With this enabled, I managed to record 52 minutes and 25 seconds of 4k 50p XAVC HS video before the camera became very warm and shut itself down, albeit with roughly two thirds of the battery remaining. The larger bodies and heatsinks of other models in the Alpha range should allow longer recording, even unlimited in some conditions. Set to 1080 50p, I managed two hours and 26 minutes on a single charge with no overheating. But in a missed opportunity, the Auto Framing mode won’t let you choose a different aspect ratio, so all the cropped footage is in the traditional wide 16:9 shape. Ok let’s get on with the review, starting with the design and controls. Here’s the ZV-E1 on the left, alongside the A7 IV on the right, the latter also representing other models in the full-frame Alpha range in terms of size. Ok, now for the sensor which as you already know is inherited from the A7S III. This has 12 Megapixels which in turn allows the ZV-E1 to record 4k video without additional cropping, binning or oversampling. It simply slices-off the top and bottom into the 16:9 shape and starts recording. To put the size into perspective again, here’s the ZV-E1 on the left alongside the A6400 on the right, coincidentally the camera I use to film most of my videos. The ZV-E1 is a little larger in every dimension, but it’s still striking how similar they are in size.

Next I’ve enabled Active SteadyShot which incurs a crop but delivers less wobbles. I always thought Active SteadyShot applied additional digital compensation, but Sony tells me on the full-frame cameras, it’s actually still only using sensor shift, but in a broader range which necessitates a crop. In these respects it could be seen as a simpler, more affordable version of the A7S III, or perhaps a consumer-focused FX3 that’s optimised for vloggers. Or size-wise, maybe a video-oriented version of the A7c.There are of course plenty of alternatives at a roughly similar price, albeit aimed more at a hybrid owner, including Sony’s own A7 IV, Canon’s EOS R6 and Panasonic’s Lumix S5 II.All deliver higher resolution photos with the benefit of dual card slots, mechanical shutters, longer recording times and built-in viewfinders, while two also sport full-size HDMI ports, with the Lumix additionally boasting Open Gate facilities. And finally the outer edge of the green frame represents what you’ll get with Dynamic SteadyShot, which by my calculations works out at about a 1.44x crop. Oh and if you prefer, the ZV-E1 is also available in white, although I don’t believe Sony goes as far as to offer a matching version of the 28-60 kit zoom. Sony then added a new version of the ZV-1 called the 1F which swapped the zoom for a fixed 20mm equivalent prime, making it more suitable for handheld vlogging, but most of us could guess a full-frame ZV wouldn’t be far behind. Before my final verdict I’m going to showcase the last new mode on the ZV-E1, called Cinematic Vlog. This changes the aspect ratio to a wider 2.35:1 shape, changes the frame rate to 24p, and applies softer, moodier tones. You can adjust the style, but here’s some clips filmed with the default settings. Sony ZV-E1 verdict

To further illustrate the crop, here’s the original clip filmed with IBIS alone for an uncropped result.

But while the 28-60 isn’t wide-enough for handheld vlogging in front of the camera, it can be great when used with Dynamic stabilisation when you or someone else is behind the camera instead. But again if you’re handheld vlogging in front of the camera, you ideally want a 20 or even wider. Again the main feature benefits of the A6400 here are its built-in viewfinder not to mention a higher resolution sensor that’s more aimed at hybrid use, but the ZV-E1 counters with a larger full-frame sensor, IBIS stabilisation, a better built-in mic and all those new filming modes. On the top left of the ZV-E1 is one of Sony’s Multi Interface Shoes, complete with the extra pins to support digital audio accessories, and to its right is a three capsule internal mic which allows you to switch between patterns. Well, not quite yet. As you may have noticed in the menus, there’s no mention of 1080 240 or 4k 120 at the time I made this review, as for some unexplained reason, they’re not ready for the launch of the ZV-E1. Instead they’ll arrive on a free update in June. So the ZV-E1 will have 1080 240 and 4k 120 capabilities, but not until June 2023.

UN Regulation 37 covers motor vehicle filament lamps. These are categorized in three groups: those without general restriction that can be used in any application, those acceptable only for signalling lights (not for road illumination lamps), and those no longer allowable as light sources for new type approvals but still permitted for production as replacement parts.On the left is the 20mm prime at f1.8 and on the right is the 28-60 kit zoom at 28mm f4, both using standard SteadyShot IBIS without a crop, and already the 28 is arguably already too tight.