Customer Ratings & Reviews

***TLDR:*** Wide angle, flippy screen, SD card support, bokeh, and good autofocus... Google for my video review: "Highly Excellent ZV-1F". ***STANDOUT FEATURES:*** 1.) This thing is light. My Galaxy S21 Ultra feels heavier. 2.) Competent autofocus. 3.) Lens Filter Thread. 4.) 1/4" slot (good placement - see photos). 5.) Sony's latest menus. 6.) USB TYPE C. 7.) Competent digital stabilization. ***BUILD QUALITY:*** 1.) To get a vlogging friendly weight and lower price, Sony had to make this from plastic. You're going to notice. It may _feel_ "budget" to you. This may be it's weakest point. Being that the 1" image sensor isn't in need of large glass, there is also a substantial amount of plastic surrounding the lens, and the design isn't stylish. Cover it with an ND filter and you won't care, though. 2.) The flip-out screen mechanism is on par with any other camera I've used. It's also easy to grab. 3.) The flaps covering the ports are plastic, including the tabs holding them to the body. This seems like a weak point, but it hasn't broken, even in my cold weather testing. ***IMAGE QUALITY:*** 1.) Image quality is better in most cases than what you can find on a smartphone, though worse than what you can find on larger-sensor cameras. This shouldn't be surprising. Dynamic range isn't top of the line due to 8 bit recording, but this isn't for film-making. 2.) Color in the default setting is already quite balanced and pleasing in my opinion. I have no need to grade it's footage. No need to grade means a faster workflow. 3.) Contrast-detect autofocus means its slightly slower and less competent than cameras with phase detect or dual pixel autofocus, but you won't be disappointed, as those are heavier and more expensive. 4.) Digital stabilization is competent to give you satisfying results. ***AUTO FOCUS:*** Many complain about Sony's decision to offer this without Phase Detect Auto Focus, but the camera does such an excellent job locking on to your eye (or glasses, or face) that it really doesn't matter under typical vlogging or studio conditions. Switching to their "Product Showcase" mode, you can easily and reliably talk about an object while showing it to the camera, then pull it away and fully trust that the ZV-1F will catch your face again. If fast and accurate autofocus is your only concern, you may want to spend more for phase detect or Dual Pixel. ***MICROPHONE:*** The built-in microphones on the ZV-1F are great for picking up voices. The system seems to be tuned to cut out most mid to low frequency sounds. Sony sells a shotgun mic to better isolate sound the camera is pointed towards, but you add height to the camera. The internal mics are also forward-facing, and booming noises are minimal. Like any microphone, you should attach the included "dead cat" (wind muff) to the cold shoe on days you need it. ***PHYSICAL INTERACTION:*** 1.) Opening the screen is easy. There is ample room on top and bottom to do grab hold (unlike many other mirrorless cameras). 2.) This has the latest touch-capable, redesigned menu system found in Sony's newest and most expensive offerings. This makes finding options easy. 3.) The 1/4" thread is far from the battery/SD card door. Swapping batteries and SD cards out while the camera is attached to a tripod or mounting system or selfie stick is a snap. This is good because... ***DOWNSIDES:*** 1.) The batteries for this camera are small. In optimum conditions you'll get an hour of recording out of one. In suboptimal conditions (like the cold climate I live in), you'll get significantly less. It couldn't handle more than half an hour at 20°. 2.) There is no Optical Image Stabilization in this camera. Watch my video to decide if that makes a difference. 3.) The F2.0 lens on this won't give amazing low light nor great bokeh (background separation). It is better than a Galaxy or iPhone, though. I personally find the amount of background detail to be just right for a walk and talk. 4.) 4K30 and 1080p120 recording can both cause this small camera to overheat within five minutes at room temp. Keep this in mind. Where I record (outside in a snowy climate) it isn't an issue. 5.) "Rolling shutter" may be an issue if you're dead set on 4K recording. I'm not. 1080p works well. ***CONCLUSION:*** This is a perfectly competent camera for purpose: decently lit indoor or outdoor vlogging or studio recording. Out-of-the-box colors are pleasing. A lens thread means you can easily adjust your ND and keep shutter speeds low for a smooth, filmic look. SD card storage alone makes this a worthy upgrade from your smartphone.

I love this Camera! It’s perfect and versatile. I bring it everywhere and the quality is the best.

Camera is user friendly and has a very sleek look. Camera would be a lot easier to create content with if there was a rear facing camera allowing you ro look directly at yourself while filming

camera was basically new. There was no problems and everything was in the box.

Great camera works amazing I recommend it to anyone who wants to record videos or a podcast . It also sends videos and photos to your phone!

My son loves this camera, I’m so glad I bought it for him ❤️

Camera was hard to figure out at first but once you get it it’s simple. The quality is terrible and it doesn’t come with a charger wouldn’t but again.

The camera is perfect for vlogging. However, a charger for the batter and an SD card are required for use so it would be five stars if those were included.

Love this camera for my YouTube channel, vlogs are immaculate & editing is super easy thanks to the bluetooth capabilities.

My daughter loves this vlogging camera she said the quality is great!! Please subscribe to her on YouTube @AnyaMarie.

Love it so much:) best investment I made for YouTube

Good camera still getting the hang of it. The camera connect is my favorite

It really did serve the purpose, except the distance. I was expecting it to be farther.

