Sony ZV-E10 II: Switch Between Photo and Video Fast

On the Sony ZV-E10 II, you move between photo, video and slow-motion/quick-motion with a dedicated control that Arnulfur Hakonarson describes as a lever in the Alpha Universe review roundup. Sony's ZV-E10 Help Guide shows that still and movie modes each carry their own Shoot Mode setting, so you can set exposure for photos and video once and let the switch move you between them.

How the photo, video and S&Q switch works

S&Q is Sony's slow-motion/quick-motion recording mode, and it sits alongside still image shooting and movie recording as the third mode on the switch.

On the ZV-E10 II

In the Alpha Universe review roundup, Arnulfur Hakonarson calls the new mode control "a small little upgrade that does so much". He explains that the lever lets you go straight to S&Q, photo or video when you want to move quickly between them.

PetaPixel notes that the ZV-E10 II runs Sony's newer menus, where the original was limited to the older menu design. The menu paths in the sections below come from Sony's Help Guide for the original ZV-E10, so on the ZV-E10 II the labels and locations may differ. Check the ZV-E10 II's own Help Guide if a menu item is not where you expect it.

On the original ZV-E10

Sony's Help Guide tells you to press the Still/Movie/S&Q button to select the still image shooting mode. Each press switches the mode in the order of still image, movie and slow-motion/quick-motion. That means getting from still mode to S&Q takes two presses.

For more on the original camera's button, see Sony ZV-E10 Shoot Mode Settings: Switch Photo and Video Fast.

Separate settings for photos and video

The Shoot Mode decides how much of the exposure the camera handles for you. In Sony's ZV-E10 Help Guide, the still image Shoot Mode is set under Camera Settings1, while the movie and S&Q Shoot Modes are set under Camera Settings2. The Help Guide also says that to set shutter speed and aperture for video, you switch to movie recording mode and pick the shooting mode under Shoot Mode.

This split is what makes the switch fast. Set the photo side up the way you like to shoot stills, set the video side for steady, predictable exposure, and you never have to rebuild either one when you flip modes. One sensible approach: let the camera help more on the photo side, and lock the video side to a manual mode so brightness does not shift in the middle of a clip.

Mode	Where Shoot Mode lives (ZV-E10 Help Guide)	Other settings in that mode
Still image	MENU, Camera Settings1, Shoot Mode	Focus Mode: Single-shot AF or Automatic AF
Movie	MENU, Camera Settings2, Shoot Mode	Audio Recording can be turned off
S&Q	MENU, Camera Settings2, Shoot Mode: Program Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority or Manual Exposure	S&Q Settings: Record Setting and Frame Rate

ISO behaves differently in movie mode

Sony's ZV-E10 Help Guide says ISO values between ISO 100 and ISO 32000 are available when shooting movies. If your ISO is set above ISO 32000, the camera switches it to ISO 32000 for the movie, and if it is set below ISO 100, the camera switches it to ISO 100. When you finish recording, the ISO returns to your original setting.

You can change ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation and focus area while you are recording, according to the same guide. That gives you room to correct exposure mid-take without stopping.

Grab a clip without leaving photo mode

The switch is not your only route to video. Sony's Help Guide says the MOVIE button starts movie recording from still image shooting mode in the default settings. If you want that function elsewhere, go to MENU, Camera Settings2, Custom Key, and set Movie Shooting to the key you prefer.

Use the switch when you are planning to shoot video and want your video exposure settings in place. Use the MOVIE button when something happens while you are taking photos and you just need to catch it.

One limit to keep in mind: Sony's guide warns that recording may stop to protect the camera, depending on the temperature of the product or the battery.

Setting up S&Q mode

S&Q has its own Shoot Mode, and Sony's ZV-E10 Help Guide lists Program Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual Exposure as the choices. You pick the speed effect under MENU, Camera Settings2, S&Q Settings, where you set Record Setting and Frame Rate. The bit-rate of the recorded movie varies with those two settings.

Slow motion has an exposure catch. Sony's guide says the shutter speed becomes faster in slow-motion recording, so you may not get proper exposure. If that happens, the guide's fix is to decrease the aperture value or raise the ISO sensitivity. In practice, that means shooting slow motion where there is plenty of light, or using a lens that opens wide.

Photo-side settings to set first

Focus

Sony's Help Guide shows the still Focus Mode under MENU, Camera Settings1, Focus Mode, with Single-shot AF or Automatic AF as options. You then place the subject within the AF area and press the shutter button halfway down to focus.

