Camera
Sony ZV-E10 II in-depth review
The Sony ZV-E10 II is the company’s second-generation APS-C vlogging ILC. It brings a new sensor and larger battery, along with improved video specs.
Key features:
- 26MP APS-C BSI CMOS sensor
- Full-width 4K at up to 30p
- 4K/60p from a 1.1x crop (5.6K capture)
- 10-bit video capture
- S-Cinetone color mode and ‘Creative Look’ options
- Imports LUTs for previewing, embedding or applying to S-Log3 footage
- Three-capsule mic with automatic directional focus option
- No mechanical shutter
The Sony ZV-E10 II has a recommended price of $999 body-only or $1099 with an updated 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II retracting power zoom. These prices represent a $300 increase over the original version. The ZV-E10 II is available in black or white. The white version comes with a silver version of the 16-50mm PZ that isn’t be sold separately.
Index:
- What’s new
- How it compares
- Body & handling
- Video Quality
- Image Quality
- Conclusion vlog
- Specifications
- Press Release
What’s new
New sensor
The ZV-E10 II uses the same 26MP BSI CMOS sensor we’ve seen in the a6700 (and the pro-video FX-30). It’s a much faster sensor than the one in the previous version of the camera, and is able to deliver 4K video at up to 60 frames a second, where the previous version had to crop-in to shoot at 30fps, meaning it showed significant rolling shutter in its 4K modes.
10-bit video
The ZV-E10 II also gains a newer processor, allowing the camera to capture 10-bit video. This allows it to record Log footage with plenty of precision, which allows greater flexibility when grading color and tone. It also means the camera can capture true HDR footage for playback on HDR phones and TVs.
All the camera’s 4K modes are taken from oversampled capture: 6K for modes up to 30p and 5.6K (with a 1.1x crop) for the 50 and 60p modes. There’s no in-body stabilization in the camera, so digital stabilization applies a further 1.33x crop, meaning the 16-50mm kit lens ends up giving a 32mm equiv field of view, at its widest, if you want to use more than just the lenses’ optical shake correction, and 35mm equiv in the high framerate modes.
Updated features
The ZV-E10 II has the newer Bionz XR processor, rather than the ‘X’ of its predecessor. As part of this update it gains a UHS-II compatible SD card slot. |
The ZV-E10 II doesn’t include Sony’s ‘AI processing unit’ but includes some of the latest subject-recognition algorithms, we’re told. It also gains the focus breathing compensation function that, with recognized Sony lenses, crops in to the narrowest effective field of view then progressively adjusts the crop and scaling to maintain consistent framing as the focus distance changes.
The ZV-E10 II also has the CineVlog mode from the ZV-1 Mark II, which gives a widescreen 2.35:1 look with baked-in black bars top and bottom and shoots at 24p. Onto this various ‘Looks’ and ‘Moods’ can be applied, to give a stylized appearance to your footage.
There’s no sign of Sony’s Auto Framing modes, though, so you can’t set the camera on a tripod and let it crop-in and follow your subject around the scene, nor set a subject’s position in the frame and have it crop to maintain that positioning, as you’re filming yourself at arm’s length.
Larger battery
The ZV-E10 II now uses Sony’s larger NP-FZ100 battery, allowing it to record for much longer. Sony did not disclose battery figures prior to launch, but the FZ100 has always made cameras much more usable than the smaller FZ50 used by the original ZV-E10.
Updated kit zoom
The ZV-E10 II typically comes bundled with the Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II, a refreshed version of its compact, retractable power zoom. The version II gains the ability to focus while zooming, helping to keep your subject in focus if you change the focal length while recording, and also communicates information to help the camera’s stabilization efforts.
In principle, the lens can focus fast enough to work with 120fps shooting, in the unlikely event anyone ever attaches it to an a9 III. However, Sony has not made any changes to the optical design of the lens, which we’ve never been particularly impressed by.
How it compares
We’ve chosen to compare the ZV-E10 II to its predecessor, Nikon’s Z30 that aims to offer something very similar, and to the a6700, to see what differences exist between Sony’s vlogging model and its enthusiast stills/video option. The other obvious competitor in this space is Panasonic’s DC-G100, which again offers a clever mic setup and front-facing screen for vlogging. However, its substantial crop in 4K mode makes it less well suited to high-res vlogging than the other cameras listed here, so that’s the one we’ve omitted for reasons of space in the comparison table.
