Sony isn’t just releasing a flagship smartphone this round, it’s also bringing a new entry into its midrange lineup. The new Xperia 10 VI is built for creators on a more affordable scale coming with a two-day battery life and the Video Creator app which Sony debuted with the Xperia 5 V.
The Xperia 10 VI is built to be a compact, durable smartphone coming in at only 164g. The lightweight smartphone measures only 155mm x 68mm and comes complete with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. That said, the smartphone is packed to the brim with power – most literally – with its 5000mAh battery.
Under the hood, the Xperia 10 VI comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 mobile compute platform that is built for affordable performance. This is complemented by 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Like its bigger sibling, the Xperia 1 VI, it also supports up to 1.5TB of extra memory through a microSD card slot. It comes with a 6.1-inch OLED display that Sony is calling Triluminous Display for mobile. This display supports a 60HZ refresh rate and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut.
On the camera front, the Xperia 10 VI comes with a dual sensor set-up. The main sensor is a 48-megapixel Exmor RS for mobile sensor. This is complemented by an 8-megapixel sensor. The sensors support shooting at 26 mm and 52mm focal length equivalents and 16mm focal length equivalents respectively. The camera setup also supports 2x optical zoom. It also comes with optical image stabilization for both still image and video shooting with Optical SteadyShot technology. Up front is an 8-megapixel sensor.
Complementing the camera setup is Sony’s Video Creator app. Using this app, users will be able to seamlessly generate captivating videos from their still and video shots in less than a minute. Sony is promising three major OS updates and 4 years of security updates for the Xperia 10 VI.
Pricing & Availability
The Sony Xperia 10 VI will be available starting in August 2024 in Malaysia. For the rest of the world, Sony indicates that availability will start in the coming weeks. You can register your interest in the Xperia 10 VI on the Sony website now.
The smartphone will be available in three colours: Blue, Black and White. In Malaysia, it looks like we’ll be getting the Black and Blue versions only. No official pricing has been announced yet.
Sony’s Xperia series of smartphones – particularly the Xperia 1 – has been geared towards creative professionals as a tool and complement to their kits. However, this year is a little bit different with the Xperia 1 VI as Sony isn’t just introducing new creative features including AI, it’s also announcing an exclusive partnership with Activision.
Uniting Technology & Creativity with a More Capable Camera for Better Expressions
Keeping true to Sony’s key tenant of staying true to creativity, the new Xperia 1 VI comes with a brand new camera system. This time, the new system brings Sony’s Exmor T for Mobile image sensor that promises excellent low-light performance. However, that’s not all when it comes to upgrades. The Xperia 1 VI also comes with a brand new triple sensor setup for its main camera. The setup still comes with ZEISS T* coating but features a brand-new variable zoom covering 85-170mm focal length equivalents. The new setup also comes with a wide sensor which is able to shoot in 24mm and 48mm focal length equivalents and an ultrawide sensor that shoots at 16mm focal length equivalent. According to Sony, this new setup is the first to cover such a wide range of focal lengths from Xperia. The camera setup enables up to 7.1x optical zoom and also supports telephoto macro photos and videos.
Masaaki Oshima, Head of Mobile Business Unit and Imaging Entertainment Business Unit at Sony holding the Xperia 1VI during the YouTube Livestream announcement.
The Xperia 1 VI is also bringing AI features for creators. Continuing the company’s approach of unifying its flagship Alpha camera know-how and technology in its Xperia lineup, the Xperia 1 VI is adopting some AI features that we’ve seen in the Alpha family. As such, it comes as no surprise that the Mark VI will feature the return of AI-enabled eye-tracking autofocus. However, Sony is raising the bar by using AI to dynamically recognise and track the human skeleton and posture for more accurate autofocus. This will also ensure that your subject doesn’t go out of focus even in busy environments.
Breaking Its Own Mould with BRAVIA Technology & A Gaming Partnership with Activision
This year, it’s not just Alpha technology being folded into the Xperia 1 VI, Sony’s BRAVIA technology is also tagging along. Boasting the brightest display ever on an Xperia device, the new Xperia 1’s OLED display comes in a new 19.5:1 aspect ratio. Yes, Sony is doing away with the cinematic 20:1 aspect ratio we’ve seen previously. The display is also getting a boost in brightness with “Sunlight Vision”, a new feature that Sony is introducing to ensure that the display remains legible even under direct sunlight. Other than that, the display covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour space and has a 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz response rate.
