Sony’s ZV-1F is its most affordable vlogging camera yet

Sony has unveiled the ZV-1F, its third and most affordable vlogging camera, designed for creators as a “step up” from smartphones. Priced at just $500, it's slotted below the $700 ZV-1 compact and $750 mirrorless ZV-E10 (with a kit lens), and has a Type-1 Exmor 20.1-megapixel sensor, 4K video, and features that help novice users get up to speed quickly. 

While using a similar Type-1 sensor to the ZV-1, it trades that models 24-70mm zoom for a wide-angle, 20mm equivalent prime lens. That extra field of view, plus the fully-articulating display, could actually make it better for vlogging or selfies than the ZV-1 — allowing folks to better fit themselves into the frame. 

However, it also makes it less versatile for shooting products, other people and so on, though you can do a digital zoom of 2x in 1080p and about 1.5x in 4K. It has no built-in stabilization, instead relying on electronic stabilization that imposes a 1.23x crop, making the 20mm lens about 25mm. 

You can shoot 4K at up to 30 fps, the same as the ZV-1, and 1080p at up to an impressive 120fps (with 8-bit video in all modes). That's done by the “slow and quick” setting, which also supports 60x hyperlapse capture in HD. However, unlike most other Sony models, the ZV-1F has contrast-detect only autofocus, rather than phase detect that's generally faster and more accurate. 

Like the other vlogging models, the ZV-1F has a “product showcase” feature that lets you place a product in front of the camera and quickly get focus. It also has the same bokeh switch that lets you defocus the background with the click of a button. A nod to TikTok or Snapchat creators is the Shot Mark feature that lets you grab a 15-, 30- or 60-second clip and send it to a smartphone through Sony's app. 

On the audio side, it has a directional microphone that offers good-quality sound, with forward bias that isolates your voice, even outdoors. It also includes a removable “deadcat” to reduce wind noise. 

Other features include a single UHS-1 slot, an ISO range of 125 to 12,800, vertical shooting, and a front facing tally light that shows when you're recording. Sony says it weighs just 256 grams, just a bit more than the 203 gram iPhone 14. It arrives on October 24th for $500.