Sony ZV-E10 announced, specs, price, availability confirmed

Sony has announced the ZV-E10, its first Alpha series interchangeable lens vlogging camera. It’s designed specifically for vlogging and combines Sony’s advanced imaging technology with ease of use and features aimed at video creators.

The Sony ZV-E10 has a 24.2-megapixel APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor and a BIONZ X image processing engine. It also has some of the vlogging-specific features found on the ZV-1 compact camera including “Background Defocus” which enables quick switching between a blurred background and a sharp background. There’s also the “Product Showcase Setting” mode that sets the camera to change the focus automatically from the subject’s face to an object being held to the camera.

Yann Salmon Legagneur, Director of Product Marketing, Digital Imaging, Sony Europe said: “With the introduction of Sony’s first interchangeable lens vlog camera, the ZV-E10, we are excited to meet the growing needs of today’s creators. The new ZV-E10 pairs the versatility and excellent image quality of a large-sensor interchangeable lens camera with user-friendly features that are specifically designed for vlogging, making it an ideal tool for video creators looking to transition to a more advanced set up.”

Sony has given the ZV-E10 a ‘video-first’ design and a lightweight body that weighs around 12 oz. / 343g. It also has a vari-angle LCD screen that allows an external mic to be connected to top of the camera. This simplifies the set up while still enabling the screen to be seen from in front of the camera in selfie mode and from high and low angles.

There’s also a new mode button on the top of the camera to change easily between Still/Movie/Slow and Quick modes with just one press.

The Sony ZV-E10 also has advanced video features such as 4K (QFHD: 3840 x 2160) video shooting and Slow Motion with high picture quality (FHD 120p). Plus, electronic image stabilisation with Active Mode for stable video recording when walking and shooting hand-held. Further, the ZV-E10’s advanced autofocus technology provides fast, precise AF with tracking and there’s a high-quality audio system.

Interchangeable lens

As it has the Sony E-mount, the Sony ZV-E10 is compatible with a wide range of lenses in Sony’s E-mount lenses.

Advanced Autofocus

The Sony ZV-E10 has Sony’s Fast Hybrid AF and Real-time Eye AF for video with Real-time Tracking which enables the camera to track the subject’s face and eyes and keep them sharp. It’s also possible to customise the camera’s AF settings by adjusting aspects such as the AF Transition Speed and AF Subject Shift Sensitivity which control the rate at which the camera shifts from one point to another.

Additionally, the ZV-E10’s Touch Focus feature allows the vloggers, videographers and photographers to set the focus point with a tap on the screen.

High Quality Audio

Thanks to its internal Directional 3-Capsule Mic the ZV-E10 can capture clear audio while the supplied windscreen reduces wind noise. In addition, the ZV-E10 features a Digital audio interface in its Multi Interface (MI) Shoe and a mic jack to connect an external mic. There’s also a headphone jack which means the audio can be monitored via connected headphones. Audio output timing can also be set for Live or Lip Sync.

Face Priority AE

Again borrowed from the ZV-1, the ZV-E10 has a Face Priority AE (autoexposure) algorithm that is able to make quick changes to the exposure so that a subject’s face is correctly exposed. This sets the camera to detect the subject’s face and adjust the exposure accordingly. It works in regular or selfie mode and can cope with extreme lighting shifts as well as when the subject’s face turns away briefly from the camera.

In addition, the ZV-E10 has the same advanced colour science as the ZV-1 to optimise skin tones in both still and video modes.

Video Features

• Internal 4K movie recording through full pixel readout without pixel binning
• High bit rate XAVC S™ codec at 100Mbps when recording 4K
• Slow & Quick Motion
• High-speed full HD recording at 120 fps
• Interval Shooting for time-lapse videos
• Hybrid Log-Gamma (HDR) / S-Gamut3.Cine / S-Log3, S-Gamut3 / S-Log3

Sony has made the ZV-E10 easy to hold and operate with a new body grip and a large Movie button that is conveniently positioned. There’s also an optional Shooting Grip with Wireless Remote Commander (GP-VPT2BT, sold separately) to make one-handed shooting easy with convenient access to the zoom and record controls, plus a customisable button. The front of the camera also has a recording lamp (tally light) to indicate when it is recording.

According to Sony, the ZV-E10’s battery lasts for up to 125 minutes of recording or 440 images. Alternatively, it can be powered using the optional AC-PW20AM AC power adapter. Power can also be supplied through a USB Type-C connector from a power bank.

​To conserve the camera’s battery, the ZV-E10 has a Power save mode for the Vari-angle LCD Screen which is activated by closing it. The camera powers up when the screen is opened again.

Livestreaming

The ZV-E10 can be used as a webcam or for live streaming by connecting it to a PC or smartphone with no additional software required. This brings the benefit of the ZV-E10’s image and audio quality plus the Face Priority AE and Soft Skin Effect technology during live-streaming and video calls.

The ZV-E10 supports standards used for USB cameras like UVC (USB Video Class) / UAC (USB Audio Class). The ZV-E10 also allows users to connect to a power supply via a USB cable while live streaming for longer usage. It’s even possible to assign this function to a custom button to start streaming instantly.

Easy transfers

With Sony’s Imaging Edge Mobile app, ZV-E10 users can transfer images and video files to a smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi. This includes raw image files.

Once the camera is paired to the Imaging Edge Mobile app, the files’ location data can be acquired from the mobile device and recorded. Files can be transferred from an SD card in the camera to a smartphone via Bluetooth even if the camera is off.

Sony ZV-E10 pricing and availability

The new Sony ZV-E10 is set to go on sale later in August 2021 for a retail price of around £680/€750/$700.

A kit with the ZV-E10 camera and E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS power zoom lens will also be available later in August 2021 and will be sold for an estimated retail price of £770/€850/$800.

Sony Vlog Challenge contest

Sony has also announced that it will host the second Sony Vlog Challenge Contest that encourages entrants from Europe to create a vlog that highlights something that they are the most passionate about. The competition opens today and the final submission date is 27th September. Follow the link to view the rules.