Last April Sony surprised us with the announcement of the camera that every content creator can dream of having: the Sony ZV-E1. It seeks to bring the best of the ZV-seriesespecially oriented to vloggersalong with some advanced features of its S- and R-series. All this encapsulated in the compact format of your C series. The result is the full frame lightest and most compact of the brand.
But behind this combination of these characteristics, what there is is a camera designed to be used first for video than for taking photos. That is, this is a video device with which, in addition, we can take photos. And that causally has the physical form of a photographic camera.
We have taken it on a trip to put it to the test in real life. Sony achieved everything it set out to do with the ZV-E1by all accounts, the best option for content creators in 2023.
design and features
The external design of the ZV-E1 It is elegant and modern, with a compact and lightweight body that makes it easy to handle and take anywhere. The camera’s intuitive interface and controls are easy to use, and the articulating touchscreen is of course essential for self-recorders.
One of the best features of this Sony ZV-E1 is your system interchangeable targets, which gives it a lot of versatility. This allows us to capture an endless variety of shots, from wide-angle landscapes to product close-ups.
It uses the E-mount system, with which Sony offers more than 70 compatible lenses, from 12mm to 1200mm. In addition to a wide range of compatible lenses made by other brands, there are options for all budgets.
Among the most notable aspects of the Sony ZV-E1we found the recording formats of which it is capable, leaving its “sisters” from the ZV series far behind, and getting closer to an A7s iii, for example.
It is capable of recording 4K at 60 frames per second. Also in June there will be a free software update that will allow you to record in 4K at up to 120 fps, giving you the ability to take eye-catching slow motion shots.
Until that update arrives, yes, it can be recorded at 120 frames per second, but only in full HD or 1080p resolution.
As for color management, you can record in S-Cinetone and SLOG3 profiles, in up to 10-bit 4:2:2 all-intra. It also allows you to install custom LUTs directly on the camera and observe how the final video will look during recording. Even before post production.
Another amazing feature of the ZV-E1 is its stabilization ability, which is assisted by artificial intelligence. It works in four different modes: off, standard stabilization —which does not make any kind of visible clipping—, Active Modewhich is more fluid and cuts little, and Dynamic Active Modewith a more notable cut but a few outstanding results.
For shots on the go, and especially for outdoor shooters like travel vloggers, combining the Dynamic Active Mode with a wide angle lens it is ideal. Image quality is as smooth as using a gimbal, but without having to carry any additional equipment, eliminating weight and making the ZV-E1 very comfortable to use.
A perfect camera for beginners?
Now, many media have defined the ZV-E1 as the ideal camera for “beginner” content creators, a fundamental point that deserves further analysis.
It is not a camera for someone who is making their first videos and is not yet a professional content creator. For these people, the best camera is the one on your phone, with which you can explore and learn. Although, of course, if the ZV-E1 It’s within budget, go ahead.
Where I think the adjective beginners applies is for those who are inexperienced in the world of video, but they already have a large audience. That is to say: cooks, carpenters, travelers, scientific popularizers. People who come from other specialties, who dedicate themselves professionally or semi-professionally to making video content, but it was not their initial training, they have not had formal audiovisual education, but they seek the best possible quality for their videos.
These are some of the cases where the Sony ZV-E1 It is ideal, although, I insist, it is not only for them. Because it simplifies many concepts, sometimes more complex, of video creation. This manifests itself in a change of control layout to more intuitive handling.
For example, we don’t have the typical wheel with seven options for photo modes, and a single icon for video mode. In its place is a single knob, with three modes: photo, video and S&Q (which we can use to make time lapse or slow motion.
Another example is the “blurred background” button either bokeh, which is nothing more than a quick adjustment to change the depth of field on the lens. With some knowledge of the camera we can put it in manual mode or aperture priority, and do it. But for those who don’t have that kind of knowledge, or just want something faster, this button solves it.
The same goes for the button show productwhich is a shortcut to much faster autofocus switching, without having to go deep into the settings of the Sony ZV-E1.
there is also the function cinematic which quickly sets everything up to make your video look, as the name implies, “cinematic”. The format changes to 24 frames per second, with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which leaves those black bars above and below the video, and adds the ability to choose between different color styles.
The only thing that I would criticize this mode is not being able to choose the frames per second, since it takes away the possibility of taking slow motion shots in cinematic mode.
Does all this mean that it is a camera only for inexperienced people? Not at all. Professional creators and videographers will be able to get a lot out of the camera.
Other functions of the Sony ZV-E1
It is also worth mentioning that it has three modes of skin smoothing effect: basic, medium and high, with not so stellar results. The low setting works well enough to simulate a foundation effect, but the high setting results in a very artificial, wax mask-like look.
The function Clear Image Zoom is a great addition, allowing me to do zoom without sacrificing image quality.
He people recognition This is extremely useful as it allows the camera to track and focus on people, even when the subject moves or turns around. This is because it is not based only on the recognition of the eyes, but of the entire human body. It also has specific modes to detect pets, birds, cars, trains, planes, and insects.
Both the recognition of people, animals and objects, as well as the stabilization system, rely on artificial intelligence, for which the ZV-E1 has a dedicated integer chip in its hardware.
Another example is its ability to follow the onscreen subject from one side of the screen to the other through a 4K crop, for dynamic video, even if the camera is fixed on a tripod.
a promise kept
Sony promised the day of its presentation that the ZV-E1 would give the “ultimate content creation experience”. And after testing it for two weeks, and in various situations, we can say that they have not broken their word.
Its 4K recording capability at 60 frames per second, the ability to swap lenses, advanced stabilization, and AI-powered features—and all this in the lightest and most compact body of any Sony full-frame—make it a the perfect camera for create high quality content.
The price of the Sony ZV-E1 in Spain is €2,700 just for the body, or €3,000 for the kit that also includes a 28-60mm lens.