8.5 Score
Been a hot while since we reviewed a Sony camera and this time around we got to checkout the Sony ZV-E10 Mark II, take it for a spin and share our thoughts and opinion. By now there are so many reviews out there, so what we are going to do is address the bigger elephant in the room: is this really an FX30 but cheaper? Stick around and find out more in this Sony ZV-E10 Mark II Review.
Sony ZV-E10 Mark II Review
What Improved from Mark 1?
The Sony ZV-E10 Mark II gets all the good stuff most users might be looking for and we won’t be getting in too detailed because it’s something you get with the other Sony Cameras anyway. For one, this camera uses the bigger and better infoLithium Z battery over the W series battery. Which means, you can spend more time shooting than looking for a spare battery in your bag. Even though hate is a strong word, I sure did hate that when I was on my A7II.
The improved 26MP Sensor with ISO that can expand upto 102400 is a nice touch. There are some other improvements too which we like about the camera and let’s talk about that.
What we Like about the Sony ZV-E10 Mark II?
The new OSS Kit Lens is pretty Decent
If you choose to pick the Sony ZV-E10 Mark II with the kit lens, its actually a good pick up. The kit lens you see here is a 16-50mm with f/3.5-5.6 and even has OSS support. Sure the quality coming out of this lens isn’t going to blow you away but it’s a good place to start, get accustomed to a zoom lens, learn the pros and cons and eventually settling for a better lens which could be a Zoom lens or a Prime lens. It does have a Zoom slider or you can use the focus ring to do the zoom too.
But I do like this lens as a nice daily lens that’s light to bring everywhere and a good companion that won’t let you down as much. Though the performance might take a hit under low light situations.
It’s a Video Centric Camera for the Masses
The Sony ZV series set on a path to be the camera every content creator needs, and set a strong footing in the industry. This camera has a higher affinity towards video than photos because unlike the a6700, which uses similar sensor and is an APS-C, the ZV-E10 II does not have a shutter leaf to be able to take photos that well.
That doesn’t mean you cant take photos at all, however, since this sensor isn’t a Global Shutter sensor like the A9II which fires the entire sensor in one go, you will experience rolling shutter with wavy light issue as you shoot in certain conditions. To overcome this, you can ramp the settings, but it wont get as near as what a camera with shutter leaf could do.
The 10-bit, S-Cinetone and Custom LUT Support makes our A7III look Stupid
One of the best things to happen with Sony cameras in the recent years are the technological advancements – and the fact that its now mainstream and they have set such a standard, we finally see those features trickle down to the more mainstream cameras. The Sony ZV-E10 II gets 10-bit recording with support for S-Cinetone, Custom LUT and even has a vertical recording mode while tilted.
Honestly, these features now in a ZV-E10 II makes my Sony A7III which claims to be a professional camera, look stupid. In fact, one of the things that frustrates other consumers who own the latest Sony A7IV, A7SIV and so on are equally annoyed to see this as their camera is capable of handling this. Making this ZV-E10 II look too good for what it is.
What makes the ZV-E10 II worthy of its name aren’t those features by the way, its features like Background Defocus, Soft Skin look and such are the features users that uses this are looking for. But hey, with that, combined with a pretty fast AF and such, makes this camera much more well equipped for most tasks.
Love the new Improved Menu
And yes, the camera also gets the new improved menu, which the ZV-E10 didn’t have. So, that’s a relief. You will also find settings for Focus breathing compensation, which not many cameras have. So, that’s really neat.
But Here’s the Caveat
Whatever we have mentioned so far, makes it seem like this camera miles better than the professional offerings Sony makes. But here’s the thing, this is where you’ll notice the fine line that divides the room from casual users from professionals as this camera only focuses on being one thing.
Biggest one being, this is Not for Photographers
As we mentioned earlier, the Sony ZV-E10 II is not a camera for photographers. You can shoot but it won’t live up to the a6700 which has a proper shutter leaf for photographers to take advantage of and to take good photos whereas this bare sensor is suited for video work.
Doesn’t have Endurance Potential as the FX30
One of the camera it gets compared to often, happens to be the Sony Cinema Line FX30 – a camera that shares so many similarities with the ZV-E10 II – that people call this the cheaper FX30. But here’s the kicker, the ZV-E10 II does not have the endurance you will need, especially if you record long hours like the FX30 does. We had short time with this camera but Gerald Undone’s extensive test in Overheating proves this point and you should watch his video.
It may have some of the bells and whistles of the FX30 but not the crucial ones to make it an endurance champ. But for mass consumers, majority shoot short bursts of video and in this short form content age, it’s becoming more common than anything. So, for those, it will work well. If at all, this is still miles better than the full Frame Lumix S9.
Also, you don’t get dual-SD Card slots and other features like DCI 4K, Dual Base ISO, De-squeeze, to name a few.
It Won’t Replace my A7III but…
For those who are on the Sony A7 system or even the A6000 Series, it wont be replacing your camera. It most definitely wont be replacing my A7III but the ZV-E10 II has the potential to be the supplementary camera I have been looking for to shoot my b-rolls when I am out and about. I sure do love my Sony A7III but the ZV-E10 II compact build and straightforward setup made me appreciate this camera a lot.
But I feel like it pairs well with A7IV or any of the other A7 with support for 10-bit than the 8-bit A7III. So, that you will have that consistency you require while shooting and editing it.
So, here’s what I think
I understand why there’s this constant comparison with the Cinema Line FX30 and the Sony a6700, because these three cameras, share the same APS-C Sensor and the experience you get out all of them is pretty much the same, from a sensor only standpoint of course. But that doesn’t mean the Sony ZV-E10 II is going to replace the FX30 or the a6700 because they are designed for more tougher situations.
If your work is photography heavy or hybrid with higher affinity towards Photography, you should get the Sony a6700. For those who want a longer recording time and need the more pro grade feature, especially a built-in fan to cool your sensor, then you need to go for the Cinema Line FX30.
Which leaves us with this question: who is this Sony ZV-E10 II for?
It’s for people who are starting off their Creator Journey
10 years ago, if you told me that Sony has a camera that does 10-bit recording with 4K and does so well under lowlight situation for RM 5000+, I genuinely would have kickstarted my journey with this.
But this camera makes me happy that I can now recommend it to consumers with such a limited budget to work with and my suggestion is to go with the kit lens, learn what it has to offer, appreciate it and then get a different lens when you are ready. It’s a good kit right out of the box and a complete camera for everyone.
It’s a decent B-camera or a Complimentary camera to your powerful primary camera too – that’s another way to look at it.
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