I love the customer service and the product!!!!!!!

This camera takes horrible pictures. It's difficult to use. It's only good for videos.

Great Camera but make sure if you are having it delivered to order it from somewhere else. I purchased this camera twice. First time FedEx carrier faked delivered it. They took a picture of the package in the front of another apartment and marked it delivered. When I was home. I got the notification 10 mins later I ran outside to see nothing. I went and looked for the carrier. I then immediately called bestbuy and FedEx. Best but was sending me a replacement great. However it would have arrived after Christmas which didn’t work for me. So I was goin to take the refund and go instore to purchase. So I asked to cancel it. I received an email stating I would not receive a replacement or a refund. When Fed Ex clearly said to refund the lost item. Because they was well aware of the carrier who was stealing the packages. Still nothing from Bestbuy. I repurchased the item and went in store to pick it up because I didn’t want to ruin my daughter Christmas so now bestbuy wanted me to double for one item. Which is illegal. I did all the steps they asked of me and I still haven’t received a so call email from the back office.

I love this camera! It is so light weight Very easy to manage . I can’t wait to create beautiful memories

This camera was sold to me & it did not serve my needs. Quality was terrible for photos and not much better for videos.

The Sony ZV-1F camera is designed with vloggers and content creators in mind. It has a fixed 20mm lens with 20 megapixels, 4K video, an intelligent autofocus and a 3” rotating screen. This lightweight camera is great for those who are looking for an excellent picture without the fuzz of having to switch between heavy, professional lenses. The 20mm lens is great for filming yourself out and about, and the 3” screen can be flipped to the front, so that you can see yourself while filming and make necessary adjustments. The image stabilization works great while walking and moving around and the picture quality is great, even on basic/automatic settings; of course this will depend on lighting. The autofocus is smart and recognizes humans very well. There’s also a feature that focuses on products, so that you can do product review videos without worrying about your face or the product being out of focus; it works really well. The various presets allow you to create certain looks right off the bat, but I personally prefer doing this while editing, and I was a bigger fan of simply adjusting the settings of the Standard preset, but if you want to do a quick B&W or Sepia video, you certainly can and each setting is adjustable. For photography, the camera does a great job at taking photos quick and easy at 20 megapixels. The Soft Skin Effect works well, the Low setting does it just right while High looks airbrushed/photoshopped. The Bokeh effect looks really nice. The camera sports a 1-inch sensor and a wide F2.0 aperture lens. It’s missing one thing though, a flash, and the camera doesn’t have a “hot shoe” for an external flash. For video, the camera offers up to 4K resolution at 30 fps, or 1080p at 60 fps. Additionally, you can plug it directly into your computer and use it as a webcam at 720p / 30 fps. I wish it could output 1080p over USB, but that will require a capture card. I streamed live on Twitch for over 2 hours and the camera worked fine the whole time using the included USB cable. When plugged in for streaming, the camera is powered by USB, which is an added bonus, if you’re trying to avoid unnecessary cables. The camera has a fixed lens, meaning no optical zoom. There’s a 4X digital zoom for photos, and a 2X zoom for videos. The zoomed in photo looks fine, but with a non-removable lens, it would be nice to have an optical zoom, but the sacrifice would be the general image quality. You can do a lot with a 20 mm wide lens though, and for vloggers, it’s pretty much perfect for on-the-go shoots with one or two people on camera. Finally, the sound. The camera has a built-in directional 3-capsule microphone that’s great for talking, whether it’s into the camera or for an interview. A wind screen is included and does a terrific job at keeping out wind sounds and plosives, although it doesn’t look as puffed up as in the photos. Maybe I should get the hair blower… If you want a more professional sound, I would recommend getting the Sony shotgun mic (ECM-G1) that works perfectly with this camera and also comes with a wind screen. The camera has Wi-Fi and there’s an app to connect to your smartphone, so you can set up the camera and download photos. You can’t control the camera settings from the app, which would be an awesome feature. Sony offers a Vloggers Kit that comes with a remote that turns into a tripod, which is very convenient for both taking photos and videos while walking and for static shots like streaming or zooming. A 64GB SD Card is included, so you have everything you need to start filming. This camera is perfect for vloggers and content creators that are looking for a camera for selfie-style videos and photos that beats any smartphone and many cameras available. It’s lightweight and practical so that you can film and transfer quickly so that the content can keep on coming.

The camera is absolutely perfect for what I needed. The image quality is outstanding, delivering sharp, clear footage with excellent color accuracy and detail. It performs well in a variety of lighting conditions, making it reliable whether I’m recording indoors or outdoors. The camera is easy to use, lightweight, and comfortable to handle for extended periods of time. One of the things I appreciate most is how versatile it is. Whether I’m filming videos, creating content, vlogging, livestreaming, or taking photos, it consistently produces professional-looking results. The autofocus is fast and accurate, helping keep subjects sharp without constant adjustments, and the audio options provide flexibility for connecting external microphones when needed. The battery life is solid, the menu system is straightforward, and the overall build quality feels durable and well-made. After spending time with it, I can confidently say it was exactly what I was looking for and has exceeded my expectations in both performance and value. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a dependable, high-quality camera for content creation, photography, or everyday recording needs.