TheSony ZV-1Fis an entry-level, point-and-shoot, fixed-lens camera primarily marketed towards vloggers. It retails at $500 but occasionally goes on sale for as low as $380. Is this portable, affordable camera worth it for budding creators, or are you better off saving your money for something more advanced?
Sony ZV-1F
Great value with limitations
The Sony ZV-1F takes what vloggers need in a camera setup and distills all of it into one tiny, affordable camera. It boasts a high-quality wide-angle lens, a surprisingly good built-in mic, intuitive settings, and digital stabilization to enable any new creator to start making content within minutes. The simplicity, affordability, and ease of use make it ideal for someone upgrading from a smartphone camera to create content.While this camera is simple and affordable for vlogging, ZV-1F’s simplicity may be its greatest drawback. Between limited photo features, and cut corners throughout the camera such as suboptimal autofocus, poor battery life, and a lack of optical stabilization, this camera certainly isn’t for everyone. Regardless, the ZV-1F and its unique identity stand tall for vloggers needing a simple, affordable, and intuitive device.
What’s in the Box?
The Sony ZV-1F’s box is small and simple, similar to the camera. Inside, you’ll find the following items:
Unfortunately, Sony’s NP-BX1 are small and hold very little charge. This is a necessity for the camera’s small size, but we recommend purchasing additional batteries.
Similarly, using the provided cable, you can use the ZV-1F as a webcam, but it’s limited by the low data bandwidth of USB 2.0 to just 720p. This is fine for video calls, but not ideal for content creation. That said, you can charge the camera through its USB-C port while using it.
The Camera Itself
The Sony ZV-1F has the essentials for buttons and cable ports.
On top, we have buttons for toggling power, changing shooting mode, taking photos with a digital zoom rocker, recording video, and de-focusing background.
On the back, there’s the flip screen, a function button for quick settings access, the menu button, a customizable wheel and button, the playback button, and the trash button. It’s worth noting that three points of the wheel and the trash button can be customized to different functions when shooting.
On the right side you’ll find some I/O ports, including a 3.5mm stereo mic jack, USB 2.0 USB Type C, and micro HDMI.
Last, on the bottom, we have the door for the battery compartment and SD card, and a standard quarter-inch tripod thread. This thread is offset so that you can use tripods and grips without blocking access to the battery door, a response to complaints about the thread’s placement with this camera’s predecessor, the ZV-1.
Additionally, while testing this camera, we accidentally dropped it around four feet onto concrete, and it took no damage—not even chipped paint.
Sony’s Sustainability Objective
Sony hasset a goal to reduce its carbon footprintin both the manufacture of its cameras and its packaging. As such, some components of the ZV-1F are made using recycled plastic, while the windscreen uses recycled polyester.
Similarly, Sony uses almost no plastic in its packaging for the ZV-1F, opting for paper or plant fiber where plastic would have been used. Sony’s efforts toward sustainability are commendable and worth mentioning, but they are independent of the camera’s quality.
Technical Specs and What They Mean
We’ll begin with the camera’s sensor, lens, and dimensions using the specs fromSony’s websiteand what those specs mean for users.
Sensor, Lens, and Comparisons With an iPhone
The ZV-1F has a 1-inch sensor with around 20 megapixels. This is smaller than an APS-C sensor and much smaller than a full-frame, but significantly larger than just about any smartphone camera sensor. It also has a fixed lens with a fixed focal length, meaning you cannot change its lens, and its lens cannot zoom outside of digital zooming, which crops your image.
The key specs are an effective 20mm focal length with an F2.0 aperture, meaning it’s a very wide-angle camera, teetering into the territory of ultra-wide lenses, and has potential for background blur and low light performance thanks to its wide F2.0 aperture.
This natural blur is especially apparent when comparing it to a photo or video from a smartphone. Here is a selfie video screenshot using the larger rear camera of an iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Here is that same selfie using the ZV-1F.
The ZV-1F seems targeted at creators specifically upgrading from a smartphone, so here’s yet another example of the field of view and depth of field shooting the same objects from the same position, starting with the iPhone:
Next, here’s the ZV-1F—note the significantly wider field of view and increased background blur.
The ZV-1F is indeed a major upgrade over a smartphone, and it’s nearly the same size as one.
Camera Size and Weight
The ZV-1F is both small and incredibly lightweight. Again, let’s compare it with a smartphone (iPhone 12 Pro Max) to illustrate how small this camera is:
The ZV-1F could easily fit into your pocket, bag, or backpack, and you’d barely notice, considering it’s only around half a pound—much lighter than even the smallest APS-C cameras.
In fact, during our testing, we carried this camera in a backpack or pouch for a month, and the small size and low weight made it completely unnoticeable.