The inclusion of BRAVIA technology is also bringing with it a new gaming partnership with Activision-Blizzard for Call of Duty Warzone Mobile. The new partnership leverages the high performance of the processor and the new gaming-centric features that are coming with the Xperia 1 VI. In addition to richer sound and graphics thanks to BRAVIA technology, the smartphone is also coming with a brand new feature called FPS booster that optimizes the performance of the smartphone for higher frame rates and better gaming fluidity. In addition, the Xperia 1 VI also comes with optimizations for touch that can recognise up to 24 touch patterns and optimize responsiveness for them. Activision’s Call of Duty Warzone Mobile will launch in March 2024.
Top of the line Specs for Creativity
The Xperia 1 VI comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 under the hood. The top-of-the-line SoC from Qualcomm right now. This is paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal memory with support for up to 1.5TB additional space through the microSD card slot. The smartphone comes with support for Bluetooth 5.4 and USB 3.2.
The display on the Xperia 1 VI is a 6.5-inch OLED display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. Camera-wise, the triple sensor at the back has a 52-megapixel main sensor and is complemented by a 12-megapixel telephoto and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. Upfront is a 12-megapixel sensor for selfies. All of this is powered by a 5,000mAh battery. The Xperia 1 VI will launch with Android 14 and will come with a guarantee for 4 years of security updates and three major OS updates.
Pricing & Availability
The Sony Xperia 1 VI will be available in the coming months. In Malaysia, it will be available starting July 2024. You can start registering your interest in the device over at Sony’s website now.
It will be available in Platinum Silver, Black and Khaki Green worldwide. According to the Sony Malaysia website, Malaysia will only be getting Black and Khaki Green. No official pricing has been announced just yet.
Sony’s ZV-1 was something we thought was rather clever for content creators to work with. It was compact, offered 4K video recording, and all the clever features that any content creators could enjoy and appreciate. Now, you can get your hands on one Sony ZV-1 camera at MYR 2,599, which is not too unreasonable.
There is a new kid on the block, just launched by Sony last night. The new kid is the sort of follow up to the ZV-1 compact shooter, the ZV-1 II (Mk. II, M2). No, it is not quite a replacement to the ZV-1, at least not according to Sony. They say that they have made some improvements based on the feedback from their community and users, but it is not meant to replace the ZV-1. They will still be selling the ZV-1 alongside this Mk. II.
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
The design of the camera has not changed very much. You would be forgiven for mistaking the ZV-1 II for the ZV-1 when you put them together. They both come in the same colour options too, which does not help in telling the cameras apart. The price tag is a little different though, we will get into that later.
The difference is really more than skin deep. Instead of 24-70mm, you get a much wider viewpoint with the widest shot at 18mm and zooming up to 50mm. The 18-50mm lens is fast too with a variable aperture from F1.8-4.0. The wider lens also offers more shooting flexibility and creative avenues for landscapes and even selfies. You do not need to stretch your hands all that much anymore or find a selfie stick to work with. You can just have your natural arm’s length to get a good frame for yourself and even others to join you even without the help of selfie sticks. You still can get your hands on Sony’s clever remote camera grip though, if you want to.
They have improved the microphone too. It is now a 3-capsule unit that captures audio from all directions. It is clever too; the ZV-1 II can quickly switch its recording direction when it detects human faces in its frame allowing you to shoot your vlogs without needing another mic attachment. You can also select its shooting direction manually, your options are front, rear, and all directions. There is an included windscreen too for you to use in the great outdoors. If you still prefer to shoot with a mic attachment, you can get an assortment from Sony’s own stables that works with the Multi Interface shoe mounting or get a generic one and connect them to the camera via the 3.5mm mic jack.
Source: Sony
It is still a 1.0 type CMOS sensor with Sony’s Exmor RS image processor that boasts about 21-Megapixel. You get a lot more shooting options with the ZV-1 II over the previous camera though. You get a CInematic Vlog settings that you might like, if your main medium is YouTube. The settings offer you a very cinematic CinemaScope 2.35:1 video aspect ratio and 24fps for your videos for that cinema look. You do not get to shoot in Sony’s famous colour gamut Logs, but the camera still can cleverly offer you five looks and four different moods to your video that also enables you to create content more quickly than ever.
Even for photography, you get to work with up to 10 preset looks allowing you to shoot in different creative styles without post processing. That means your contents get from the camera to social media channels much faster than before especially when you pair it to Sony’s Creator’s mobile app.
