Sony ZV-E10 II Video Settings: Frame Rates, Shutter, Profiles

For most beginners, the best Sony ZV-E10 II video settings are 4K at 24p or 30p, a shutter speed about double your frame rate, and the S-Cinetone picture profile for footage that looks finished without editing. Use 60p or 120p for slow motion, S-Log3 only when you will color grade, and pick a stabilization mode knowing the camera has no in-body stabilizer and its Active mode crops the frame.

Set up the camera before you change anything

The ZV-E10 II has a three-position Still/Movie/S&Q switch instead of the original model's toggle button. Digital Camera World points out that the switch makes it much easier to see which mode you are in at a glance. Use Movie for normal video and S&Q for in-camera slow motion and time-lapse.

The camera runs Sony's newer menu system, with quick-change options on the main screen and fully customizable menus that flip into a vertical layout when you turn the camera. Put the settings from this guide (frame rate, shutter speed, ISO, picture profile, SteadyShot and audio level) where you can reach them fast, so you are not hunting through menus mid-shoot.

Resolution and frame rates

Out of the box, the ZV-E10 II records 4K at up to 60p and Full HD at up to 120p. Photography Blog reports that 4K at 24, 25 and 30p is oversampled from 6K, while 4K/60p is oversampled from 5.6K. Videomaker explains that oversampled 4K gives you more detail and a sharper image than 4K that is not oversampled.

The frame rate also changes your crop. PetaPixel found no crop in 4K up to 30p and only a small 1.1x crop at 60p.

Which frame rate to pick

Choose 24p if you want the motion look of film and most YouTube productions. Choose 30p for talking-head videos and vlogs if you prefer slightly smoother motion. Choose 60p when you want the option to slow footage down later: in S&Q mode, 4K/60p gives 2.5x slow motion and Full HD/120p gives 5x.

Pick one frame rate per project and keep it. Mixing 24p and 30p clips on one timeline causes stutter that is hard to hide.

The free 4K 120p upgrade

In December 2025, Sony added 4K 120p recording to the ZV-E10 II as a free upgrade. It is not a regular firmware update: you sign in to the Sony Creators' Cloud website, or enter your serial number, and download a license file to install on the camera. PetaPixel suggests signing in with an account, because unregistered users may need to download the license again later.

The upgrade comes with limits. At 4K 120p, proxy recording, Smart Zoom, Clear Image Zoom, Digital Zoom and Active SteadyShot are all unavailable. The crop grows to roughly 1.6x the lens's focal length, per Sony. In Full HD, the upgrade also adds 240p, which gives 10x slow motion on a 24p timeline. Sony's Help Guide for the upgrade lists compatible SD cards for these modes.

Mode	Notes	Crop (SteadyShot Off or Standard)	Active SteadyShot
4K 24/25/30p	Oversampled from 6K	None	About 1.5x crop
4K 60p	Oversampled from 5.6K, 2.5x slow motion in S&Q	About 1.1x	About 1.5x crop
4K 120p (free license)	Some zoom and proxy functions restricted	About 1.6x	Unavailable
Full HD 120p	5x slow motion in S&Q	Not listed in reviews	Not listed in reviews
Full HD 240p (free license)	10x slow motion in 24p playback	Not listed in reviews	Not listed in reviews

Codec, bit depth and memory cards

The camera records 10-bit video in either 4:2:2 or 4:2:0, as H.265 or H.264 files, with an All-Intra option. Videomaker lists 4K 60p in 10-bit 4:2:2 at 100 Mbps. PetaPixel notes that 10-bit is available in all recording modes, unlike the original ZV-E10.

Leave the camera on 10-bit. If you are new to editing and your computer struggles with the files, try H.264 before giving up on 10-bit, and save All-Intra for projects where you need it.

There is only one card slot, and Videomaker notes it needs a V90 card for XAVC S-I 4K recording at the highest data rates. The guide to the best SD card for Sony a6700, ZV-E10 and FX30 by video mode matches cards to each setting.

Heat is a factor at the top settings. Videomaker found the camera does not overheat in every format, but it does when shooting at its best quality. For long recordings, such as interviews, use a lower-bit-rate format.

Shutter speed

The most common starting point is the 180-degree rule, which Photography Blog describes as keeping the shutter speed at double the frame rate. It gives motion a natural amount of blur. Faster speeds make movement look choppy, and slower speeds make it smeary.

Frame rate	Target shutter speed
24p	1/48 (or the nearest available setting)
25p	1/50
30p	1/60
60p	About 1/120 (nearest available setting)
120p	About 1/240 (nearest available setting)

Shoot in manual exposure mode so the shutter speed stays where you put it, and let aperture and ISO handle brightness.

Bright days need an ND filter

The ZV-E10 II has no internal ND filter, so on bright days you will need a glass filter on the lens to keep the shutter at double the frame rate with a wide aperture. A variable ND that fits your lens's filter thread is the simplest option for beginners.

When to break the rule

PetaPixel found that Active SteadyShot looked odd at 24p and 1/48, with irregular blurry frames, and recommends a stabilized lens or a faster shutter speed to reduce the problem. If you shoot handheld with Active mode and see those jumpy blurs, raising the shutter speed is a fair trade.

Sony says the ZV-E10 II's sensor reads out twice as fast as the original's, which reduces rolling shutter. Videomaker still lists rolling shutter as a possible dealbreaker for some users. Pan slowly and you will rarely notice it.

