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Best Sony Cameras for Video

Sony has been nothing short of revolutionary when it comes to putting professional video specs in the hands of the ordinary consumer. With the help of its brilliantly optimised cameras and lenses, Sony is almost unrivalled in balancing photo and video, with cameras that are not only loved by photographers but heralded by vloggers, filmmakers, content creators and more.

Almost every Sony mirrorless camera and lens now comes tailor-made for content creators. 4K+ video, legendary autofocus and additional quality-of-life perks like portability and image stabilisation have kept them dominant over 14 years of mirrorless video evolution.

However, cameras and lenses aren’t where Sony draws the line. Creating videos using Sony kit is made even easier by an exciting range of new accessories like microphones, third party monitors and grips, which interact seamlessly with its cameras.

Below, we run through the best Sony cameras for video, discussing their lenses and accessories too – tools that aid the social media vlogger just as much as they do the amateur filmmaker. Read on, as we explore how this world-leading lineup of equipment can help you with all your future video prospects.

Best APS-C Sony vlogging camera

As a format, APS-C is incredibly helpful for video. Both cropped-sensor cameras and lenses are more lightweight than their full-frame counterparts, making shooting simple. However, modern APS-C cameras pack a serious punch in terms of performance, especially when it comes to video.

Some of the best professional video cameras like the high-end Sony FX30 use APS-C sensors, which goes to show their power. However, the more accessible video cameras (and the ones that are the most beloved among content creators) also use this format, so we’ll start by discussing our pick for the best APS-C Sony vlogging camera.

One of the most accessible interchangeable lens cameras that Sony has to offer is the Sony ZV-E10, an interchangeable-lens evolution of the beloved ZV-1 that incorporates the E-Mount. This camera is a vlogger’s dream – quality-of-life touches like the flip-out touchscreen and SteadyShot stabilisation enable smooth handling, which is vital for content creation.

It’s no slouch either when it comes to performance. A 24.2MP APS-C sensor enables 4K/30p recording without crop, and Full HD slow motion up to 120 fps. Its agile Sony processor allows for outrageous autofocus performance too, integrating Sony's Time Tracking into the system. Face and eye detection kick in automatically. The tracking is extremely reliable, and both focus transition speed and sensitivity can all be controlled to automate beautiful focus pulls.

The design of this camera is incredibly thoughtful, too. The built-in microphone is incredibly helpful for creators on the go – the camera even comes with a windshield that fits neatly on the top of the camera. The oversized record button beside it makes video recording simple, whether you’re shooting from behind, or in front of the camera with Selfie Mode.

Best full-frame Sony video camera

While Sony’s full-frame cameras all hint towards hybrid usage with their specs, it took a while for them to make one purely dedicated towards content creation. The wait ended with a camera that Sony describes as “the ultimate content creation experience” – the Sony ZV-E1. This bold statement isn’t far off.

Think of the ZV-E1 as the ZV-E10’s older brother. It’s not the first Sony digital camera with a focus on video, but it extends their ethos into the world of full-frame. It combines all the usability of a vlogging camera with truly professional performance.

This camera delivers UHD 4K at up to 60p uncropped – at its maximum; it can record 4K at a wild 120fps. This camera utilises an abundance of artificial intelligence features in both its video processing and its autofocus system, keeping it at the cutting edge of vlogging camera technology. The full-frame, backlit sensor utilises pixel binning to reduce noise and enhance low-light performance. Five stops of image stabilisation make using this camera effortless, and it remains remarkably light despite its larger sensor at a mere 483 grams.

One of the most useful features of this camera is the ‘My Image Style’ mode. This allows users to intuitively adjust video settings – exposure compensation and white balance are abstracted under the titles ‘brightness’ and ‘colour’. This emphasises how Sony designed this camera to produce professional results without the know-how.

Additionally, achieving a cinematic profile with your videos is simple with the ZV-E1. CineVlog mode activates the S-Cinetone colour profile and adjusts the ratio of your footage to an attractive cinematic widescreen. ‘Moods’ and ‘Looks’ can be applied too, which adjust contrast, tones and colour.

