Plenty of companies have experimented with vlogging—including cameras like the Nikon Z50, Canon G7X Mark II, and others—but based on what we’ve learned from leaks and teases, Sony might finally put everything together on its upcoming ZV-1.
Scheduled to make its official debut May 26, the ZV-1 looks like it will be based on Sony’s popular RX100 vii compact camera. Sony Alpha Rumours claimed the ZV-1 will have a similarly sized body and 20.1-megapixel sensor, along with a built-in 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 zoom lens, 3.5mm audio jack, integrated ND filter, and eye AF focusing tech.
海外のニュースサイトにソニー「ZV-1」の画像も追加されました。#噂 pic.twitter.com/qcJddqUD9T
— 軒下デジカメ情報局 (@nokishita_c) May 20, 2020
But where things get interesting is how Sony is adapting the ZV-1 to better fit the needs of vloggers. Instead of having a rear touchscreen that flips upwards, the ZV-1’s screen will flip out to the side, so that the screen won’t get blocked by microphones or other accessories and will generally be easier to see when taking selfie pics or recording front-facing videos.
It seems the ZV-1 will also feature a significantly larger video recording button to prevent you from fumbling around and potentially missing the action. And in addition to a rumoured larger grip for more comfortable one-handed operation, some of the leaked images also suggest that Sony may include an updated gimbal or add-on grip designed to make recording yourself easier while also making footage look even smoother.
According to what appears to be a leaked press release discovered by Nokishita, the ZV-1 will even have a feature called Soft Skin Effects that automatically reduces the appearance of “wrinkles and marks” without affecting skin tones. While this feature might not provide the most accurate or realistic recordings of how people look, for a certain set of the Instagram crowd that loves editing anything that looks like a wrinkle into oblivion, this feature could help save a lot of time in post using Facetune to fix any potential blemishes.
Finally, the ZV-1 may also get a special “Bokeh Switch” that automatically creates blurry backgrounds and a new face priority auto-exposure algorithm that attempts to prioritise proper exposure of people’s faces even in very bright or low-light environments.
There are still a number of specs and features that haven’t been revealed, including the ZV-1’s video-recording modes, on-sale date, and, most importantly, its price. But if the ZV-1 is comparable to the RX100 vii, you can expect a price tag between $1,500 and $1,700.
According to a survey conducted by Lego in 2019, the most popular dream job for kids today is YouTuber. By starting with a solid foundation in the RX100 vii and tweaking that for the needs of aspiring vlog stars, Sony could end up with a real hit.