Introduction

Ease of Use

When considering the Sony ZV-1F it’s important to understand exactly who it is for. In a world of Instagram Stories, YouTube and TikTok, Sony has created a camera that is designed to appeal to creators who want more quality and flexibility than they would get from shooting with a smartphone or action camera.

Side by side the ZV-1F looks like a slightly bloated version of the popular RX100 camera; it is a millimetre or two larger in every dimension, which accentuates the rounded edges of the camera.

Hold the ZV-1F for the first time and another major change becomes apparent - it has a plastic, or polycarbonate, body, as opposed to the more premium all-metal design of the RX100.

Again, this has been done to keep the cost of the camera down, but in hand the body seems solid enough. All the components fit very nicely together, there are no creaks or weak looking joints, with everything very well designed and assembled.

The ZV-1F may not have a zoom lens, but that hasn't stopped Sony from incorporating what they've called a touch-controlled step zoom for both stills and video.

With just a touch of ZOOM icon on the the LCD panel, you can select from 1.0x/1.5x/2.0x/4.0x option. This uses a mixture of Sony's Clear Image Zoom and digital zoom to quickly change the angle of view.

The rear of the camera is almost identical to the RX100 series and to the ZV-1, with the familiar directional control dial placed around a central selection button. Around this sit 4 other buttons to access regularly used features.

What has changed is the placement of the video recording button. This has moved from being a small, hard to press, button on the top-right of the rear of the RX100, to being much larger and occupying a much more prominent position on the top-plate of the ZV-1F.

This difference also allows the ZV-1F to have a much larger, and very welcome, rubberised thumb grip on the rear whcih makes it easier to operate one-handed at arm's length.

Finally on the rear is the 3-inch, 921,000 dot LCD screen. This is hinged to the side of the camera and offers 180 degree rotation, meaning it can be folded to the side, then flipped to face forward for vlogging or self-portraits (or selfies as they are now known), as well as being able to fold the screen in to the camera body to offer protection when you just want to carry the camera loose in a bag or pocket.

On the side of the ZV-1F sit its three external ports - HDMI, Micro USB and that all-important 3.5mm microphone input.

The HDMI-out allows for external video recording which will allow you to squeeze every bit of detail out of the 1-inch sensor, although attaching any external device kind of defeats the point of this being a small vlogging camera. Still, it is a useful option to have if only to playback video or images directly from the camera.

The USB Type-C (USB 2.0) socket allows for power to be supplied to both keep the ZV-1F going with a battery installed, or to charge the battery when the camera is not in use. This is a welcome upgrade from the rather antiquated Micro USB port found on the ZV-1.

As well as being faster, it allows the ZV-1F to act as another audio interface for the camera, allowing headphones to be used, much as Fujifilm has done with its X-T3 and X-T4 cameras.

It’s an extremely useful feature to have given that the NP-BX1 batteries are quite small and those planning to shoot video would be advised to purchase a few more, or have a powerbank available on standby.

Under testing conditions the battery life is quoted as being between 45-75mins, depending on how many other operations you are doing, zooming, power the camera on and off etc. Taking into account reviewing images and video, zooming in and out, having the screen on whilst not recording and taking still images, we would expect real world usage to be below the 45mins quoted.

The maximum recording time for a single continuous video clip is now thankfully unlimited, which is much better than the 29mins 59 secs limit found on the ZV-1.

It’s on the top of the camera where there are the most notable differences from the RX100 range. The pop-up flash and pop-up EVF are gone, replaced instead with a large three-capsule direction microphone and a Multi Interface hot-shoe.

The shoe allows for any standard accessories to be mounted, with microphones and LED lights being the most obvious. However, the Multi Interface part also allows for compatible Sony accessories to work intelligently with the camera and also draw power where needed.

We successfully mounted and used the Sony HVL-F43M flash on the camera, which operated perfectly. It is obviously hideously oversized for the ZV-1F, and is not something we would recommend using, but at a push, it does mean that you can mount and use Sony flashguns.