Source: Sony
For a better and more seamless shoot experience, the ZV-1 II offers Face Priority AE and Soft Skin effects for natural and better-looking skin tones in whatever lighting conditions that you subject the camera to. Its Fast Hyubrid autofocus system will ensure that the camera locks and tracks its subjects accurately without too much focus hunting for better looking videos even without a shooting assistant. Its Eye AF can also now lock on to animals’ eyes in both video and photopgraphy mode for even more shooting flexibility than before. For the reviewers, the ZV-1 II offers a clever Product Shwocase mode that you can activate to ensure that the device priortises intended subjects instead of the face or human being in the frame and then transitioning smoothly from face to product and vice versa.
Its S&Q mode also now offers up to 5x slow motion video recording or 60x quick motion video recordings to add flavour to your videos. With a dedicated S&Q mode, you can have complete control over the ZV-1 II’s shooting parameters on a single screen too. With up to ISO12800 (from ISO125), the camera is capable of shooting clear stills and videos in low-light conditions. Even when you are moving while shooting, the ZV-1’s Active Mode stabilisation should keep things smooth and shake free. It even includes its own built-in ND filter for outdoor shoots.
Price and Availability
The Sony ZV-1 II will be coming to Malaysia in July 2023. Sony have also confirmed that the ZV-1 II will be available for MYR 3,999 onward. It is MYR 1,400 more than the current ZV-1. There is no other way to put it, it is expensive. Still, if you want the best vlogging camera money can buy, this is probably it. Like the ZV-1, you can have it in Black or White. More on the Sony ZV-1 II can be found on their website.
We are fans of Sony’s products. There is hardly a product in their stables we do not like or would not recommend. This one, we find a little difficult to recommend. It is not that we do not like it; we do. We think that it is a product targeted toward a rather niche group of people.
Welcome to the Sony ZV-1F, a compact camera from Sony that comes with a fixed lens. It is based on Sony’s rather brilliant and highly popular ZV-1. The most interesting thing about the ZV-1F, we think, is that it features a 20mm fixed lens.
It will set you back MYR 2,599, about MYR 800 less than the ZV-1, making it more accessible. It is still a premium product though. While the ZV-1F lacks a few features, it is lighter than the camera it is based on too, which is always welcome even for compact cameras.
Other than having a fixed lens with large aperture, it seems like there is little else that is special about this ZV-1F. In that case, why bother with the Sony ZV-1F? Should you pay attention to it? We dive in to find out.
Design
The ZV-1F looks strikingly similar to Sony’s ZV-1, which should not come as a surprise at all. The only difference is that the Sony ZV-1F packs a fixed lens that does not tuck in or unpack when you turn it on.
It is a compact camera, there is not much to say in terms of design here. It is a rectangular aluminum box with a bump in front for a grip mound, and a short tube that houses the lens. For the money you pay, you get a tiny light package. While it is a little on the lighter end, it still feels like a quality product.
We appreciate the swiveling display. It is useful if you plan to use the camera for vlogs, replace your webcam, and even take self-portraits. Since it is based on the ZV-1, it takes on all the accessories that the ZV-1 works with as well, that includes the remote grip. While the test unit you see here is black in colour, there is also a white colour option if you want.
Hardware
Internally, you get mostly the same components from the Sony ZV-1. You get the same image processor, the same 1-inch sensor, and even the same battery and memory card slot configuration. You can charge the camera with USB Type-C cable too. There is more to the USB Type-C port to just charging too.
Specifications
Sony ZV-1F
As tested
Sensor
1.0-type Exmor RS CMOS 3:2 aspect ratio Approx. 20.1-Megapixel
Electronic Shutter (1/4″ – 1/32000) Contrast-detection AutoFocus ISO125-ISO6400 (up to ISO12800) up to 16fps continuous shooting
Video Recording
XAVC S 4K: 30p 100M/60M, 24p 100M/60M XAVC S HD (Full HD): 60p 50M/25M, 30p 50M/16M, 24p 50M, 120p 100M/60M
Miscellaneous
USB Type-C charging/data transfer Battery Pack NP-BX1 Bluetooth 4.1 WiFi 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz Band
Features
Everything on the ZV-1F is simplified to ensure that you get access to its most important features. There is still a zoom toggle on the camera. It is not optical zoom though, just digital zoom.
4K 30p Video Recording
The Sony ZV-1F is made for vloggers. The sensor captures videos at up to 4K 30p, just not at 10-bit 4:2:2 colours, though that is nothing to complain about. Having 4K capability also means that you are getting more details in your videos for great looking vlogs.
