If you’ve been on the hunt for a vlogging camera, you’ve probably come across the Sony ZV-1 and the Canon G7 X Mark III. Both of them have amassed quite a following for themselves which isn’t surprising because they have many features that prove to be helpful in video recording. That said, picking a side can be a little confusing because they have a number of things in common. To help you decide if you’re Team Sony or Team Canon, here’s an in-depth review of the two models, covering their design, performance, and features.
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Sony ZV-1 vs Canon G7 X Mark III Comparison Chart
Design
Both the Sony ZV-1 and the Canon G7 X III were designed specifically for vloggers but have a couple of differences.
Both the Sony ZV-1 and the Canon G7 X Mark III were designed with vloggers in mind which explains their compact designs. You can easily slip them into your bag, plus you don’t have to feel too self-conscious when you do bring them out record. Both models are a pleasure to handle as they’re equipped with hand grips and feel solid and premium to the touch.
As for displays, the Sony ZV-1 comes with a side-hinged LCD touchscreen, a feature that its predecessor didn’t have. It’s a welcome addition and is actually a much smarter choice compared to a tilting one because it gives you the freedom to attach accessories to either the top or bottom of the camera. What’s neat is that you can flip it all the way around so that you can easily frame your shots without the help of a cameraman. When it comes to the Canon G7 X Mark III, the most commendable thing about its LCD screen is how responsive it is, allowing you to focus on your subject with much ease. It also does well in harsh light, plus you can physically adjust it to improve visibility.
One thing that might disappoint you about the Canon G7 X Mark III is its lack of a hotshoe which doesn’t quite make sense as it was given an external microphone port. So if this is a deal breaker for you, you might be better off with the ZV-1. However, its hotshoe comes with a tradeoff because it took the place of its predecessor’s electronic viewfinder. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem though because vloggers usually use the screen as their viewfinder anyway.
Performance
The Sony ZV-1 puts on a more impressive performance than the Canon G7 X Mark III.
If we’re talking about autofocus, it’s very hard to beat the Sony ZV-1. It has what is called a hybrid autofocus which puts the contrast detect system together with the phase detect system. It’s worth noting that the Canon G7 X Mark III only has the former. This hybrid setup allows for faster autofocus which is a must-have for video recording. To top things off, it was given Sony’s newest real-time Eye AF and real-time tracking which are arguably the best you’ll find among compact cameras. These two features give it the ability to easily keep people and moving objects in perfect focus. While the Canon G7 X Mark III’s autofocus isn’t the best in class, it still delivers a high-quality performance.
Moving on to lenses, the Sony ZV-1 combines the Sony Mark V’s lens with Sony’s powerful Bionz Z processor. This 24-70mm lens couldn’t be more perfect for vlogging as it has a bright f/1.8-2.8 aperture. Together with the camera’s 1-inch sensor, it’s able to create an aesthetically pleasing blur for your backgrounds. In addition, this gives you the ability to shoot in low light conditions using a lower ISO. As for the Canon G7 X Mark III, it keeps the lens of its predecessors which should be good news as it has proven to be reliable over the years. It has a decent maximum aperture which is complemented by a 1-inch sensor. Do note though that details tend to get quite soft at the edges, especially when you’re using a bigger aperture.
As for video quality, it’s a little disappointing that the Sony ZV-1 isn’t able to record in 4K at 60fps, topping out at just 30fps. But that’s easily forgivable given how crisp and detailed the videos turn out to be. This is because of the oversampling that the Sony ZV-1 does which delivers more impressive results than pixel binning. As for the Sony G7 X Mark III, its video quality doesn’t quite have the same wow factor but it should be detailed enough for casual vloggers.
Additional Features
The Sony ZV-1 has shortcut buttons while the Canon G7 X Mark III has vlogger-friendly features.
Sony cameras are known to cause nosebleeds among beginners but fortunately, the Sony ZV-1 is a little bit more intuitive to use. It has a couple of new shortcut buttons, one of which is the Bokeh switch which will automatically select the biggest aperture option to give you a blurred background. The other one is the Product Showcase which will definitely come in handy for the YouTubers out there who create reviews. Whenever you hold up an object to the camera, the lens will automatically focus on it instead of your face.
As for the Canon G7 X Mark III, it’s obvious that it has content creators in mind. As mentioned, it’s equipped with a microphone input so you can easily hook it up to a clip-on mic. However, you’d have to use an additional accessory like an external bracket if you’re planning to use it with a shotgun mic. This camera also has a live stream feature so that you can interact with your YouTube subscribers in real time.
Verdict
The Sony ZV-1 wins against the Canon G7 X Mark III.
Sony ZV-1
Canon G7 X Mark III
In terms of autofocus and performance, the Canon G7 Mark III falls short of other 1-inch sensor cameras including the Sony ZV-1. But in no way are we saying it’s a bad camera. In fact, it has plenty of rave-worthy features such as a responsive touchscreen, a bright zoom lens, a microphone port, and a live stream feature. In addition, it’s able to deliver images and videos that are sharp enough for beginners and casual vloggers.
As for the Sony ZV-1, it’s the best vlogging camera in its weight class that you can currently get your hands on. Its 4K video recording gives stunning footage, plus its hybrid autofocus leaves very little room for improvement. Not to mention it has a bright f/1.8-2.8 aperture for that aesthetically pleasing bokeh that will add some drama to your videos. To top things off, it’s less complicated to use than its predecessors thanks to its shortcut buttons.
FAQs
The Sony ZV-1’s 24-70mm lens couldn’t be more perfect for vlogging as it has a bright f/1.8-2.8 aperture. Together with the camera’s 1-inch sensor, it’s able to create an aesthetically pleasing blur for your backgrounds.
The Sony ZV-1 makes use of the Sony NP-BX1 battery which can last for up to 260 shots or 45 minutes of video recording on a single charge.
The Sony ZV-1 has a maximum video resolution of 4K at 30fps.
The Canon G7 X Mark III is good enough for beginners and casual vloggers while the Sony ZV-1 is the better choice for those who want the best quality images and videos.