Got a Sony ZV-1 as Second Camera and Alternative to my EOS R for Streaming

I was looking for an alternative to my EOS R, which I right now use as main camera in my streaming setup. I installed Magic Lantern on my Canon 7D Mark I and it helped getting a clean HDMI signal out of the camera, but the 7D felt – related to streaming – outdated and not good. I still like it as a camera to take photos with, but for streaming, I was looking for another option.

I do have an EOS R as well, which works fantastic for streaming, but for a lighter setup or to quickly take the camera with you, it is pretty heavy and bulky. I looked into several option and ended up with the Sony ZV-1, which I caught in a discounted bundle with the wireless control grip.

I watched a lot of reviews about the camera and one of the main cons everybody mentioned an issue that, when using a grip or tripod, your battery and SD card slot is blocked and you would have to un-screw the tripod/grip each time you wanted to swap battery or take out the card. So I got the SmallRig cage which offers man possibilities. Another downside of the camera mentioned was the battery time, as the battery is very small. Well, I might mainly use it connected to the power supply via USB anyways, when streaming, but I got a 3-pack incl. charger (Amazon affiliate link) for the camera in addition as well for around €25.

So far I am happy with it and the quality of the output. The pro feature anyone mentioned was the good and fast autofocus as well as a good quality image. The built-in microphone is ok, but since I already owned a Rode VideoMic Pro (Thomann affiliate link), I am using it with the ZV-1 and it is surely improving the sound.

I might give you an update when I used it for a while, but so far I am happy with it.