Design-wise, the newer model shares a similar design language as the ZV-E10, but with a slightly larger body – coming in at 121 x 71.9 x 54 mm. Despite its size and different internal hardware, the high-end ZV-E1 weighs in at 399 g, which is the same as its sibling. It’s worth noting that the body of the camera is also weather-sealed, which is a first for the ZV series. Onboard is a 7.5 cm TFT vari-angle touchscreen with 1M dot resolution, Sony E Mount, a multi-interface shoe, a micro HDMI port, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone jacks, an SD card slot, as well as a USB-C port for live streaming, charging, and file transfer. Besides that, it also comes with a built-in 3-capsule mic that can change directionality depending on the situation. Internally, the ZV-E1 is equipped with a 12 MP full-frame CMOS sensor and a Sony BIONZ XR image processor – the very same components that’s featured on the brand’s A7S III and FX3 Cinema Line cameras. These allow the camera to offer 15+ stops of dynamic range, 10 fps of continuous shooting, and record up to 4K resolution videos at up to 60 fps with 4:2:2 and 10-bit. Regarding the latter, Sony is promising that the cap will eventually go up to 120 fps via a future update. For ISO, the camera features a range of 80 – 102400, which can be expanded to 40 – 409600.
Another upgrade over the ZV-E10 is the inclusion of a built-in Sensor-shift stabilisation, offering up to 5.0-stops of shake and vibration compensation. In addition, it comes with Sony’s new Dynamic Active Mode stabilisation, which is 30% more effective than the standard Active Mode at reducing camera shake in footage. Features-wise, the new full-frame shooter is equipped with AI-powered tracking capabilities such as Multiple Face Recognition and Real-time Recognition autofocus, as well as a new Cinemascope mode that lets you shoot videos in 21:9 aspect ratio by adding black bars around the 16:9 frame. Like other ZV models, it also comes with a live streaming function that allows you to broadcast at up to 4K 30 fps, along with a “product showcase” ability that lets the camera instantly focus on an object that’s placed within its frame. The Sony ZV-E1 is set to ship in the US by early May this year and will retail at US$ 2,200 (~RM 9,719) for body only, or US$ 2,500 (~RM 11,045) when bundled together with a SEL 28-60 mm kit lens. In terms of colour options, it will be available in either black or white. As for the Malaysian market, the company has revealed that the new camera would only arrive much later sometime in June, and will only confirm its local pricing by then. (Source: Sony [official website])