Sony ZV-1 digital camera review
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Cost
★★★★☆
Performance
★★★★☆
Overall Score
★★★★☆
Overall Score ★★★★☆
Verdict: Although not ruggedised, a great little digital camera for capturing your travels and personal adventures at a decent price!
The Sony ZV-1 is a compact digital camera designed primarily for content creators, vloggers and social media enthusiasts. It combines a small, lightweight body with powerful features that make video recording simple and professional-looking.
At its core, the camera is built around a 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS sensor paired with a 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T lens*, delivering high-quality images with excellent background blur. The bright aperture ensures great low-light performance and smooth bokeh, making subjects stand out beautifully.
One of the biggest strengths of the ZV-1 is its autofocus system, which uses Sony’s Real-time Eye AF and Real-time Tracking to keep faces and moving subjects in sharp focus. This makes it ideal for shooting fast-paced content without worrying about losing focus. The flip-out touchscreen is perfect for vlogging, allowing users to frame themselves easily while recording. A dedicated background defocus button instantly switches the aperture to create a blurred background effect, adding a professional touch to videos with minimal effort.
For audio, the ZV-1 includes a directional three-capsule microphone, designed to capture clear voice recordings while reducing background noise. Sony also includes a wind shield in the box, which helps when filming outdoors. For those who want even better sound, the 3.5mm mic input and MI shoe allow for external microphone use.
Video quality is excellent, with the ZV-1 capable of recording in 4K at 30fps and 1080p at up to 120fps for smooth slow-motion footage. Sony’s S-Log2 and S-Log3 profiles give more flexibility in post-production, while features like Active SteadyShot stabilisation reduce camera shake for smoother handheld footage. The Product Showcase mode is particularly useful for YouTubers who review products, as it quickly shifts focus between a person’s face and an item they hold up.
The camera also includes high-speed USB charging, Wi-Fi connectivity and Bluetooth for seamless file transfers and remote control via Sony’s Imaging Edge app. Battery life is decent but not outstanding, so having spares is advisable for long shooting sessions.
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