Verdict
The Sony ZV-1F is a keen entryway - storey vlogging television camera adequate to of producing sharp and vivacious 4 K videos out of the box with very little exploit . However , I would n’t recommend the camera to anyone looking to expand beyond the unsubdivided controls and fixed lens .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Sony has been carving out a space in the entry - level vlogging scene since it launched theZV-1 in 2020 .
Since then , the company has introduced two more photographic camera to the series . It add theZV - E10with an similar lens climb in 2021 and , more recently , it announced its most initiate - well-disposed model yet , the ZV-1F.
As with every camera in this series , Sony ’s destination for the ZV-1F is to bridge over the opening between smartphone and photographic camera , delivering a larger sensing element without undermining the gizmo that shooting on a phone go .
The ZV-1F is Sony ’s cheapest vlogging camera yet , but for anyone still using their earpiece to make YouTube video and TikToks , is it an upgrade worth make ?
Design
The Sony ZV-1F is an incredibly compact and lightweight vlogging tv camera , fitting in one hired hand and weighing just 256 g with the battery and retention card factored in . That ’s even lighter than the 294 g ZV-1 .
The belittled , plastic grip does n’t provide a lot of reassurance , but you wo n’t be confiscate any hard lenses to this camera so that should n’t be a problem . There ’s also no weather waterproofing , so you wo n’t want to take it out in a violent storm .
Unlike the ZV - E10 , which was differentiated from the ZV-1 by its interchangeable lens mount , the ZV-1F stick with a fixed 20 mm select lens .
The control are similarly simplistic , with only a handful of buttons on the back of the camera and the bulk of the controls book for the touchscreen . This includes the physical bokeh switch , let vloggers to smutch the background with the press of a finger .
Otherwise , Sony has focussed on making the ZV-1F as approachable as possible to lure in those face to transition from a smartphone . This include extend more touch controls instead of crowding the television camera with a plethora of button and dials .
The 3 - inch LCD touch screen has a vari - angle design , think you may flip it out and rotate the screen to record yourself or tilt it to get a good view of your subject from high up or down low . There ’s also a red border around the screen door that lets you have it away when you ’re recording so you do n’t take to concern about missing any footage .
you may utilize the touch controls to zoom and center your image as you would on a smartphone , or abstract up from the bottom of the screen to access a special menu . This is a lineament that recently debuted on the high - resolutionSony A7R Vthat makes it potential to adjust television camera options on the vari - slant display when you ’re in front of the lens . However , I did find the feature to be a bit slow and even unresponsive at time on the ZV-1F , which was frustrative .
The ZV-1F has a directional 3 - capsule microphone built in , which I found captured crisp and clear audio both indoors and outdoors . There ’s also a fart cover in the box and the camera is compatible with external mics , though Sony has opted to set up a cold shoe over a hot skid meaning you wo n’t be able to mount an external flashbulb .
That said , I was happy to see that Sony had eventually made the jumping to USB - C on the ZV-1F , as the ZV-1 currently charges with the dated Micro USB .
Features
As with its other ZV series cameras , Sony has pile a mix of standard features and more standout vlogging tools into the ZV-1F.
The Eye AF does a nifty job of detecting human and animal eye and I like that I was able to tap on the covert to speedily select and get across different issue . It ’s a good thing that the autofocus is libertine and accurate as Sony has made using the manual focus a chip of a scuffle . I found I had to plunge into the options and use the zoom on/off switch to set the focus myself .
The photographic camera also comes with electronic image stabilization with the Active modality which serve to limit the personal effects of rickety footage . I found it was effective , though it ca n’t begin to compete with the stabilisation on an action at law camera like theGoPro Hero 11 Black .
That suppose , when it come to vlogging features , it ’s gruelling to gravel the convenience propose by Sony ’s ZV series .
The gentle Skin Effect has variegate degree of intensity , allowing you to smooth out out hide in - camera without draw it look unnatural . alike , the Face Priority AE mode control your face is hopeful and clear as you vlog .
The bokeh transposition makes blurring background a one - step summons rather than call for you to lour the aperture manually . This is one of my preferred features and makes put the focus on your issue as firm and soft as pressing the portrait button on your phone would be . It also allow you to make some beautiful light effects with Christmas light in the eventide .
Another utilitarian feature for influencers and reviewers in particular is the Product Showcase modality , which allow the camera to refocus faster when you accommodate an object up to the camera . I carry a form of objects up to the electron lens to try out it and , while the switch in nidus was n’t immediate , it was significantly smoother and more accurate than when I did so with Product Showcase mode off .
