Sony Cyber-shot ZV-1 Content Creator Vlogger 20.1MP 2.9x Optical Zoom Digital Camera - White

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] In a time where I thought a phone camera suited me for everything and I didn’t need a Vlogging camera. Sony proves me wrong, and I’m glad they did! As I type this I’m listing places near and far I could take this camera to capture moments with the perfect shot! As a point and shoot camera it adjusts well to depict exactly what I want. You’ll notice I love dog pictures and food! This camera brings all the muscle and all the fluff you need/want in a camera to capture life’s moments. As my doggo begins to age I wanted something to capture moments of him and I. The ZV-1 is doing that and inspiring me enough to take him out and have some fun adventures. I’ve never been able to master the blur in the background while just having one subject be in focus. The ZV-1 does it! The tripod is amazing and easy to set up, I learned to transfer photos from the camera to my phone all through wifi (never having to connect the camera to a computer). There are so many untapped features like the slow motion, color grading which I haven’t learned yet, time lapse for fun on the river and more! If you can get the shooting grip it makes the camera so dynamic and you feel like a camera person shooting a movie. The touchscreen that you’re using to capture life is the perfect size and provides crisp, quality picture. This is a great fit for someone who is a professional or someone like me who wants a camera that can grow with me and my skill. It’s that time of year for family events outside and I can’t wait to flex my picture taking skills with everyone and to print out a photo of my little doggo to post on my wall. Usually I have some sort of downside but there isn’t one for me with the ZV-1. It is utterly been so helpful capturing moments and home and will be my companion of trips this summer and winter!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This is the best camera I have every purchased. The Sony ZV-1 is being promoted as a Vlogging camera, but it is a fantastic stills camera too. The auto focus is suburb and very quick. It comes with a 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 ZIESS lens, with a 2.7x optical zoom, and up to 44x digital zoom with varying quality from 20M to VGA quality. The screen is a 7.5 cm 4:3, 921,600 dots Xtra Fine TFT LCD, which can rotate to be viewable from the front. It also folds onto the back of the camera with the screen facing in. That means you can keep it protected while it's in your pocket or bag. There are a lot of different modes on the stills camera to choose from. Ranging from the standard fully automatic to aperture and shutter priority. In the scene selection mode, you have multiple options to choose, to take the perfect pictures in different conditions, from close-ups with macro mode, to taking pictures of your food or taking snaps of your pet. If your wanting that professional portrait look with a defocused background, there is a dedicated button on the top of the camera to instantly turn this on without having to delve into the menu. But it's the video capability of the ZV-1 which stands out. The dedicated video record button sits on top of the camera, just behind the shutter button, again no need to delve into the menus to turn on video mode. We’ve all seen the YouTube clips where the camera refuses to focus on the object being reviewed. This is not a problem with the ZV-1 with the “Product Showcase” feature turned on. Any object that is put in front of the lens come instantly into focus, and it works very well. Pressing the mode button brings up the video modes, from intelligent auto, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual exposure. The HFR (High Frame Rate) mode shoots at 250fps, 500fps or 1000fps which gives slow motion speeds of x5, x10 or x20 selectable in the settings menu. ZV-1 can shoot 4K at a maximum 30p with 'Active' stabilization, which works very well and is very impressive. The ZV-1 is packed with features that will satisfy both the professional and amateur photographer and Vlogger. Highly recommended, and Married with Sony’s Bluetooth grip, it is the perfect bit of kit.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] There is no denying that SONY is credited with many truly innovative audio video recording products of the 20th and 21st centuries. In the late 1950s Sony launched an early transistor radio, later miniaturized the Trinitron television in the 60s, BetaMax video recorder in the 70s, the Walkman cassette then compact Discman players in the 80s, PlayStation’s entry into the video game business in the 90s. That same decade Sony expanded their Handi-Cam line of camcorders and introduced the Cyber-Shot camera, replacing their Digital Mavica from a few years prior. Sony later bought Konica Minolta and branded the line “alpha” marketed towards professional photographers. Let’s not forget Sony is also a primary supplier in the Broadcast Television industry, with hardware installed is most television stations. Consumers often fail to recognize that Sony image sensors are packed into an overwhelming majority of the better smartphones cameras that we’ve grown accustomed to (including iPhone, Google Pixel, LG, OnePlus, Huwaii, many more) Factors that affect image quality - Optical lens - Sensor image size - Associated circuitry - Computational photography - Image processing algorithms < For comparisons sake, the iPhone 11 Pro Max employs 12-MP megapixel cameras, with focal lengths F/1.8 (wide-angle), F/2.0 (telephoto), F/2.4 (ultra-wide), using just over a ½-inch sensor (1/2.55).