The Sony Alpha ZV-E10 at a glance
Introducing the latest member of Sony's Alpha product line of mirrorless cameras also known as mILCs: the Alpha ZV-E10. Starting at $799.99 as a basic kit, equipped with a 16-50 lens, or $699.99 as a standalone body, it is the follow-up of last year's ZV-1, mostly targeted at vloggers.
The new and improved functionality includes a jack, longer battery life, a bigger sensor, and an interchangeable lens design, which is a hugely important pro.
It is fully video-focused, unlike some other, more photo-based Alpha cameras. The closest in functionality, the A6100 shares its 24mp APS-C sensor with the ZV-E10, but this letter allows you to film yourself easier, as it has an added, fully articulating screen instead of the viewfinder. And with interchangeable lenses, in invites vloggers to dive more deeply in the field of imagery, and produce more advanced stuff.
The right parts for the right audiences
While the ZV-1 was practically a remix of other Sony camera equipment to please a vlogger audience, the ZV-E10 does the same, but recycling parts from the Alpha product line.
The bass base for this remix, of course, is the inclusion of the E-mount lens system.
This is not unrelated to an intention of educating the vlogger community to aim higher in terms of image quality, composition (and buy more gear on the side).
Of course this use is still far from full-frame equipment, and if you want to use your E-mount full-frame lenses with the ZV-E10's sensor, you'll have to calculate with a crop factor of 1.5.
Another new perk is the USB-C port and the more powerful battery.
This latter was more a necessity than a luxury. But even with this larger battery, to be on the safe side, you'll need at least two batteries to make professional use of the camera (read: use it for a full working day).
I like the physical switches on the top of the devices: a power button, a record button, and a background blur button. And there are also dials to set the aperture and shutter speed, just like on old-fashioned film cameras.
The ZV-E10 dropped the electronic viewfinder, which is a mixed bag: the screen is bright enough to be used in broad sunlight, but some people just prefer to peep into a viewfinder to make their camera experience serious enough (this includes me). But considering that, the primary audience for the camera will be vloggers, it is definitely a change for the better for most.
We are living selfie times, and this camera is built to do just that: film yourself day in day out.
The missing pieces
Dropping the neutral density filter, on the other hand, feels like a miss. Adding insult to injury, the camera's predecessor, the ZV-1 had this functionality. I can think of no good reason for dropping it in this one.
You can, of course, use your E-mount lenses with their own ND-filters, but too bad you have to rely on extra purchases instead of the camera delivering the goodies.
Also missing: the optical stabilization (unless your lenses have them built in). Of course-of course, the ZV-E10 uses electronic stabilization, but experience showed that using freehand footage can't easily be offset electronically.
You will need either a tripod or a gimbal to do the job for you.
Focused on video
When the light is good, the image quality is exquisite. 24.2 megapixel is enough for anything you could ever possibly want to use it. But lower light conditions come with compromises. The camera starts picking up a lot of noise, and while ISO 8000 is way out of normal, the picture gets really grainy at that sensitivity. So if you want to produce consistently good quality in difficult light situations (read: dark), you will have to rely on more expensive, higher-end lenses.
If you use the camera for 4k footage, you'll end up with 30fps with a crop 24fps without a crop.
The kit lens also has built-in stabilization, but it comes at a price of additional cropping of the image.
The bottom line is that the 4k 24fps video quality is good enough for any possible vlog out there: clear, crisp contours, colors, and just enough control over depth of field.
This is until the light levels are high enough.
Because as it gets darker, the camera will start to struggle (and you are guaranteed to begin to struggle, too).
So if low-light, indoor scenes are your thing, you're just best off opting for a different gadget.
Pros and compromises
The interchangeable lenses elevate this camera to a new level: this can be intimidating at first (and very expensive to begin with), but on the long run, it adds massive value to this camera. A different lens will allow you to do more, do something else, and add overall value to your equipment, and skill set. And since the E-mount system is an internal standard by now, your expensive lenses are likely to be compatible with your next, newer and even better cameras, too. So in a way they feel like an investment.
The sound quality, however, is off-putting. This is too bad, as most users will be focused on filming themselves while narrating to the camera from the front - which is where the mic does a less-than-perfect job (actually, it's much better when you're speaking from behind the camera).
Of course, most vloggers will use either a clip-on mic or at least a shotgun mic, and not the camera's built-in microphone.
The background defocus mode (think like the 'Portrait' function on the iPhone's camera) will blur the background by opening the aperture as much as possible given the light situation. It's a great trick for rookies, but not a very valuable addition for more experienced users.
The great thing is that you are not stuck with this functionality: you can change the program of the button to do something that serves you better if you want to.