The Sony ECM-XYST1M stereo microphone can also be used, with the audio sent through the Multi Shoe rather than requiring a 3.5mm cable to be plugged into the side of the camera.

Another change from the RX100 to the ZV-1F is the removal of the ‘Mode’ dial, which has been replaced with a Mode button next to the camera power button.

This may seem like a big change, but knowing photographers behaviour this is a rarely used dial which will largely be set in the same position depending on the photographer’s preferred mode. It takes a second or two longer to switch modes using the button, but it certainly isn’t a deal breaker.

As well as the shutter and zoom control toggle, the top-plate also sees the addition of the video record button. This is much larger than the small button found on the RX100 cameras, and it is marked with a red ring to easily identify it when compared to the shutter button.

Finally on the top there is the Background Defocus button. For vloggers the aim of this button is to switch between having the background blurred or clear. In photographic terms it is switching the aperture between the largest available (f/2) and f/5.6.

It is a useful button to have available for video, but even for stills photography it is something we would use to make a very quick aperture change.

Sadly, the control ring that is found around the lens of the RX100 series cameras is not included on the ZV-series models. This could be used to change a number of different things, from the focusing or zooming of the lens, to the aperture. Again, this must have been largely to keep costs down, and possibly to keep the controls of the ZV-1F as simple as possible.

With the lack of a mode dial and the lens control dial, it does take a little longer to switch between some of the settings of the ZV-1F compared to an RX100-series camera.

Thankfully the function button on the rear of the camera operates in exactly the same as it does on the RX100 and A7 series cameras, so you can use it to quickly access features you will need the most, such as white balance, Picture Style and the AF settings.

The ‘Trash’ button also acts as the ‘C2’ custom button, which by default is set to access the Product Showcase mode. This is a special autofocus mode that alerts the camera to switch focus from a person’s face to an object that may be held up in front of the camera.

This is a popular YouTube technique for when wanting to show an item to the viewer, but on cameras with slower autofocus it can leave the focus fixed on the presenter’s face with the product out of focus, and vice versa. The Product Showcase mode solves that issue, adding another plus point for vlogging with the ZV-1F.

The menu system of the ZV-1F is identical to other Sony cameras, so existing users will have no problem navigating it, whilst those less familiar may find the odd item buried away in a curious location. Most usefully the option to customise the Function Button Quick menu remains, and it can have two different versions depending on whether you are shooting stills or video.

There is also the MyMenu screen, where you can add any other the Menu settings to your own personalised Menu Screen, and there is also the option to make this the default screen that pops up when the Menu button is pressed.

So although there is an almost overwhelming amount of features in the ZV-1F, between the Function Menu and the My Menu you should be able to access everything you need quickly and efficiently once you've spent a little time setting it all up.

The ZV-1F notably lacks the Hybrid AF sensor that utilises up to 315-phase detection points and 425-contrast detection points, as found on the more expensive ZV-1. Instead, it only has 425-point contrast detection system, which although generally quite snappy, doesn't allow for the same level of for the fast and smooth subject tracking that phase detection AF supports.

However, it does still support EyeAF, which detects a human eye not only when shooting still images, but also when shooting video, and it works extremely well. It is visibly fast enough to follow an eye around the screen, and you can even select which eye you wish to focus on, just like on recent A7 cameras.

And so on to the key part of the ZV-1F, its video features. The ZV-1F is essentially like a miniature version of the A7 series cameras. Virtually all of the video settings that are found much further up in the range are here. Video can be recorded in 4K resolution at up to 30fps, whilst Full HD can be shot at up to 100/120fps depending on whether you are shoot PAL or NTSC format.

There are also the HFR modes where you can shoot at 250, 500 or 1000fps, with footage then saved at 25fps for super slow motion playback. It should be noted that although the HFR video is saved at the Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, it is upscaled from a much smaller recorded resolution; in the case of 1000fps this may be as low as 912 x 308 pixels.

The length of time you can record a clip is also restricted to just a few seconds depending on the chosen frame rate and whether you choose the Quality or Time mode. Either way, it is long enough to create fascinating super slow motion footage, but for most users the 100 or 120fps modes will be more than enough and be better quality.