Sony ZV-E10 II | Nikon Z30 | Sony ZV-E10 | Sony a6700 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
MSRP | $1099 w/ 16-50mm OSS II | $849 w/ 16-50mm VR | $799 w/ 16-50mm OSS | $1499 w/ 16-50mm OSS |
Resolution | 26MP | 21MP | 24MP | 26MP |
Mech shutter | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Image stabilization | Digital only | Digital only | Digital only | IBIS rated to 5.0 EV |
4K video rates (crop factor) |
UHD/60 (1.1x) UHD/30 UHD/24 |
UHD/30 UHD/24 |
UHD/30 (1.23x) UHD/24 |
UHD/120 (1.58x) UHD/60 full-width UHD/30 full-width |
Video bit-depth | 10-bit | 8-bit | 8-bit | 10-bit |
Rear screen | 1.04M dots fully articulated | 1.04M dots fully articulated | 0.92M dots fully articulated | 1.04M dots fully articulated |
Viewfinder | None | None | None | 2.36M dot 0.7x mag |
Number of dials | 1 main, 1 rear | 2 main | 1 main, 1 rear | 2 main, 1 rear |
Mic / Headphone sockets | Yes / Yes | Yes / No | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes |
USB | 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) | 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) | 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) | 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) |
SD slots | 1x UHS II (side) | 1x UHS-I (base) | 1x UHS-I (side) | 1x UHS-II (side) |
Video battery life, CIPA, min Cont. / Actual |
195 / 130 | 85 / | 125 / 80 | 185 / 100 |
Dimensions | 121 x 68 x 54mm | 128 x 74 x 60mm | 115 x 64 x 45mm | 122 x 69 x 75mm |
Weight | 377g | 405g | 343g | 493g |
Perhaps the biggest benefit of the ZV-E10 II over the original is the faster readout of its sensor. The mark 1 exhibited a lot of rolling shutter in 4K/24 mode and had to crop in to deliver 4K/30; by contrast, the new camera can shoot at 4K/60 using most of the sensor, meaning it’s over twice as quick as its predecessor.
It’s worth noting the differences, compared with the more expensive a6700, too. The a6700 has a viewfinder, in-body stabilization, twin control dials on its top plate and a mechanical shutter, and is able to shoot 4K/120 if you can live with a substantial 1.58x crop. These are all omitted from the less expensive, more influencer-focused ZV-E10 II.
Body and handling
The ZV-E10 II’s body is impressively small: it looks like an early Sony NEX model and is recognizably more compact than the a6700.
The downside of this is that the controls and operation also feel more like an NEX model, rather than one of Sony’s latest cameras, if you attempt to shoot stills with it. Unlike the twin dial a6700, there’s only a single top-plate dial on the ZV-E10 II and an awkward, fiddly rear-face dial that we’ve been trying to avoid having to use on Sony cameras for more than a decade, now.
The interface is primarily touchscreen-based, allowing direct operation while you’re holding the camera to face you. There are also dedicated buttons both for Bokeh mode (which opens the aperture up to a value that can be adjusted in the menu) and Product Showcase mode that tells the camera to prioritize nearby objects over face detection. Both buttons can be customized to perform other functions, if you prefer.
The ZV-E10 II is the first Sony to rotate its interface display when you rotate the camera, to make vertical video capture easier.
The ZV-E10 II has both headphone and mic sockets, along with a 5Gbps USB-C port that can be used to stream up to 4K/30 video when acting as a webcam. There’s also a micro HDMI slot. |
We didn’t find the ZV-E10 II the easiest camera to hold, if we were facing towards it, to vlog, so we suspect the optional vlogging handle/table tripod with its Bluetooth-connected controls, will be really valuable. Trying to hold the camera at arm’s length without it just meant worrying about accidentally starting or stopping recording, and constantly nudging the zoom rocker on the lens and not being able to reverse the effect without stopping recording and bringing the camera back into two hands to push the zoom back out to wide-angle.
Battery
The use of the larger NP-FZ100 battery sees the battery life rating jump from the 440 shot-per-charge rating of its predecessor to 610 shots, using the standard CIPA testing methods. As always, these numbers underestimate the number of shots many people get, so double this number is entirely plausible.
