Sony Expands Vlogging Lineup with the ZV-1 II Digital Camera

Sony has announced the ZV-1 II, the latest in its growing catalogue of cameras for content creation. Descended from Sony's popular ZV-1, the ZV-1 II promises to be an even better compact camera with a bevy of improvements based on user feedback. Improvements include a wider zoom lens with an 18-50mm equivalent focal length―a significant upgrade over the ZV-1's 24-70mm focal length. At its widest end, the ZV-1 II can easily fit up to three people in frame and features facial recognition software to keep everyone in focus.

The 3-capsule microphone has also received a big upgrade for users who enjoy narrating behind the camera. With changeable directivity, the intelligent mic recognizes faces and objects and prioritizes audio capture from the direction of the subject.

While it is dressed up like the improved ZV-1, the ZV-1 II also borrows many elements from its close relative, the ZV-E1. The touch controls on the new camera, for example, support smartphone-like swiping gestures to access the shooting menu and other basic settings, much like the ZV-E1.

The ZV-1 II has also gained the Cinematic Vlog setting from the ZV-E1―a compilation of presets for creatives looking to output cinematic content without getting too technical. Settings like frame rate and aspect ratio are predetermined and automatically applied, while settings that control the overall look and vibe of your footage are toggleable.

Of course, many popular features found in the ZV-1 can also be found in the ZV-1 II. The vlogging keystones, such as Face Priority AE and natural-looking skin, have carried over and will likely look similar, since both cameras have the same 1.0 Exmor RS sensor, ND filters, and autofocus capabilities.

Both cameras can still record at 4K 30p (or Full HD up to 120p), but the ZV-1 II now offers more potential for dynamic shots because of its focal length. The ZV-1 II also supports Sony's Slow and Quick mode, which allows shooters to capture Full HD video at specified steps between 1-120 fps. We have seen this feature in the subsequent ZV-1F, ZV-E10, and ZVE1 cameras, and it will be a welcomed addition to the latest release.

Fans of the ZV-1 will also be excited to know that Sony has done away with the Micro USB in favor of a USB-C input for greater convenience and ease of use. This change will improve its viability as a streaming camera to work alongside the more common USB-C peripherals.

For more information and details, please visit the ZV-1 II page on our ecommerce website. Are you excited about Sony's ZV-1 II? If you already have the ZV-1, do you think you will make the upgrade? Let us know in the Comments section, below.