Sony ZV-1M2 Review: I’m upgrading. 

If you have the ZV1 no need to upgrade to the Mark 2. The 18mm is nice, but at sacrificing the longer zoom of the ZV1 (70mm vs 50mm) and sacrficing aperature (1.8/2.8 vs 1.8/4.0). Longer zoom range is more important for vlogging as there are workarounds to the wide angle (wide angle lens adapter, selfie or gimbal sticks). To a lesser extent the Mark 2 also loses the normal staiblization so you are stuck with a cropped stabilzation with the Mark 2 and losing out on HFR. The relocated 1/4 mount is nice when tri pod recording, but I use the Newer grip extender which moves the 1/4 mount to various locations allowing access to the battery compartment as well as giving an additional cold shoe for mounting lighting. The upgraded mic is only good if in a pinch, the sony wireless is superior and allows for rear/front/blend through a switch. So overall, the Mark 2 is not really an upgrade but an option for people are in the market for a ZV. Personally I would look for a ZV1 since the pricing is much lower than the mark 2.

I also bought the Sony ZV-1 M2! It has quite good stabilization, pretty good audio recording with the internal microphone which is very intelligent and can record audio from front or back with way better quality than what other cameras on the market that can be used by content creators/youtubers have. Plus it has an AUTO mode so that you don't have to change the settings everytime to front or rear. The 4K recording lasts for about 40-45 minutes and the quality is gorgeous. But keep in mind that during the summer when is very hot outside and inside it will overheat as it is an electronic device, a small one but you can still record for about 30-35 minutes in 4K without interruptions I would say and around 40-45 minutes with breaks after after a few minutes of recording (like vloggers/travel vloggers usually do). The ones that record 40 minutes or an 1 hour without taking breaks are the people that record walking videos/walking tours but for that you need a gimbal or a camera with one - I use DJI Pocket 2 for those types of videos. But I do use the Sony ZV-1 M2 for recording my face in 4K for gaming videos and I record for about 40-45 minutes no problem even if it may overheat just a little bit in the end. Regarding Sony ZV-1 I also have to mention the Product Showcase feature that for us youtubers that may record unboxing/product reviews videos from time to time or for those that are doing this all the time on RU-vid is a must. The overall autofocus quality is 10/10! I just hope that they will release an update to get AUTO mode for the ND filter in video mode (intelligent auto video mode) and maybe just a little bit better video stabilization even if it's more than decent as it is. Oh and I highly recommend this camera for photography as well (for street photography, selfies, travel photography, family photos in general for people who upload photos on Social Media or on a blog like a travel or cooking blog). This camera is amazing for anyone that posts stuff (photos and videos) on Social Media and even for those that do this as a career. Bigger cameras like mirrorless or DSRLs I would say that are for professionals who have photo studios, record for clients (wedding videos etc or for those who just record videos inside and on a tripod and don't do vlogs as well). 🙂

Props to you for actually mentioning the flaws of this camera - I watched about 3 other reviews before yours and I feel like yours was the most honest so far!

Absolutely exhausted of the “almost perfect” title to every camera release

This was the most helpful review I have ever watched lol THANKYOU!

Wow so excited about this camera you went to Portugal to test it!? So dedicated, fun video!

This is the one I've been waiting for! Great review :)

Very impressed with the look of the ZV1M2, looks great for traveling! That's something I've been thinking a lot about as I'm thinking of ways to keep my kit lite when I'm on the go 🤔

Beautiful video, flawless edit 💯, Great job 💯 and ofc nice camera

Thing is I like is to zoom a lot. It's few of the reasons I was considering the RX 100VII. Downgrading the camera to an even shorter range from the Mark 1 makes it less versatile then it should be. Sure it's brighter but it doesn't capture as much range as the ZV1 mark 1 or the RX 100 VII. If I want to capture night the iPhones does it way better. So unfortunately it's a pass for me 🤷🏻‍♂️. Good for anybody who doesn't have my preference tho so don't worry

This was so helpful! Thank you so much! 💕

Looks so good yeah I think I’ll definitely pick this one up

I’ve been waiting for this update!!! Been using my zv1 for a few years.