One Less Frame to Think About with Fixed Lens
While most consensus would say that having a fixed lens on a compact camera is a bad thing, we think there are some benefits. Having a fixed 20mm lens means you know how your frame looks every time you turn on your camera. In that case, you just know where to stand to get the right image through.
At its native zoom length, your frame is perfect for selfies at an arm’s length. If you find that the frame is too tight, you can invest in a cheap selfie stick, or get the remote grip attachment from Sony. Your vlogs are even more instantaneous than ever before since there is no zoom to mess with.
The Might of Sony’s Accessories
Sony has various mic attachments that work with the proprietary hot shoe mount on top of the camera. The hot shoe mount is a blessing in modern compact cameras. It allows you to play with all sorts of attachments that may not even be from Sony.
Of course, if you do not want your set-up to be a cable mess, you go with Sony’s various clever accessories. We mentioned that you can work with Sony’s remote grip that is connected via Bluetooth. You can have a shotgun mic too for better directionality. You can even work with Sony’s XLR expansions too if you want.
The Webcam Replacement You Want
The ZV-1F’s USB Type-C port is your charger and data outlet. Here is where the ZV-1F becomes one of the best tools for content creators too. You can turn the Sony ZV-1F into a 4K webcam without a capture card.
It is also rather simple to work with. You only need to connect the ZV-1F to your PC via USB cable. On the camera itself you select streaming mode. You do not even need to have Sony’s proprietary software for this to work. You can even turn the camera into your designated microphone for clearer audio.
Obviously, using the ZV-1F as a streaming camera or webcam offers better image quality over regular webcams. It is also significantly more expensive than regular webcams. It is an investment to get better quality images and streams.
Sony Imaging Edge
Using the Sony Imaging Edge suite on PC allows you to control your camera remotely and transfer photos and videos off your camera without ever pulling the SD card from your camera. If all you want from the ZV-1F is a webcam replacement, you can go ahead and skip the software for your PC. For your smartphone though, Sony’s Imaging Edge can be quite useful.
On the smartphone, you can use the app to control your camera and use it as a remote display, a rather nifty and useful feature when you just want to place your camera on a tripod and record away from the camera. Using the Imaging Edge app as well, you can take photos using the camera directly saved to your smartphone device. Same goes for 4K videos.
Made for Social Media
Within the camera itself, you can technically shoot videos that are optimized for social media. Well, there is shooting vertically, which is nothing special technically. There is something else you can do on the camera.
Before you transfer your video clips into your smartphone, you can choose and cut out 15-, 30-, and 60-seconds clips within the camera itself. You not only save storage space on your SD card, but you also cut out all editing nuances from your smartphone itself. It allows you to easily pick out clips and put them together before posting them on TikTok, Instagram, or even Facebook.
Performance
You get a 1-inch sensor that shoots at 20.1 Megapixels. You can also record videos in 4K resolution. The lens shoots at 20mm wide angle. The image quality from the ZV-1F is very similar to what you get from Sony’s ZV-1. This should not come as a surprise though; they share the same imaging sensor and even the same image processor. The only difference between the two is the lens on the ZV-1F.
Imaging
Without the zoom lens, you lose the flexibility of adjusting your frame from where you stand. In that sense, some might struggle with it when you need a larger or smaller frame for their photos. For self-portraits, the frame is tight enough to properly frame your face within that arm-length. if you do want to capture a self-portrait with a larger group, you might want to space your friends out a bit behind you.
Still, once familiar with your frame, you can get the ZV-1F to work very nicely for you. The images you get from the compact camera are detailed enough that it will look good on any social media platform. If you dig deeper and zoom in on the photos, you can see that the photos are much sharper in the central region, where Autofocus works. At the edges, the focus seems to be a little softer. With portraits, you get a natural looking depth-of-field (bokeh) effect, which is always nice.
In terms of colours, in auto mode, photos produce rich colours. There is a very slight orange tinge to the photos though. It adds to the vividness of the images and colours, but it does take away some neutrality to the photos. While it means that your photos are ready for social media almost immediately taken by the camera, you might have a slightly harder time if you are looking to colour grade your photos. You can still take RAW photos though.
Small Camera, Big Videos
One of the biggest attractions to this camera is its 4K video capabilities, though only at up to 30p. You can also get those crisp slow-motion videos in Full HD at 120p. That also means that you get an extra layer of flexibility in terms of your creative shots for your vlogs.
