Sony announces new vlogging camera—the ZV-1

Sony has just announced the release of it’s newest camera, the Sony ZV-1 Wi-Fi 20.1MP 2.9x Optical Zoom Digital Camera. This is the latest in a long line of innovative digital cameras from the Japanese manufacturer, and is very narrowly focused towards the needs of one particular end user—the vlogger.

Sony has long been at the forefront of packing surprising amounts of impressive functionality into small packages, particularly with it’s RX100 cameras, and it appears that the ZV-1 has inherited a number of features from it’s older brother. But where the RX100 is for the tech-savvy shooter who already knows their way around a camera, the ZV-1 is for those who want to pick up the camera and start shooting without dealing with settings, menus, or (heaven forbid) color profiles!

Here are some of the key features of the ZV-1

Tap to record

Right out the gate, Sony wanted the ZV-1 to offer everything a vlogger needs with the touch of a button. So the Record button is the biggest button on the camera. If you just want to start shooting without opening a manual you can do that, just tap that big button and away you go.

Vari-angle LCD screen

If you’re a true vlogger then you are the one composing the shot and pressing the record button. The ZV-1 has a vari-angle LCD screen which rotates all the way to the front so that you can get your shot just right, even when you are in front of the camera. It’s also a touchscreen which gives you great options to control your focus when you are behind the camera.

Focus wizardry

Speaking of focus, the ZV-1 has some focus features that are pretty much magic. As well as fast and accurate auto-focus, you also get eye and face detection which means you don’t have to worry about the focus drifting off to something else, even if you’re moving around the frame. This is pure gold for the vlogger, especially out in the wild.

Three-capsule mic

If you want to produce pro-quality video, you need to capture pro-quality audio at the same time. This is usually difficult with most cameras which tend to have omni-directional mics which capture lots of background noise. The ZV-1, however, has a three-capsule uni-directional mic which promises to capture better audio, and focuses on the area immediately in front of the camera, which is the sweet spot for vloggers. The ZV-1 also comes with a wind screen, which can make a world of difference when you’re shooting outdoors on a windy day.

Natural skin tones

Sony has gone to great lengths to ensure that vloggers with any skin color will get great results with the ZV-1. They have also included a Soft Skin option to reduce blemishes and smoother skin textures in the final video.

The Bokeh Switch

Bokeh has become kind of a big deal lately—it’s an effect that everyone wants in their videos. Basically it means that your backgrounds are super blurry and out of focus. In photography, I refer to it as the “art factor”—in video it gives a more cinematic look and makes the subject really pop. With the ZV-1 you can actually switch the bokeh feature on and off with the touch of a button. Very cool indeed!

There are so many more interesting features on the ZV-1 and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Watch out for my full review coming soon!

Check out the full range of Sony digital cameras at BestBuy.ca!