Sony hybrid cameras

Despite its range of popular mirrorless video cameras, Sony is still hugely invested in providing the best cameras for photographers. Not only do they produce stunning images when paired with Sony’s outstanding roster of E-Mount lenses, but they’re also incredibly high-speed in regards to autofocus and continuous shooting.

The Sony A6700 is possibly the best all-rounder camera to release in 2023. A 26MP sensor with Sony’s BIONZ XR engine alongside a dedicated AI autofocus processor means that this camera will not fail you for stills. Despite this, the video specs on this camera are truly absurd.

The A6700 opens the door to 4K/60p, 10-bit video oversampled from 6K, utilising additional resolution and enhancing sharpness. Even more strikingly, this tiny camera shoots 240p slow motion video for 10x slower footage. We’re yet to mention that this thing only weighs 493g – with Sony’s outstanding APS-C video lenses, all of these dazzling specs fit into a package weighing less than a kilogram.

For those who prefer full-frame, Sony presents you with the A7C II, a compact digital camera and a sheer hybrid weapon. While its 33MP sensor will provide you with staggering stills, it shines with its video specs.

The image stabilisation inside the A7C II is the best that you could ask for, with up to 7 stops that make handheld recording deeply satisfying. 4K/60p video delivers gorgeous 4K at a formidable frame rate, and high resolution 4K/30p takes detail from the entire sensor. Autofocus is incredibly reliable with this system, with seven subject detection modes.

This too is brilliant for taking on the go. The C in its name stands for ‘compact’ – at only 509g (outrageously light for a full-frame), it’s no surprise it’s been hailed as the ultimate travel camera. Whether you’re shooting video, or photos to back up your content, this could be the one camera to rule them all.

Sony video lenses

No good vlogging camera is complete without a good lens. The considerations that take place when choosing a lens for photography are slightly less than with video – for stills, specs are usually at the forefront of decision-making, as handling, zoom range and stabilisation aren’t as vital as they are for filmmakers. As hybrid camera bodies have become a mainstay, the line between video and photo lenses has blurred increasingly.

The Sony E-Mount excels in its lenses designed for full frame sensors. Despite the larger sensor size, its lineup of lenses is abundant with portable options. As there are so many brilliant options for a Sony lens for video, it’s best to take a quick look at all the lenses Sony offers that will undoubtedly boost your content creation.

• Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G A relatively new introduction to the E-Mount, this lens provides a lovely fast aperture; yet the smaller zoom range makes this lens compact. With G Lens quality, this choice renders high sharpness and beautifully rounded bokeh, making it a viable option for those wanting a cinematic feel to their video. Its autofocus motors are virtually silent, making for a clean output. Its weight of only 440g and IBIS support makes it equally useful for vloggers, too.
• Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II: This option is the real big hitter. While its spec may be off-putting to those looking for portability, this certainly isn’t the heaviest of lenses at 695 grams. While this might not suit everyone, this is a brilliant choice if you’re looking for all that Sony has to offer in the optical quality department. As a G Master lens, its video quality is simply absurd, rivalling that of a prime lens.
• Sony FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6: The ultimate compact choice. At a wild 167 grams, you’d be silly not to use this as a walk-around lens. It goes perfectly with all the compact video cameras discussed above. Its image quality is very dependable, and at such a portable size, how could you complain?
• Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G: this wide-angle zoom lens employs Power Zoom technology – that is, zoom is controlled entirely within the lens. This is hugely helpful for videographers, as it keeps the lens small, and zoom can be controlled by both the zoom ring and the camera itself. At 353g, and with a wide zoom range that suits vloggers perfectly, this lens could be the perfect all-rounder for video, which it’s directly tailored towards. Even on APS-C cameras, this lens provides a versatile 24-50mm range.

APS-C Sony video lenses

As we’ve discussed, APS-C is a brilliant sensor size for video. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Sony has released an abundance of E lenses to cater to them.

The first of a pair of APS-C Sony Power Zoom lenses is the Sony E 10-20mm f/4 G. This is another great vlogging lens made great by its size.

