I’ve already reviewed the sensor and interface of this camera
several times on this channel when I covered the a6400,
the a6600, and so on,
and I refuse to review those elements again.
So instead we’re going to do something
a little bit different.
Let’s get undone!
[offbeat music]
♪ Gerald Undone ♪
♪ He's crazy ♪
What’s happening, everybody?! I’m Gerald Undone
and today I’m here to speak an excessive amount
of camera jargon and chew bubble-gum.
Unfortunately, it seems that I’m all out of bubble-gum.
Okay, disclosure time: Sony lent me this camera
and a couple of lenses to make this review.
I don’t get to keep it. No money changed hands.
And Sony does not get any input on this video’s production
or get to preview it before it’s posted.
This video does have a sponsor though, and that’s Storyblocks.
And also if you hear beeping or grinding sounds outside,
that's because the construction that I've been complaining about
for a couple months, maybe six months now, is still going on
but I think they're almost done because they're laying the sod.
So that's gotta be one of the final steps, right?
Anyway. This is the ZV-E10.
I’ll be saying “zed” a lot, because I’m Canadian.
But to be honest, I kind of hate the name of this camera.
I understand the “ZV” part, because it appears
to have similar intentions to the ZV-1,
but the hardware is mostly from the a6000 series.
So I’m not sure what the E10 is all about,
but it just feels like a mouthful
and unrelated to anything before.
Unless this is the start of a new line of cameras?
But it’s weird that they would start that new line
with an old sensor and interface.
Because this is essentially a Sony ZV-1 with an APS-C sensor,
an interchangeable lens, a headphone jack,
a new digital audio multi-interface shoe,
and a bigger battery, but without the built-in ND filter.
There. Review done. Any questions?
I think this video will likely have two audiences:
people who watch my channel a lot and already know the story
behind the ZV-1 and Sony’s previous APS-C cameras
but just want a quick rundown on what’s new here,
and then new customers potentially shopping
for their first real camera.
And I think it’s that second group
that Sony’s really targeting with this camera.
And I’m going to do a whole vlogging segment in this video
for that beginner audience, a little later on, but first,
let me just talk nerdy to my regular viewers real quick.
So this thing has pretty much
identical functionality to the ZV-1.
The same flip screen, the same beginner/novelty buttons
for depth of field and product showcase autofocus,
face priority exposure and soft skin effect,
the same USB streaming capabilities,
the active electronic stabilization,
and the built-in three-capsule mic with included wind screen.
Just like the ZV-1 it has a tally light, a zoom lever,
and a full range of picture profiles, excluding S-Cinetone
of course, which is on neither of those cameras,
because this camera is still using the older menu system.
The autofocus is very similar as well, except the ZV-E10
has the updated speed and sensitivity controls
that allow up to seven steps and five steps
of adjustment respectively
for more refined autofocus responsiveness.
It still has the same limitations and quirks
when it comes to white balance and HDMI output.
I recommend you watch my ZV-1 video if you want more detail
about that, but basically 4K30 has no face or eye detection
when an HDMI cable is connected, unless you record externally
exclusively, and the screen blacks out when you do this.
But just like the ZV-1, this issue
was fixed for 4K24, just not for 4K30.
It also inherits the quirk from the other APS-C cameras
where 4K30 has a slight crop when compared to 4K24.
But unlike the ZV-1, this new camera does not crop the 4K24
when compared to the 1080p, so it is easier to get
a wider field of view on this camera than it is on the ZV-1.
Unless you shoot 1080p 120, which does have an added crop.
It still has the same stabilization modes,
where standard is optical stabilization if your lens
supports it, and then Active adds electronic stabilization,
which also adds a substantial crop, but because this is
an interchangeable lens camera, you can put on a wider lens
like the 10-18, which has optical stabilization,
but with that lens even if you turn on active mode and shoot
in 4K you’ll still have a respectable width for vlogging.
This is the biggest advantage I would say
this camera has over the ZV-1.
However, because it’s one of Sony’s APS-C cameras,
it also inherits that sensor’s weaknesses.
This is not a new sensor-- this is the same sensor
Sony’s been using in their 6000-series line up for years.
This means it’s really starting to show its age
when it comes to image quality.
It’s fine, but nothing amazing compared to recent releases.
It also has that famously bad rolling shutter.
Hey, I thought I said I wasn’t going
to review this sensor again!
It’s still 24MP, and it still has an ISO range of 100-32,000,
which definitely beats the lowlight performance
on the ZV-1, but it’s not quite as good as the recent a7C,
which is the closest full frame cousin to this camera.
But where the a7C had a lackluster viewfinder,
the ZV-E10 removed the viewfinder completely.
And that viewfinder is really the only major factor
that prevents this camera from rendering
every other a6000-series camera obsolete.
But more on that later.
It’s using the same FW50 battery
that you’ll find on the a6400 or a6100,
but it’s getting slightly better performance out of it.