While you are not getting 4:2:2 10-bit colours from the ZV-1F, you are not missing out on too much especially if you share your contents on social media. Most of the time, shooting vlogs is a run and gun thing. In that sense, the colours look good and accurate enough without colour grading.
At the same time, recording 4K videos with the ZV-1F gives you a clean crisp image with plenty of details. You even get a nice depth-of-field effect that you get from more expensive lens. It is a fast lens though at f/2.0 allowing that cinematic bokeh in your background and putting the focus on the subject.
AF, but no Eye-AF
We find this a little disappointing. Not because the AutoFocus function is not great. It is a fast autofocus system they have here that easily keeps up with you in a shoot. It lacks the eye-AF system that is so useful on the ZV-1.
Without eye-AF, you only get a regular autofocus system that can reasonably keep up with you. In most vlogging situations, the AF system is clever enough to detect your face and follow it. It is fast enough though for you to work with once it gets a lock-on.
It is not perfect. We had some trouble getting it to focus on our test subject, a toy car. Since the focal distance is at a minimum of 7.6mm, we thought we could get the toy car to be in focus even when we close the distance between the camera and the subject. We had to pull away from the subject most of the time to get the subject in proper focus. We also had to tap on the screen to get it to focus on our subject when it is off center.
At MYR 2,599, the ZV-1F compact camera is not exactly a budget option. While it is more accessible than the ZV-1, it is still a lot of money for what some might describe as nothing more than a glorified 4K webcam. It does not pack Eye-AF, it does not have a zoom lens, and the lack of weight might not inspire plenty of confidence.
The thing is, there is still plenty to like about the ZV-1F. The ZV-1F is ridiculously light. It is not much more compact than the camera it is derived from, it is about the same size and therefore just as compact.
Because it is lighter than the camera it is based on, it feels quicker to work with. You do not need to spend on heavy duty tripods too. Since there are no zoom lenses to unpack, you are quicker to get to your photos or videos. It is an excellent webcam and mic combo replacement too.
At the same time, you are getting everything that is also great about the ZV-1. The ZV-1F can record videos at 40K 30p. It takes photos at the same 20.1 Megapixel as the ZV-1. If you think the ZV-1 takes great photos, you will be pleased with this one too.
In the right hands, the ZV-1F is a powerful entry-level and compact content creation tool. As a webcam replacement, the ZV-1F offers a much higher quality feed over regular webcams, even if you stick with 720p streaming over USB. It is also your mic replacement, on a budget. At the same time, taking the camera out for a vlog or taking a quick photo is easy. Since it connects to your smartphone wirelessly too, you can make quick work of any photos or videos you take on the ZV-1F before posting it on social media. You even cut an entire editing process out of your workflow with the built-in modes made specially for social media format contents. It is content creation made super easy.
The original Sony Xperia 10 launched along side the original Xperia 1 last year at MWC. It was Sony’s latest attempt at creating a mid-range device which would allow new users to jump on board their ecosystem. It’s also the first mid-range smartphone which launched under their new One Sony approach which marries all of Sony’s strengths in one ecosystem. This year, the company is refreshing the Xperia 10 with the Xperia 10 II (pronounced Xperia 10 mark II).
The Xperia 10 II will be equipped with a 21:9 Triluminous display. The OLED panel in the display comes with technology that is found in Sony’s BRAVIA TVs. According to Sony, the 10 II will allow users to enjoy their content with deeper blacks and more vibrant colours thanks to this. The Full HD+ resolution should make the experience of consuming your content on the 10 II one of the most immersive there is on the market.
The Xperia 10 II comes with a triple camera setup. The main camera sensor is a 1/2.8-inch, 12-megapixel Exmor RS sensor with a 26mm focal length, F2.0 aperture and 77° field of view; This is supported by two 1/4-inch, 8-megapixel sensors; one has an F2.4 aperture with 52mm focal length while the other has an F2.2 aperture with 16mm focal length. The former has a 45° field of view while the latter has 120°. On the front, is a similar 8-megapixel sensor with F2.0 aperture and 84° field of view.
The processing power of the smartphone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 supported by 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Of course, this is expandable by up to 1TB through the microSD card slot. All of this is a powered by 3,600mAh battery capable of fast charging.
The Xperia 10 II will be available in Spring 2020. It will be available in Mint, Black, White and Blue. No pricing details have been revealed by Sony at this time.
