If there’s one item that nearly everyone has on hand while traveling, it’s some sort of camera. Whether it’s a smartphone, compact, or full-on camera set-up with interchangeable lenses, capturing photos of memorable moments and scenes is a must. As a travel photographer, I typically have at least a few cameras in my bag that are suitable for a wide variety of shooting situations. While my usual go-to is my professional-grade Sony Alpha full-frame mirrorless camera with multiple lenses, it’s not the lightest kit to carry around when hiking and embarking on other endeavors where it’s not the most practical choice.
Moraine Lake. Photo: Lauren Breedlove, taken with Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II
The Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II Is the Do-It-All Compact Camera Made for Travel Creators
Photo courtesy Amazon
While I had yet to find a compact camera that I loved, I was lucky enough to test out the new Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II ($1,098 at Amazon) on a recent trip to Canada’s Banff National Park and Buffalo, New York’s Borderland Music + Arts Festival. Both trips had activities that required a smaller, more compact camera that could still take solid photos and videos without weighing me down. From shooting in low-light conditions to capturing video clips, I was certainly left impressed with this small but mighty newcomer to Sony’s collection. But, is it worth the price tag? I learned that if you’re serious about travel photography, it certainly is.
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The Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II has interchangeable lenses
Banff National Park in all her glory. Photo: Lauren Breedlove, taken with the Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II
One of the downfalls of a compact camera is the fixed lens. Enter the Sony ZV-E10 II, which allows for interchangeable Sony E-mount lenses to be used, giving you much more versatility with what you’re shooting. This model is the second in this generation, with upgrades to the sensor, video capabilities, and battery life. I love that you can buy the bundle that includes the camera body with a 16-50mm zoom lens. This works well for landscapes, cities, portraits, and in certain situations, even wildlife. But, the beauty is that Sony has a wide range of compatible lenses you can pair with this camera, depending on what you like to photograph.
It’s incredibly lightweight and portable
When I say that this camera is lightweight, it truly is. At under one pound (13.3 ounces), it’s a breeze to tote around and handle without the usual heft that I’m accustomed to with my mirrorless model (which is much lighter than a DSLR). Portable is the name of the game with the Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II as well; without a lens attached, it could easily fit in a jacket pocket, measuring 4.63 x 2.75 x 2.25 inches. With the 16-50mm lens, it still fits in my tote bag, purse, or backpack compartment with extreme ease. While at the music festival, it fit right into my small tote with my other essentials, and I could quickly grab it to snap a shot or video without digging through a bunch of gear in my camera pack. Speaking of my camera pack, it typically clocks in between 25-30lbs. So, for certain activities in Banff like wandering downtown or a steeper hike, it was nice to leave the weight behind but still have the ability to capture high-quality content.
You can shoot in automatic and manual modes, and capture JPEG and RAW files
Borderland Music + Arts Festival. Photo: Lauren Breedlove, taken with Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II
A lot of compact cameras only allow for shooting in automatic modes or specialized set modes like “action” and “macro.” As a professional photographer, I shoot in manual to control the settings I want based on my vision for the image and the conditions I’m shooting in, but I also capture RAW files which are much bigger and more detailed, allowing for flexible edits in Lightroom, particularly with shadows. I like that this camera offers those options.
The Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II is just as good for video as it is for photos
This camera is marketed as a “vlogging” camera, offering fantastic video capabilities with up to 4K/60fps (frames per second), a Cinematic Vlog Setting, and impressive autofocus tracking with Real-time Eye AF settings specific to humans, animals, and birds. I liked the 3-inch LCD touch screen that flips out and rotates easily for taking vertical video, perfect for shooting clips for Instagram reels and stories. I also use interval shooting a lot when I’m in the frame to show scale, or for timelapses, and I was happy to see that the Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II offers this feature. For vloggers, it’s possible to live stream directly to social media as well, using the USB-C port/integrated WiFi. There’s also a 3-Capsule directional mic with included wind screen that sits atop the camera like a floofy little toupee. I didn’t love the lack of built-in image stabilization unless you enact the “Active” SteadyShot mode, which crops the shot; it’s not usually an ideal trade.
The battery life is impressive
Sunshine Village gondola. Photo: Lauren Breedlove, taken with Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II
When you’re out exploring for the day, you want a camera with a long battery life since finding a spot to recharge isn’t always a guarantee. I was impressed with the solid battery on this camera (approximately 610 still shots and approximately 130 minutes for movie shooting), which went the distance from my sunrise to sunset (and beyond) shoots in Banff National Park. I even had a couple of super cold mornings that didn’t seem to drain the battery life too much.
Is the Sony ZV-E10 II worth it?
The camera takes shots equally impressive indoors. Photo: Lauren Breedlove, taken with Sony Alpha ZV-E10 II
Despite the fact that I normally shoot on a 42MP full-frame camera and this one is a cropped, 26MP APS-C BSI CMOS sensor, I still found this a useful and very functional compact camera for a wide array of situations. I liked the dedicated Bokeh button (for blurring the background), battery life, vari-angle LCD screen, video and low-light capabilities, amazing autofocus tracking, and its easy to carry around, lightweight profile. I didn’t love the lack of a viewfinder or weather sealing, but I still think it’s a pretty stellar option that fills the gap between compact or point-and-shoot models and professional grade DSLR or mirrorless cameras.
The price point feels a bit high ($999.99 body only/ $1,098 with lens) for a run-of-the-mill compact camera, but the Sony ZV-E10 II offers more than that with interchangeable lenses, 4K video, manual shooting, and ability to capture RAW files. I feel that it’s suitable for someone looking to branch out and improve their photography skills without committing to a large camera set-up. It’s a great option for travelers and content creators who want to produce higher quality images and film clips using a lightweight and extremely packable camera.