I have just gotten this camera and bought me a dummy battery and a 1 tb sd card. It's wonderful! The problem I am having is when I car vlog, I am always hitting the wrong button, defocus & S&Q, Camera and Movie. Only had it overheating once. But it is lasting longer than two hours, especially with the dummy battery and a cheap Phone charger external battery 5V 2.4A and that charger can last 6 hours. Bought a small Targus California Body Bag that can carry even the Elgato 4k camlink with a micro HDMI cable for my Ecamm Live Pro for videos. Cheers! Love no 30 minute time record limit too!

Great video as usual, just wanted to know what laptop are you currently using while you travel to edit your videos?

I can attest to the ZV-1 overheating, that said I just love how simple it is to use. I use one for work and it really makes for a great compact camera, M2 must me awesome!

What would you recommend for top down video shots and streaming?

Great review and video 💙💙

I'm one of those guys who always put the camera on Auto mode. It is a friendly camera to use with no need to adjust many features. One day it will arrive in my country and I will but it.

What a amazing review this was thank you 🙏

OMG, I need this camera in my life!!

Lisbon... The capital of my country... And its beautiful! Hope you enjoyed it Sara!

definitely buying! thanks for another great review :)

This actually looks great. I still think a compact camera should have a big range and for that even the RX 100VII is still better that the ZV-1M2 but for people who actually pretty much just vlog this looks sick! Also, I hope you enjoyed you time here in Portugal! :)

This looks like a super cool camera! Definitely a good upgrade on the original 😊

Thanks for pointing out the improvements on mark 2! The old location of the tripod thread basically ruined everything…😂

Have you tried Sony's Catalyst Browse software for stabilization in post?

Just wanted to drop by and say.. guuurl that thumbnail was tight! Kudos!

wow was so impressed with this camera up until 14:50 dreams crushed... seriously sony put in work to make this perfect camera and then destroys it with no image stabilization --___-- WHYYYYY like we are going to keep active on and walk around --__------------------------- really wanted this camera .. lol

Can't lie, I was specifically waiting for your video. You always offer the nicest perspectives on these new, especially niche, cameras

This was great...sorry to bug you but, i film podcasts. I already use the zv1f and love it. I want to replace all of my Camcorders i use to film multi cam podcasts. I gambled on the zv1f and ended up loving everything about it. So....I was going to get the rest of its relatives, the zv1 and the zve10 too because i think in the pod studio they can be dialed in as the same for multi cam shots yet in the field they can each do something a little different. ultimate flexibility from three similar cameras. Then the Mark II comes out. Now im not sure. With the new rendition of the zv1m2 do i even need to buy the e10 now? I was also going to use the e10 as an athletic content capture camera for making recruiting clips. But now im wondering if the new zv1 could actually do that with its new zoom lens. I'm so sorry, that was a lot. It's almost like Sony gave us too many options. Lauwd help me.

Amazing review

How well does this handle strictly still images, for a beginner photographer?

Should I get this even if I only need to do indoor vlogging?

Thank you, my dear friend, for the beautiful Mboxing and the wonderful performance. Sony is a giant company in this field Your love from the Middle East 

i'd love to see Sony ZV1M2 Vs iPhone 14 Pro Max Comparison video! 🙏 GREAT VIDEO Sara as usual

hi sara, hope that you and john liked it here in portugal 😁

Could you do a comparison video of the ZV-1M2 Vs. ZV-E1?

Great video! 💪

Can you upload media to youtube and other platforms directly from the camera?

If these point and shoots had an extremely long focal length I could see them being useful. Being out and about I keep my 35-150mm on my A7IV and use my phone for anything wider even though I own the 16-35mm GM.

Interesting that people have had overheating issues with the ZV1. Don't always film in 4K, but sometimes. Have never experienced overheating, my husband and I have used it since it came out.

