Sony's latest camera is nimble, lightweight and powerful. With its advanced processing capabilities, fast auto focus and real-time tracking combined with the impressively clear audio capture and the useful flip-out screen, it really is a great option for vloggers.

180-degree flip-out screen; Video processing is impressive; Fast autofocus and real-time tracking; Great sound recording potential

Battery life could be better; No viewfinder; Battery/SD card door is inconvenient for tripod use; Short zoom range

The Sony ZV-1 is the best compact vlogging camera you can buy. Its mix of a bright lens, superb autofocus and design tweaks like the side-flipping screen make it a powerful pocket video option with few peers.

Class-leading autofocus; Bright lens for lovely video bokeh; Hotshoe and 3.5mm mic port; Side-flipping screen ideal for video; Fits in your pocket

Average video stabilization; Touchscreen still very limited; Micro USB rather than USB-C

The Sony ZV-1 is a pocketable camera with strong still image quality and features geared specifically toward vloggers.

Compact form factor; Flip-out touch screen; Bright; sharp zoom lens; Excellent in-camera audio; External mic and flash support; 4K video capture

A wider-angle lens would be welcome; Limited touch features; Face detection struggles when wearing protective mask; Underwhelming battery life; No in-camera flash

Andy Westlake explores Sony's unique new compact camera that's specifically designed for vloggers

Pocketable body; Good image quality; Fully articulated screen; Clever new vlogging features; Pocketable body; Good image quality; Fully articulated screen; Clever new vlogging features

No viewfinder option; Frustrating controls; Minimal touchscreen functionality; No viewfinder option; Frustrating controls; Minimal touchscreen functionality

Some might dismiss the ZV-1 as yet another Sony RX100 variant, but it’s much more than that. The sensor and lens might be familiar, but the body, the controls, the audio and the rear screen are all new and different and optimised brilliantly for vlogging.

Vari-angle rear screen; Clip on wind shield; Brilliantly fast AF

Minimum focus distance changes with zoom; Stabilization seems pretty jerky; Why a 3:2 screen and not 16:9?

After reviewing it, we bought one for our on-the-go video… ‘nuff said

Great stills; video; and audio; ND filter; No record time limit

Touch screen limitations; Battery/card inaccessible if mounted; Narrow field-of-view

The new Sony ZV-1 is a camera that the Japanese electronics manufacturer has smartly modelled after its RX100 premium compact cameras that have won many fans over.

Sony ZV-1: A pocket-sized video powerhouse, the Sony Z-V1 is the perfect tool for social content creation

Small and lightweight; Great video quality; Excellent autofocus performance

Limited physical controls; Disappointing battery life; Not quite wide-angle enough with SteadyShot activated

The Sony ZV-1 is a huge leap forward in merging the accessibility of a smartphone and the proficiency of a dedicated camera into one device. It's not perfect, and we hope to see its overheating issues and convoluted menus resolved in its eventual successor, but as a first attempt, Sony has created...

Unbelievable mic quality; Top-tier autofocus; Instant bokeh mode

Can overheat indoors; Convoluted menus that are a pain to use; Micro-USB rather than USB-C

It's easy to find little quirks and oddities, and things that you wish that Sony would fix. NTSC/PAL switchover being the most annoying of them in my opinion. If you want to switch from 25fps, to 30fps, you need to switch from PAL to NTSC, and the camera requires a different memory card, or for the...

Defocus / Clear Background works very well; Product focus for video works extremely well; For video; this camera is exceptional (it just works); Compact and lightweight; Fast; reliable focus; Good colour reproduction; Good noise performance; Deadcat included

Tripod socket too close to the battery compartment; Long menu system feels disorganised; PAL/NTSC switch for 30/25fps requires card change/format; Lacks built-in flash; Screen dims and can be difficult to view outdoors; MicroUSB connection