Sony ZV-E10 Starter Kit

This compact Sony ZV-E 10 has such extensive setting options. I easily set the settings via the function buttons. While testing this camera, I found the features quickly. It has an interchangeable lens system, so I used it for different usage situations. The model is not heavy for a system camera. Still, I recommend a tripod if you plan on filming or vlogging for a long time.

Ergonomic design The ergonomic grip made it easy to hold the camera. The size is quite small, but it still felt sturdy. If you like to travel, this camera is a good option. I easily put it in my bag. The 16-50mm lens I used to test the camera with is also very compact. When I turned the camera off, the lens slid all the way, making it even more compact.

Easy operation The ZV-E 10 has different buttons, to which Sony has assigned a number of video functions. This allowed me to operate the camera very quickly and easily. I didn't have to search long for the settings. For example, on top of the camera is a button with which I quickly switched between photo, video and Q&S mode. With the push of a button I created a bokeh effect, in which the background became out of focus.

Vlogging Features What I love about this camera is that it has a lot of different vlogging and video features. For example, I easily recorded videos by hand with no vibrations. I did this with the Active Mode, in which the camera stabilizes my images extra. The downside is that the camera cropped my images to compensate for the vibrations. This made the image more zoomed in. Another feature I find useful is the Product Showcase Setting. With this feature, I easily recorded product reviews. If I kept a product in view, the camera focused directly on it. If the product was out of the picture, the camera immediately focused on my face again. For video makers you have the Q&S mode. In this mode, I chose a range of fps from 1 to 100, in which I recorded my video. For example, I easily recorded slow motion videos.

Performance in the dark I tested the image quality of the camera in a dark living room. The results were very good and I was able to increase the ISO value a bit. Unfortunately, I did see noise at high ISO values.

I bought this device because I was looking for a relatively compact system camera with a good sensor. And it certainly is! The ZV-E10 is mainly recommended as a vlogging camera, but it also does an excellent job as a photo camera, if you can live without a viewfinder. With the kit lens, the device is light and small enough to easily fit in a jacket pocket, and with that combination in your pocket you can take very nice photos. In the long term I want to invest in better lenses, which are also widely available, but for everyday use the kit lens is really more than good enough.

I am less enthusiastic about the software and controls: they are downright old-fashioned, not clear, and not always logically laid out. Sending photos to a smartphone via WiFi using the Sony Imaging Edge app should also be possible, but this is quite cumbersome, with a lot of manual hassle, and I have not even been able to get it to work completely due to unclear error messages. I don't have the impression that Sony is putting a lot of effort into making this work well. So I just ignored this for a while.

I also notice that the battery runs out quite quickly compared to my older SLR camera, but that makes sense because of the smaller battery and the fact that the screen is used much more. I think, for example, that I will have to charge every two to three days while on vacation.

As a lucky tester, I was selected to test the Sony ZV-E10. The ZV-E10 has been marketed as a compact device for people who like to travel with an emphasis on vlogging. I have tested this device for a period of 2 weeks.

General impression: The Sony ZV-E10 is indeed a compact, lightweight system camera, it fits comfortably in the hand and shoots beautiful pictures, but is better suited for filming. The camera was delivered including a tripod, which can be connected via bluetooth. This tripod is very handy for vlogging/filming, fits comfortably in the hand and has physical buttons for taking pictures, filming, zooming and the C1 button to switch the Bokeh effect on and off. Bokeh is the effect of a soft, blurred background that you get when you photograph or film an object.

Physical Buttons: The physical buttons are located on the top and back of the camera.

Top: On/Off button 1 button to switch between shooting, filming and S&Q (slow motion & quick) C1 (bokeh) shutter button Zoom To film Rotary knob (menu) Rear end: Menu Fn (function) Jog wheel with various options (iso-dispay self-timer) preview BV: the button for deleting photos is the button for the product presentation mode during filming and photography.

Functions: Auto Exposure: Auto exposure with facial recognition priority - always keep your face well lit, even in less lit rooms

Active Mode: for the best image stabilization during filming, you can set the mode to active mode, the image will be cropped as a result, but despite the cropping, the image will be much more stable and gives a more pleasant and calmer effect when filming.

Webcam: You can use this camera as a webcam during meetings without additional software. You can do this by choosing USB streaming in the menu and connecting the camera to the PC/laptop via the USB-C connector], and this works immediately and the image quality is many times better than the internal webcam of your laptop.

Product showcase: product showcase setting, ensures that an object is in focus and remains focused on the object.

S&Q s&q mode slow and quick film with 1 to 100 fps, with this you can make timelapses or slow motion images filming in 1 fps ensures that the images are played back 50x faster.

This camera is ideal for online content such as Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok. After shooting your photo or film, you can transfer the content directly and easily to your smartphone via the camera's WiFi function. By tilting the camera a quarter, portrait mode will automatically be selected, which is useful for your uploads to your favorite online platform The biggest difference between an SLR camera and a system camera is that an SLR has a mirror system and a system camera does not. An SLR camera has an optical viewfinder, the system camera is more compact and has a digital viewfinder. The big advantage that a system camera entails is that you can choose from a large number of different lenses that meet your needs. the disadvantage is that you have to carry multiple lenses. I personally find the battery on the small side, especially if you turn the camera on and off more often, the battery life will decrease considerably. This makes a 2nd battery recommended when you make a day trip. The screen is suitable for limited touch possibilities, for example you can use the touchscreen to focus your photos (autofocus) but you cannot use touch to scroll through the menu, you have to use the physical buttons for this. The Sony Zv-E10 features 3 microphones, by using three microphones, the ZV-E10 can determine which direction the sound is coming from and thus adjust itself to deliver the best audio quality.

In the 2nd week I was able to test the camera better and a number of things that turned out to work less well with frequent use. For example, the tripod that was fairly easy to connect via the menu turned out to lose its connection quite often and was therefore unavailable during crucial moments, so that pictures were not shot. There is also no physical (quick) dial in which you can quickly switch between different modes. I only missed this function in the 2nd week when I started shooting more outdoors. With this camera, these functions are in the menu and it takes some searching and it takes a long time to change the mode in the beginning, it may be that it will get better in the future the more you work with the camera.