Sony ZV-E10 Review: The ZV-1 Perfected

The Sony ZV-E10 is the evolution of the ZV-1 camera that we reviewed back in 2020, and while the ZV-1 was better suited for people who wanted a video-focused RX100 style camera, compact cameras have taken a hit in recent years thanks to smartphones that can take really nice photos. Well, the ZV-E10 makes a lot of sense because you get a 24MP APS-C sensor in this, 4K 30fps capability and most of the nice things that made the ZV-1 so great, but in a camera that's more versatile.

The ZV-E10 comes with a 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens for just S$999 and that's a pretty hard bargain to say no to, especially for what this camera does. Let's see how the camera performs.

The 16-50mm lens is equivalent to about a 24-70mm on full-frame and the focal length is quite ideal for vlogging, especially when paired with the Sony Bluetooth grip. The colour science is a little better on the camera and there's S-Log 2, S-Log 3, Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) but there's no S-Cinetone.

Autofocusing is excellent, the eye box tracks fantastically and while we won't say it's on the same level as the Sony A1, it's still very impressive. We paired it with the Sony Bluetooth grip we tested previously, and overall, it worked pretty well. The only problem came when we zoomed in via the button on the grip and couldn't get the camera to zoom back out, which resulted in us having to manually zoom out.

Skin tones are great, without that magenta hue that you used to get with some Sony cameras previously. The ZV-E10 will do a pretty good job of tracking exposure in Auto mode, so that's a viable option if you're running and gunning.

We then tried out the 18-105mm lens on the camera, and because it immediately became a heavier setup, you can see a bit of shudder when walking around, but the eyetracking is still absolutely on point.

We like the Sony ZV-E10 for what it is. The price point is fantastic, the quality is really Sony just flexing their muscles and saying "this is what we can bring to the table.", and this is just a great way to get people into video. Yes, there was the ZV-1 last year, but when comparing a 1-inch sensor to an APS-C sensor, you'll definitely be able to get better photos out of the ZV-E10.

There's also the versatility of the interchangeable lens, you also get a mic input jack, headphone jack, USB-C charging and more. You really do get all the things that make the ZV-1 great, and a few new features.

A lot of people said that the image quality out of the A6500 that we shoot our reviews on is great, well, the ZV-E10 is basically that camera at a much less expensive price point.

We do wish that the camera came with an EVF though, as well as an extra SD card slot, a dedicated mode dial and better battery life, but for the price, we really can't complain too much.

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Content by Bobby Tonelli