Sony ZV-E10 II Review: Performance, Features, and Real-World Use
- BY ELLE NKOSI
- 41 minutes ago
- 9 min read
If I were serious about content creation, the Sony ZV-E10 II is the camera I’d get. It’s built to do everything a modern creator might want: vlogging, photography, and streaming without making you feel like you need a degree in cinematography to operate it. And after spending 10 days with it? I feel like I can do this vlogging thing.
Photography is constantly changing and social media has altered expectations. Sure, smartphones are convenient, but for versatility and quality, a proper camera still rules. So when Sony sent us the ZV-E10 II, I had to put it to the test myself. I didn’t just shoot nature and my run vlogs; I even took it on a car shoot and asked our photographer if I can take a couple of shots and the pictures came out really good
The handling is excellent and intuitive. Though I’ll be honest, I got confused for a second between the photo and video buttons, I saw the red button and instinctively tried to use it as the shutter, only to realize it’s for video. And to capture stills, you press a separate button. It happened more than once, but once you get the hang of it, the layout feels completely natural.
There’s a toggle button to switch between photo mode and video mode, the on/off button is clearly visible, and it comes with object recognition options, soft skin effect, six shot modes, and many more features, we will get into.
First Impressions: Lightweight
Right out of the box, the ZV-E10 II makes a strong impression. Its lightweight build is noticeable and it’s much lighter than cameras I’ve used before. It feels exactly like the cameras influencers hold casually while walking around talking to the camera. Which makes sense, because it is a vlogging camera. Compact, clean, minimal. You could throw it in a bag and forget it’s there but also feel confident using it for a proper shoot.
Camera Use: Familiar and Intuitive
The grip is comfortable, the buttons are spaced nicely. The flip-out LCD is perfect for selfies and vlogging. I didn’t even realize the screen flipped at first but once I figured it out? I was flipping it every way imaginable. Clockwise, counterclockwise, up, down
It’s vari-angle, touchscreen, 3 inches, and perfect for selfies, vlogging, or vertical content. You can shoot in portrait mode for TikTok or Reels, and the menus adjust to match. Tap to focus, swipe to navigate, it’s simple. If you’re used to shooting on a phone, this will feel familiar and maybe even fun.
It might take some getting used to if you’re used to framing shots through a viewfinder instead of a tiny flip-out screen. Juggling the flip screen while keeping your lenses centered on the main display can feel a bit trippy but also kind of fun.
Shots I took using the Sony ZV-E10 II
Video quality is excellent. The 26MP sensor produces crisp images and 4K60P videos that are sharp and vibrant, thanks to 10-bit 4:2:2 colour. The clip-on wind muffler for the mic is easy to attach, and touch focus feels intuitive just tap where you want to focus, familiar if you’ve used a phone.
The camera can run for long sessions, but overheating is something to watch out for. Shooting in 4K at 60fps, 10-bit 4:2:2, 200 Mbps made the camera overheat every 20–30 minutes. But dropping the bitrate to 50 Mbps, fixes the overheating issue.
One thing to take note of, if you are someone with shaky hands or does 'spend a day with me vlogs', the camera doesn’t have in-body image stabilization (IBIS), which I do feel is neccessay for vlogging, since you’re not always sitting still and IBS usually acts as a safety net for shaky shots.
It relies solely on electronic or digital stabilization, which can help reduce camera shake to some degree, but it’s not as effective as true IBIS. There are two digital stabilization modes: standard, which keeps the full frame with no crop, and active, which adds a crop for extra correction. Even so, neither mode dramatically smooths things out.
Exterior: Compact
It uses the same NP-FZ100 rechargeable battery found in other modern Sony cameras like the A7 IV, A7C II, A6700, and FX30, so it’s no surprise it delivers a solid 610 shots per charge. I was a little nervous it might die in the middle of a photoshoot, but after 1.5–2 hours of shooting, it still had 55% battery left.
The camera is compact (114.8mm x 67.5mm x 54.2mm) and weighs 375g with battery and SD card. On top, there’s the active hot shoe where the microphone wind muffler clips into place. The three-capsule mic sits behind a small grille, and the sensitivity direction can be adjusted to front, back, or all directions. There’s the usual Sony stills/video switch, video start/stop button, control wheel, and a new background defocus switch. The defocus switch simply opens the aperture fully.
Around the shutter button, there’s the on/off switch and the zoom lever for power zoom lenses, which feels smoother than using the lens itself. The back has a Fn menu button, rotary dial, play button, and four-way controls for display, drive, ISO, and exposure compensation. The base has battery access, and a tripod mount which is far enough away, you can swap batteries without removing the camera from a tripod. And a SD card slot on the left.
