Sony ZV-1

A highly versatile, pocket-sized compact point-and-shoot camera designed for personal photography, boasting impressive 4K video capabilities. An ideal choice as a secondary camera, nearing perfection in performance.

September 2022 Update: While there is a slight delay in powering on/off and occasional focus issues at 70mm, this camera proves exceptionally practical in compact environments such as trains or planes. Its petite size makes it an excellent companion for outings to restaurants or dinner invitations.

January 2023 Update: I got the α7 IV towards the end of July 2023. I began to explore the 10-bit video bitrate, which I discovered to be much more satisfying when editing in Final Cut Pro. The bokeh effect looks more pleasing too. Then on, I spent less time with ZV-1 and haven’t used it at all since September 2023.

Since March 2, 2021, this camera has been a constant companion, capturing the vibrant blossoms of spring and accompanying me through the summer of 2021. It was with me through Copenhagen Airport, spent a month in Ibiza, and even had a day in Mallorca.

The ZV-1 stands as a unique hybrid, bridging the gap between conventional and mirrorless cameras. It carves its niche, delivering results surpassing smartphones and approaching the quality of pricier mirrorless counterparts. Compact yet feature-rich, it effortlessly blends advanced capabilities from both realms, easily slipping into the pocket of a winter jacket.

Impressive photo quality, especially with its RAW shooting capability, and clean low-light video performance characterise this camera. Its solid and rugged build makes it an ideal daily companion, always ready in my pocket.

Note: When referencing a second camera here, it denotes a backup body that seamlessly alternates with the primary without requiring extensive settings or additional peripherals, all while delivering photo and video results that closely rival those of the primary camera.

Photography

A compact camera tailor-made for holidays, this device discreetly blends into public spaces, ensuring you won’t draw undue attention while capturing moments. Perfect for unobtrusive shots of food or group gatherings in bustling environments, it excels in maintaining a low profile. Moreover, its effectiveness extends to confined spaces, making it an ideal gadget.

It has a good close up too, at 5 cm. Quite useful to get a closer shot of flowers, foods or products.

I’ve taken numerous photos with the Sony ZV-1 and observed that when employing auto white balance, it delivers more visually appealing colours for sunsets compared to the Sony ɑ7R III. While the ɑ7R III’s output can be enhanced through post-processing, the ZV-1’s straight-out-of-the-camera results are notably quick and pleasing.

Videography

In contrast to the GoPro, the maximum frame speed of the ZV-1 is limited to 25 fps (PAL standard), while the GoPro Hero 9 boasts 60 fps (4K) or 30 fps (5K). While I seldom slow down my videos, a higher frame rate can be beneficial in reducing motion blur. The ZV-1 compensates for this limitation by delivering sharper and crisper video output than the GoPro, with a significantly more pleasing colour rendition.

This camera records UHD 4K videos at a robust 100 Mb/s bitrate (BUT ONLY 8-bit), utilising full pixel readout without pixel binning (where pixels are grouped together). The 1.7x oversampling enhances clarity, resulting in higher resolution and mitigating issues like moiré and jaggies. Employing Sony’s proprietary XAVC S codec, equivalent to H.265.

While equipped with Active SteadyShot, it doesn’t match the effectiveness of GoPro’s Hypersmooth technology combined with horizontal levelling. The slight jerkiness during handheld recording is present but not overly distracting, making the video still enjoyable. Utilising Active SteadyShot kicks the camera to 1.12 crop factor effectively turning 24mm to 27mm.

Cons

This camera utilises micro-USB (USB 2.0) for charging, a feature that could have been better if it was USB-C.

In comparison to the GoPro’s convenient QuikCapture feature, which swiftly powers on and initiates recording with a single button press, the Sony ZV-1 has a delay in powering up, especially if it has not been used for some time. Additionally, it takes a noticeable amount of time to power off and retract the lens.

A single battery proves insufficient for sporadic recording, depleting in less than an hour. During a 12-hour trip to Mallorca in August 2021, where I relied solely on this camera and a GoPro 8, exploring the island and capturing continuous photos and videos, the ZV-1 required recharging at least twice.

While attempting to gather facial images for an experiment for my study using this camera, I noticed the output lacked the same level of detail and sharpness as the ɑ7R III. Images appeared blurry and lacked the crispness that the ɑ7R III effortlessly achieves.

Prognosis

While this camera excels in capturing everyday moments and proves ideal for holiday snapshots, it falls short of replacing the ɑ7R III for superior and detailed photos. It serves as my go-to option when a quick snap is needed, offering convenience and efficiency. Despite the ɑ7R III’s superior quality in recording, the ZV-1 takes the lead as my primary recorder, thanks to its lightweight design.

Technical Information

Focal length: 9.4mm to 25.7mm (35mm-equivalent focal length: 24mm to 70mm)
Optical zoom: 2.7x
Maximum aperture: f/1.8 to f/2.8
Minimum aperture: f/11
The angle of view: 84º (24mm) to 34º (70mm)
Minimum focus distance: 5 cm (wide) to 30 cm (telephoto)
Dimensions (W × H × D): 105.5 × 60 × 43.5 mm
Weight: 294 g

Sensor type: 1″ Exmor RS CMOS (13.2 × 8.8 mm)
Sensor resolution: 20.1 megapixels (5,472 × 3,648)
Native ISO: 125 – 12,800
Lens: ZEISS^® Vario-Sonnar T✻
Battery: NP-BX1 (1,240 mAh)
Released date: May 26, 2020

Featuring a versatile flip-out, tilt-around, and side-articulating touch LCD screen, this camera proves invaluable for capturing selfies and exploring creative low-angle compositions. Additionally, its Wi-Fi capability facilitates seamless file transfer, enables geo-tagging, and allows convenient remote camera control.

Setup / Gears

• 128GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC Class 10 UHS-I U3 V30 A2 (on adapter).
• SmallRig Cage 2938 for Sony ZV-1
• Ulanzi VIJIM VL 30 5600K CRI95+ (340 lux at 0.5m) 750 mAh.
• Ulanzi VL 100C 2,500-6,500K CRI95+ (2500 lux at 30 cm / 800 lux at 50 cm / 200 lux at 1 m) 2,000 mAh.
• JJC camera case pouch. It fits the camera well even when the wind muff was on.
• 4 units of Batmax NP-BX1 and a portable USB charger.

I bought a Ulanzi ultra-slim mount lens adapter ring (52mm) with the intention of getiing the Ulanzi wide-angle lens, specifically the ULANZI WL-1 Additional 2-in-1 Lens which was designed for the Sony ZV-1, featuring an 18mm wide-angle and 10X macro capability. However, upon further consideration, I concluded that an additional lens was not essential for my needs. Instead, I’ve decided to opt for K&F filters. Despite this, my conscience is urging me to reconsider. The mounting of the adapter may compromise the aesthetic appeal of the camera, particularly when the filters are infrequently utilised.