Tom’s Guide Verdict
Stepping up from a smartphone?
The Sony ZV-1F is a great vlogging camera thats portable and doesnt break the bank.
Stills taken are good too as is the built-in mic.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
However, battery life is underwhelming.
All of this is packed into a compact and highly portable body.
However, its worth noting that the battery life is underwhelming.
For all the details, read my full Sony ZV-1F review.
Sony ZV-1F review: Design
The Sony ZV-1F is a simple-looking, easy to use camera.
It looks similar to the Sony ZV-E10 II, and is similar in weight and size too.
The right-hand side houses the USB-C, Micro HDMI and 3.5mm external mic ports.
A 3-inch flip-out articulating color TFT touchscreen is located on the back, with a 921K-million-dot display.
This is a low resolution compared to other cameras.
I found the ZV-1Fs versatile tilting positions very handy for shooting stills and video at low angles.
Its bright so I found it extremely handy especially when shooting at awkward angles.
Be mindful of where youre shooting, though.
If you want a weather-sealed camera, theNikon Z 30($709) would be more suitable.
The Background Defocus button is akin to a dedicated bokeh button.
For non-camera-savvy content creators, it makes it easy to create stylized footage.
it’s possible for you to see the results above.
It quickly locked on to my partners face and worked very well in our selfie together too.
Basically, the ZV-1F automatically focuses on the subject close to the camera and blurs the background.
Remember, this incurs a 1.1x crop which limits the angle of view.
In the footage above, the first clip was shot with SteadyShot disabled and the second with it enabled.
The ZV-1F not lose focus on the subjects, and the resulting video is smooth and stable.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
It gives you more freedom for color grading in post-production.
Above, you might see what the unedited S-Log 3 footage looks like.
The camera is fitted with a directional three-way capsule mic on the top plate.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
Its worth investing in one of thebest microphonesif youre a serious vlogger.
In terms of shooting rates, the ZV-1F has a 16fps electronic shutter and theres no mechanical shutter.
The first photo above was shot without zooming in and the second with the 2x zoom.
There is some loss of fine detail in the second shot but the photo is still usable.
Above, you might see the same scene shot in each filter.
The ZV-1F has an ISO range of 80-12,800.
Both images are noisy but the first is less so.
Its basically unusable, and this ISO value should only be used as a last resort.
Check out my gallery of sample images above.
In my testing, the cameras battery drained after 310 shots with the monitor being always-on.
This isnt the best Ive seen from a camera.
For instance, the Canon EOS R50 yields 440 shots when using the monitor.
It ticks a lot of boxes with its vlogging-specific features.
The cherry on top is the built-in three-way capsule mic that records crisp audio.
However, the battery life is mediocre.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
But these are very minor cons in a camera this cheap.
Regardless of these shortcomings, the ZV-1F is a fantastic vlogging camera.
And it costs just $499 excellent value for money.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
No zoom.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
2x zoom.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
ST.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
VV2.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
SH.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
FL.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
NT.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
IN.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
VV.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
PT.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
SE.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
B&W.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
ISO 6,400.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
ISO 12,800.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