Video is sick but the thumbnail on point 👌🏼

I lost my ZV1 on a recent business trip. 😥 So I went and ordered a ZV 1 M2 cam. Ive already added the Ulanzi lense to my new cam! :) I lost all of my sticks and 3 batteries. No more having to rebalance the gimbal when the battery dies in the cam. I am happy happy happy!

I just bought a zv1 end of last year so I’m gonna hold off, though it’s tempting! They didn’t change toooo much and I’m glad. TBH, I am happy with the ZV1, for now at least!

OOOOO this camera looks so nice ;-;

How does this compare to the ZV-1F???

Great Video!!

love the white stying , the ZV-1M2 & you ....😎

Sarah out here getting hooked up by Sony! The phone and now the ZVII. Noice.

nice work

I loved to use the ZV-1. Now the incredible M2. That's a buy, I think :p But what will be better? Pixel 8 Pro or ZV-1 M2?

No HDR video test?

Nnnngh no regular steadyshot, no HFR and they kept my worst gripe about the ZV-1 - the power button. The amount of times that camera has switched on in my bag... With the extending lens and the small battery that is a huge bother. the HFR was so good fr archery too... Back on the fence...

Or should I get the zv1f?

I think I'd sooner just use an action camera when I need something small. I have 2 a7IV, a gopro 11 and a DJI mini 3 pro and that combo works for me. If this had been 10 bit I would have been seriously considering it.

Quality video as always Sara. I returned the original Z1 due to the terrible image stabilisation and it’s overheating super super fast. People all commented they can’t make good image stabilisation in a camera that size,,, cough, cough iPhone can do it sooooo 😂 I was aware you can bypass the overheating in settings menu but you shouldn’t need to risk damaging the camera by turning off the safety feature. Sad to see this one still has bad stabilisation (technically worse as none in wide) or some but you loose that much better wide for vlogging. Come on Sony!

11:11 ok but we can we talk about how nice the standard picture profile looks on the Mk2??

Thanks for that review. It's funny that users are now amazed at a camera that doesn't overheat under native recording conditions. Has this become normalized?

Is it better than zve10?

Great video

I wish they had kept the same lens, the original lens was much faster for low light, at f/1.8-2.8 and I really used that extra 2 stops. I would really like usbc and a new menu.

Thanks for the intel, you look great btw

how many cameras you have now????? all i want is the perfect Came raaa

As a proud owner of the ZV-1 Mark 1, I'm very disappointed in the Mark 2. The original had 2 flaws in my opinion. The placement of tripod screw and the micro USB. For a person walking around filming themselves I understand wanting the wider lens. Personally I wanted a longer telephoto. Prior to the ZV-1 my EDC camera was the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS. It's flaws were it needed better stabilization, a mic jack, a shoe and get rid of the recording limit. The lens on that camera does 24-960mm and is great for wildlife footage or anything else you need more telephoto for. You put that lens on the ZV-1 and it's the perfect camera for me. I'd probably sell my DSLR and not even consider another interchangeable lens camera. My problem with the ZV-1 ii is it takes away many features of the original. The forward facing mics are worse, stabilization is worse, super slowmo is gone, less telephoto, and more. But they want more money? If Sony had just taken the original, fixed the mount and upgraded the USB to C. That would be an upgrade, just not worth the price increase. So then we look at the lens. Start with 18mm then give it a 5x optical zoom. That makes it 18 to 90 which makes wider and longer than the original. Then might be worth the money they are asking but personally I think for that much more money they could go 10 or 20x with the optical zoom instead of 3X. For me the Mark 2 and the F are a hard pass. Both are inferior to the original. At least the F costs less.

VERY GOOD.......

I’m still happy with my Sony rx100v, I like that it’s not made of plastic.

I have a desire to vlog but have too many irons in the fire. Smaller is definitely better in that space though.

