
The ZV-1 does not come with a 3.5mm audio port. That means there is no way you would be able to monitor the audio levels while recording yourself. Is that a deal-breaker? Definitely not.
As a content creator, you are more interested in monitoring yourself for focusing and framing. You don’t really want to monitor the sound levels when actually recording yourself.
That would look weird.
Unless, of course, you are not a one-person team, and there is someone with you who can wear the earphones and monitor the audio levels.
There is no pop-up flash on the ZV-1. This is the only major negative point if you are looking at the ZV-1 as your first all-purpose digital camera.
Vloggers never use a built-in flash. They will not even notice it is missing.
People who predominantly shoot in good light and outdoors will never miss it either.
It is only when you shoot indoors or outdoors and want to mix the ambient light with a built-in flash, you will feel a little disappointed.
That said, you should be using external light sources like ring lights, softboxes, or studio umbrellas.
Sony ZV-1 vs. Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III
If you’ve read any of my YouTubers’ gear analyzes, you’ve noticed that a lot of successful YouTubers use the G7X Mark III as their primary camera. So that raises the question: which to buy?
Compared to the latest Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III, there are a few wins I give to the Sony ZV-1:
- ZV-1 shoots S-Log3 and HLG Gammas.
- The ZV-1 has a better built-in mic. Yes! For a change, a camera actually has a great built-in microphone you can use to make videos with quality audio if you forgot your external mic at home – or you don’t have one yet.
- The ZV-1 has the highest frame rate of the two cameras: a whopping 960 fps. But you have to shoot at a much lower resolution to take advantage of that. One application I can think of is slow-motion B-rolls for your vlogs.
- Speaking B-rolls, there is no limit to the length of footage you can record, unlike the G7X Mark III, which maxes out at 30 mins.
However, there are a few things that are still (kind of) better with the G7X:
- The G7X Mark III has the advantage in terms of lens focal length. But it is only trivial. You rarely need to go past 70mm for vlogging.
- The G7X Mark III comes with UHS-1 card support, and the Sony offers only SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo Hybrid support only.
Battery Life
The battery provided can record up to one hour of 1080p footage before it is exhausted.
You, however, have the option to plug in the ZV-1 to a wall socket and charge the battery while you record. That gives you an extended recording time.
Plus, if you are traveling and need to recharge the battery on the go, it can be charged using a USB cable connected to a portable battery.
How Much is the Sony ZV-1?
As a pure video camera for vlogging, the ZV-1 makes a lot of sense. This is because of the wonderful video shooting modes, the fast and reliable auto-focusing features, and the compatibility with the Sony GP-VPT2BT. Everything seems to work nicely for the ZV-1.
Plus, don’t forget you get 4K/UHD along with S-Log2/3 and the ability to output clean, uncompressed footage for port-processing.
At the price that it retails, there is very little competition for the ZV-1.
Yes, there are a few mirrorless and DSLR units, but DSLRs are not the best when handling and mirrorless systems can be very bulky.
The Sony ZV1 is worthy of an 8.5/10 score!
Is the Sony ZV-1 the best compact camera for YouTubers?
If you’re a YouTuber or vlogger in search of a good, well-rounded camera, based on this review, the Sony ZV-1 is a great choice for under $800. Its advantages include high-resolution recording, noise cancellation, screen angling, and a high-quality microphone, all of which are vlogging requirements! Perfect for modern YouTube creators in 2021, but in 2022, it still holds it’s own!
But, keep in mind that the camera does have some drawbacks. For instance, the absence of a 3.5mm jack and external flash makes the Sony ZV-1 not perfect. Though, the flip screen Sony vlogging camera for YouTube is cheap and powerful.
We hope this article has answered your burning question about the Sony ZV1 and if it’s the best camera for vloggers and YouTubers on the market today!
MJK says
I wish I could recall who wrote the article I read just a day ago calling this “the worse camera of 2022”.
Just this morning i read an article from PC Magazine calling it “ tough to recommend “.