Standout Features
The directional 3-capsule microphone with a wind muffler makes recording crisp audio easy, even outdoors.
Sony’s autofocus is predictably excellent. Real-time Eye AF and face priority make switching between stills and video seamless. AI auto-shot mode helps if you don’t know much about cameras. It lets you get good pictures without losing your mind with settings. Nobody likes blurry images; I found the autofocus tracking to be quite fast and accurate.
The 3-inch touchscreen allows menu control, touch tracking, and quick adjustments. The LCD can adjust for vertical shooting, perfect for short-form content. Live streaming is supported at 4K 30/25 fps, making it solid for IRL streamers.
Both stills and video are impressive. JPEGs are crisp and well-exposed, RAW files offer flexibility in post, and low-light performance is solid up to ISO 6400. Beyond that, noise and colour shifts appear.
The Sony ZV-E10 II brings major video upgrades, most notably 10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording. That means it can capture over a billion colour variations, resulting in noticeably smoother colour gradients. Think of 10-bit colour like having a bigger box of crayons than 8-bit. It keeps much more information from the camera sensor, which means the camera can capture a wider range of light and colour—what we call dynamic range. The result is smoother skin tones, more natural colours, and nicer transitions between shades. With 10-bit 4:2:2 recording, you also get less colour banding; those harsh lines you sometimes see and overall, the colours look richer and more detailed.
Likes | Dislikes |
|---|---|
Autofocus performance | Overheats during long video sessions |
Vari-angle touch screen | Requires V90 SD card for 4K videos |
Very intuitive | No in-body stabilization |
Directional audio | Soft skin effect not available on zoom |
Easy to handle | |
10-bit Colouring |
Features:
The specs and features are functional and not overcomplicated. Video capture includes 120fps Full HD for slow motion, time-lapses with 1–60 second intervals, and continuous still shooting at 11fps with full AF/AE tracking.
26MP APS-C Exmor R CMOS sensor
BIONZ XR processor
759-point phase-detect autofocus
ISO 50–102,400 (extended)
Metering range EV-3 to EV20
Electronic shutter 1s–1/8000s, up to 11fps
Electronic image stabilization (standard and active)
SD cards: UHS-I and UHS-II compatible
Vari-angle 3-inch TFT touchscreen, 1,036,800 dots
C1 (Custom 1) background defocus button
Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
Vlog mode + live streaming
Real-time Eye AF + subject detection (humans, animals, birds)
USB-C and HDMI Micro (Type D)
USB-C power supply
Dimensions: 114.8 x 67.5 x 54.2mm
Weight: 375g (with battery and card)
NP-FZ100 battery, 610 shots
Video: 4K/60p 4:2:2 10-bit internal
Max burst: 11fps continuous autofocus, 30fps burst
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 2.4/5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0
Recyclable non-plastic packaging materials
Specifications
Lens mount | Sony E |
Sensor resolution | Actual: 27 megapixel Effective: 26 megapixel |
Image sensor | 23.3 x 15.5 mm (APS-C) CMOS |
Sensor crop (35 mm equivalent) | Crop factor: 1.5x Additional crop occurs in select video modes |
Image stabilization | Digital (video only) |
Built-in ND filter | No |
Capture type | Stills and video |
Shutter type | Electronic rolling shutter |
Shutter speed | Electronic shutter 1/8000 to 30 seconds 1/8000 to 1 second in Movie Mode |
ISO sensitivity range | Photo 100 to 32,000 in Manual Mode (Extended: 50 to 102,400) 100 to 6400 in Auto Mode Video 100 to 32,000 in Manual Mode 100 to 6400 in Auto Mode |
Metering method | Average, Center-Weighted Average, Highlight Weighted, Multi, Spot |
Exposure modes | Aperture Priority, Auto, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority |
Exposure compensation | -5 to +5 EV (1/3, 1/2 EV steps) |
Metering range | -3 to 20 EV |
White balance | 2,500 to 9,900 K Presets: ATW, AWB, Auto, Color Temperature, Color Temperature Filter, Custom, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent (Cool White), Fluorescent (Day White), Fluorescent (Daylight), Fluorescent (Warm White), Incandescent, Shade, Underwater |
Continuous shooting | Up to 11 fps for up to 59 frames (RAW) / 1,000 Frames (JPEG) |
Interval recording | Yes |
Self-timer | 2/5/10-second delay |
Image sizes | 3:2 26 MP (6192 x 4128) 13 MP (4384 x 2920) 6.4 MP (3104 x 2064) |
Aspect ratio | 3:2 |
Image file format | HEIF, JPEG, RAW |
Bit depth | 14-bit |
