Key takeaways

• While compact, the Sony ZV-1 II doesn't compromise on performance or quality.
• The ZV-1 II is simple to use, and the autofocus performance is as good as you'd expect from a Sony camera.
• Better image stabilization would help the camera's video-recording performance tremendously.

Sony's camera offerings have always been remarkable tools for creators, enabling them to capture content for work and various creative projects. In the early days of vlogging, the company even had several great options for photographers and videographers. However, they were mostly expensive and almost too complicated to use for first-timers.

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For creators and vloggers, myself included, most just want to fire up the camera and shoot, which was why Sony released the original ZV-1. The ZV-1 wasn't a bad camera for vlogging per se, but it had its shortcomings, such as the limited capturing distance. Since then, Sony has released a newZV-1 II , and I got my hands on the camera to find out just how much better it is than the first. Read on.

For starters, the ZV-1 II is aimed at content creators looking to grab high-quality video or photos quickly, especially when they're on the go and don't have a tripod in hand. As someone who's no longer as young as he once was, I must admit that the quality progression in point-and-shoot cameras over the years has been fascinating to witness. The ZV-1 line of cameras are a great example. 

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In the ZV-1 II, you're getting a one-inch image sensor capable of 20-megapixel images and capturing 4K video at up to 30 frames per second. Some will scoff at the 20MP spec, and I get it. However, I can attest that the image quality is good enough for Instagram posts or even the thumbnails of your next YouTube video. The image below is an example. The clarity on it is sufficient. The colors are pleasing to the eye, and if you really want to boost the colors in post-processing, you can. Even on a JPEG file. 

Going into testing, I wanted to dig a little deeper into the photography aspect of the camera. It's not very difficult to make a wide shot look great on a mirrorless or DSLR camera, but what about something in the midrange or with a tight focal length? Is detail lost when the lens zooms in? Here's a shot of some random man (read: me) in the typical vlogging posture at roughly 16mm (full-frame) focal length. The color is saturated nicely, the details of my face are clear, and notice the clarity of my eyes and the texture of my beard.

Now, let's look at a roughly 50mm (full frame) focal length with the ZV-1 II. Even with 20MP, I can still see nice details on my face and eyes. There's also a natural-looking blur between my face and the wall behind me.

A vlogger is going to be more concerned about the video performance and quality of the ZV-1 II. As with the previous version of this camera, the video quality in 4K looks great. Sony's color science has always been noteworthy. It's great that it's passed that down to its less expensive line of camera bodies, such as the ZV-1 II. 

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Notably, the autofocus will have vloggers grinning from ear to ear because it's reliably fast and locks onto the subjects almost instantaneously, even in not-so-great lighting conditions, from the tests I've done. For the most natural posture when vlogging, I'd even recommend picking up Sony's ownmini Bluetooth tripod . It's not cheap at roughly$140, but the improved stabilization -- something I'll talk more about shortly -- and handy buttons make the camera even more operable.

I'll also give a nod to the light weight of the camera, which doesn't wear down your forearm or shoulder the way a typical mirrorless camera would when vlogging or shooting content on the go.

What I'd like to see in the next model

I can't overlook some of the items that may be seen like limitations of the ZV-1 II. For the price, the image sensor isn't bad. But, the lack of stabilization can be apparent if you're not careful as a photographer. I shot the bee image below at 1/200 second, which isn't a slow shutter speed but slow enough to capture any micro-jitters my hands presented when shooting. 

Notice the blur in the image. If you're having difficulty noticing the blur, compare the image to the previous shot of the bee. You'll see how the fuzziness of it is absent in the latter image. Image stabilization in the camera body or lens would have definitely alleviated this problem.

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From a video standpoint, the 4K video looks great, but there's roughly a 1.1x crop on the footage. So, if you frame your shot for a photo at a particular focal length, the same setting on the lens will be a little bit tighter in 4K video recording. Granted, Sony did update the lens to give a wider field of view and focal length to the ZV-1 II, but there's still a little bit of cropping going on. Fortunately, the wider lens angle hides the crop better than the previous model.

's buying advice

The point-and-shoot market is bustling with quality cameras right now, and the Sony ZV-1 II is high on the tier list. For$799, it's a solid value, especially if you're just getting started with shooting content. As a vlogger, you get the option to mount a small external microphone to the mic jack, and the camera should keep up with roughly one hour of video shooting.

The images from the ZV-1 II won't be the best you've ever seen, but they're still worth considering if speed and ease of use are what you're looking for. 

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