Sony’s new ZV-1F vlogging camera comes with a lower price but a lot fewer features

Sony has announced a caller point-and-shoot camera centered connected vlogging, and it is targeted astatine beginners with a debased terms point. The ZV-1F is an offshoot of its ZV-1 camera from 2020, but dissimilar that model, it’s not a twist connected the long-running RX100 camera formula. Sony enactment a Zeiss-branded 20mm-equivalent f/2.0 premier lens successful the caller ZV-1F and paired it with a Type 1 (13.1mm x 9.8mm) 20-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor that tin grounds 4K astatine up to 30 frames per 2nd oregon 1080p up to 120fps for dilatory motion. The ZV-1F volition tally $499 successful each achromatic oregon achromatic with a metallic lens, and it’s owed retired successful precocious October.

While the Sony ZV-1F’s terms sounds appealing for anyone looking astatine an affordable mode to get into vlogging, determination are immoderate cardinal omissions that apt helped Sony undercut its ain ZV-1 by $250. First off, determination is nary enactment for RAW photograph captures, rendering this camera ace constricted for anyone looking to bash some stills and video. There are immoderate caller limitations present connected the video capabilities, too, similar a deficiency of optical representation stabilization (it has integer stabilization, which crops into the image), nary 4K60 recording, nary headphone jack for monitoring audio levels, and a much rudimentary contrast-detect autofocus system.

Sure, it tin fastener onto you with eye-tracking autofocus, but if the contrast-detect strategy creates a batch of wobbling absorption effects, that’s not going to look large successful a vlog.

If these are tradeoffs you tin marque for $499, the ZV-1F does connection a precise lightweight assemblage — conscionable 8.1 ounces / 229 grams — and an articulating surface for casual self-recording. It besides features a cleaned-up paper strategy borrowed from pro cameras similar the Sony A1 and A7 IV. Though, the camera has user-friendly interface controls that let users to get filming with a fewer elemental fastener presses and small to nary cognition of things similar apertures oregon framework rates.

Another established diagnostic present from Sony’s different cameras is Product Showcase, which sets the ZV-1F to absorption connected the subject’s face, rapidly way autofocus to immoderate items the presenter holds up to the camera, and instrumentality to focusing connected the oculus erstwhile it’s enactment down. And similar astir cameras released today, it tin beryllium utilized for livestreaming by conscionable plugging it into a machine via USB-C. It’s constricted to 720p solution astatine 30 frames per second, but astatine slightest you shouldn’t person to usage Sony’s dreaded Imaging Edge software.

The ZV-1F is missing a fewer features that you tin adjacent find successful immoderate modern smartphones, but it’s a tiny motion of however purpose-built cameras could unrecorded connected successful a niche assemblage among vloggers and streamers. Sure, it whitethorn conscionable beryllium a stepping chromatic to bigger, amended cameras, and a flagship telephone has much lenses and much capabilities similar RAW photos, but astatine $499, it’s a fraction of those costs.