At only 178g, this choice is brilliant for versatile yet unobtrusive filming, finding its place on a compact camera or even a gimbal setup, as the Power Zoom mechanic allows for digital zoom control. The size of this lens is striking, as it's impressive how Sony has managed to fit internal zooming and such brilliant image quality into such a tiny lens – you really have to see it to believe it.

Perhaps the most versatile option for video mentioned so far, the Sony E 18-105mm f/4 G OSS isn’t the first thing you’d consider when thinking about a video lens. Even though it’s big, and weighs 427g, the focal range it offers (27-158mm equivalent) is absurd, meaning this lens behaves like an all-in-one.

Built-in optical stabilisation is equally significant with this lens. On full-frame Sony cameras, Super 35 mode means the camera behaves with an APS-C crop to reach certain frame rates, meaning this lens could find its home on the front of a full-frame like the Sony ZV-E1 or the A7C II.

Compact Sony vlogging cameras

Sometimes, all you need for solid content creation is a camera that’s affordable, compact, and gets the job done. This is what a lot of Sony’s compact vlogging cameras set out to do – they’re brilliant for creators who want to produce dependable video.

The Sony ZV-1 II is the next generation of one of Sony’s most popular cameras, the ZV-1. Despite being tiny, it still contains professional features like Sony’s amazing Eye AF. The new fixed lens is manufactured by ZEISS, which is a hallmark of quality. Handling this camera is effortless, as multi-face recognition, its flip-out touchscreen, a tally light for recording and more make filming so much more efficient.

For those looking for a less expensive option, the original ZV-1 is equally compact and capable of delivering 4K footage. With the microphone, ND filters and IBIS all built into the camera, vlogging is smoother than ever before.

If you’re looking for the bare necessities, the ZV-1F will be perfect for you. While it foregoes some more advanced features found on other cameras, there’s no denying its class when it comes to recording 4K in such a compact, entry level body. The 20mm fixed lens is a perfect focal length for vlogging – if this doesn’t suit you, the camera upsamples to offer a 2x ‘zoom’.

Best Sony accessories for video

Sony understands that cameras and lenses aren’t all that make a good video. In recent years, they’ve been making a significant effort to bolster their catalogue for videographers by producing video accessories of their own alongside the rest of their brilliant range.

Audio quality is arguably more important than video quality at times. Stunning footage is what makes a good video great; however, clean, consistent audio is the foundation for content that feels professional. To enable you to get the best out of your camera and lens, Sony has released a range of microphones that seamlessly integrate into your video system.

For content creators working on a budget, the ECM-G1 is a great place to start. This no-nonsense mic weighs only 34g and mounts to the top of your camera. A microphone like this would go well with all Sony compact cameras. The main appeal of a Sony microphone is its integration with Sony’s Multi-Interface Shoe, enabling a non-Bluetooth, cable-free video recording experience, as it interacts directly through contacts on the shoe.

The most popular directional mic for the Sony ecosystem is the ECM-B1M. This shotgun mic is unique due to its adjustable directivity – unlike a shotgun mic, which just records unidirectional sound (sound from one direction); this mic intelligently switches between unidirectional, in-front and omnidirectional modes, providing content creators with an unmatched level of versatility.

Sony also offers wireless lav mics for the system. The ECM-W3 is an impressive wireless receiver/transmitter set with 150m of wireless range.

The receiver itself can be used to record audio as well. This makes for a hugely versatile setup – the receiver can be left on the camera’s hot shoe, or even used as a handheld mic. Furthermore, you can combine each wireless transmitter with the ECM-LV1 and turn the transmitter into a professional, discreet lav mic.

Beyond microphones, Sony offers the VCT SGR1 shooting grip, doubling up as a handle and a tripod, useful for creators on the go. Additionally, Sony has also thrown its hat into the video-monitor industry with its CLM-V55 monitor. Where portability is of the essence, this 5-inch on-camera monitor is brilliant as it fits simply, and adjusts using a swivel mount for comfortable viewing.

We hope this guide has helped you find the perfect tool to make your content creation a breeze. At Park Cameras, we stock all the newest Sony products – we believe they’re one of the best places to look if you’re searching for the gear to produce high-quality content. Discover our extensive range of Sony cameras, lenses and even more today!

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By Thom Pyle on 23/03/2024