Sony ZV-E1 Comparison Review

The Sony ZV-E1 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was announced in March 2023 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 12 megapixel.

Is the Sony ZV-E1 a good camera? The ZV-E1 has a Camera Elo of 2926. This rating puts the ZV-E1 among the top 20 percent of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the ZV-E1 ranks among the top 30 percent.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Sony ZV-E1 vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony ZV-E1 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony ZV-E1	121 mm	72 mm	54 mm	483 g	570	Y	Mar 2023	EUR 2 699	amazon.com
2.		Sony A7 II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	599 g	350	Y	Nov 2014	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
3.		Sony A7 III	127 mm	96 mm	74 mm	650 g	610	Y	Feb 2018	EUR 2 299	amazon.com
4.		Sony A7 IV	131 mm	96 mm	80 mm	659 g	580	Y	Oct 2021	EUR 2 799	amazon.com
5.		Sony A7C	124 mm	71 mm	60 mm	509 g	740	Y	Sep 2020	EUR 2 099	amazon.com
6.		Sony A7C II	124 mm	71 mm	63 mm	514 g	540	Y	Aug 2023	EUR 2 399	amazon.com
7.		Sony A7C R	124 mm	71 mm	63 mm	520 g	520	Y	Aug 2023	EUR 3 699	amazon.com
8.		Sony A7R	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	465 g	340	Y	Oct 2013	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
9.		Sony A7S	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	489 g	380	Y	Apr 2014	EUR 2 399	ebay.com
10.		Sony A7S II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	627 g	370	Y	Sep 2015	EUR 3 399	ebay.com
11.		Sony A7S III	127 mm	97 mm	81 mm	699 g	600	Y	Jul 2020	EUR 4 199	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony ZV-E1 was launched in the US market at a price of $2,199. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check ZV-E1 price at
amazon.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Sony ZV-E1 features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony ZV-E1 among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony ZV-E1	Full Frame	12.0	4240	2832	4K/60p	25.4	14.6	3181	96
2.		Sony A7 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.9	13.6	2449	90
3.		Sony A7 III	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3730	96
4.		Sony A7 IV	Full Frame	32.7	7008	4672	4K/60p	25.4	14.7	3379	97
5.		Sony A7C	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3407	95
6.		Sony A7C II	Full Frame	32.7	7008	4672	4K/60p	25.4	14.7	3237	96
7.		Sony A7C R	Full Frame	60.2	9504	6336	4K/60p	25.4	14.7	3227	96
8.		Sony A7R	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60p	25.6	14.1	2746	95
9.		Sony A7S	Full Frame	12.0	4240	2832	1080/60p	23.9	13.2	3702	87
10.		Sony A7S II	Full Frame	12.0	4240	2832	4K/30p	23.6	13.3	2993	85
11.		Sony A7S III	Full Frame	12.0	4240	2832	4K/120p	23.7	13.9	2520	86
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The ZV-E1 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the ZV-E1 can use is 4K/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony ZV-E1 and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Sony ZV-E1	none	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
2.		Sony A7 II	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
3.		Sony A7 III	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
4.		Sony A7 IV	3686	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
5.		Sony A7C	2360	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	Y
6.		Sony A7C II	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	Y
7.		Sony A7C R	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
8.		Sony A7R	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	4.0/s	n	n
9.		Sony A7S	2400	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
10.		Sony A7S II	2400	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
11.		Sony A7S III	9440	n	3.0 / 1440	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Sony ZV-E1 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD is hinged on the side and can be flipped out for odd-angle shots in both portrait and landscape orientation. Also, this fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment is often appreciated by videographers for its flexibility. Moreover, v-loggers like the design because the screen can be turned to be front-facing.

One feature that differentiates the ZV-E1 from many older cameras is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The ZV-E1 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while cameras without IBIS have to rely on optical image stabilization in OIS-equipped lenses to achieve the same effect.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony ZV-E1 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Sony ZV-E1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Sony A7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Sony A7 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
4.		Sony A7 IV	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
5.		Sony A7C	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y
6.		Sony A7C II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
7.		Sony A7C R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
8.		Sony A7R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Sony A7S	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Sony A7S II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Sony A7S III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the ZV-E1 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the ZV-E1 can be found in the free online Sony ZV-E1 Manual or on the Sony support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the ZV-E1. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony ZV-E1	..	+	4/5	..	..	4.5/5	Mar 2023	EUR 2 699	amazon.com
2.		Sony A7 II	5/5	+	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2014	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
3.		Sony A7 III	..	+ +	4.5/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2018	EUR 2 299	amazon.com
4.		Sony A7 IV	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	89/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2021	EUR 2 799	amazon.com
5.		Sony A7C	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	86/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2020	EUR 2 099	amazon.com
6.		Sony A7C II	4/5	..	4/5	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2023	EUR 2 399	amazon.com
7.		Sony A7C R	4/5	..	4/5	88/100	..	4/5	Aug 2023	EUR 3 699	amazon.com
8.		Sony A7R	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
9.		Sony A7S	4/5	..	..	86/100	4.5/5	5/5	Apr 2014	EUR 2 399	ebay.com
10.		Sony A7S II	5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2015	EUR 3 399	ebay.com
11.		Sony A7S III	4.5/5	+ +	5/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2020	EUR 4 199	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Check ZV-E1 price at
amazon.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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