Internal recording modes | H.265/XAVC HS 4:2:2/4:2:0 10-bit 3840 x 2160 at 23.98/50/59.94 fps (50 to 200 Mb/s) H.264/MPEG-4 AVC/XAVC S 4:2:2/4:2:0 8/10-bit 3840 x 2160 at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 200 Mb/s) 1920 x 1080 at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94/100/120 fps (50 to 100 Mb/s) XAVC S-I 4:2:2 10-bit 3840 x 2160 at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (240 to 600 Mb/s) 1920 x 1080 at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (89 to 222 Mb/s) |
External recording modes | HDMI 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080p |
Fast-/slow-motion support | Yes |
Gamma curve | S Cinetone, Sony S-Log 3 |
Recording limit | No |
IP streaming | RTMP, RTMPS, SRT 3840 x 2160 at 25p, 30p |
Built-in microphone | Stereo (Microphone location: top) |
Audio recording | Two-channel 16-bit 48 kHz LPCM audio Two-channel 24-bit 48 kHz LPCM audio |
Media/memory card slot | Single slot: SD (unspecified type) (UHS-II) |
Video I/O | 1x Micro-HDMI (unspecified signal) output |
Audio I/O | 1x 1/8 inches / 3.5 mm TRS stereo headphone output on camera body 1x 1/8 inches / 3.5 mm TRS stereo microphone input |
Power I/O | 1x USB-C Input |
Other I/O | 1x USB-C (USB 3.2 / 3.1 Gen 1) data output (shared with power input) |
Wireless | 2.4 / 5 GHz Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 4.2 |
Mobile app compatible | Yes: Android and iOS App name: Creators’ App Functionality: Access stored files, adjust settings, remote control |
Monitor display size | 3 inches |
Monitor resolution | 1,036,800 dots |
Monitor display type | Articulating touchscreen LCD |
Focus type | Auto and manual focus |
Focus mode | Automatic, Continuous-Servo AF, Direct Manual Focus, Manual Focus, Single-Servo AF |
Autofocus points | Photo Phase detection: 759 Video Phase detection: 495 |
Autofocus sensitivity | -3 to +20 EV |
Battery type | 1x NP-FZ100 rechargeable lithium-ion (approx. 610 shots) |
Shoe mount | 1x intelligent hot shoe |
Tripod mounting thread | 1x 1/4 inches -20 female (bottom) |
Operating conditions | 32 to 104°F / 0 to 40°C |
Dimensions (W x H x D) | 4.5 x 2.7 x 2.1 inches / 114.8 x 67.5 x 54.2 mm |
Weight | 10.3 oz / 292 g (body only) 13.3 oz / 377 g (with battery, recording media) |
Price
R22,500–R26,500. Not cheap. Slightly higher than Canon EOS R10 or Nikon Z50. But the autofocus, 10-bit video, directional audio, live streaming capabilities? Worth it if you care about making content without going full professional cinema.
Verdict: Is It a Keeper?
For vloggers and beginner content creators, the Sony ZV-E10 II is excellent. It packs high-end features in a small, travel-friendly body with great image and video quality. The battery life and connectivity options make it reliable, and the controls are easy to master.
For photographers, it’s not perfect. If you want full EVF, unlimited buffer, and long-session reliability, look at Sony A7 V or A7R V. But for social media, vlogging, and hybrid content creation? This is the best Sony camera for it, right now.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
My rating is 7.5 and it comes down to a couple of dealbreakers. First, the missing IBIS. If you’re making a vlogging or hybrid camera, in-body stabilization is almost non-negotiable. Handheld footage without it feels shaky, and relying only on electronic stabilization just doesn’t cut it, especially if you move around a lot or have shaky hands. It’s the one feature that would make this camera feel truly “future-proof” for creators.
Then there’s the V90 card requirement for 4K shooting. You’re already dropping over R20K on the camera itself, and now to unlock its full video potential, you need to spend another R1K–10K just on memory cards. That’s frustrating, especially for beginner or mid-level creators who don’t want hidden costs piling up just to get the quality the camera promises.
Finally, the overheating issue. Shooting at the highest quality for extended periods shouldn't derail you. The camera overheats quickly in 4K, which can interrupt your workflow, force you to pause, and break your creative flow. For long sessions, you either have to drop the quality or constantly manage cooling breaks, which isn’t ideal when you’re trying to focus on content.
All of this doesn’t mean the camera is bad; it’s actually very capable but for me, these limitations keep it from being great. With better stabilization, less dependency on expensive cards, and more heat management, this could easily be a 9/10. As it stands, it’s solid, but a little frustrating for serious video work.
