Like its predecessor, the Sony ZV-1 II includes S-Log2 and S-Log3 gamma curve options for creators who want more flexibility when grading their footage. However, the camera can only record in 8-bit color depth, so you’ll have less leeway to push your footage without artifacts like banding; you won’t get the most out of using a Log profile, particularly the flatter S-Log3. In most cases, you’re better off sticking to S-Log 2 or one of the camera’s many preset picture profiles.
Unlike the full-frame Sony ZV-E1, there’s no S-Cinetone picture profile. Still, the camera does include some of the new vlogging features introduced with that model. That includes the ‘Cinematic Vlog’ mode, which locks your video to 24 fps and crops the image to a wider 2.35:1 aspect ratio, with black bars on the top and bottom of the screen to give it a more cinematic feel. You can further adjust the image with preset ‘Looks’ and ‘Moods’ and adjust the autofocus transition speed to get slower, more dramatic focus transitions. The ‘Intelligent Auto’ mode also includes the ‘My Image Style’ settings introduced on the ZV-E1, allowing beginners to adjust white balance and exposure with simplified ‘color’ and ‘brightness’ sliders.
Like other cameras in the ZV series, a dedicated ‘Background Defocus’ button lets you quickly toggle between a wide and narrow aperture to get a blurred background or clear background, as needed. You can see how that looks here.
While the camera doesn’t have optical or sensor-shift stabilization, it does include a digital ‘SteadyShot’ stabilization feature. Enabling it incurs a 1.25x crop, effectively reducing some of the lens’s wide-angle coverage. It’s barely a touch wider than the original ZV-1‘s 24mm-equivalent focal length. SteadyShot is unavailable when shooting at 120 fps / 1080p. While digital stabilization is nice to have, it still doesn’t eliminate jerkiness or camera shake entirely. You can see how it compares to non-stabilized footage here.
Thanks to the new USB-C port, streaming is a lot easier now, too, as the camera will automatically be recognized as a webcam when plugged into a computer without the need for additional software.