For a vlogging camera, we’ll also quote the CIPA video figures, which are 195 minutes of recording if just left to run (assuming you don’t run out of card space or overheat before then), and 130 minutes using the CIPA “Actual” shooting duration test, which involves more stop/start recording, zooming of the lens and turning the camera on and off. Both are based on FullHD capture, not 4K.
Video Quality
As with the a6700, the ZV-E10 II’s oversampled 4K mode provides a good level of detail, especially compared to subsampled video modes on cameras like the X-T50. While its 4k/60p mode does come with a crop, it should be more than detailed enough for its target vlogging audience.
Video Capture Options
The ZV-E10 II offers a huge variety of video options, arguably to the point where it may become confusing to beginners looking to use it as their first dedicated camera.
Resolution | Codec | Compression type | Bit-depth | |
---|---|---|---|---|
X-AVC HS 4H | 3840 x 2160 | H.265 | Long-GOP | 10-bit |
X-AVC S-I 4K | H.264 | All-I | 10-bit | |
X-AVC S 4K | Long-GOP | 10-bit 8-Bit |
||
X-AVC S-I HD | 1920 x 1080 | H.264 | All-I | 10-bit |
X-AVC S HD | Long-GOP | 10-bit 8-bit |
Shooting in H.265 gives you a good balance between quality and file size, but older computers without dedicated decoding hardware will struggle when trying to edit the files. Using H.264 instead will come at the cost of larger file sizes but make it even easier to edit; the same is true of the All-I modes, but you’ll need an especially fast V90 SD card to use it.
Rolling Shutter
The original Sony ZV-E10 had notable issues with rolling shutter performance, exhibiting a jello-like effect whenever you panned or pointed your camera at a fast-moving subject. That was especially true when shooting in 4K. Thankfully, the effect is much less pronounced with the ZV-E10 II, thanks to its much faster sensor readout times.
Video Mode | Readout Rate |
---|---|
4K/60p | 16 ms |
4K/24p | 17 ms |
1080p/24 | 7 ms |
While extreme cases like the one illustrated above will still exhibit some rolling shutter effect, it’s no longer much of a concern for everyday shooting.
Overheating
The manual for the ZV-E10 II warns that, by default, the camera can only record around 5 minutes of 4K footage before overheating in ambient temperatures of 25°C (77°F). Our tests found that to be accurate. However, setting the ‘Auto Power OFF Temp’ to ‘High’ allows you to record for much longer.
During our tests, shot indoors at an ambient temperature of 23°C (73°F) and recording 4K/60p at the maximum 200M 4:2:2 10-bit quality, the camera overheated in an hour and 17 minutes with ‘Auto Power OFF Temp’ set to high. Shooting 4K/60p at the lowest quality, 45M 10 bit 4:2:0, the camera held on for an hour and 53 minutes.
That time will be drastically lowered if you don’t change the ‘Auto Power Off Temp’ setting or if you’re shooting outdoors in direct sunlight. If you’re indoors, you likely won’t have to worry about the camera overheating in all but the most marathon of shooting sessions.
Image Quality
Edited to taste in ACR.
Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 @ 50mm| ISO 100 | 1/1250 sec | F5.6 Photo: Mitchell Clark |
While the ZV-E10 II isn’t really set up to be a stills camera, it’s still capable of taking some excellent photos thanks to the sensor it shares with the Sony a6700. It produces pictures that have plenty of detail and colors that are vibrant without being aggressively unnatural. However, the lack of any mechanical shutter means you risk subject distortion with fast-moving subjects, and will be limited in your ability to shoot with flash.
It can also shoot Raw, and the files it produces give you a lot of flexibility to push and pull shadows. And while the lack of a mechanical shutter can sometimes come with a dynamic range hit, in our tests the ZV-E10 II performed similarly to the a6700 that it borrows its sensor from. Unlike its predecessor, it is capable of recording lossless – but still compressed – Raws, which give you a touch more leeway when editing versus lossy compressed Raws while still providing some space-saving benefits.
Click here to view the ZV-E10 II studio scene
Conclusion
By Mitchell Clark
As with our initial review, we’ve shot the bulk of our review and a conclusion as a vlog, using the ZV-E10 II. Our classic scorecard and comparison to competitors will be below.
