Back in May 2020, Sony introduced its first specialist vlogging camera, the ZV-1. This repackaged technology from the firm’s highly regarded RX100-series advanced compact cameras into a new body design, while throwing in some clever, easy-to-use features specifically designed for its target audience. As a result, it rapidly gained a dedicated following among YouTubers and spawned a whole series of Sony vlogging cameras. Now the firm has got around to revisiting the original design.
Without doubt the headline update is the lens, with the new Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 6.9-17.6mm F1.8-4 optic providing a much wider angle of view, which is roughly equivalent to 18-50mm in full-frame terms. This addresses one of the major criticisms of the original, that its 25-70mm zoom isn’t really wide enough for arm’s length vlogging. However, such an ultra-wide view is unique for a zoom compact camera, which means it could also pique the interest of stills shooters for genres such as travel or landscape photography.
It’s probably no surprise to learn that the catch is the price; at £870, the ZV-1 Mark II is rather more expensive than the original, which is now available at a street price of about £670. So is the new model a worthwhile upgrade for vloggers, and should stills photographers be tempted, too?
Features
Like its predecessor, the ZV-1 Mark II uses a 20MP 1-in type image sensor which measures 13.2x8.8mm. It offers a sensitivity range
