Last year, Sony made some big waves in the vlogging community by releasing the ZV-1, a 1″-sensor device (like their hugely popular RX-series premium compacts) specially tuned to make life easier for video content creators. Their latest offering, the first interchangeable lens vlogging camera, will allow you to capture even more of your world. The Alpha ZV-E10 is expected to be available on August 24th 31st of this year, but you can click the link below to pre-order yours today.
Powered by a 24.2 MP sensor and a powerful BIONZ X image processor, the α ZV-E10 packs plenty of imaging intelligence into a compact body weighing less than a pound—an important consideration if you’re going to be hand-holding a lot of your footage and/or traveling to find the fascinating content your viewers crave!
The biggest advantages of the α ZV-E10 over the ZV-1 are, of course, the larger sensor (see the comparison chart below) and the ability to swap lenses so you never have to compromise to make your outcome fit your available optics. With dozens of Sony E-mount lenses alone from which to choose, not to mention third-party lenses and the potential unlocked by adapters, the ability to change lenses offers limitless ability to define your own unique style. Bring distant subjects into focus for your viewers, go wide for panoramic landscapes, or even experiment with unconventional views like fish-eye and macro. And that nice, big sensor bestows beautiful bokeh and smooth low-light capture to all your imagery.
Video quality
The α ZV-E10 can record video at up to 4K 30/24p 100Mbps, or at a maximum framerate of 120 fps in FHD. 4K video is oversampled at 6K using the entire sensor (no pixel-binning) for stunning detail in every frame.
Sony is known for robust, effective, and fast autofocus, and that’s no less true for the α ZV-E10. The system utilizes 425 phase-detection autofocus points in addition to full-sensor contrast detection to enable real-time Eye AF and AI-driven real-time tracking. The last thing you want is to finish a fantastic take and realize your camera was focused just behind your head the whole time, and with the narrower depth of field you may be using with a larger sensor, it’s even more critical that you can trust your camera to do the right thing. As with the ZV-1, you can adjust the speed at which your camera transitions between focal points, almost like having your own robotic focus puller.
In addition to these human-subject-oriented AF features, the α ZV-E10 introduces Face Detection AE. Gone are the days when your face drops into obscurity as you walk under a bridge while guiding your viewers on a tour of some picturesque city!
Stability is also a natural priority for on-the-go vlogging. Active Mode IS applies stabilization as you record, trading minimal cropping for rock-steady takes. A great add-on for stable usage is the optional GP-VPT2BT grip. Functioning as a tabletop tripod, pistol grip , and remote, this little guy offers a stable handhold with record, zoom (if the lens has a powered zoom), and bokeh control within a finger’s reach.
This video can be recorded for later editing or live-streamed over a single USB-C cable. You can even use the α ZV-E10 as a webcam to put an impressive polish on your videoconferences.
Let the camera do the work with vlog-centric features
So, what makes this an interchangeable lens vlog camera? Video quality is important, sure, but there are many cameras today that can provide that. Well, check out this conglomeration of features:
- Bokeh button to shift effortlessly between max aperture and f/8 or f/11 (depending on the lens)
- Product Showcase AF mode watches for items held up close to the camera and immediately switches focus to them (and returns to your face when the item is lowered)
- Slow & Quick capture allows rapid transitioning between normal speed footage and either up to 5x slowed or 60x sped-up video
- Interval capture for timelapses
- Four-level soft skin effect
- Color tuning specially designed to provide natural colors for a broad range of skin tones
- Metadata tagging of vertical video for applications in which that is preferable
- 125 minute/440 image battery life for long recording sessions
- Optional AC adapter for even longer recording sessions
The first three features in that list are even mapped to hardware buttons to minimize fumbling while you’re in the creative zone. More hardware features for vloggers include a flip-out vari-angle LCD screen and a tally light on the front of the body so you never have to worry about whether you’re recording or not. (A bright red frame also appears around the image on the LCD while recording for positive confirmation while you’re behind the camera.)
Creative control and connectivity
The α ZV-E10 is designed for all workflows. If you prefer quality time in the cutting room, you can record in SLog-3 and take total control over your color grading. On the other hand, if you’re operating on a faster timetable or want a more simplified process, there are numerous creative modes built into the camera. From there, it’s easy to wirelessly transfer video and stills to your smart device, where you can instantly share what you’ve created or edit on the fly with the Movie Editing add-on for the Imaging Edge app.
Ports are in respectable supply, including Sony’s Multi Interface shoe, a powered mic jack, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port, and micro-HDMI output.
Don’t forget the audio…
Last, but certainly not least, the engineers at Sony remembered to give some consideration to the α ZV-E10‘s audio recording capabilities. This is usually the lowest priority in video cameras, but for this purpose-built device there’s an above-average level of love. The built in microphone is a three-capsule directional mic (as opposed to the meh “general purpose” cardioid mics found in most DSLRs/ILCs), and it includes a custom-fitted windscreen. Based on samples released by Sony, it actually sounds quite usable for non-cinematic purposes—a blessing for the aforementioned on-the-go one-man-crew vlogger! For the more demanding user, the Multi Interface shoe and 3.5mm terminal offer support for a wide range of digital and analog microphones along with all-important real time monitoring via the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Onward and upward
Excited yet? I know I’m in the mood to create now! Keep scrolling to check out sample images and don’t forget to pre-order now to ensure you’re one of the first to enjoy this exciting new camera. You can click here or visit a Mike’s Camera near you to get on the list today.
And, hey—while you wait, why not take a look at some of our relevant tutorials?
Click here for our guide to creating a (hopefully) successful vlog.
Click here for our guide to upgrading your ILC audio capture.
Sample images
Product images