All of the Picture Profiles are present and correct, meaning you can match the footage shot with the ZV-1F with cameras such as the A7 III, making it an ideal accompaniment for those who may be using those cameras in more of a studio environment.

Proxy recording is available, allowing low resolution 1280 x 720 resolution footage to be recorded alongside 4K or Full HD footage. This is great for those who may be editing video on older computers. Simply edit using the lower resolution proxy files, then switch to the full resolution 4K files when it comes to the final fine-tuning and export.

The built-in ND filter feature that Sony included in the ZV-1 has sadly been omitted from the ZV-1F. This 3EV filter helped you to shoot at larger apertures on bright days, which is extremely useful when shooting video and trying to stick to the shutter speed being double the frame rate rule.

For example, at 25fps the ideal shutter speed is 1/50th sec. If you want to create a shallow depth of field on a bright sunny day you would be hard pushed to do this, but turning the ND filter on will darken the image just enough to allow an aperture 3 stops larger to be used, helping to create a shallower depth of field.

It's a real shame that this extremely useful feature hasn't been included on the ZV-1F and may be reason enough to pay more for the ZV-1.

Another crucial way in which the two models notably differ is stabilisation. On the ZV-1 there is Optical Steadyshot built-in to the lens, which gives you a couple of stops extra to play with when taking still images and smoothing out the lightest of movements when shooting video.

On the cheaper ZV-1, sadly there is no optical stabilisation, only the option to switch on Active SteadyShot in video, which is a digital form of stabilisation. This crops in to the image slightly by 1.23x to give the camera room to digitally move the image frame around to compensate for any larger movements. It works very well, creating very stable footage when handholding and taking out all but the heaviest of footsteps when walking.

The catch is that because of the slight crop, if you are vlogging your face will appear larger when in the frame. We would suggest only using it when walking or zooming in to show something, and when presenting to camera use a tripod if possible.

We're not quite sure why, as there's no technical reason to do this, but Sony have decided to not include RAW file support for stills on the ZV-1F, just JPEGs. Perhaps this decision has been made to simplify the camera for its more video-focused target audience, but it does greatly limit its appeal to stills photographers who might have been considering it as a capable pocket camera. You'll need to jump to the ZV-1 to get this feature.

With the option to add an external microphone or an LED light, or even a handle, to the hot-shoe, the ZV-1F is a capable video camera that we're sure will find an immediate home amongst the vlogging community, particularly those users who are currently using A7-series cameras.

The 4K image quality is crisp and clear and the Picture Profiles enable you to shoot S-Log footage as well as all of the Cine styles, so it should be easy to find and create a style that you like that works across a variety of Sony cameras.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 20 megapixel SuperFine JPEG setting, which produces an average image size of around 7Mb.

With the stacked sensor from the ZV-1F being used in several previous Sony RX100 cameras, it is something of a known quantity.

As a backside illuminated sensor, most of the circuitry of the sensor is found behind the photosites, which maximises the light gathering capabilities and makes it an impressive sensor given its modest 1” size. With this circuitry directly on the sensor, it enables the camera to shoot bursts at up to 16fps, a little slower than the 24fps on the ZV-1.

With a sensitivity range of between ISO 125 and 12,800, it has a good range for a compact camera, without going to the extremely high settings that would be pushing the sensor too far. Our advice is to avoid the highest two sensitivity settings unless you really have no choice but to use them.

There are also two lower sensitivities of ISO 80 and ISO 100, however these offer no improved image quality as are merely using the native ISO 125 setting, increasing the exposure time and then adjusting the signal gain to darken the image. The result is that although it will allow for slower shutter speeds or a larger aperture to be used, there is a reduced dynamic range due to the highlights tending to clip more easily.

Throughout the entire range the default noise reduction settings for JPEG images reduce both luminance and colour noise. The luminance noise reduction is a little heavy handed when you start to reach settings around ISO 1600; we would prefer a little more detail and luminance noise than the slight blur that is applied when luminance noise is reduced. That said there is still plenty of detail at lower ISO sensitivities, although the lack of RAW files is a real shame when it comes to getting the most out of your images.

