42105.5mm60mm
43.5mm
to give a blurred background,
and at f/5.6 for extended
depth of fi eld. There’s also a
cryptically named Product
Showcase mode, which is
designed to shift focus onto an
item when the presenter holds it
out and shows it to the camera –
apparently something of a
signature YouTube pose. For those
who record footage while on the
move, uprated SteadyShot Active
image stabilisation combines
optical and electronic corrections,
and is claimed to be 11x more
effective than Sony’s standard
offering. Meanwhile face priority
autoexposure during video
recording is designed to
seamlessly compensate for
extreme changes in brightness
when the subject moves between
light and shade.
In terms of shooting stills, the
ZV-1 has a lot in common with the
RX100 range. It employs a
20.1MP 1in sensor closely related
to that in the RX100 VII, which
provides a standard sensitivity
range of ISO 125-12,800 along
with extended settings down to
ISO 64. It’s possible to shoot at 24
frames per second with autofocus
tracking, and with a 172-shot
JPEG buffer. The sensor features
315 phase-detection points
covering all but the left and right
edges of the frame, and Sony’s
latest autofocus technologies are
on board, including Real-Time Eye
AF and Real-Time Tracking.
Meanwhile the 25-70mmequivalent f/1.8-2.8 lens is similar
to that used by the RX100 V, just
with a slightly narrower view at
wideangle.Build and handling
Sony wants the ZV-1 to appeal to
people who currently use a
smartphone to create their videos,
and who aren’t especially
interested in learning the technical
niceties of either videography or
photography. This has presented it
with a golden opportunity to build
a new touchscreen interface
offering intuitive results-driven
operation, similar to those offered
by its leading competitors.
Unfortunately it’s chosen not to do
so, which means that the ZV-1 has
instead ended up like a less
approachable version of the
RX100. This is not a good thing.
Sony has simplifi ed the physical
controls, which means that the
camera has neither a lens dial for
changing settings, nor an
exposure-mode dial (which is
replaced by a top-plate button). To
reinforce its focus on video, it
sports a large record button the
same size as the shutter release,
and conveniently positioned on the
top plate. Most of your interaction
with the camera comes via the
dense cluster of rear controls, and
primarily the combined d-pad/dial,
which means that an awful lot of
button pressing is required to
operate it. As a result, the ZV-1
works okay as a point-and-shoot,
but rapidly becomes awkward ifConnectors
The microphone socket is
found on the side of the
handgrip, just above the
HDMI output. A micro
USB port can be used to
power the camera for
extended shooting, as
well as charge the
battery.Multi-interface
hot shoe
This is designed to
accept the optional
XYST1M microphone
(£142), but doesn’t work
with all of Sony’s MI
accessories. For example
it’s incompatible with the
FDA-EV1MK viewfinder.ND filter
A switchable 3-stop
neutral density filter is
built into the lens,
allowing large apertures
to be used in bright light.
It can be set to engage
automatically when
shooting stills, but has
to be selected manually
for video.Finger grip
This gives a reassuringly
secure hold, both when
using the camera
conventionally, and when
pointing it towards you in
selfie mode. It’s a huge
improvement on the
smooth, flat bodies of
the RX100 series.Recording
indicator
A red LED on the
camera’s front lights up
when it’s recording video.
This may not sound like
much, but it’s genuinely
helpful for the camera’s
target audience.Touchscreen
Sony has included a
touchscreen, but it
barely does anything. You
can use it to select the
focus point and scroll
through images in
playback, but not to
change any settings in
either the Fn menu or
main menu.Testbench CAMERA TEST
Sony has repackaged features from its RX100
range into a camera that’s optimised for vloggingFocal points
Image quality is very
creditable at high
ISO settings
54mm equivalent,
1/50sec at f/5.6, ISO 2000