Pros | Cons |
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Overall, the ZV-E10 II can produce great 4K footage, especially when you’re shooting in a controlled environment. For those looking to film themselves in their office or studio, its best-in-class autofocus and beginner-friendly modes and features make it a great step up from a smartphone.
However, if your vlogging style is more dynamic with a lot of handheld shooting outside, it may not be the best choice; it doesn’t have the auto-framing or built-in ND of the ZV-E1, nor does it have the stabilized sensor of the a6700. That means you’ll have to keep yourself in frame and keep the camera stable. If that’s the kind of video you want to make, it may be worth looking outside the ILC ecosystem and considering the DJI Osmo Pocket 3; it won’t give you the same image quality due to its smaller sensor, but its built-in gimbal will give you a smoothness that sensor stabilization and optical image stabilization alone can’t match.
One point especially bears repeating: the ZV-E10 II is not built for taking stills; it may share a sensor with the a6700, which is an excellent stills camera, but if you buy it hoping to get the same photo performance at a lower price, you’ll be sorely disappointed. The lack of a viewfinder can make it quite difficult to compose shots in direct sunlight, and the exclusion of a mechanical shutter means you have far fewer options when shooting flash, and you’ll have to worry about rolling shutter when shooting fast-moving subjects. The single-dial controls mean you’ll often have to reach for the touchscreen to adjust your settings, and its interface is simply not laid out in a manner that makes sense for photography.
Scoring
Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about the changes to our scoring system and what these numbers mean.
Sony ZV-E10 II
Category: Entry Level Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR
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Build quality
Ergonomics & handling
Features
Metering & focus accuracy
Image quality (raw)
Image quality (jpeg)
Low light / high ISO performance
Viewfinder / screen rating
Performance
Movie / video mode
Connectivity
Value
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PoorExcellent
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Conclusion
The EV-10 II is excellent for certain types of vlogging, but lacks versatility for other uses.
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Compared to its peers
Compared to its predecessor, the Sony ZV-E10 II is a much more capable and usable camera for video. It has better controls – it now uses a three-way switch to control whether you’re in photo, video, or slow/quick mode rather than a button – Sony’s updated menu system and a faster sensor that substantially reduces rolling shutter and allows for 4K/60. The upgrade from 8-bit video to 10-bit is also a big win, as is the larger battery. It’d be hard to recommend that anyone buy the ZV-E10 now that the II exists.
Compared to the Nikon Z30, the ZV-E10 II’s advantages are largely similar to its advantages over the original ZV-E10 with regards to bit-depth and 4K/60p. It also has a headphone jack for easy audio monitoring, and a Log recording mode, all of which the Nikon lacks. Finally, there’s lens selection. If you want to upgrade from the 16-50mm kit lens, there aren’t really any fast, wide-angle zooms available for Nikon Z mount that would make sense for the Z30. And while Sony makes a few F4 zooms that could be a decent match for the ZV-E10 II, the best upgrade would probably be your choice of Sigma’s F2.8 wide-angle zooms, which are available for E-mount, but not for Nikon’s system.
The Sony a6700 is an extremely capable camera that should at least be on the radar of anyone considering the ZV-E10 II. It’s designed as a stills camera and thus has the EVF, second front control dial, and mechanical shutter the ZV-E10 II lacks. For vloggers, it has the same background defocus and product showcase features but adds in-body image stabilization, 4K/120p recording, auto-framing, and subject detection settings for insects, cars, trains and airplanes. However, those extra capabilities come at a cost: it’s 116g heavier and has a $400 higher MSRP.
Sample Gallery
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Camera
Accessory Roundup: the Nikon museum, a digital picture frame, and more
Images: pexar, SmallRig, Nikon |
Welcome to this week’s accessory roundup. If we’re being honest, it’s been a bit of a dry one out there for accessory news; manufacturers have likely been busy getting ready for the upcoming Amazon Prime Day event that starts on October 8th, and the busy sales season that’ll follow the month after. However, we’ve dug deep and found some accessory news for you. Before we get to that though, let’s go back to talking deals for list a moment…
OM Cameras on sale
The OM-5, OM System’s compact Micro Four Third camera, is currently on sale for $1,000, $200 off its MSRP. When we reviewed it, we appreciated its capable stabilization, size, and weather sealing. While it certainly has some drawbacks like using microUSB instead of USB-C and the company’s older menu system, the less expensive price takes the sting out of those a bit.