Maybe 5-10% better, with an average record time
of about 80-90 minutes.
The only cameras that beat this one are the ones that use
the FZ100 battery, like the a6600 or full frame models.
There are no record limits and overheating was not a concern,
provided you switch the Power OFF Temp to "High" in the menu.
Looking around the body, the controls and layout
are more similar to the ZV-1 than other a6000 cameras,
big record button on top, no control dial.
Fewer function buttons, and a zoom rocker.
It has a major advantage over the ZV-1 though
due to it’s size.
The compartment that holds the battery and single SD card slot
is far enough away from the 1/4-20 mount on the bottom
that tripod plates don’t interfere
with changing batteries or cards,
which was my biggest annoyance on the ZV-1.
The grip is okay, it definitely feels like a small,
somewhat cramped camera in the hands, but impressively,
they managed to make it noticeably smaller
than the other cameras in the a6000 lineup,
while keeping a full suite of ports.
USB-C, which works for streaming, data transfer,
charging, and extending battery life,
micro HDMI, microphone in, and headphone out.
And the mic port has its own door, which does well not
to interfere too badly visually with the flip out screen.
All while being 60 grams lighter and 15mm thinner than the a6400.
Now despite all those refinements,
it’s clear what this camera’s purpose is.
It’s for vlogging and beginners.
The removal of the viewfinder and the addition
of so many automatic features and conveniences,
and especially the price, I think clearly show
the target market for this camera.
Because impressively, this camera only costs $699
for the body, and $799 with the 16-50mm kit lens.
For comparison, that’s only $50 more
than the ZV-1 for this whole lens kit.
And $200 less than the a6400 if you compare bodies only.
But we’ll talk value considerations in a minute.
First, let’s use this camera as it was intended
and take it out for a little vlog test.
And I’m going to be using the Sony Bluetooth grip
that lets you start and stop recording,
and zoom right from the handle. Alright, let’s go.
Okay, so right now I'm walking through a wooded area
that constantly has the sun sort of jumping through
so it should be a good test
for both auto-exposure auto-white balance.
I have it set on Shutter Priority
with Face Priority, so the aperture and ISO
are allowed to change but the shutter speed is not.
I have zebras turned on and I can see
that they're all over the place.
This sensor doesn't have excellent dynamic range in video
but I have the picture profile set to standard,
which is obviously worse for the dynamic range.
It's Picture Profile off.
But we can try with S-Log later on.
It's 4K24p, stabilization is just set to standard,
so we're using just the lens stabilization.
This is the 16-50 OSS lens, which wide open will
go to f/3.5 because we're shooting at 16 mm.
Right now it's showing it as f/5.6,
f/6.3 as we move through, and then when we're in a dark area
it goes to f/3.5, ISO jumps up to 200.
Base ISO with the standard color is ISO 100.
The white balance is also set to auto so we'll see
how it changes when I walk through here.
And we're using the built-in microphone on the top
and I have the windscreen on top.
It is a little bit windy, rustling through leaves
and there's some dogs barking off in the distance.
And there's different sounds so we can see
how well that isolates my voice.
I'm using eye autofocus and I have the default speed
and sensitivity values set.
And soft skin right now is off but we can turn that on
for a quick test. Let's do that now.
There. So I was able to turn on soft skin
without stopping recording and I have it set
to the medium setting, so we'll see what that does.
One thing I probably complained about already
is the rolling shutter.
I don't know how much it's gonna have an effect
on this whole vlogging experience here.
Let me just-- move the camera around.
Yeah, it's really Jell-o-y in the display, I can even see.
And then the stabilization, I mean, you can make
your own opinion on it.
I'll go ahead and put it on active stabilization now
so we can see how that looks but we're going to crop in a bit.
I'm holding the camera at a somewhat uncomfortable distance
and I have really long arms.
I can hold it all the way out here
but you wouldn't be able to do that for very long. That hurts.
So I have just a little bit of a bend in the elbow here.
This is at standard, let's drop into active stabilization now.
You cannot switch to active stabilization while recording.
You have to stop recording.
And you can see, this is now my arm full extended
in a painful way and this is way too tight.
But I'll try to do this and I'll hold it out
and you can tell me if the stabilization
seems any better and while we're doing that
I will walk into this open field area so we can see
how the exposure and white balance adjusts for me.
It should get noisier out here too.
Alright here we go. So I am now in direct sunlight.
So we're at f/9, ISO 100. That's not too bad.
This is very uncomfortable on the arm though.
And then I'll walk back into this sort of wooded area
and you can take a look at the white balance
and see how the stabilization is.
This will be dual:
this is the lens and the body working together right now.
Alright, let's change a couple things.
Let's switch it to S-Log and then back
to standard stabilization and see how the dynamic range
works for that. Okay so now we're back
to standard stabilization
just so we have a better field of view.
I'm still using the 16mm and this is S-Log 3.
And the image looks-- it's not clipping so that's good.