On top of these features , there ’s also the XAVC S codec to understate file sizes , accompaniment for both Standard and Log formats for greater flexibleness when redaction and 10 colour presets with the Creative Look filters .
The battery life on the ZV-1F was able to shoot 70 still and capture plenty of 4 yard footage during a full day walking around Central London without break a sweat and I ’m certain it could have buy the farm longer had I proceed shoot .
Finally , for those who like to redact and upload picture from their phones , there ’s the raw Imaging Edge+ smartphone app . I used the app to spell photos and videos to my phone , but you may also employ the app to control the television camera remotely .
Image and video quality
When it comes to range and video quality , the ZV-1F produces sharp and vibrant upshot out of the gate , but the versatility of the television camera is limited by its ready lens .
The ZV-1F is capable of shooting in 4 K but the flesh charge per unit is restrain to 30p , meaning you wo n’t get the same smooth footage you ’ll get from the lower resolve FHD/120p scene . This also means you ca n’t record slow - motion video using the Slow & Quick push in 4K.
These limitation away , I find video captured with the ZV-1F to be beautifully saturate and packed with a right amount of detail from the wave in the water to the tile in the cap of a museum .
There ’s a comme il faut amount of contrast , too . The blacks are deep and the gabardine bright and I found the exposure line up itself when the television camera was channelize upwardly , ensuring that the sky is blue and the clouds were decided and not blow out .
I peculiarly like how well-fixed it was to glaze over backgrounds with the bokeh button . Not only is it an well-to-do way to keep the focus on your face during vlogs , but it also create a jolly soft look when aimed at string lights at Nox .
That said , the lineament in spades suffered a minute in low light , with simulacrum becoming visibly noisy in the dull ardent light of a dumpling eating house .
photo are similarly vibrant and , while the detail ca n’t compare with that capture by some of the pricey stills - first cameras on ourbest cameraslist , the results are sharp enough to gruntle anyone look to snap some agile selfies in between vlogs .
The lens is also all-embracing than the one line up on the ZV-1 , which should make it easier to squeeze multiple multitude into the systema skeletale .
However , the ZV-1F ’s rapid climb capableness are quite limited , with the digital rapid growth only able to go up to 4x .
This might not be a job if you ’re just filming day - to - mean solar day vlogs , but it is an area in which the camera fall short in comparison to the ZV - E10 as it does n’t have an interchangeable mountain to swop out the 20 mm prime lens for one that can get closer to your subject .
I also acknowledge that purple splotches look in my images when the camera was pointed in the direction of the sunshine on a particularly bright day , as you’re able to see on the pigeon below . I did n’t notice this character of lens of the eye flare come in any other circumstances , but it ’s something worth noting if you plan on shoot in more challenging lighting conditions .
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Should you buy it?
If you ’re looking to enchant bright 4 grand video and diffuse bokeh but love the ease of your phone photographic camera , the simple controls and touch capabilities on the ZV-1F will make this switch sense unco intuitive .
This camera force you to choose between the raciness of 4 thou and the smoothness of 120p .
Final Thoughts
If you ’re in the food market for a heavyset and lightweight tv camera for making videos , the ZV-1F is the most low-priced Sony vlogging tv camera yet and it capture shrill and vivacious 4 yard video recording .
The best thing about this television camera is its approachability . Everything from the touch controls to autofocus to bokeh is design to be as loose to use as a smartphone , meaning there ’s very little encyclopedism curve to manage with if you have n’t used a camera before . You do n’t need to have owned a television camera before to pick up the ZV-1F and set off scoot .
In that same vein , the circumscribed manual configurations and the frozen lens will feel more constrictive if you ’re used to experimenting with the configurations and lenses on a more sophisticated television camera .
For this reason , I ’d recommend the ZV-1F for novice or one of our otherbest vlogging camerasif you ’re looking to have more originative control over your telecasting . If you ’re somewhere in between , the ZV - E10 offer the same Sony feature with a bigger sensor and the flexibility to shift out your lenses .
Trusted Score
How we test
We prove every television camera we review exhaustively . We apply set tests to compare features properly and we utilise it as our chief twist over the critique period . We ’ll always severalise you what we find out and we never , ever , accept money to review a product .
FAQs
The camera launched in October 2022 .
This camera can be used to take photos , but it ’s primarily a vlogging camera .
The ZV-1F comes with a 1 - inch , 20.1 - megapixel EXMOR RS CMOS sensor .
Full Specs
