Sony ZV-E1 Review

Sony ZV-E1 -- First Impressions

by  Jeremy Gray and William Brawley
Preview posted: 03/29/2023

Sony has announced its first full-frame ZV camera. The new flagship vlogging camera combines the flexibility of an interchangeable lens design with the image quality and video performance of a full-frame image sensor.

Purpose-built for content creators and designed for "crew of one" shooting, the Sony ZV-E1 is not a hybrid camera. It's not intended to be equally useful for photos and videos. Sony has built the camera and designed its impressive features with video content creation in mind.

While we often focus on photography-oriented and hybrid cameras, the video content creation market is undoubtedly growing. Sony's E-mount system is remarkably diverse and able to satisfy the needs of many users. We've had some hands-on time with the Sony ZV-E1 before today's release, and the camera includes some interesting features that will excite any user interested in video content creation.

Sony ZV-E1 Key Features and Specs

• E-mount interchangeable lens camera designed for vlogging and video content creation
• World's smallest and lightest full-frame ILC
• 12.1-megapixel full-frame Exmor R CMOS image sensor
• ISO up to 409,600
• 15+ stops of dynamic range
• Bionz XR image processing engine
• Dedicated AI processing unit
• AI-based Auto Framing
• AI-based Dynamic Active Mode stabilization
• AI-based autofocus
• Cinematic Vlog setting
• S-Cinetone
• User LUT handling
• Full-frame 4K video at up to 120p (with firmware update post-launch)
• FHD video at up to 240p
• Multiple Face Recognition
• Product Showcase setting
• In-camera timelapse
• Intelligent 3-capsule mic with AI audio
• Vari-angle LCD
• Tally lamp, video-friendly control layout, and self-timer
• Dust and moisture-resistant
• UVC/UAC USB streaming up to 4K/30p
• FINAL PRICE

Where does the Sony ZV-E1 fit into Sony's ZV series?

The Sony ZV series is designed from the ground up to provide features and performance for video content creators. While each ZV camera, including the ZV-E1, can capture high-quality still photos, the camera is primarily built for video content. Accordingly, the cameras' designs and features are engineered with video creation in mind.

Each ZV camera is targeted at different levels of content creation. While some people are just getting their feet wet and don't require the best image quality or the flexibility of an interchangeable lens design, others demand more versatility and better video performance.

The ZV-1F is a fixed-lens camera with a type-1.0 image sensor designed for beginners. For a bit better performance but the same sensor size and a fixed lens, there's also the ZV-1. For users who want the flexibility of an interchangeable lens design, enabling the creation of different types of content, the ZV-E10 sports an E-mount and a larger APS-C image sensor. The ZV-E10 is aimed at creators who are serious about video content creation and want to improve the quality of their work.

For those who want the best the ZV series has to offer, the new ZV-E1 is for you. It promises the highest-quality video thanks to its 12.1-megapixel full-frame image sensor. As we will learn throughout this hands-on preview, Sony has not just "promised" high-end performance for top creators but has seemingly delivered it in spades.

Sony ZV-E1 design and handling: Super compact and lightweight full-frame ILC

The Sony ZV-E1 is the smallest and lightest full-frame interchangeable lens camera on the market. Its dimensions (W x H x D) are 121 x 71.9 x 54.3mm (4.7 x 2.8 x 2.1 in.). The ZV-E1 weighs just 483g (17 oz) with its battery and memory card inserted.

The ZV-E1 is a bit smaller than the Sony A7C and much smaller than the Canon EOS R8, which lacks in-body image stabilization. Of course, the ZV-E1 lacks an eye-level viewfinder, so that's part of the explanation for the size difference.

The camera's control layout is designed for video. Examples include a physical tally lamp on the top and front of the camera, a switch for easily swapping between stills and video shooting, a zoom lever (works well with Sony's PZ lenses, by the way), a prominent record button, physical controls for Product Showcase and Background Defocus modes, and a vari-angle LCD that allows for easy self-recording.

