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› Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD
PRICE: £870
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Sony ZV-1 II Vlogging cameras have arrived like buses in the past few months. We hail the second- gen update from the electronics behemoth, and ask if it deserves your full fare
TESTED BY GAVIN STOKER
This is just as well, as both stills and video are composed and reviewed on the ZV-1 II using the three-inch vari-angle screen, in lieu of any eye-level viewfinder – though we did find ourselves wishing for the latter when bright sunlight made screen visibility tricky. Default image ratio for photos is 3:2, or we can TO 50MM AT THE TELEPHOTO END RATHER THAN THE OLD 24-70MM” “ITS BUILT-IN ZOOM LENS NOW STARTS OUT WIDER, AT 18MM EQUIVALENT, AND RUNS UP SPECS › Price £870 › Sensor type Exmor RS CMOS › Sensor size One inch › Resolution 20.1 megapixels › Processor Bionz X › Focal length 18-50mm equivalent › Image stabilisation Digital only › Close focusing distance 5cm › LCD 3-inch, vari-angle touchscreen › File types (stills) Raw, JPEG › File types (video) XAVC S: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 › Maximum movie size 4K/29.97p › Connectivity USB-C (cable not supplied) › Media SD › Power Rechargeable battery › Dimensions (wxhxd) 105.5x60.0x46.7mm › Weight 292g › Contact sony.co.uk
IF YOU LIKED the original Sony ZV-1, the company’s initial lockdown- era attempt at a vlogging camera, then you’ll love the new ZV-1 II. Describing it as an update feels largely a misnomer, however, as the second-generation unit recycles most of the original. Returning for a victory lap are the same one-inch Exmor RS CMOS sensor, 20-megapixel stills and 4K-resolution video at up to 30p, plus near-identical dimensions and weight to its older sibling. Close rivals include Canon’s recently released Powershot V10, also featuring a one- inch sensor, or the APS-C-sensor- incorporating Fujifilm X-S20, which looks fairly traditional yet boasts a dedicated vlog mode. The Sony ZV-1 II is broadly the size of two packs of playing cards laid atop one another. It will squeeze into a roomier pocket and feels reassuringly solid when gripped in the palm. Given that its asking price is now a fair bit higher than the original, we’re pleased to find some differentiation from its predecessor at the front. Its built-in zoom lens now starts out wider, at 18mm equivalent, and runs up to 50mm at the telephoto end rather than sticking with the 24-70mm range of the ZV-1. The thinking here is that vloggers will be able to include more of their surroundings in frame when recording pieces to camera – handy if you’re a travel vlogger. Thankfully, while an ultra-wide 18mm setting sets up possibility of fisheye-type barrel distortion, this doesn’t appear to be overly visible when reviewing images. More touchy-feely To make it easier for first timers stepping up from a smartphone, the basic touchscreen of the ZV-1 has also been overhauled, allowing a greater number of features to be accessed this time around. It altogether feels more intuitive and less vexing.
Issue 109 | Photography News 35
photographynews.co.uk
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