Sony has announced the ZV-1 Mark II, a vlogging compact built around a 20MP Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) Stacked CMOS sensor and an 18-50mm equivalent F1.8-4.0 lens.
The ZV-1 Mark II builds on the original with the use of this bright, wide-angle zoom. This makes it more suitable for vlogging, as it continues to give a very wide angle of view, even with digital stabilization applied (the crop applied to the 24mm-equiv lens of the Mark 1 was somewhat restrictive).
The Stacked CMOS sensor allows 4K capture at up to 30p with 1080 video options of up to 120p or reduced-res captures giving up to 960fps slow-mo video. On the stills side, the ZV-1 Mark II matches the recent RX100 models, in offering up to 24fps continuous shooting in both JPEG or Raw, it can buffer up to 800 JPEGs.
The ZV-1 Mark II has the same three capsule mics and fully-articulating screen for facing-the-camera video shooting.
In common with the previous generation of Sony cameras, the ZV-1 Mark II offers S-Log2 and S-Log3 profiles but the camera’s video can only be captured as 8-bit files, which limits the degree of grading flexibility available. S-Log3, which encodes a wider dynamic range, is particularly prone to posterization when graded. As with the original ZV-1, there’s no headphone socket for audio monitoring.
However, photographers still pining for the never-released Nikon DL 18-50mm enthusiast compact should note that the ZV-1 Mark II has limited direct controls and doesn’t have a mechanical shutter. This is less of a problem in terms of short exposures, as the Stacked CMOS sensor can be read-out very quickly – there’s also a built-in ND filter to allow the use of wide apertures in bright line. However, the longest possible shutter speed is just 1/4 sec, which can limit creative photography.
The ZV-1 Mark II will hit store shelves mid-June 2023 at an MSRP of $899.99 /CAD $1199.99 and come in two colors options, black or white. The camera can be paired with a black or white Sony GP-VPT2BT Bluetooth shooting grip, which doubles as a compact tripod, for an additional $139.99.
We will add Sony’s press release shortly.