It is a great camera, with the best in class sensor and exceptional auto focus. I won't go into all the positives as they are covered in many reviews.

The packaging is awful, bits of cardboard fluff from the packaging in the box.

I don't think it's reasonable to be forced to clean a brand new camera worth over 2k, before attaching a lens, to avoid contaminating the sensor.

There is no printed manual which I also find unacceptable at this price point.

Built in mics are all bad, this one is one of the better ones, nice to have in a pinch, but get a real mic if you need decent sound.

With the 1.0 firmware (as it came out of the box) the camera overheated in 20mins JUST BROWSING THE MENU and customising!

However, since updating to firmware 1.03 (iirc) and setting the temperature limit to high I have not had any overheating issues.

I feel Sony are being pretty stingy by not giving us another knob or at the very least a couple more customizable buttons.

You can partially work around the inconvenience by customizing buttons, the dial and the wheel, and then the function button menu.

There's no good reason for this inconvenience; this camera is already separated from pro level by removing a load of features (which are mostly irrelevant to me and most others in the target audience), however people like me who are in the market for a compact full frame video camera aren't going to be up sold for more buttons and another dial: sure if there was a ZV-E1 variant with an extra knob and two more buttons I'd pay another 100, maybe even 200 for it, but I'm this isn't going to make me go for an fx3 or an a7: I want the ZV-E1 form factor.

It's an exception camera that's a few annoyances away from being perfect for me.

I was cross-shopping the Sony ZV-E1 to the Sony FX3 and FX30. I came from (and still own) the Sony A7iii. My use cases are YouTube videos and cinematic car videos.

Overall great features of the ZV-E1 for a solo content creator include:
– 10-bit 4:2:2 color with a beautiful S-cinetone profile built in. The camera is capable of 4k 120p with a crop (I typically shoot talking head videos in 4K at 24 frames)
– The Sony ZV-E1 is lightweight and easy to rig.
– Handheld shots are a breeze and the camera has both built-in 5-axis image stabilization and digital stabilization.
– It has passable scratch audio directly from the camera if needed in a pinch (I attached a shotgun mic for now).
– There is a 100% fully articulating and high-quality LCD touch screen. It's easy to dial in white balance, ISO/exposure, autofocus area, examine zebras all while facing you. It sounds silly but this feature alone made me excited to us it for video over my A7iii.
– Industry-best autofocus with multiple modes allowing you to intelligently track human faces, animals, cars, trains, and the like.

The reason why I chose the ZV-E1 over the FX3, FX30, my iPhone, my Sony A7iii:

1. The overheating downside seems very overblown. My camera hasn't overheated since ownership. Yes, I record long-length recordings in a studio environment but also outdoors in normal weather conditions. I don't use an external fan.

2. The ZV-E1 has the same **full-frame sensor** and similar image to the Sony FX3 at half the price. The FX30, while also a similar bargin, is an APS-C camera with a crop. I already owned full-frame lenses I felt comfortable using and wanted the advantage of improved low-light capabilities.

3. Better auto-focus than the FX3

4. I don't shoot weddings or client work, so having 1 SD slot is not a deal breaker. However, ZV-E1 creators can attach an external monitor that can record RAW independently as a backup recording.

The camera's downsides:
– There is no fan, only 1 SD card slot, 4k120 is at a crop (if that matters to you), and the max recording times are about 30 minutes less than the FX3 or A7SIII.
– No RAW video file built in. You have SLOG, HGL2/3, S-Cinetone or the opportunity to film RAW with an external monitor.
– There is no external viewfinder like my A7iii so taking still photos is not ideal (I use the A7iii for photos).
– The naming system can confuse some into thinking it's the lower-end ZV-1 or ZV-E10 II and downplaying how much of a beast it is.

For the price of the FX3, I was able to snag both the ZV-E1 and this high-quality Sony 16-35 GM II lens.

I've read some reviews on the FX30, and people said the FX30 looks more professional. I don't need a grey camera body or the words Cine Line to be professional. Then again, my use case for filming video is purely web-based, so should I really take offense for being a knowledgeable casual? I think there are a lot of casuals out there who want stellar video content and kid themselves into buying more camera power than they need.

I use this camera as an A-cam, but I think it would be great as a B-cam for professionals who already rock an FX3. If you're in my boat and you do YouTube or social media content, the quality of the ZV-E1 beats any cellphone or entry-level camera.

he camera's features – including its compact size, image quality, and user-friendly interface – have been highly appreciated by our community.

However, I would like to bring to your attention a significant concern that has been consistently observed and reported by users, including myself – the heating issue. During prolonged use, the camera tends to overheat, causing discomfort and, in some instances, necessitating a pause in filming to allow the camera to cool down. This is particularly challenging for content creators who require long shooting sessions or those capturing events without interruption.

This heating issue not only hampers the user experience but also raises concerns about the long-term durability of the camera. Our community values reliability and durability, especially considering the investment involved in purchasing such high-quality equipment. We understand that technological advancements come with challenges, and we appreciate the efforts Sony has made in creating innovative products. It would be highly beneficial if this issue could be addressed, possibly through a firmware update or a hardware revision in future models. Such a response would not only enhance the user experience but also reinforce Sony's commitment to customer satisfaction and product excellence. Do get get back to me if you need a more discussion, i do use it for my youtube channel Proshine

I bought this camera as a backup camera for my a7s iii but what the influencers don't tell you is that there is no RAW output. Nor do the colours match! Yes you read that right - no matter how many manual settings that are set identically (colour temp, picture profile, creative look, white balance etc.) I cannot get reds looking the same as my a7s iii. Bizarrely, photo's match, just not video! I was planning on shooting with picture profile off and DRO set manually to brighten the image in order to simplify matters and do everything in camera instead of sitting, squintng in front of a computer for months.
Why I condemn this product though is the complete lack of customer service from sony. It's impossible to log a complaint or speak to an agent in spite of there being very deceptively a 'contact us' link - IMPOSSIBLE! All you can do is sign up to a forum, which is more cumbersome than necessary, post your complaint and then wait to be ignored. The camera is too expensive for blogging and it overheats and doesn't have a viewfinder, they should've focused on the videographers on a budget.
These Japanese giants, sony, roland, casio etc. have their heads stuck in the 20th century where large corporations dictate to the customer because they know best and are always right.