In The Field: Sony ZV-E1 for Travel Vlogging

Are you a travel filmmaker, vlogger or content creator looking to upgrade your video gear? Or a videographer looking for a decent travel camera? Maybe you’re just looking for a used hybrid mirrorless camera? If any of these apply to you, the Sony ZV-E1 could be ideal.

In this review, we’ll examine the Sony ZV-E1’s specs, pros and cons, features and more. We’ll highlight the good, the bad and the ugly so you can determine whether this Sony standout deserves a spot in your camera bag.

Get to Know the Sony ZV-E1

Specs

• 12-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor

• XAVC S-I 4:2:2 10-bit UHD 4K up to 60fps (cropped at 120fps)

• 15+ stops dynamic range

• 125 to 12800 ISO

• S-Log 3, S-Cinetone

Pros

• Easy to use

• Great video quality

• Fantastic image stabilisation

• Impressive S-Cinetone colour profile

• Perfect for handheld shooting

Cons

• Single SD card slot

• Can overheat in 4K

• No electronic viewfinder

Camera Body & Size

This camera is small. In fact, Sony says it’s the smallest, lightest full-frame interchangeable lens camera with in-body image stabilisation.

Portability is a major plus with the ZV-E1. The small frame makes it easy to take anywhere without much hassle. 

Despite its small size, this camera is impressively well-built. With a sturdy, solid build, the ZV-E1 feels like an unstoppable powerhouse that is easy to take anywhere.

The ZV-E1 also has a nifty flip-out touchscreen that makes it easier to navigate menus. The menus themselves can be tricky to sort through, but the touchscreen certainly helps you find what you’re looking for faster.

Image Quality

The Sony ZV-E1 offers impressive image quality—particularly for video—thanks to its 12-megapixel full-frame sensor, inherited from the Sony A7S III. The ZV-E1 captures 4K video at up to 120 fps, providing rich detail and dynamic range even in low-light conditions. Its compact size and user-friendly features make it an excellent choice for vloggers and content creators.

Look out for the camera’s limitations, though. Potential overheating during extended 4K recording sessions and a lack of a mechanical shutter can affect still photography performance.

Low-Light Capabilities

The Sony ZV-E1 excels in low-light conditions thanks to its 12-megapixel full-frame sensor. Its Bionz XR imaging processor further enhances its low-light performance with improved detail and dynamic range.

The FX3 has a dual base ISO of 800 and 12800. Using these same bases for the ZV-E1, we see a similar impressive performance when shooting in low light. There’s minimal grain at night and in dark environments when setting the ZV-E1’s ISO to 12800.

Lens Compatibility

The ZV-1 is compatible with Sony E-mount lenses. For our video, Justin shot with the Sony FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6 lens. It’s a smaller lens that’s great for travel, but it doesn’t have optical image stabilisation. Regardless, the lens didn’t hold back the quality of the footage and the results were impressive for this travel-friendly lens.

The Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G is another great everyday lens for the ZV-E1. Or, if you specifically want a wide-angle zoom lens, check out the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II.

When shooting outside, we recommend purchasing a variable ND filter to attach to the front of your lens. Even for a smaller lens like this 28-60mm, you can find affordable variable ND filter that fit 40.5mm thread lenses.

Video

The Sony ZV-E1 boasts a full-frame sensor and similar video file format options as the FX3, including XAVC S-I 4K. The sharpness won’t blow you away, but video quality looks incredible with nearly 15 stops of dynamic range in C-Log3 mode. Meanwhile, S-Log3 mode makes it easy to edit video. 

The ZV-E1 includes a slew of useful features. Intelligent Auto mode automatically detects the type of footage you’re recording. You can adjust brightness, colour and more within the My Image Style menu. Auto Framing crops your shot and tracks your movement, making it easy to vlog without a team helping you.

Overheating can be an issue at 4K60fps. Outdoor shooting sessions often can’t exceed an hour, so if you need a camera for long shoots in nature, you may need to explore other options.

Image Stabilisation

The ZV-E1’s internal stabilisation proved to be a bit hit-or-miss but mostly successful. Using a lens with image stabilisation would be helpful, but you’ll find the best results when set to Dynamic Active mode. This stabilisation setting does crop your image a bit, so that’s something to be mindful of. You can also try Active and Standard modes to find what works best for you.

Autofocus

The ZV-E1’s autofocus is strong. It uses the new AI processor featured in the Sony A7R V. Locking onto faces and body parts works like a charm — it even has specific settings for birds, animals and more. It doesn’t have an auto setting, though, so you’ll need to play around with settings to find what works for you.

Focus shifting is as fast-paced as you want it to be, and mastering the autofocus abilities allows you to focus on everything else, such as smooth movement and composition.

Slow Motion

The ZV-E1 can shoot at higher frame rates for slow motion, varying depending on the file format you use, including 60fps and 120fps. This high frame rate allows for smooth and detailed slow-motion effects, perfect for capturing intricate actions or adding dramatic flair. The camera's advanced sensor and image processing also ensure minimal motion blur and high-quality output. This makes the ZV-E1 an excellent choice for content creators and vloggers aiming to enhance their visual storytelling with pro-grade slow-mo action.

When shooting these tests, overheating wasn’t an issue for us.

User LUTs

Like the Sony FX3 and cameras such as the Panasonic GH series, the ZV-E1 lets you upload your own LUTs (look-up tables of colour/tone transformations) to the camera.

These can be used in two ways. First, you can see a corrected preview when in Log mode, showing how the footage will look once the LUT is applied. Second, you can apply the LUT in-camera to the footage, giving you pre-graded footage straight out of the camera. However, this means losing the grading flexibility that a Log capture usually gives.

In photo terms, it's like being able to upload your preferred Raw-processing preset into the camera as a new colour mode.

Audio

The ZV-E1 allows you to attach external microphones for enhanced audio capture, but it also comes with a surprisingly impressive internal microphone that — after some audio mixing in post — yields great results.

It also comes with a small wind muff you can attach to the top of the camera to protect your microphone from wind and other elements. The ZV-E1 also has a headphone jack for speccing audio as you record — a serious advantage over cameras like the ZV-1.

Sample Photos

Verdict

The ZV-E1 is easily one of the greatest vlogging cameras, making it an excellent option for cinematographers or content creators wanting to improve their video quality. It can operate as a B-Cam for pro and semi-pro shoots and as a main camera for creating online content and travel videos. As a more affordable alternative to the Sony A7S III (with slightly fewer features), it doesn’t get much better than the Sony ZV-E1.

Still interested in other vlogging cameras? Check out our best budget vlogging cameras, including the GoPro Hero7 Black, Canon EOS M50 and Canon G7 X II.

For more camera gear guides, tips and techniques and expert interviews, visit the MPB content hub.