> This ZV-1 camera quadruples that sensor size 4x the capture area to a full 1-inch Exmor CMOS sensor !! If there’s a company that knows recording and imaging, … it’s SONY !! Mid-upper level dSLR and mirrorless cameras can cost upwards of a couple to several thousand dollars. Sony wisely priced this new product closer to a mid-level mobile phone, but packed in features several price classes above. They appear to have based the ZV-1 design on their successful RX100 (Mark IV? )body but beefed up the audio with a three-capsule onboard mic system, plus included an external mic inout. They then borrowed real-time tracking autofocus technology from professional-grade alpha 9 to switch between eye-detection (for humans and PETS), face detection, and general subject tracking. The videos captured played on a 4k TV are absolutely stunning. Though the camera is quite awesome by itself, it’s truly special paired with the Grip, a necessary accessory in my humble opinion. It’s got two fold out legs for use as a tripod, plus the zoom control and dedicated photo and video buttons. Just brilliant, feels nice and solid in your hand like it’s supposed to. This helps if you prefer to have stable selfie stills and videos. Note: it took me having to crack the manual hidden inside the top of the grip box to pair the camera and grip. The procedure requires the user to go into the menu settings and enable Bluetooth Pairing on the Camera, and then HOLD (T) zoom toggle and Photo button for 7 seconds. Helpful tutorials https://www.sony.net/tutorial/dc/zv1/ Specs ——— * 20.1 MP 1-inch Exmor CMOS sensor * BIONZ Image Processor * Insane slow-motion 960 fps (40x) * 4k video quality 24 fps and 30 fps * 3 color modes (standard, HLG for HDR, and S-Log for professional grading) Pros ——- + AutoFocus is the absolute best on the market, none better + Real-Time Tracking & Real-time Eye AF technology works flawlessly + “product showcase” auto focus mode, then quickly returns focus + BOKEH mode to blur background (called “clear” in still photo mode) + P/A/S/M Program, Aperture, Shutter priority, Manual modes + Red record “tally light” on body front so you don’t waste a take + Carl Zeiss optics / glass + Fast F/1.8-2.8 aperture lens + Consistent lighting across faces + BRIGHT stills, EXCELLENT low-light video + On-board triple-capsule microphone + Mic input for professional quality sound + 3- inch vari-angle side flip out screen (3:2 ratio) + “dead cat” mic diffuser windscreen (plugs into hotshoe) + don’t forget the wind cancellation option in settings also + Mode knob replaced by big red REC button for ease-of-use + fine details such as battery and memory card fit only one way SOFTWARE : Imaging Edge Mobile App —————— + Imaging Edge Mobile app allows remote viewing & management + Location Information Linkage feature - transfers location exif data onto your pictures and videos + Gyroscope data is imported to smooth out jitters in post-processing + live-streaming Windows 10 software expected this summer + live Webcam mode is also promised in the same software release Cons ——— -24-70mm lens may not be wide enough for selfies -Camera is inoperable while the battery is charging -No headphone mic output for monitoring audio levels -No battery progress indicator, must be done in-camera -No battery charger, must be charged in-camera via USB -SteadyShot image stabilization on max crops images slightly -screen is not touch screen for ALL controls, requires spin dial use -traditional still photo zoom ring is omitted, must be done via dial or grip -polarized sunglasses on-screen menu text disappears (turn vertical to read) -the grip custom pouch would have been more helpful if it fit the grip with camera CONCLUSION : _________________ If you are a Vlogger, product reviewer, or YouTuber, this camera is made specifically for YOU. That’s the lens of which I view this amazing camera, though I offer strong recommendation to CREATORS of ALL walks, there's plenty here to LOVE. It is packed full with features, incredible BOKEH (still / video), best-in-class AUTO-FOCUS and EYE TRACKING technologies, and a three-capsule microphone system The connectivity options add value to the package too; Bluetooth to the grip / tripod, BT to your phone, and WiFi to your computer network, with interfaces to both mobile and desktop apps, with more features planned in July/August, such as Live-Streaming and Live-Webcam mode (Windows 10 software only :( If you are looking for a dedicated still photo camera, there are other dSLR and Mirrorless options with removable lenses for that specialized function, but for me, despite the nitpicks, this SONY ZV-1 fits the bill PERFECTLY, and I couldn’t be more THRILLED. Just wait until you see your professional looking super high-res content on the web, or better yet, a beautiful 4k Television !!