No mechanical shutter

A mechanical shutter is missing on the ZV-E10 II, unlike the original ZV-E10. PetaPixel says the readout speed is decent, but you will still run into some "wobblies" and banding when taking photographs. If a shot of a moving subject looks bent or striped, that is the likely reason, so check your frames on the screen before you move on.

Background defocus and product showcase

PetaPixel describes a background defocus button on the ZV-E10 II that toggles between the shallowest depth of field and the deepest your lens will allow. The camera also has a product showcase button, which makes it focus on an object you hold up in the foreground, and a zoom rocker around the shutter.

The kit lens for stills

PetaPixel reports that the optics of the new 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 II kit lens do not appear to have been upgraded, though it could not test the pre-production lens. Its reviewer says the lens will be sharp enough for 4K video but would look elsewhere if photography is a priority. If photos matter most to you, see Best Lens for Sony ZV-E10 Beginners (Photo+Video), and Best Sony ZV-E10 Photo Settings for Beginners for the rest of the stills setup.

Video-side settings to set first

Stabilization and shutter speed

The ZV-E10 II has no IBIS, so it relies on electronic stabilization, which PetaPixel says is much improved. Active SteadyShot works very well at faster shutter speeds or faster frame rates, but PetaPixel saw irregular blurry frames at 24p and a 1/48 shutter speed. Its advice is to use stabilized lenses or raise the shutter speed.

The 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 II kit lens can keep autofocus while zooming, according to PetaPixel. Its improved stability applies when paired with a camera that has IBIS, which the ZV-E10 II lacks.

Resolution and crop

PetaPixel reports the 26-megapixel BSI sensor shoots 4K up to 30p with no crop and applies a small 1.1X crop at 60p. 4K/120p, found on the FX30 and a6700, is not available. If you shoot handheld at arm's length, the slight crop at 60p is worth remembering when you frame yourself.

Color and codecs

Reviewer Mark Bennett lists 10-bit, 4:2:2 and All-I codecs among the ZV-E10 II's video features. 10-bit recording is a step up from the original ZV-E10, which PetaPixel notes was restricted to 8-bit color. Seth Miranda points to S-Cinetone, S-Log3 and S-Gamut3 for when you want to grow, and Sony highlights Creative Looks and the Cinematic Vlog Setting for building your own style.

Jabari A.K. Holder notes that FX30 and FX3 shooters can use the ZV-E10 II as a backup because it accesses the same recording modes, picture profiles and batteries. For a full video setup, see Sony ZV-E10 II Video Settings: Frame Rates, Shutter, Profiles.

Low light on both sides of the switch

In movie mode, the ZV-E10 Help Guide caps ISO at 32000, even if your photo-side ISO is set higher. In slow motion, the faster shutter speed cuts light further, so open the aperture or raise ISO as Sony suggests. On the video side, resist dropping your shutter speed too low to brighten a dark scene, since PetaPixel found Active SteadyShot already struggles at 1/48. More light on your subject is usually the cleaner fix.

For detailed night and indoor settings, see Sony ZV-E10 Low Light and Night Photography Settings.

ZV-E10 vs ZV-E10 II at a glance

Feature	Sony ZV-E10	Sony ZV-E10 II
Mode control	Still/Movie/S&Q button	Lever for photo, video and S&Q
Sensor	24 megapixels	26-megapixel BSI
4K/30p	Cropped	No crop
4K/60p	Not available	Available, 1.1X crop
Video color	8-bit	10-bit 4:2:2
Battery	W battery	NP-FZ100, 610 shots CIPA rated
Mechanical shutter	Yes	No

PetaPixel reports over two hours of 4K recording on a single charge of the ZV-E10 II's battery. Its reviewer calls the ZV-E10 II an outstanding value for video shooters at $1,000. For the full comparison, see Sony ZV-E10 vs ZV-E10 II: What Changed and Which to Buy.

If you already own lenses, the body alone is the simpler buy.

If you are starting from scratch, the kit includes the 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 II power zoom.

The original ZV-E10 uses the Still/Movie/S&Q button described in Sony's Help Guide.

A quick setup order

• Switch to photo mode and set your still Shoot Mode and Focus Mode.
• Switch to movie mode and set your movie Shoot Mode, shutter speed and picture profile.
• Switch to S&Q and set its Shoot Mode, Record Setting and Frame Rate.
• Decide whether the MOVIE button should stay as is or move to another key.
• Flip through all three modes once and confirm each one remembers what you set.