The Sony ZV-1’s articulating screen really does set it apart from its main rival, the Canon G7 X Mk III. It feels robust, and the fact opening the screen out powers the camera from cold is a neat little time-saving party trick. Footage captured on the vlog-star also looks exactly how we want it to in middling to good light. The included ND filter is a saving grace in sunlight, and the only out-of-bounds environment for video capture is low-low-light. 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.

Great stills, video, and audio; ND filter; No record time limit;

Touch screen limitations; Battery/card inaccessible if mounted; Narrow field-of-view;

Great stills, video, and audio; ND filter; No record time limit;

Touch screen limitations; Battery/card inaccessible if mounted; Narrow field-of-view;

While it's a shame that picture and sound quality haven't been upgraded, the iPhone 13 was great in these regards and the iPhone 14 is, too Excellent display Admirable headphone performance Solid build quality No upgrades to picture or sound Familiar design Notch is still present

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.

Class-leading autofocus; Bright lens for lovely video bokeh; Hotshoe and 3.5mm mic port; Side-flipping screen ideal for video; Fits in your pocket

Average video stabilization; Touchscreen still very limited; Micro USB rather than USB-C

Some might dismiss the ZV-1 as yet another Sony RX100 variant, but it’s much more than that. The sensor and lens might be familiar, but the body, the controls, the audio and the rear screen are all new and different and optimised brilliantly for vlogging.

Vari-angle rear screen; Clip on wind shield; Brilliantly fast AF

Minimum focus distance changes with zoom; Stabilization seems pretty jerky; Why a 3:2 screen and not 16:9?

The new Sony ZV-1 is a camera that the Japanese electronics manufacturer has smartly modelled after its RX100 premium compact cameras that have won many fans over.

The Sony ZV-1 is a compact camera aimed at vloggers and video creators, while also delivering decent photo capabilities. It inherits the 20 Megapixel 1in sensor, confident phase-detect autofocus, 4k video up to 30p, and 24-70mm f1.8-2.8 zoom of the RX100 V(A), but features a number of upgrades to...

If you’re looking for a compact all-in-one vlogging camera, then look no further than the Sony ZV-1. While the device might not be up to scratch for indoor filming, it’s an absolute beast when taken outside, thanks to its unbelievable mic quality and precise autofocus.

A nearly perfect camera for vloggers

: Beautiful recording quality; can record up to 4K; good image stabilisation; rotatable LCD screen; and a dedicated Bokeh switch to blur background easily

: Low battery life; no dial mode; no viewfinder

The Sony ZV-1 is a beginner-friendly camera perfect for on the go shooting and vlogging. While some of the features are borderline gimmicks, the core vlogging features are solid.