The ZV-E1 sports a large Z-battery, which promises up to 95 minutes of actual recording. The camera also plays nicely with Sony's GP-VPT2BT grip, which includes useful on-grip controls for recording, zooming, and more.

Image sensor and image quality: Full-frame sensor offers numerous benefits for the ZV series

As the first full-frame ZV camera, users might wonder why now? What benefits does a full-frame image sensor offer video content creators?

The benefits are multi-faceted, but a major and immediately apparent consequence of a larger image sensor is better bokeh, all else equal. The larger sensor allows for shallower depth-of-field, meaning backgrounds are softer, and the video looks more cinematic.

The larger image sensor also allows for the native use of the nearly 50 full-frame Sony E-mount lenses. While you can use full-frame lenses on the APS-C ZV-E10, you don't achieve the full benefit of them because they experience a 1.5x crop factor.

With a bigger sensor, especially in the case of the 12.1-megapixel sensor used in the ZV-E1, pixel size is increased. This results in improved low-light performance, as each pixel can capture greater light than the smaller pixels on the smaller sensors in the ZV-E10 and ZV-1 models. The ZV-E10's ISO goes all the way up to ISO 409,600, which is almost like seeing in the dark.

It's worth noting that full-frame sensors don't always deliver better low-light performance than smaller sensors, but in the case of the ZV series and their respective resolutions, that's the case for the ZV-E1.

Similarly, the ZV-E1 also promises impressive dynamic range. Sony claims 15+ stops of dynamic range, which is very impressive. This means that users can capture better-looking videos in situations with highly varied light.

It's also worth pointing out that while the ZV-E1 and A7S III each feature a 12.1-megapixel full-frame Exmor RS image sensor, Sony stopped short of saying that the cameras use the same image sensor. The potential differences between the sensors weren't expounded.

Special features for video content creation

As we've mentioned a few times, the Sony ZV-E1 is created for video content creation. Yes, the camera can capture images, just like other ZV cameras, but it's designed for video. Accordingly, the ZV-E1 has distinct features that are useful for video recording and enable easier capture of high-quality video content.

One such feature is a built-in "Bokeh Switch." For users who don't understand or want to deal with manual aperture control, the ZV-E1's Bokeh Switch automatically opens up the lens' aperture to enable shallower depth of field and create video with a defocused background. Compared to the smaller sensors in the ZV-E10 and ZV-1(F), the ZV-E1 promises softer backgrounds. A blurred background can instantly make video appear more cinematic and professional. It can help the subject stand out, especially against a busy background.

The ZV-E1's new AI-powered Multiple Face Recognition feature automatically adjusts bokeh and focus when multiple people are in the frame. The camera uses a wide-open aperture and narrower depth-of-field if a single person is in the frame. When someone else is in the frame, especially when they're closer to or further from the camera, the lens automatically stops down to ensure that both people remain in focus. The camera automatically returns to a wider aperture if the person leaves the frame. This feature helps ensure that people are in focus and the background is as blurred as possible. It's a fascinating use of AI and the first time a Sony camera has offered a feature like this.

While not unique to the ZV-E1, the camera's Product Showcase setting is specially designed for content creators who do unboxing videos, product reviews, and tutorials. When a person is on camera and may hold a product up, the Product Showcase setting allows quick AF tracking from a person's face to a featured object and back to the face.

LUTs, or look-up tables, are useful ways to give videos a specific, predetermined look and feel. LUTs tell a video editing application precisely how to edit color in video. It's like a preset or filter, in a way. The ZV-E1 allows users to import LUTs directly into the camera, a first for Sony. This will further reduce the time users need to get the precise appearance they want for their video content.

In a similar spirit of "ease of use," the ZV-E1 includes a new Cinematic Vlog setting. According to Sony, this is an "intuitive way" to create cinematic scenes. What makes a video "cinematic" differs a bit by the user. Still, there are certain settings that most agree deliver a cinematic look, including a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and 24p frame rate. The Cinematic Vlog setting allows users to pick between different looks, including S-Cinetone, and moods, including an intriguing "Auto" setting. Combining the five available "looks" and four "moods," users can pick from 17 appearances for their Cinematic Vlog video.

