The Sony ZV-1 was already released back in May 2020, and people still think that it's one of the best vlogging cameras nowadays, but recently, Sony released a “stranger” version of the camera. They present to you, the Sony ZV-1, a cheaper version that contains a variety of features.
The Sony ZV-1F is clearly meant to be a simplified and reasonably priced camera for people who enjoy recording videos for social media, streaming, or simply just partaking in teleconferences and wish to enhance the quality of the videos they're excited to share. Despite how powerful smartphone cameras have become, most content creators still depend on lesser quality cameras on these devices because of the price.
The new ZV-1F, just like its other variant the ZV-1, is actually based on Sony's pocketable RX100 line, but also comes with tweaks that prioritize the camera as a device for mainly capturing videos.
The peculiar camera has a 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS sensor with a 20.1 MP resolution for acquiring 4K video either at 24 or 30 frames per second, but it swaps the ZV-1's non-swappable 24-70-millimeter f/1.8-2.8 zoom lens for a non-swappable as well as non-zooming 20-millimeter f/2.0 prime lens capable of recording an even broader view, making framing relatively easy for those who only want to shoot selfies.
Sony claimed that the new ZV-1F has phone-like touchscreen features. In contrast to the ZV-1, which only allowed people to simply touch the screen to grab focus, the new camera allows you to swipe up from the bottom of the display for using often-used settings and configurations, or tap the screen's control buttons to modify features like aperture.
Unfortunately, the ZV-1F has certain limitations. The absurdity is that the camera's autofocus system, which is likely the camera's defining feature, employs an older contrast-detection system instead of a hybrid configuration that integrates both contrast and phase-detect technology for dependable traceability.
But besides being such a downgrade from the old ZV-1, the new ZV-1F's greatest appealing feature is the astonishing $500 price tag it will carry once it launches later in the month. The ZV-1F is about $300 cheaper than the ZV-1. For novice content creators, streamers, and vloggers looking to establish an audience and deliver professional-looking content, the ZV-1F is a fairly cheap way to enhance the content they're producing, and it's a significant improvement over depending on a mobile phone for video needs.