{"id":1376,"date":"2021-12-10T10:28:30","date_gmt":"2021-12-10T15:28:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2021\/12\/10\/sony-zv-1\/"},"modified":"2021-12-10T10:28:30","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T15:28:30","slug":"sony-zv-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2021\/12\/10\/sony-zv-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Sony ZV-1"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Looking to bridge the gap between smartphones and cameras, the Sony ZV-1 could be the Holy Grail that vloggers have been waiting for.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, even with Sony\u2019s stellar track record, a first gen product is always guaranteed to have some quirks that\u2019ll no doubt be ironed out in the next iteration. Plus, at \u00a3699, the ZV-1 is no small purchase, especially for part-time vloggers.<\/p>\n

Design \u2013\u00a0lovably light and compact for easy shooting<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a case to be made that, if Sony genuinely wanted to attract the smartphone crowd, the ZV-1 would need to feel as portable and as lightweight as a smartphone \u2013 within reason of course.<\/p>\n

The sight of bulky camera kits and elephant trunk lenses can be enough to send millennials running (myself included), so before a discussion about features could even take place, Sony would have to nail the design. Well, it\u2019s safe to say they\u2019ve done it.<\/p>\n

\"Sony<\/p>\n

Despite its focus on video capture, the ZV-1 has more in common, design-wise, with the Sony RX series. While not quite as small as Sony\u2019s compact cameras however, the ZV-1 made my portable Canon M50 suddenly seem a lot larger by comparison.<\/p>\n

At 10.5 x 4.4 x 6 cm, the ZV-1 can easily be placed in a pocket or a small camera bag, and you won\u2019t get tired holding it at arm\u2019s length. Despite its premium features, the ZV-1\u2019s grip is actually made of plastic and while it might not look like the most elegant option, it still did the job of keeping the camera firm in my hand.<\/p>\n

Even though there\u2019s a solid built-in mic \u2013 and we\u2019ll talk more about that later \u2013 there is a hotshoe on the top if you want to go with your tried and tested set-up, alongside an expected tripod mount at the bottom. Sadly, there\u2019s no headphone input to be found here, although I\u2019ve yet to see any vlogger constantly checking the audio levels whilst filming. What is baffling however is the inclusion of a micro-USB port over USB-C. Come on Sony, USB-C should be a given for any device of this price point.<\/p>\n

Aiming to please its intended audience, there are fewer physical buttons to be found on the ZV-1 than your typical camera, with the rear-facing control panel featuring a scroll wheel that encompasses a larger button, surrounded by four smaller buttons for navigation and switching between different modes.<\/p>\n

\"Sony<\/p>\n

It\u2019s familiar territory for camera enthusiasts, but it doesn\u2019t scream \u2018accessibility\u2019 in the same way that its revamped top button layout can boast. Showing its intentions as a video-first device, the ZV-1 packs a huge red button for recording, alongside a smaller shutter button for photography, and a third shutter dedicated entirely to enacting the camera\u2019s bokeh mode.<\/p>\n

Features and performance\u00a0\u2013\u00a0a dream come true for vloggers<\/h2>\n

As an all-in-one device, the ZV-1 needed to cram a ton of features into a small amount of retail space. That\u2019s no easy feat, but leave it up to Sony to absolutely hit this aspect right out of the park.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the aforementioned bokeh mode \u2013 certainly one of the more heavily publicised features of the ZV-1. On the top of the camera, nestled away from the shutter press and record button, there\u2019s a third shutter dedicated to enabling a live bokeh mode, where the background is blurred out in real time, keeping the focus solely on your face.<\/p>\n

The feature works incredibly well \u2013\u00a0it\u2019s fast, easy to use and really sells the premise that the ZV-1 is an approachable camera for newcomers.<\/p>\n

As impressed as I was with the bokeh mode, I was more interested in testing out the ZV-1\u2019s in-built mic. I\u2019m a bit of a stickler when it comes to good audio quality, particularly during vlogging when there\u2019s more of a chance of too many competing sounds ruining a take.<\/p>\n

The video below was filmed entirely on the ZV-1 and as you can no doubt hear \u2013 the audio quality is excellent. The camera\u2019s 3-capsule mic did a fantastic job of honing in on my voice despite the chaos of Central London occurring in the background.<\/p>\n