The Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II is Sony’s latest vlog camera for content creators, loaded with high-end features into a compact body. It has replaced the previous ZV-E10 model with great upgraded specs.You can now shoot 4K video at up to 60 frames per second with only a 1.1x crop at 60p. The ZV-E10 II also supports 10-bit 4:2:2 color in All-Intra format.
Sony ZV-E10 II Sensor
The Sony ZV-E10 II has a powerful 26-megapixel APS-C back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor. This sensor is a significant upgrade from its predecessor. It is paired with the latest BIONZ XR image processing engine for extraordinary quality and sharpness in your captures. The sensor’s high-speed readout allows for 5.6K oversampling and compressing into UHD 4K 60p footage. It can shoot 4K at up to 30p without any crop and only a 1.1x crop when recording at 60p.
The camera’s 10-bit capture capability is available in all recording modes. This 10-bit capture enhancement makes S-Log3 recording much more useful by reducing banding and blotchy colors. The S-Cinetone profile is included to minimize post-processing time.
The ZV-E10 II’s image processing with a standard ISO range from 100 to 32000 in different lighting conditions. The camera also boasts upgraded gradation rendering capabilities for taking better-looking skin tones and highlight roll-off in portraits. The skin tones are independently optimized for stills and movies.
ZV-E10 II Design and Handling
The Sony ZV-E10 II has the nice classic look of Sony’s APS-C cameras along with the deeper camera grip. This redesign offers you a more secure hold, which is particularly beneficial when you’re shooting for extended periods. The larger grip accommodates the powerful NP-FZ100 battery as the “Z” series battery. This upgrade gives you a longer-lasting power source without compromising the camera’s compact size. Speaking of size, the ZV-E10 II remains impressively portable. It measures 4.5 x 2.65 x 2.1 inches (114.8 x 67.5 x 54.2mm) and weighs just 13oz (375g) with the battery and memory card included.
A 3-inch articulating screen with 1.04 million dots that flip-out display is perfect for vlogging and self-recording. A red tally lamp on the front of the camera, just above the alpha logo, lights up when you’re recording. There’s also an optional red frame indicator on the screen to confirm that you’re capturing footage. The ZV-E10 II handles well with smaller lenses while the larger glass can make it a two-handed shooting style. The electronic image stabilization has been improved. Active Steadyshot works well at faster shutter speeds or frame rates.
Controls and User Interface
The Sony ZV-E10 II offers a streamlined control scheme designed for videographers. You’ll find the external controls to be minimal, yet purposeful. The camera features some returning video-centric functions that you’ll appreciate. The product showcase allows you to shift focus to an object held up in the foreground, perfect for product reviews or unboxing videos. There’s also a background defocus button that toggles between the shallowest and deepest depth of field your lens allows, giving you quick control over your visual aesthetics.
Around the shutter, you’ll find a zoom rocker. This enables digital zooming and optical zooming on compatible E-Mount power zoom lenses, including the new kit lens. It’s a handy feature for adjusting your framing without touching the lens. The camera’s interface is primarily touchscreen-based, making it easy to operate while holding the camera facing you. This is particularly useful for vlogging or self-recording. A notable improvement is the new menu system, which is much better organized than Sony’s previous interfaces.
There is a dedicated photo/video/S&Q mode switch at the top, making it easy to identify your current mode. The product showcase button allows you to focus on objects in the foreground, while the background defocus button toggles between shallow and deep depth of field.
Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II Video Quality
The Sony ZV-E10 II comes with the newly designed 26-megapixel BSI sensor which is a significant upgrade in video quality compared to its predecessor. Now you can shoot 4K video up to 60p with a small 1.1x crop. The 4K footage is oversampled from a 6K readout, resulting in clean and detailed video, especially when keeping the ISO below 6400. The camera has improved electronic stabilization. The Active Steadyshot feature works well at faster shutter speeds or frame rates. A unique feature of the ZV-E10 II is its Breathing Compensation that negates field of view changes as you shift focus.Â
Image Quality
The Sony ZV-E10 II performs excellent in good light wgen taking beautiful JPEGs with vibrant colors and sharp details. Even in low-light situations, the camera produces usable images, though you might notice some noise at higher ISO settings. The introduction of 10-bit 4:2:2 color capture in all recording modes is very impressive. This enhancement provides greater color flexibility and reduces banding issues when using the S-Log3 profile. Raw files from the ZV-E10 II offer a good amount of dynamic range to push shadows and recover highlights when needed. This option is useful in high-contrast scenes or when shooting in poor lighting conditions.
Sony ZV E10 II Audio Quality and Performance
With its built-in directional three-capsule microphone, you can select which direction you want to pick up sound from. When you’re vlogging with the camera facing you, you can set the microphone to record only from the front. This is perfect for recording clear audio in self-recorded videos. If you’re narrating a scene from behind the camera, you can easily switch the microphone to pick up audio from that direction. For a more immersive experience, you can also set it to capture ambient noise from all directions. The camera’s audio quality is further enhanced by its digital audio MI shoe. You have option of using external microphones like the Sony ECM-M1. For those windy outdoor shoots, Sony has you covered with a “toupee” windscreen included in the box.
Connectivity and Streaming Features
The Sony ZV-E10 II bring the USB Streaming function to live stream video and audio directly through a USB connection. If you find the PC Remote Function grayed out, try setting Smartphone Connect to OFF and give it another go. Similarly, if USB Streaming is unavailable, switch the camera to MOVIE mode and try again.
For quick access, you can assign USB Streaming to a Custom Key, enabling one-button activation of live streaming in the future. With 5GHz communication support now transfer data faster. To set up streaming, you’ll need to register server information and stream keys for your chosen streaming service. Using the Creator’s App is recommended for a smooth setup process.
Sony Alpha ZV E10 II Battery Performance
The camera now uses the larger NP-FZ100 battery which is the “Z” series battery. This change has resulted in a substantial improvement in battery life. According to CIPA standard testing methods, the battery life rating has jumped from 440 shots per charge in its predecessor to an impressive 610 shots. For vloggers and video content creators, the battery performance is equally impressive. Here’s a breakdown of the video recording times:
Recording Mode: Continuous Recording= 195 minutes
CIPA “Actual” Shooting: Recordin= 130 minutes
The continuous recording time assumes you’re shooting until you run out of card space or the camera overheats. The CIPA “Actual” shooting duration test involves more realistic usage, including stop/start recording, zooming, and turning the camera on and off. Both figures are based on Full HD capture.