Moreover, a small camera like the ZV-1F brings less attention to yourself. Compare this kitted-out Sony a6100, shotgun mic, and GorillaPod to the small and subtle ZV-1F. You’d need all these accessories for effective vlogging with the a6100, but the ZV-1F stands independently.
This setup is also significantly lighter to carry around. The camera you carry with you and use is better than the camera you don’t carry or use. A larger setup would certainly have higher quality, but you’re far more likely to toss the ZV-1F into your bag than an expensive, bulky setup. This is indeed one of the best aspects of it.
Imperfect Autofocus
This camera’s autofocus is 425-point contrast-detection autofocus. For most users, the camera will generally focus on what you intend it to quickly and smoothly, but power users will know that phase-detection autofocus will draw focus much more quickly. Contrast-detect autofocus is likely used instead of phase-detect to reduce cost. The original ZV-1 has phase-detect while the ZV-1F does not.
While the autofocus detection method is not the best, the ZV-1F also has a feature generally reserved for Sony’s most advanced cameras: object tracking. you may tap on a person or object, and the camera will do its best to track it to keep it in focus. This seemed to work most times we used it, but the object you’re tracking should be fairly clear in your frame.
Additional Picture Settings
The Sony ZV-1F uses an artificialSoft Skin Effectfilter by default. In most cases, we recommend turning it off for a more natural look and don’t know why Sony elected to enable it by default. Below is a comparison ofSoft Skinon high and then disabled, first with this skin smoothing filter set to high:
Next is withSoft Skindisabled, a much more natural look:
The camera has numerous picture profiles you can use in photo and video; we’ll be using theStandardprofile for all examples, but they range fromNeutralfor more subdued colors and contrast, to a more saturatedVividlook, toSepiaandBlack and Whitepicture styles.
Other image control options includeContrast,Saturation,Sharpness,Color Space, andJPEG Qualityranging fromStandardtoExtra Fine. There are also numerous profiles and settings forWhite Balance, as well asExposure Compensation. These settings are generally immaterial for casual vloggers, so we won’t go into any more depth, but they allow for relatively simple on-the-fly customization.
The Most Compelling Feature: Intelligent Auto Mode
Many professional photographers or videographers will tell you to always shoot in manual for the best results. In general, they’re right, but the ZV-1F’sIntelligent Automode gets you 98% of the way there without needing to change any settings manually.
Intelligent Automode, as the name suggests, is a smarter version of a camera’s typical auto setting for exposure (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) and white balance. In short, it will recognize what type of scene you’re trying to capture—such as shooting a person, the sky, or a landscape—then adjust all needed settings to make your subject look as good as possible.
Here, we have an outdoor shot of the sky at sunset.
Next, here’s a landscape photo with harsh, high-noon lighting.
UsingIntelligent Auto, the ZV-1F even managed to properly expose a selfie taken in the shade while hiking without totally blowing out the sky or harshly lit background.
We found this to be the most compelling feature for making this camera a joy to use. In fact, this mode is so good that we advise you not to use any manual mode outside extremely niche scenarios—Intelligent Autowill probably handle it better.
The ZV-1F Manages as a Photo Camera
This camera is a vlogging camera first, but it still functions well enough for taking photos. The 20.1-megapixel sensor alongside JPEG images up to extra-fine quality provide solid, sharp images with minimal effort when used alongside the ZV-1F’sIntelligent Automode.
Here is a shot of a theater at dusk; we blurred faces and license plates for privacy.
Here is a close-up of a cat.
However, that’s where the praise for photos ends—as photos are not the focus of this camera, the features thereof are limited. While picture profiles likeNeutralprovide more options for color correction in post, this camera cannot shoot raw image files for optimal image control. Moreover, most photos look nice at a glance, but there is considerable grain when zoomed in, as you can see with the theater example.
Last, while the camera does indeed have a zoom rocker, this is only for digital zoom. If zooming digitally, you are simply pre-cropping the image, so in most cases, zooming your photos is a waste.
The ZV-1F Thrives as a Video Camera
Video is where this camera shines—you can pixel peep until the cows come home on photos, but you’ll be much less inclined to do so with video. The Sony ZV-1F can record 4K at up to 30 frames per second and 1080p at up to 120 frames per second.
This camera is dead-simple to use well: you’re able to press record and let the camera take care of everything else. Your videos won’t be studio-grade or cinema-quality from a hardware stance. Still, it punches well above its price tag with video thanks toIntelligent Automode’s situational awareness, a surprisingly good mic, and digital stabilization.
The Mic is Surprisingly Good
In most cases, the built-in mic on a camera is more a necessity than a marketable feature, but the built-in mic on the ZV-1F may impress you. The mic on top of the camera is quite large, whereas most built-in mics on cameras are relatively minuscule and low-quality.
While a dedicated shotgun or lavalier mic will be better in most cases, new creators could certainly get by with just what’s built in. The windscreen does an adequate job of reducing wind noise and plosives as well, which was much appreciated—you’ll find it essential for outdoor vlogs.