Colour noise is well reduced throughout the camera's range with the colour noise reduction set to Normal by default. There is some loss of colour saturation at higher sensitivity so it's a good idea to change the setting to ‘Low’ in some circumstances, particularly if shooting on a bright sunny day rather than in low light.

For a compact camera the 1-inch sensor obviously has an advantage over standard compact or smartphone size sensor with more detail and less noise, though you still need to remember that this isn’t an APS-C or Full frame sensor, so sticking to the lower sensitivities is always going to produce the best results.

Noise

The Sony ZV-1F has eight sensitivity settings at full resolution ranging from ISO 125 to ISO 12800. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting for both JPEG and Raw formats.

ISO 125 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)	ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

Focal Range

The Sony ZV-1F has a fixed focal length 20mm f/2 lens.

Chromatic Aberrations

The Sony ZV-1F handled chromatic aberrations very well during the review, with some purple fringing present around the edges of objects in high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.

Macro

The Sony ZV-1F allows you to focus on a subject that is 5cm / 0.17 ft away from the camera.

Long Exposures

The Sony ZV-1F's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds in the Manual shooting mode, which is great news if you're seriously interested in night photography.

Dynamic Range

Again, the advantage of a 1-inch sensor compared to a standard smartphone or compact sensor means the ZV-1F offers good dynamic range, though obviously it can’t quite match that of an APS-C or full frame sensor

Sony has employed its usual Dynamic Range Optimiser feature in the ZV-1F. This has 7 different settings including Off, Auto and levels 1-5. The exposure is adjusted to retain highlight detail, with the curve on the shadow areas adjusted to lighten them to maximise the dynamic range available.

In-camera HDR is also available, and in good light and with a steady hand you can successfully use this feature handheld.

Dynamic Range Optimiser Off

Dynamic Range Optimiser Level 5

Creatiuve Styles

All of Sony’s usual colour presets are available, from standard to portrait and black and white.

ST

PT

NT

VV

VV2

FL

IN

SH

BW

SE

Picture Profiles

The Picture Profile settings, which are really designed for video, can be used as image profiles. These can be customised and go way beyond the standard contrast and saturation settings that are usually found when editing in-camera image profiles. Users can adjust the black and white points, individual colour strength, contrast and many more options.

As you can only shoot JPEG images with this camera, we would highly recommend taking the time to play with the picture profiles settings as it will offer you the ability to really fine-tune its output, although the settings aren’t always the easiest to get your head round.

PP1

PP2

PP3

PP4

PP5

PP6

PP7

PP8

PP9

PP10

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Sony ZV-1F camera, which were all taken using the 20 megapixel SuperFine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample Movies & Video

Product Images

Conclusion

Following on from 2020's ZV-1 model, the new ZV-1F attempts to appeal to an even larger vlogging audience predominantly by hitting a lower price point, and by and large it's mostly successful.

In this inflationary day and age, £550 / $500 for a 4K/30p stills and video camera that you can carry in your pocket but which can potentially match the output of a much more expensive Sony Alpha mirrorless model is a pretty reasonable asking price.

Compared to the ZV-1 step-up model, it offers a wider angle of view and a more up-to-date USB-C port for faster charging and headphone use, whilst being simpler to use for its more beginner-oriented audience.

On the flip side, there are a few notable differences and omissions which make the ZV-1 a much better fit for some people, including only offering contrast rather than phase-detect auto-focus and the complete lack of optical stabilization, RAW file support and built-in ND filter on the cheaper model.

So although the two cameras look very similar side-by-side, we'd recommend stretching the budget to the ZV-1 if you can afford it - you undoubtedly get a lot of extra performance for your extra investment.

Which isn't to say that you should avoid the ZV-1F completely if you can't stretch beyond its relatively modest asking price, as it still represents a significant step-up for many smartphone owners looking for a more capable vlogging device.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	4.5
Value for money	4

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Sony ZV-1F.

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Sony ZV-1F from around the web.

Specifications

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