I'm not gonna lie.... I clicked because of that thumbnail 🔥🔥🔥

I feel the quality and clarity on the ZV-1 is more than the Mark 2

Did you enjoy Portugal? I don't know why but is kinda weird watching you walking around familiar places haha

The ZV-1 is MUCH cheaper and more capable as a still camera (faster and longer lens), probably a better option if you want to carry another very light and small device in addition to your phone while travelling

You test seems pretty inconclusive. Yes, any Sony camera will over heat on low setting. That is one of the reasons I first returned the ZV-1. (Not being an avid Sony user, I did not know about the temp setting feature at first.) But most Sony cameras need to be on high heat in order to be useful. So saying that it is dying after a few seconds on low heat, is not a fair test and something that, I myself, was guilty of saying when first reviewing this camera. In high temp mode there should be no problems and the ZV-1 should run for a good long time. It seems like there are trade-offs when upgrading to the new lens. True, it looks better, however, You loose way too many important features for the sake of a better lens. A lens which can be corrected buy buying the Ulanzi or the Neewer lenses and adapters, which work very well for the money.

Biggest upgrade is the 18mm lens and USB-c plug instead of micro USB, personally they should have done a 10-50mm lens and I would have already upgraded from my Sony ZV1 which is my pocket camera, the 18mm does not seem worth the upgrade since everything else is pretty much the same at the end of the day none of the upgrades are game changers that will make a big difference in day to day use. My main camera is the Sony ZV E10 and I have the Sony 10-18mm lens permanently attached.

Interesting! The thing that has attracted me to the ZV-1 has been the telephoto end, not the wide angle - I can use a gopro or my cell camera for wide angle shots of me, but neither has the ability to do telephoto shots. I feel like the ZV-1M2, by reducing the telephoto range, missed that part of its versatility.

I like your green hat Sara 😂

Super video

Tech Scarlet Witch ❤️

Stream via USB C, what resolution?

I Love Videos where the content creator is actually excited and is not looking for every little negative about a product and focus on the negative vs the positive. Specially the creators that are so pro that they just can't ever be happy about any new releases. Great video and awesome job on this 👏🏻

Thumbnail 👍🙏

"You're gonna want to have active image stabilization turned on at all times." 13:10 - Oh, no. Don't do that. Keep active stabilization off always. Use Catalyst Browse in post. Only a 10% crop and very smooth.

i wonder how it compares with the iphone 14 pro max in the video department.

In 2 weeks you will be able to memorize the Menu System (The all or new Menu)!

So you came to my city, huh?😁

Nice video 📹

Yeah dat was a bad ass thumbnail

Sorry but usb c breaks to easy compared to my micro usb connectors. My shure smb have all broke from the usb c connectors but my mics with micro usb are still good.

From here, i expecting something good with the next SONY ZVE10

Wish I could afford it

Interestingly, my ZV-1 doesn't overheat and I have filmed over an hour straight with no overheating.... 🤷🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️ I also stream/record reactions so, maybe that's why but regular sit-down for thirty minutes straight to speak, it doesn't heat up, or, at the very least, never noticed 🤷🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️

Casio ftw

Oh you are upgrading? Show us the receipt. Thanks.

i’m a lot like the ZV1. I too am easily overwhelmed and panicky, even indoors

I ❤ U! I just don’t get why you claim that vlogging is so 2017. Van life is all vlogging, travel life is all vlogging and I could go on. Just bc you don’t anymore, doesn’t mean it’s dead.

I miss the vlog days 😢

maybe we will have a software upgrade! ;)

The problem is, I have the ZV-1, so ... since I DO NOT have limitless funds (and it's unlikely I will get a good trade-in on my ZV-1), I will not be budgeting the funds to buy this one. Unless I lose or severely break it of course (I hope that is not a omen).

Beware: Sony rarely (if ever) provides firmware updates. My original ZV-1 (less than 3 years old) is stuck in some kind of boot loop and they offered no support other than send it off and pay for a repair.

Beautiful as ever, beautiful blue eyes, beautiful you.