Do you remember it there Sony ZV-1?
We still think of her with great affection.
It was the first”vlog camera” of the Japanese giant, that is a compact camera created to meet the needs of creators, combining simplicity of use with a series of features – such as the precise and very fast autofocus, the excellent one-inch sensor and the SteadyShot – which we typically associate with more professional, or at least more advanced, products.
Well, now that much appreciated vlog camera has evolved and it’s called Sony ZV-1 Mark II.
Similar in name and appearance but improved on the usability front. In fact, the Asian manufacturer seems to have taken into consideration all the feedback received from users to create a product that can really meet the needs of content creators.
Curious to know more? Let’s not go any further and dive into this review of the Sony ZV-1 Mark II.
The main features
Let’s start from the technical characteristics and understand, table in hand, what changes compared to the first generation.
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| Sony ZV-1 | Sony ZV-1 Mark II | |
| sensor | Exmor RS CMOS / 20.1 MP da 1″ | Exmor RS CMOS / 20.1 MP da 1″ |
| Spring | 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 (35mm equiv.) | 18-50mm F1.8-4.0 (35mm equiv.) |
| Processor | BIONZ X | BIONZ X |
| Touchscreen | Yes, basic | Yes, advanced |
| Microphone | 3 | 3, steerable |
| Autofocus | Real-time tracking Recognition of people |
Real-time tracking Recognition of people and animals |
| Video | 4K@30 fps 8bit / 4:2:0 / Long GOP PP / S-Log3, S-Log2 |
4K@30 fps 8bit / 4:2:0 / Long GOP PP / S-Log3, S-Log2 |
| Look | Creative Style | Creative Look and color profiles |
| USB / HDMI / Mic / Cuffie | USB-Multi /Micro/Si/No | USB-C/Micro/Sì/No |
| Wi-Fi / Streaming | 2.4GHz / (IE Webcam) | 2.4GHz / (IE Webcam) |
| Memory Card | SDXC/SDHC (1 slot) | SDXC/SDHC (1 slot) |
| Autonomy declared | 45 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Dimensions/Weight | 105.5 x 60.0 x 43.5 mm / 294 gr | 105.5 x 60.0 x 46.7 mm / 292 gr |
What do all these numbers mean?
Basically we have in our hands a product that continues to be extremely compact, light and therefore very comfortable to use for vlogs. You handle it without problems, you can keep it in your pocket to always have it at hand, it doesn’t take up space in your backpack or purse and you don’t even notice its presence given its low weight.
And then you have all the physical keys you need or, if you prefer, you can use il display touchscreen which is responsive and can be rotated 180° outwards so you can check the framing as you shoot.
This data also means that the sensor remained the same is that the video rendering is substantially unchanged. It was excellent 3 years ago and continues to be so today. You are sure to always bring home the result. An outcome he expects natural color rendering, many details, good stabilization and above all images that are always in focus thanks to one of the best autofocus on the market.
Sony ZV-1 Mark II review: what’s new?
The first change concerns the objective: let’s go from the 24 – 70 mm of the first model to a very useful 18-50 mm. Why “very useful”? Why it’s more wide angle and that means that you can show more of the environment around you. It might seem like a small detail to you but it’s not really like that: in a vlog it means better contextualizing your footage and show more things to the audience who will then watch the video, effectively making what you do, say and show more understandable.
The 18 mm is also convenient for selfies, whether they are in a group or simply yours with more of the landscape behind you.
To enrich your footage there are also the “modular” color profiles. Basically you have 5 profiles and 4 moods, which you can combine to get the desired effect. This means you can set the mood right out of the box, before you even start recording a video.
Pros and cons of this feature?
The obvious pro is that create outputs that already have the mood you want, which already convey something to the viewer.
The cons is that you must already have in mind the result you want to achieve. Our advice therefore is to experiment with them all, get to know them and then carefully decide which combination to use.
It’s a different process than those who prefer to run everything, perhaps in Log, and then act later. That is called Color Correction and allows you to decide the “mood” afterwards. Here instead you do it first to save time in post but, we repeat, it is important to understand what result you want to obtain before pressing Rec.
And yes, this does not conflict with the beauty filter that allows you to hide imperfections and vlog even when you get out of bed.
There is also something new on the audio front.
The original Sony ZV-1 you have 3 microphones, positioned on the upper part, and able to self-direct, or rather change direction based on the orientation of the display.
Let’s take a practical example: imagine being in front of the camera, with the display rotated so as to check the framing. The previous model would have inferred your positioned and suppressed the noises coming from the rear of the vlog camera.
The Sony ZV-1 Mark II gives you the choice. It is no longer automatic, but you are the ones who can decide whether you want to focus on the front, the back, or all directions.
What changes? Simple: if you have someone filming you and interacting with you, the audio of both will be clear. Conversely, if you want to avoid hearing the “operator” audio you can choose to focus on the front.
The new model therefore offers more control even if the audio rendering seemed quite unchanged to us. So good but definitely not at the same levels as a dedicated external accessory.
Are you afraid of getting lost among the thousands of options available? Don’t panic because the newcomer has an extremely understandable menu, a bit like a smartphone. Everything is at your fingertips, with simple names that allow anyone to use it, even if you know nothing about photography or videomaking. It is designed, as we said at the beginning, for content creators and not everyone is necessarily an expert, but everyone expects an intuitive product where options and functions are convenient and quick, capable of keeping up with their needs and with continuous changes. Sony therefore created a product that met these needs.
It didn’t end there: now it is possible to recharge the Sony ZV-1 Mark II with the USB-C connector. Don’t get us wrong: the battery does its job and those 45 minutes of declared autonomy have turned into a full day of use for a vlog. In case of need, however, you just need to connect it to a power bank and you have solved your problems.
A few words about sustainability
For years now, Sony has shown a marked attention to product sustainability, especially in the audio field with headphones which, over the years, have gone from having only sustainable packaging to the actual use of recycled materials for the production of the actual product. own.
The Sony ZV-1 Mark II goes this route with a package that includes recycled paper, bamboo and sugar cane fibers. The camera body is made using even the SORPLASa recycled fire-retardant plastic material created by Sony itself, as well as other recycled materials of course.
The new screen for the microphones instead comes from recycled polyester.
In short, not only technology but also the right attention to the planet.
The Sony ZV-1 Mark II review: conclusions
Let’s start with him, the price of the Sony ZV-1 Mark II: 1000 €.
That yes, it means 200 € more than the previous model.
They are not few, we agree, but here the discussion is similar to what we did 3 years ago: the cost is adequate to what the newcomer offers which, we repeat, is not a compact for everyone. It’s a vlog camera that born for creators who want, as we anticipated before, a quality product that does not require specific knowledge and that does not waste too much time with the settings.
The ZV-1 was already a great product, the Mark II is next level, perfected and even more comfortable to use.