The Sony ZV-1 is the best compact vlogging camera you can buy – here’s why
The ZV-1 is now our number one compact vlogging champ
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The big camera manufacturers have been inching their way towards making the perfect vlogging camera for YouTubers in the last couple of years – and nowSonymight have just cracked it with the new Sony ZV-1.
In ourSony ZV-1 reviewwe praised its combination of class-leading autofocus, a bright 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 lens, and design touches like the side-flipping screen and 3.5mm microphone port.
The ZV-1 is based on Sony’s popular line of RX100 compact cameras, and is a mix of the best video-friendly features from theRX100 Mark VandRX100 Mark VII.
This includes its bright lens, which is more suitable for vlogging than the dimmer 24-200mm lens in the RX100 Mark VII, plus Sony’s latest Real-time Eye AF and Real-time tracking. As our reviews says, “together with the ZV-1’s 1-inch sensor, which is larger than the ones in today’s smartphones, these make it easy to shoot high-quality vlogs with pleasing background blur and consistent focus”.
We also praised the inclusion of a built-in ND filter for shooting smooth video in bright conditions, and a hotshoe, which lets you mount accessories like an external microphone on the camera without needing a bracket.
Slightly less impressive was the Sony ZV-1’s Steadyshot stabilization for video, which still lags slightly behind pocketable rivals like theGoPro Hero 8 BlackandDJI Osmo Pocket– you can see how it compares to its rivals in our comparison video below.
Its slight crop also makes the focal length a little tight for handheld vlogging, although we still found this to be fine in most situations.
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A couple of other factors that saw the Sony ZV-1 fall short of full marks were its limited touchscreen functionality – a longstanding issue on Sony cameras – and average battery life, which sees it shoot 45 minutes of4Kvideo. For stills shooters it’s also worth pointing out that the ZV-1 lacks the electronic viewfinder and lens control ring found on its RX100-series cousins.
Despite these quibbles, we were hugely impressed by the Sony ZV-1’s all-round vlogging game and it now sits just behind theOlympus E-M5 Mark IIIin our list of thebest vlogging cameras.
The main reason why it’s edged ahead of theCanon G7X Mark IIIis because it offers superior autofocus and a more convenient side-flipping screen for a similar price. The Sony ZV-1 is available to buy now for $749 / £699 / AU$,1299, with shipping expected to start “in early June”, according to Sony.
You can also buy a shooting grip with an integrated wireless remote for the camera, the Sony GP-VPT2BT, which we found useful. This is available now and costs $138 / £170 / AU$249.
The G7X Mark III does uniquely offer the option ofYouTubelivestreaming, but Sony has also announced some new software (forWindows 10-only initially) that will soon enable you to livestream with the ZV-1 without needing a video capture card.
This will apparently be available in July, and we’re looking forward to trying it out, not least because the ZV-1 would also potentially double up as a great webcam.
Mark is TechRadar’s Senior news editor. Having worked in tech journalism for a ludicrous 17 years, Mark is now attempting to break the world record for the number of camera bags hoarded by one person. He was previously Cameras Editor at both TechRadar and Trusted Reviews, Acting editor on Stuff.tv, as well as Features editor and Reviews editor on Stuff magazine. As a freelancer, he’s contributed to titles including The Sunday Times, FourFourTwo and Arena. And in a former life, he also won The Daily Telegraph’s Young Sportswriter of the Year. But that was before he discovered the strange joys of getting up at 4am for a photo shoot in London’s Square Mile.
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