The company’s high-end camera, the OM-1 II, is also $400 off, bringing its price to right under $2,000, body-only.
Taking a slight – okay, massive – step up in size, weight, and price, the Nikon Z8 is also $400 off. It’s one of the most powerful full-frame cameras we’ve reviewed to date, and won our Gold award last year.
Frame It
It’s easy to understand where the name comes from, but Lexar better hope that a certain animation studio isn’t feeling particularly litigious.
Image: Lexar |
Lexar, a brand probably best known for its memory cards and readers, has launched a new sub-brand to sell digital photo frames called ‘pexar.’ The announcement was made at IFA last month, but it flew under the radar for a bit until sites like Digital Camera World and PetaPixel picked up on it.
The first pexar-branded product is a 28 cm (11″) digital picture frame with a 2000 x 1200 touchscreen display that can go up to 400 nits of brightness, 32GB of built-in storage, a magnetic stand that lets you use it in portrait and landscape, and an anti-glare display. It also has an SD card slot and a USB-A port to let you expand how many pictures it can hold, but the company says you should be able to fit “over 40,000” images on it before you need to do that.
There’s also an app that lets “up to 512 users” connect to the frame and upload images or videos to it. This could be useful for those giving it as a gift to a family member or friend and who want to keep it updated with recent photos, or someone who wants to use it as a way to display their own photography without having to do prints.
At $160, it’s certainly positioned as a premium product, though it’s also not the most expensive option in the category. It also has a higher resolution than The Wirecutter‘s pick for a 38cm (15″) digital photo frame. The company also says that a smaller 25.7cm (10.1″) version is in the works and will launch sometime this month.
Lights, camera, action
Image: SmallRig |
Chip-on-board lights, or COB lights, have become popular tools for both photographers and videographers looking for a continuous light source. Recently, both SmallRig and Lume Cube announced portable COB lights, which could be handy if you find yourself needing a fill light. Both lights can be remotely operated with an app.
As its name implies, the SmallRig RC 100B is a 100W-class light. It uses bi-color LEDs, so you can have it output light at 2700-6500K. There are two different RC 100B kits; the first is the “mobile” version which mounts to a handle and includes an adapter plate that lets you use two NP-F batteries instead of the V-mount ones the light natively takes. The standard version, meanwhile, includes a light stand adapter and USB-C cable for power. Both versions also have a mini XLR input for DC power.
The mobile version retails for $199, and the standard one is $229.
Image: LumeCube |
The Lume Cube XL puts out less light – it’s only a 60W-class source – but adds RGB capabilities that let you output in different colors. Like the SmallRig light, it includes a reflector, and can accept power input via USB-C. It doesn’t include a built-in battery mount, though you can buy a battery handle separately, but does come with a power adapter that lets you plug it into the wall.
The Lume Cube XL is available for $249.
A trip to the museum
Photo: Nikon |
This one is less of an accessory and more of a place you can go to see a ton of camera gear. Nikon has announced that it’ll reopen its museum on October 12, after closing it while relocating its headquarters. There, you’ll be able to see around “1,300 products and technologies” from Nikon’s camera, lens, binocular, and industrial businesses. Perhaps most excitingly, the consumer section has a “touch and try” section, though the company’s map doesn’t have much detail on what types of products you’ll be able to get your hands on.
Admission to the museum is free, but you’ll obviously have to physically be in Tokyo if you want to visit.
Image: Nikon |
If you do want to buy something, the museum has a gift shop that sells “15 types of acrylic keychain” that depict cameras and lenses, which are quite adorable and only 500 yen (around $3.40 US at time of writing).
Click to see last week’s accessory roundup
Camera
Accessory Roundup: the Nikon museum, a digital picture frame, and more
Images: pexar, SmallRig, Nikon |
Welcome to this week’s accessory roundup. If we’re being honest, it’s been a bit of a dry one out there for accessory news; manufacturers have likely been busy getting ready for the upcoming Amazon Prime Day event that starts on October 8th, and the busy sales season that’ll follow the month after. However, we’ve dug deep and found some accessory news for you. Before we get to that though, let’s go back to talking deals for list a moment…
OM Cameras on sale
The OM-5, OM System’s compact Micro Four Third camera, is currently on sale for $1,000, $200 off its MSRP. When we reviewed it, we appreciated its capable stabilization, size, and weather sealing. While it certainly has some drawbacks like using microUSB instead of USB-C and the company’s older menu system, the less expensive price takes the sting out of those a bit.
