One year after the arrival of the compact camera ZV-1, Sony is back on the market with the ZV-E10, a product aimed at vloggers, to youtubers and more generally to generation Z content creators (but also to the slightly bigger ones). The new mirrorless from the Japanese manufacturer combines the portability of the 2020 model with the characteristics of the compact Alpha family.
the there are two fundamental differences with the ZV1: the 24.2 megapixel Aps-C sensor, just like that of compact mirrorless cameras, and the presence of the E-Mount, which enables the possibility of changing lenses as needed.
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Compatible with Sony lenses
The introduction of the E-Mount allows you to use the entire family of lenses compatible with Sony mirrorless cameras. Not a small feature, because in this way the ZV-E10 can cover the needs of creators of all kinds, from those who prefer quick videos to share quickly on social media, to the professionals of the storytelling, like the youtuber who record in the studio and carefully dedicate themselves to editing before each release.
The main features
Not surprisingly all technical features of the machine are designed to meet the needs of creators of all levels:
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Fast hybrid autofocus is optimized for do not lose focus on the subject, even in the case of rapid movements in the frame
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The resolution goes up to 4K / 30p, with downscaling from a 6K recording: it is important because this improves the rendering of details and Sony can use the extra space on the sensor for specific functions such as electronic stabilization (available in Active mode).
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Per always focus on the face, the machine is equipped with Eye Af human eye tracking
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There is no optical viewfinder, but only one rear LCD display that can be rotated completely to be used as a monitor in case of selfie shooting (fundamental feature for all vloggers)
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The triple microphone on the top is optimized for audio jack. The machine is compatible with Sony video microphones, but there are also two dedicated inputs for other brands of microphones and headphones
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ZV-E10 is compatible with the streaming Uvc/Vac via USB socket
Smart functions for creators
In addition to the specifications, Sony has provided some additional functions, always with a view to making the ZV-E10 more attractive to the young creator audience. The Bokeh Switch, for example, it allows you to automatically change the level of background blur during recording: it is not a software solution, but a hardware one, obtained by electronically modifying the lens aperture.
The Product Showcase Setting instead it is a perfect focus mode to show a product in front of the face or body while holding the camera with the other hand, as often happens in video reviews. Finally, the Soft Skin Effect improves the texture of the facial skin, while the Face Priority Ae is a function that gives priority to the subject’s face in automatic exposure adjustment.
The challenge to smartphones
If you add to these features also the ability to shoot videos in vertical automatically, the touch tracking for the focus with a touch on the display and the video streaming functions, Sony’s intentions become evident: with the ZV-E10, the Japanese manufacturer aims to create a product that can compete directly with high-end smartphones, i.e. cameras capable of making calls and connecting to the Internet that tiktokers, instagrammers and streamers now seem to prefer to any compact camcorder.
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Prices and availability
To the convenience of a product such as a smartphone on which videos can be shot (now with resolution up to 8K), but also editing, editing and sharing, Sony contrasts optical quality, the ability to evolve the setup to include more lenses and a larger sensor for images rich in detail. Whether these features will be enough to steal market share from smartphones we will only know in a little while. The price, at least for the basic version, seems adequate to us: it starts from 750 euros for the camera body only and goes up to 850 for the kit with 16-50mm lens; with a more performing and versatile lens, like the 18-105 f4, the cost goes up even more.
The new Sony ZV-E10 is available in Italy starting from the end of August.
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