Seems the dynamic range might be sufficient for this.
Let's put some sky in it.
I'm not much of a vlogger, I know.
I'm staring at the screen instead of you guys,
it's because I'm trying to watch everything.
We're doing a f/6.3 in here at ISO 500 because that's
the base ISO for S-Log on this camera.
Alright, I'm now stepping out into direct sunlight
with S-Log3 and we're now at f/20 in order
to get this exposure and there's the sky in the background.
So this is auto exposure.
It says it's face priority but it's keeping the sky exposed for.
Let's put a little sun in it so we can--
So there's me in the sun-- f/22.
Alright, now let's work with that aperture a little bit better
by switching the lens to the 10-18 so that we can get
active stabilization and I'll throw an ND filter on top.
Okay, now we're rocking five stops of ND
which is letting us shoot at f/5 out here in the sunlight.
I've got active stabilization on because I'm on the 10-18
so I'm all the way wide on the 10mm.
Fun fact: You can't use the zoom function
on this camera for the 10-18.
It doesn't have the power zoom like the 16-50 does.
So 16-50 is definitely a better sort of paired lens
with this system if you want it to feel more like the ZV-1,
but a 10-18 does give you this wider frame.
I'm at f/4.5 now.
Sky is still exposed for ISO 500, S-Log3,
and I'm using active stabilization.
Now let's walk back to the dark area again so we can see,
now I get this same frame without holding my arm
that far away from my body so it's much better.
Alright so now I'm walking through the wooded part here
at f/4, ISO 500 to get the same exposure
because we have the ND on
and that's probably the biggest advantage
the ZV-1 has over this camera is the built-in ND.
On this one-- it's really windy.
Let's see how the microphone holds up over top of that
tree rustling noise.
But yeah, the ZV-1 has the built-in ND,
where this one you're going to have to add your own ND filter
if you wanna be able to open up your lenses,
which might be better for a little separation when vlogging.
Obviously you could put another microphone on top too
if you wanted to take advantage of that
because it has the digital interface shoe thing.
But yeah, so I'm going to walk through
a intermittent bright/dark area now,
so we can check the exposure, white balance while I tell you
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Okay, some thoughts after reviewing that footage.
First off, that rolling shutter
is undeniably noticeable and terrible.
I’m not a huge fan of the soft skin effect,
but it definitely did something
and seems effective if you need it.
The dynamic range in standard is not very impressive,
but it does improve when you switch to S-Log.
However, when I added a heavy ND and used S-Log,
the image became very mushy and soft.
This is likely because the camera’s shutter priority
aimed for a neutral exposure of S-Log,
when you definitely want to overexpose 1-2 stops
to beat the noise floor on a sensor like this.
So, I’d only use S-Log if I was going full manual.
I also think the autofocus was failing a bit
during S-Log, which this sensor
has had problems with in the past as well.
The auto exposure features worked well enough
for a vlog in my opinion, though.
The white balance and exposure were never jarring,
and the transitions were pretty smooth.
I didn’t notice a huge improvement switching
to active stabilization though, so I’d probably stick
with standard, which is good, because the crop with active
was way too intense when using the 16-50mm lens.
But unfortunately, that rolling shutter
really accentuates any lack of stabilization.
The audio was pretty good though for a built-in mic.
It did well to compete with other sounds in the environment,
and although it was a little thin,
I think it did its job well enough for a simple vlog.
Clarity was good, and the wind screen did its job well.
You could argue that in well-lit situations the ZV-1 produces
a more watchable image because of the better stabilization
and rolling shutter performance,
and the E10 wouldn’t really pull ahead
until you factor in lowlight.
But the ZV-1 does have that more limited field of view.
So, I suppose the main reason for choosing the ZV-E10
would be that it has a higher ceiling for quality.
You can use better lenses, get more reach,
shallower depth of field, etc.
And compared to the other a6000 series cameras,
if you don’t need a viewfinder, this is a no brainer.
It’s cheaper for the same quality or better.
The only one that beats it is the a6600
with more function buttons and a bigger battery,
but it’s hundreds of dollars more
and that added value of the bigger battery
doesn’t make as much sense as it did
when these newer options didn’t exist.
Compared to the ZV-1 it’s an interesting dilemma.
If you only plan to use the camera in well-lit scenarios
with everything on auto or standard,
you’re probably better off sticking with the ZV-1.
But if you want an upgrade path or a bit more versatility,
and don’t have the budget for full frame,
the ZV-E10 is probably the best bang for the buck option
that Sony currently offers,
as long as you don’t need a viewfinder.
I just wish it didn’t suffer
from that terrible rolling shutter.
But that's gonna be it for me. I hope you found
this video entertaining or at least helpful.
And if you did, make sure you leave it the old thumbs up
and consider subscribing if you haven't already.
But if you did not find this video helpful or entertaining,
try setting the playback speed to 75%.
Alright... I'm done.