ISO and exposure tools

Photography Blog lists a standard ISO range of 100 to 32000, expandable from 50 to 102400, with Auto ISO working between 100 and 6400 and adjustable upper and lower limits. If you use Auto ISO, set an upper limit you are comfortable with so the camera does not push into noisy territory without warning.

The camera has focus peaking and adjustable zebras to help with manual focus and exposure. Turn zebras on and set them to warn you when bright areas like skin or sky are about to clip. The ZV-E10 low light settings guide covers the original model, but the same exposure logic applies.

Picture profiles: S-Cinetone or S-Log3

A picture profile decides how your footage looks before you edit it. The ZV-E10 II includes S-Cinetone, S-Log3 and S-Gamut3.Cine, and lets you import your own LUTs. Photography Blog counts eight picture profiles in total.

S-Cinetone for footage you post as is

PetaPixel describes S-Cinetone as a profile for people who want to minimize grading time, with pleasing results straight out of the camera. The Cinematic Vlog mode can apply S-Cinetone automatically. For most beginners, this is the right default. The explainer What Is S-Cinetone? covers how the profile works in more detail.

S-Log3 when you will color grade

S-Log3 footage looks gray and washed out until you grade it. PetaPixel notes that 10-bit capture makes S-Log3 more useful on this camera, with less banding and blotchy color. You can load a LUT into the camera to preview a graded look while recording, which Videomaker says helps keep your grading consistent.

Digital Camera World describes the ZV-E10 II as essentially an FX30 for video, with the same sensor and processor. That makes the FX30 S-Log3 exposure guide a useful next read before you commit to Log. Seth Miranda, quoted in Sony's review roundup, points to S-Cinetone, S-Log3 and S-Gamut3 as features that let the camera match footage from pricier Sony bodies.

Only use S-Log3 if you will actually grade every clip. If you plan to post straight from your phone, S-Cinetone will look better.

Creative Looks and Cinematic Vlog

CineD lists four look settings (Clean, Chic, Fresh and Mono) that you can combine with mood settings such as Auto, Gold, Ocean and Forest. Videomaker counts ten Creative Look modes on the camera. These are a quick way to get a style without editing, but you cannot fully undo a baked-in look later.

Stabilization modes

The ZV-E10 II has no IBIS. It offers electronic stabilization in Standard and Active modes, and you can also turn SteadyShot off. Standard mode adds no extra crop, while Active mode does. CineD puts the Active crop at around 1.5x or 1.4x, depending on frame rate and resolution.

Reviewers disagree on how well it works. PetaPixel calls the electronic stabilization much improved and says Active works very well at faster shutter speeds or frame rates. Videomaker found that neither mode significantly improves stabilization and concluded that it is not worth using.

A stabilized lens helps. Photography Blog tested the camera with the E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II and says the lens smooths out the lightest movements in video. PetaPixel adds that the new kit lens can keep autofocus working while zooming.

Use these starting points:

• On a tripod: SteadyShot off, so nothing tries to correct movement that is not there.
• Handheld, standing still: Standard, with a stabilized lens, since there is no extra crop.
• Walking vlog: Active, if you can accept the tighter framing, with a faster shutter speed if you see blurry frames.
• 4K 120p: Standard or off, because Active is unavailable.

Photography Blog sums the camera up as one meant mainly for a tripod or gimbal rather than handheld work. If smooth walking shots matter to you, a gimbal will do more than any SteadyShot setting.

Audio settings

The ZV-E10 II has a three-capsule microphone on top, and you can choose front, rear or omni directivity for the built-in or external mic in the camera menu. Videomaker calls the directional audio a standout feature for vlogging. Point the pickup at whoever is talking, and switch to omni when you want the sound of a whole room or several speakers.

The camera has 3.5mm microphone and headphone ports. Wear headphones whenever you can, and set audio levels manually so loud moments do not distort. For interviews or noisy places, an external mic is the biggest audio upgrade, and the guide to the best microphone for Sony ZV-E10 and ZV-E10 II compares options.

Battery and power

The ZV-E10 II uses the NP-FZ100 battery. In Videomaker's testing, it ran for 2 hours and 14 minutes recording 4K 24p 10-bit 4:2:2 at 50 Mbps, and it can also run on USB-C PD power. For streams or long interviews, a USB-C PD power source keeps you from swapping batteries mid-take.

Starting settings by situation

Situation	Frame rate	Shutter	Profile	SteadyShot
Talking head on a tripod	4K 24p or 30p	1/48 or 1/60	S-Cinetone	Off
Handheld vlog	4K 30p	1/60, faster if frames blur	S-Cinetone	Standard or Active
Slow-motion b-roll	4K 60p or 120p	About 1/120 or 1/240	S-Cinetone	Standard or off
Short film you will grade	4K 24p	1/48	S-Log3 with a LUT preview	Off, on a tripod or gimbal

If you own the original ZV-E10

PetaPixel notes the original ZV-E10 needed a crop for 4K/30p, had no 4K/60p option and recorded only 8-bit video. Those limits change which settings make sense, so original owners can follow the Best Sony ZV-E10 Video Settings for Beginners guide. The Sony ZV-E10 vs ZV-E10 II comparison lays out what changed between the two.