The clicks grew fewer with passing days,

Moments now caught in fleeting ways. A phone in hand, sharp and bright— Yet lacking the soul, the depth, the light.

I scrolled through years in a digital stream, Faces, places, once part of a dream. With each image, a quiet spark, A whisper calling from the dark.

So I gathered my past, gave it a name, On private shelves I built my flame. And as the faces surfaced anew, The urge returned—fresh, yet true.

I searched for a way to keep it near, A tool, a companion, something clear. Not for the tech, the specs, or fame— But to fall in love again with the frame.

ZV-1 Photo of the Sony ZV-1 by a Canon 5d mark II at 105mm ƒ/4, 1/125 ISO 100 Lens Model: Canon EF 24-105mm ƒ/4 L IS Mark I, Focus Bracket 3 photos.

I have taken less and less photos over the years and well more of the photos I do take are with the phone camera. The phone is amazing ill give it that but there is something missing everytime I look back at things, the passion of photography that i have, the urge to play with the photos.

Quite recently I have been working on consolidating my images to a immich server, its kind of like google photos but private, so I have all my images there with all the fancy face recognition and tagging one could ask for. This is where my urge suddenly bloomed into action again. I need a Real pocket camera, so I went to my local store and looked around. I have been a avid Canon fanboy for many years but I wanted to look over the horizon, I wanted something simple so in the end I bought the zv-1 as something I could have in my pocket.

Sony ZV-1: Big Performance in a Small Package

  • 20.1 Megapixels 1-inch Sensor: Larger than typical compact cameras, offering better image quality (but still not on par with a fullframe).
  • Zeiss 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 Lens: Fast aperture for low-light shooting and decent background blur.
  • Real-Time Eye AF: Ensures sharp focus on subjects’ eyes.
  • 4K Video Recording: High-quality footage in a tiny body.
First Impressions and Adjustments

I bought the ZV-1 second-hand, intrigued by its specs and portability. Initially, I noticed the images were a bit too contrasty, and the color rendition differed from what I was used to with Canon’s color science.

But I realized I needed to adapt to its limitations. After tweaking the picture profiles and dialing down the contrast, the images started to match my aesthetic preferences. The camera’s compact size meant I could carry it everywhere—in my pocket, no less.

ZV-1 Picture Profile 10 Taken with Canon 5d mark II at 50mm ƒ/3.5, 1/16 ISO 200 Lens Model: Canon EF 50mm ƒ/1.4 USM

Camera Menu 1 -> Page 8 –> Picture Profiles –> Select PP10 and modify it:

  • Black Level -12
  • Gama Cine2
  • Black Gamma Middle
  • Knee Manual
  • Color Mode S-Gamut
  • The Rest is default…

Easy to carry with you

This one is actually quite key, a camera you have in your pocket is something you will use.

Pocket-Friendly Placeholder Taken with Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra at ƒ/1.8 1/50s 5.4mm ISO 640

What I also like about it is that its quite decent in capturing video, has no issue doing 4k and even S-LOG profiles, im personally not that great at that yet but i do like that i have the option.

So yeah, the ZV-1 packs a ton into a small, easy-to-use design. Whether you’re vlogging, making tutorials, or just shooting for fun, it’s got everything you need to look – and sound – awesome!

While it is not a DSLR with all the magic bells, its one that gives me the option and joy of having with me wherever I go.

Thats it for this one!


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