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The new Sony ZV-1 is marketed for folks who create their own video and image content. Since I make work-related videos for my profession on social media channels, I thought grabbing something lightweight and easy to use would make at-home and on-the-go content creation more enjoyable, and for the most part, it has. The ZV-1 is still your basic design for Sony digital cameras, in fact, going to date myself with this reference, but the UX hasn't really changed all that much from the old "Cybershot" days. From the aspect of picking it up and knowing how to use it, that's great - but when it comes to the software menu, that's a bit of a drawback. The main selling point of the ZV-1 is the ability to shoot 20 megapixel images and 4K video. I've used it to create several videos and have found the quality to be really good. The outputs are much better than what my smartphone's camera can capture - owning much to the actual zoom ability in the ZV-1's lens. There are other features like facial smoothing and image stabilization that make using the camera on-the-go a nice change of pace. I would say it actually reduced the amount of post-prod work I normally have to do on my videos. The camera itself comes with a micro-USB cable for transferring data - and also for charging. Guess I'm a bit of a dinosaur, but one of the things I like about my DSLR camera is the battery is removable and chargeable on a separate charging station. The ZV-1 relies solely on being connected to a USB power source, like your PC, to charge. Additionally, there is also a small wind guard attachment to help reduce the ambient white noise from sounds like wind. My videos have been mostly shot indoors, so I can't speak for the ability of the wind guard in outdoor shoots. I also picked up the Sony Bluetooth grip, which is an extra item and sold separately. It really does make the camera more functional, being able to serve as both a selfie-stick type grip as well as a portable tripod. I don't think I would have felt like I got full value out of the ZV-1 without it. As I mentioned before, the software and UX is still in need of an update - having to tap over to an uppercase arrow and then tapping "abc" 3 times to get to a "C" and then back again made connecting to a WiFi network with a complicated password a real pain. This camera does support Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, but when I tried to use WiFi to send images to my PC, I was met with a prompt telling me I had to connect it using the micro-USB cable first. That can be a challenge if you have multiple PCs that you use for creation. I have a MacBook Air for on-the-go, and my iMac at my desk at home - so having to hot swap the cable essentially was a bit cumbersome to me. The price tag of the ZV-1 means it's not marketed towards the average consumer - this is marketed towards more of a pro user who is serious about creating video and image content. It's nice and small, which make portability a breeze, and it's certainly not the most expensive "content creator" setup I've seen.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] wow sony knocked it out of the park on this one! the camera is targeted for bloggers who maybe a content video creator online, the camera is small, compact and easy to use for those people who enjoy taking pictures of food or editing videos, for what you’re paying for this camera packed with features that everybody will love. pros - the camera can do 4k 24fps and 30fps - it also support 240fps, 480 and 960fps (960fps my goodness!) - 20 megapixel camera, I myself thought the image looked beautiful - amazing 180 degrees flip screen, this is huge, people who enjoy taking pictures of food would love how you can angle the screen to get a perfect view of the shot! - the built in mic sounds great the audio sounded clear - auto focus is so amazing with this camera, on setting there’s product showcase mode if you like showing things right at front and watch how fast it can focus on object. ( i’m trying to start doing video edit where I used this feature more, kept forgetting about it, but it’s amazing) - the camera also have unlimited recording limit, depending on how much battery you have, if you do enjoy recording, highly recommend to get an extra battery - the camera also come with audio wind filter, it’s a useful little piece - this camera also has setting called beauty mode, for girls who would love to make sure they looked their best, now you have 3 setting filter to improve your facial clarity. cons - doesn’t have the ability to change the lense - battery last about 1 hr ( i would buy and extra battery) - no ring focus on lense but you can still do it on the main camera Sony zv1 also comes with audio microphone port, micro usb 2.0 for charging and updating the camera, and micro hdmi port. Sony zv1 face exposure during bright outdoor is amazing, my older camera is terrible when it comes to this and even low light performance is amazing! ofcourse Sony zv1 also have the ability to transfer file from your camera to your phone, I haven’t tried transferring videos yet but i’m glad this feature is also included. I also have the Vlogger kit with this camera it’s $150 but I do believe for what you’re paying for it’s a great piece of tech, it can act as a stand and the built in button to control your camera through bluetooth is a must for vlogger, you can even zoom, record the camera from the the vlogger kit, plus it look slick together when you combined them. I didn’t think the sizes was too bulky I felt right holding it with my camera, the only down side i’d say is I wish there’s some kind of rubber grip to it, some people get sweaty hands having a grip will definitely help, beyond that I have no complaints about the vlogger kit, highly recommend you guys to get this with the camera! i’m also going to be using this camera as a streaming camera, having that ability is one of the huge reason why i’m in love with sony zv1 everything I needed and more, as you can see i didn’t put much negative things about the camera, i just didn’t see much negative features on sony zv1 for $750 this camera is worth it, i do believe this will probably going to be sony’s most favorite camera for the price. thank you sony for this amazing product, makes me want to take more videos and pictures a lot more!