The ZV-E1 also includes Creative Look for stills and movies, including 10 different types, each with eight user-selectable parameters. The ZV-E1 introduces a new "My Image Style" setting that allows the user to customize different style parameters while others are handled automatically.

Next generation image stabilization

The Sony ZV-E1 includes five-axis in-body image stabilization. The camera's "Optical Active" image stabilization delivers up to five steps of stabilization in exchange for a minor crop. However, a brand new Dynamic Active Mode combines the optical image stabilization with electronic image stabilization to deliver up to 30% better performance. Unsurprisingly, this necessitates a noticeably larger crop factor.

However, the Dynamic Active Mode seems like a great option for fast-moving operation, casual shooting, and longer focal lengths. For shooting while walking, the Optical Active mode is a good choice.

Advanced, AI-powered autofocus

Thanks to its dedicated AI processing unit, first introduced in the recent Sony A7R V, the Sony ZV-E1 promises sophisticated, advanced autofocus performance.

The ZV-E1's AI can perform human pose estimation, track subjects better when their face is covered, deal better with subjects whose backs are to the camera, track a target even if they're temporarily obscured, and deliver more accurate autofocus when a subject's face is very small in the frame.

Combining the dedicated AI processing unit with Sony's Bionz XR processing engine, the ZV-E1 promises 40% higher precision autofocus performance when performing subject recognition and can even recognize more subjects. The camera has special subject-detection modes for animals, birds, cars and trains, airplanes, and insects.

The ZV-E1 utilizes its AI-powered autofocus and new Dynamic Active Mode to deliver AI-based Framing Stabilizer and Auto Framing. These features use in-camera processing to keep a subject in a pre-determined area of the frame through intelligent cropping. It's quite impressive and should be useful for video content creators working alone. It can be hard to stay framed, so the ZV-E1's assistance should prove helpful.

With AI-based Auto Framing, users can customize different crop levels and framing tracking speeds to achieve the desired results. Available crop levels include small, medium, and large. Framing Tracking speed ranges from 1 (slowest) to 5 (fastest). The feature also offers automatic modes that start recording when a subject is recognized in the frame, which is great for interviews, music performances, cooking shows, tutorials, etc., with a single fixed camera.

Audio and ports: Sony ZV-E1 sports an AI-enhanced 3-capsule mic

Video is only one part of the equation – audio matters too. While it's easy to be swept up by resolutions and framerates, bad audio will sink even the highest-quality video.

The ZV-E1 has a built-in three-capsule mic. Thanks to AI, the mic can change directivity automatically, switching between front, rear, and all directional as needed. Users can also manually swap between these options.

The camera has a supplied windscreen, which easily attaches to the camera's Multi Interface Shoe. The windscreen reduces wind noise when recording outside. The camera also works with Sony's Multi Interface (MI) shoe accessories thanks to the camera's digital audio interface.

Aimed at serious video work, the camera includes separate mic and headphone jacks. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a full-size HDMI output, instead using mini HDMI.

Summary: Where does the Sony ZV-E1 fit into the landscape?

The Sony ZV-E1 offers many compelling features for video-focused content creators. While it's not useless for still photography, that's not its focus or strength. In that respect, it's quite different from other hybrid-oriented full-frame cameras on the market, like the Panasonic S50.

One of the most notable omissions is an eye-level viewfinder. This severely limits the ZV-E1 for photography, especially compared to similarly-priced cameras.

However, what the ZV-E1 lacks in "photo" features, it more than makes up for concerning video. The camera is packed to the brim with impressive new AI-powered features that will make the life of a one-person-crew video creator significantly easier. AI-powered autofocus, framing, improved stabilization, and the list goes on…these features promise to make it easier to dramatically improve someone's overall video and production quality.

The content creation market is booming, and Sony hopes its new ZV-E1 will appeal to the most ambitious creators. From our perspective, Sony's hopes will be realized. The ZV-E1 is a very impressive video camera that goes far beyond being just a "vlogging" camera.