The company’s high-end camera, the OM-1 II, is also $400 off, bringing its price to right under $2,000, body-only.
Taking a slight – okay, massive – step up in size, weight, and price, the Nikon Z8 is also $400 off. It’s one of the most powerful full-frame cameras we’ve reviewed to date, and won our Gold award last year.
Frame It
It’s easy to understand where the name comes from, but Lexar better hope that a certain animation studio isn’t feeling particularly litigious.
Image: Lexar |
Lexar, a brand probably best known for its memory cards and readers, has launched a new sub-brand to sell digital photo frames called ‘pexar.’ The announcement was made at IFA last month, but it flew under the radar for a bit until sites like Digital Camera World and PetaPixel picked up on it.
The first pexar-branded product is a 28 cm (11″) digital picture frame with a 2000 x 1200 touchscreen display that can go up to 400 nits of brightness, 32GB of built-in storage, a magnetic stand that lets you use it in portrait and landscape, and an anti-glare display. It also has an SD card slot and a USB-A port to let you expand how many pictures it can hold, but the company says you should be able to fit “over 40,000” images on it before you need to do that.
There’s also an app that lets “up to 512 users” connect to the frame and upload images or videos to it. This could be useful for those giving it as a gift to a family member or friend and who want to keep it updated with recent photos, or someone who wants to use it as a way to display their own photography without having to do prints.
At $160, it’s certainly positioned as a premium product, though it’s also not the most expensive option in the category. It also has a higher resolution than The Wirecutter‘s pick for a 38cm (15″) digital photo frame. The company also says that a smaller 25.7cm (10.1″) version is in the works and will launch sometime this month.
Lights, camera, action
Image: SmallRig |
Chip-on-board lights, or COB lights, have become popular tools for both photographers and videographers looking for a continuous light source. Recently, both SmallRig and Lume Cube announced portable COB lights, which could be handy if you find yourself needing a fill light. Both lights can be remotely operated with an app.
As its name implies, the SmallRig RC 100B is a 100W-class light. It uses bi-color LEDs, so you can have it output light at 2700-6500K. There are two different RC 100B kits; the first is the “mobile” version which mounts to a handle and includes an adapter plate that lets you use two NP-F batteries instead of the V-mount ones the light natively takes. The standard version, meanwhile, includes a light stand adapter and USB-C cable for power. Both versions also have a mini XLR input for DC power.
The mobile version retails for $199, and the standard one is $229.
Image: LumeCube |
The Lume Cube XL puts out less light – it’s only a 60W-class source – but adds RGB capabilities that let you output in different colors. Like the SmallRig light, it includes a reflector, and can accept power input via USB-C. It doesn’t include a built-in battery mount, though you can buy a battery handle separately, but does come with a power adapter that lets you plug it into the wall.
The Lume Cube XL is available for $249.
A trip to the museum
Photo: Nikon |
This one is less of an accessory and more of a place you can go to see a ton of camera gear. Nikon has announced that it’ll reopen its museum on October 12, after closing it while relocating its headquarters. There, you’ll be able to see around “1,300 products and technologies” from Nikon’s camera, lens, binocular, and industrial businesses. Perhaps most excitingly, the consumer section has a “touch and try” section, though the company’s map doesn’t have much detail on what types of products you’ll be able to get your hands on.
Admission to the museum is free, but you’ll obviously have to physically be in Tokyo if you want to visit.
Image: Nikon |
If you do want to buy something, the museum has a gift shop that sells “15 types of acrylic keychain” that depict cameras and lenses, which are quite adorable and only 500 yen (around $3.40 US at time of writing).
Click to see last week’s accessory roundup
Camera
How one photographer turned a DIY dream into a full-frame reality
The Sitina S1
Photo: Wenting Zhang |
Here at DPReview, we love DIY photography projects, and one recently came to our attention that we just had to share.
Boston-based engineer and photographer Wenting Zhang has been experimenting with DIY electronics for over a decade and also loves taking photos, so building his own camera was a natural extension of these interests.