Active SteadyShot is Essential
As with its predecessor the ZV-1, the ZV-1F is best used withActive SteadyShotturned on for stabilization, which is essential for handheld vlogging. This induces a crop factor of around 1.3x, but don’t worry! Whereas the ZV-1 would be nearly unusable with this crop as a handheld vlog camera, the ZV-1F’s 20mm focal length remains usable even with a crop.
Here is a vlog screenshot without SteadyShot (and thus no crop) at one arm’s length of distance:
Here is a screenshot with the 1.3x crop SteadyShot induces at the same distance:
The crop is significant, but the field of view remains more than wide enough for handheld vlogging.
That said, the ZV-1F only has digital stabilization, whereas all other Sony ZV-line cameras have optical stabilization in addition to digital. This is an unfortunate drawback and likely a result of cost-cutting measures, but the camera remains a joy to use for vlogging.
Shooting Slow Motion or Timelapse Video With S&Q
For a normal 30fps video project, a 120fps video file can be slowed down to 4x slow motion while remaining smooth. If recording at 120fps in video mode, you’d have to make this change manually when editing. However, usingS&Q(Slow & Quick) mode, you can use the camera’s 120fps recording capabilities and simply output in 4x slow motion at 30fps.
To do so, open theMenu. Tap theCameraicon for Shooting settings, then select1. Image Quality/Rec. Then, select S&Q Settings.
YourRec Frame Rateof 24, 30, or 60p will be the actual frame rate of your file, while theFrame Rateranging from 1 to 120fps will be the rate of frame capture.
For 4x slow motion at 30 frames per second, yourRec Frame Rateshould be 30 while yourFrame Rateshould be 120fps. Conversely, for a 30x quick motion timelapse, set yourRec Frame Rateto 30 and yourFrame Rateto 1. We found theS&Qsettings in this camera to be extremely intuitive, especially because once you’ve set your frame rates, you’ll see your exact slow or quick motion rate at the bottom of the screen.
Additional Quality of Life Features
Unlike its predecessor the ZV-1, the ZV-1F utilizes Sony’s more recent and user-friendly touchscreen menu system, which can be entirely navigated without buttons. If this is someone’s first camera outside their smartphone, then the touchscreen menu will be much easier to learn how to use than older Sony cameras’ button-only menu navigation.
Additionally, the ZV-1F, like its predecessor, has multiple beginner-friendly features.
Background Defocus
Some reviews explain this feature incorrectly. It’s not like the digital background blur of an iPhone’s portrait mode. This exclusively uses hardware and the camera’s optics; the background defocus button toggles betweenDefocus(blurred background) andClear(a sharp background) by forcing the ZV-1F’s aperture to a particular setting.
When you selectDefocus, the ZV-1F’s aperture is forced to its widest setting, F2.0, to let in more light to the sensor, which adds more depth of field background blur.
Conversely, selectingClearnarrows the camera’s aperture to F5.6, letting in less sensor light and decreasing background blur. Unfortunately, narrowing your aperture also impairs low-light performance, so only use theClearsetting in brighter lighting.
Product Showcase Mode
Normally, the ZV-1F’s autofocus system will prioritize focusing based on eye tracking. If you want to show something to the camera and have it be in focus, you’ll need to cover your face completely or else the camera will always target your face for focus.
Product Showcasemode fixes this by intelligently identifying when you are showing an object to the camera via an indicator on screen for where to hold the object and focusing on that instead of you—no need to cover your face.
Smartphone App and Software
Sony has a smartphone app called Imaging Edge Mobile to transfer photos and videos from your camera to your phone, among other features. We were unable to get our ZV-1F to work with the app in our testing, but that was an issue with our phone rather than the camera. Imaging Edge also has a desktop version, among other software available on Sony’s website.
Who the ZV-1F Is and Isn’t For
The Sony ZV-1F is a small, simple camera. That simplicity makes it perfect for some but the wrong choice for others. Here’s who we think this camera is for:
Conversely, the ZV-1F’s simplicity may make it entirely too limited to be useful. These buyers should avoid it:
Size Matters, Indeed
With many devices, you can choose any two—compact size, reasonable price, and rich features—but never all three. The ZV-1F excels in the departments of compactness and price. The features it does well are truly excellent, such as intelligent auto mode, but its simplicity comes at the cost of richness of features—no phase-detection autofocus, raw photos, or optical stabilization.
However, the point of this camera is to distill the essentials of vlogging into one tiny package. You can use it with zero accessories and have everything you need to vlog on the go. A full-frame camera on a gimbal with a shotgun mic may objectively produce better quality video, but the ZV-1F has solid video, a good mic, and digital stabilization at a fraction of the size and cost. And which of those can fit in your pocket, always ready to shoot when opportunities arise?
