Sony Releases Vlogging Mirrorless

2021.07.27

This morning Sony released a new APS-C mirrorless after a two years lapse centered around the development of highly-acclaimed Full-Frame mirrorless. News has been circulating about the announcement with belief that the camera has been delayed several times due to woldwide chip shortages caused by the pandemic.

The entirely new Sony Alpha ZV-E10 is built around a modern 24 Megapixels APS-C Exmor R sensor with a 425-Point Phase-Detect AF system. This sensor has a standard ISO 100-32000 sensitivity range which expands to ISO 50-51200. A hybrid shutter supports shutter-speeds of 1/4000 to 30s, plus Bulb exposure of unspecified duration. The sensor can capture 4K Ultra-HD video at 30 FPS or Full-HD video at 120 FPS.

Although looking remarkably similar to older Sony Alpha APS-C mirorrless cameras from the front, the ZV-E10 sports a new ultra-lightweight design which makes it among the five lightest such cameras of all times. Sony has been emphasizing vlogging features on this camera where bulk and weight are crucial. There is a steep price to pay for such a lightweight construction though. This is one of the rare modern mirrorless digital cameras which is not equipped with image-stabilization and one of even fewer which lack a sensor-cleaning mechanism. There is also no viewfinder, nor any provision to have one, on the Sony ZV-E10, making this camera only appropriate for vlogging, rather than the versatility offered by the majority of mirrorless models.

This is a truly compact offering which manages to squeeze in dual control-dials and a Multi-Interface Hot-Shoe that supports a digital microphone. Exceptional audio can also be captured internally using a builtin 3-capsule microphone. There are also two mini-jacks that can record analog stereo audio from an external source or feed a headset for audio monitoring. Vlogging-style shooting is supported by a rotating 3" Touchscreen LCD with 920K pixels. A red frame around the display shows when the camera is filming. More comfortable shooting is possible via Bluetooth by using a special remote-control grip.

Features of the Sony ZV-E10 are fairly basic for a mirrorless camera. One gets all standard exposure-modes plus a few scene-modes and a number of extra drive-modes. The camera can bracket for Exposure, DRO or WB with up to 5-frames for AEB and 3-frames for the rest. There is an Interval-Timer and an unusual feature which allows this mirrorless to preview a Time-Lapse Video but not assemble one! HDR is supported too.

The final aspect of the Sony Alpha ZV-E10 that is diminutive is its price. It is being launched for $700 USD or $900 CAD, making it less expensive than Premium Compact Cameras that feature smaller sensors and a fixed lens. This should put limitations of this new offering into perspective. While many are eagerly waiting the arrival of a High-End Sony APS-C mirrorless, Sony is better the growth of popularity of vlogging could introduce more people to their E-mount system.

Both Adorama and B&H Photo are ready to accept preorders for the Sony Alpha ZV-E10. This new mirrorless is now expected by the end of August.

• Digital Camera