“I initially had the idea of building my own camera during middle school. Back then, I wasn’t allowed to use my parents’ camera and couldn’t afford a real camera. I naively thought it would be possible, and cheaper, if I just built one myself,” Zhang told DPReview. His initial attempt didn’t go well, and he eventually saved enough to buy a used Nikon D90, but the itch to build his own camera stayed. Whenever he saw someone posting about a DIY camera project, he thought, “If other people can pull that off, I should be able to as well.”
Zhang says he started the project in 2017, and it’s not finished yet. “Engineers are usually bad at estimating how long things will take. I am probably particularly bad at that. I expected this project to be challenging, so it would take a bit longer, like probably one year. Turned out my estimation was off,” he says.
He makes clear to point out that this is a hobby project, purely for fun, and that his camera isn’t going to achieve the level of image quality found in commercially available products from established companies. Despite that, his project provides a fascinating look into what’s involved in building a camera from the ground up. What’s more, Zhang has open-sourced his entire project on GitLab for anyone else who might want to build upon it.
Zhang took this photo with a monochrome version of the Sitina, which uses the same sensor but without the Bayer color filter array.
Photo: Wenting Zhang |
Although CMOS has become the dominant sensor technology in consumer cameras, owing to factors like speed, lower power consumption and cost, Zhang’s camera is built around a 10MP Kodak KAI-11000CM CCD sensor with a global electronic shutter, which he selected for a rather pragmatic reason: it was easy to source. “Most manufacturers (like Sony) aren’t going to just sell a sensor to a random hobbyist, so I have to buy whatever is available on eBay. This 10MP CCD turned out to be available,” he explains.
Zhang attaches the CCD sensor to his heat sink.
Photo: Wenting Zhang |
The choice of sensor has a useful benefit. As he explains in one of his videos, designing and building a mechanical shutter is complicated and beyond his area of expertise, so his DIY design is based on using an electronic shutter. For similar reasons, he chose to use an LCD screen as a viewfinder rather than a prism-based optical design, resulting in a mirrorless camera.
Photo captured with the Sitina S1.
Photo: Wenting Zhang |
Zhang wanted his design to be compatible with existing lenses. His mirrorless design, with a short flange distance, provided a great deal of flexibility to adapt different lenses to the camera, and he’s currently using E-mount with active electrical contacts.
And that’s just the start. Zhang also needed to integrate a CCD signal processor with an ADC (analog to digital converter), a CPU, battery, an LCD screen and buttons. He also designed and built his own circuit board with a power-only USB port, flash sync terminal, power button and SD card slot, and create the software and user interface to tie it all together.
In order to build his camera, Zhang had to design and print his own circuit boards.
Image: Wenting Zhang |
Finally, everything fits inside a 3D-printed enclosure that, to my eye, looks rather attractive.
As for the camera’s name, the Sitina S1? “I simply put the word ‘silicon’ and ‘retina’ together to form the word ‘sitina’. I don’t have any better ideas of naming the camera model, so I simply call it the ‘Sitina S1’, he explains. “But the name may change in the future if I ever have better ideas.”
Zhang was kind enough to share some photos from his DIY ‘for fun’ camera.
Photos: Wenting Zhang |
Now that he’s built his own camera, Zhang has an appreciation for how much work goes into the design, development and optimization of a modern consumer camera. “I would imagine it would take an army of designers and engineers of various disciplines to build a modern consumer camera,” he says. “There are so many different components but few ‘off the shelf’ parts.”
“On top of the hardware, we still have layers of software. There’s no standard camera operating system (like Android or Windows) so each vendor is developing its own OS. On top of the OS, you have image processing algorithms where each vendor probably has their own secret sauce for better color, lower noise, etc. I think it’s quite incredible that camera vendors are able to do all these things in-house.”
Zhang is still working to address issues in his current prototype. “I think in another year or two it could reach a state where it can be a useable and useful camera. I do wish to sell the camera either as a kit people can put together or as an assembled machine. Not for profit, but so people can play with it, and my effort on this project won’t go to waste.”
If you’re curious to learn more about how a camera is built, I encourage you to watch both of Zhang’s videos in their entirety as he goes into great detail about the process. And, if you have the technical skills and interest to try this type of DIY project yourself, his open source project could be invaluable. I’ll be the first to admit it goes beyond my level of engineering know-how, but I would be first in line to order a Sitina camera DIY kit if the opportunity arose.
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