Sony ZV-1 - The Best Vlogging Camera for Photographers?

An Update to My Review

I’ve now published an update to my Sony ZV-1 review. Please read this blog post for my latest thoughts on this camera.

Why I Bought the Sony ZV-1

YouTube is awash with Sony ZV-1 reviews. In fact, even before the camera become commercially available to the public there were plenty of videos describing its capabilities. I know this because I watched a great many of them! I did this because I was very interested in getting this camera.

When I first started vlogging for my YouTube channel I used a Sony RX100 M5. That was until I got bored of having to use an external audio recorder. The RX100 (at the time) didn’t have a mic port so I was forced to choose a different camera. Switching to the Panasonic G80 was fantastic. It was newer, had more features, and more importantly had a microphone port. However, I really missed that compact body of the RX100. You really could fit it in your pocket.

When Sony released the Sony RX-100 M7 with a microphone port I must admit I was tempted but I couldn’t justify the steep price tag just to downsize. Then along comes the ZV-1. Not just a cheaper RX100 but a video-focused camera as well. Looking at all the preview videos on YouTube I knew it wasn’t going to be the perfect vlogging camera, but it met most of my requirements. I knew enough to pre-order the camera.

Now that I have ZV-1 in my hands, and I’ve spent time with it, I’m happy to share with you all the things I love about this camera (and some of the things I don’t). I don’t often do “gear reviews” and when I do, I try to keep it to bits of equipment that I personally own and think my readers/viewers would be interested in. Even less frequently will I talk about the video gear that I use but with an increasing number of you considering starting your own channel or you might already have one, I thought this review might be useful.

While my video review will still go over many of the same features as other video reviews, I will be looking at this camera with the viewpoint of how good it is for those of you who might be considering one to document your own photography adventures. My main photography genre is outdoor/landscape but I’m sure my requirements aren’t unique and will apply to other genres of photography like street photography.

I hope you enjoyed the video and it proves useful. No worries if this blog post doesn’t float your boat as I’ll be back next week with my normal service of landscape photography adventures and photographs.

Rode Wireless Go - A Vloggers Review

Reviewing Gear

I don’t normally review gear. I will sometimes talk about the products that I’ve paid for and use, but it is rare that I will do a flat out gear review. Even when if I do discuss something that it is gear focused, it’s normally for something that helps me take photographs such as a camera. I will also try and integrate the gear discussion into a trip out with the camera to take photographs.

The Rode Wireless Go is different though. As a wireless microphone system it really has no bearing on how I take my photographs at all. In fact, it’s a bit of gear that only helps me with creating content for my YouTube channel. So why am I talking about it on my blog? While I appreciate that the majority of people that read this blog have no interest in the practical aspects of vlogging, I know that a number of you actually do. There is a rich and vibrant community of photography content creators out there, and I thought that if I created a short video on my latest purchase it might prove useful.

So here’s a quick look at the Rode Wireless Go:

If you are a vlogger, are you thinking of getting this product? How do you currently record audio? Let me know in the comments below.

Regular Viewing Back Next Week

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, don’t worry, I’ll be back next week with another post or video on landscape photography!