Sony ZV-1

The Sony ZV-1 is a huge leap forward in merging the accessibility of a smartphone and the proficiency of a dedicated camera into one device. It's not perfect, and we hope to see its overheating issues and convoluted menus resolved in its eventual successor, but as a first attempt, Sony has created the all-in-one device that vloggers have been waiting for.

The Sony ZV-1 delivers everything that a vlogger could wish for in a compact camera, and it comes with Sony's excellent AF system. There are features to help inexperienced photographers/videographers/vloggers get good results, the exposure can be controlled automatically or manually and there's a built-in ND filter plus Log and Gamma control. It makes it easy to produce great 4K video but lets you take control when you want to. It all adds up to a very enticing camera for vloggers.

The Sony ZV-1 may not excite photographers, with the RX100 series filling that role, but for vlogging and video, the ZV-1 is definitely our first choice at this price.

The Sony ZV-1 is a pocketable camera with strong still image quality and features geared specifically toward vloggers.

The ZV-1 is Sony’s first RX100-series camera designed specifically for vlogging. It does that job well thanks to a lightweight body, built-in high-quality microphone, flip-out display, best-in-class autofocus and excellent image quality. The 24-70mm lens is sharp, but it needs to be wider because of the 25 percent crop when using electronic stabilization. It also lacks a true touch display and a headphone port. That nitpicking aside, if you’re looking to step up from a smartphone or just want something simple, it does the job nearly perfectly.

Vlogging is a professional job, and lots of those pros are well beyond what the ZV-1 is and can do. Many aren’t, though — and others might just want something that’s pocketable. I hope there are enough people to convince Sony to keep investing in the category. The ZV-1 is an admirable retrofit, but I’d love to see what a ground-up rebuild would look like.

Naturally, with the same guts as the excellent RX-100, the ZV-1 is a stills-star as well as a filmstar, with its images looking rich, and in-focus thanks to its smart eye-tracking. You won’t get the shallow depth of field a DSLR delivers, but for a compact, the ZV-1 is still exceptional. A great camera at a stomachable price, given everything it does.

The Sony ZV-1 is the best compact vlogging camera you can buy. Its mix of a bright lens, superb autofocus and design tweaks like the side-flipping screen make it a powerful pocket video option with few peers. Those seeking super-smooth walking footage might find its image stabilization a slight let-down, and it has a few familiar usability quirks, but the ZV-1 remains the best video all-rounder in its weight class.