Quick take: After two years with the Sony ZV-1 II and two weeks with the new Canon PowerShot V1, the V1 is the new king of content cameras. It won seven of ten categories: image quality, frame rates and 10-bit files, color science, lens, audio, size and ergonomics (thanks to its built-in fan and grip), and battery and extras. Sony still wins autofocus by a hair and aftermarket support by a landslide, and price is a tie. The ZV-1 II is still a great camera, especially used.
Price: Tie
As of April 17, 2025, the V1 is $899 and the ZV-1 II is $898. Sony rarely drops prices on its compacts, even two years in, so they're effectively the same price.
Image Quality: PowerShot V1
Both have roughly 20MP sensors, but the V1's Micro Four Thirds-class sensor (in a 3:2 shape) is larger than the ZV-1 II's excellent 1-inch stacked sensor, and the V1 records 10-bit video versus Sony's 8-bit.
Frame Rates and File Quality: PowerShot V1
The V1 is the first sub-$1,000 pocketable content camera with 10-bit video. That's over a billion colors versus 16.7 million in 8-bit, giving you smoother gradients and more detail in skies and skin tones, even if you just add a LUT and adjust highlights and shadows. Both shoot 1080p 120 and uncropped 4K 30, but the V1 adds a cropped 4K 60.
Autofocus: Sony ZV-1 II
Everyone has been chasing Sony autofocus since the RX100 V. The ZV-1 II's is impeccable: fast, accurate and it never jumps to the background. The V1's Dual Pixel CMOS AF II is also great and sticky. The difference is product showcase mode. Sony's switches instantly between your face and a product. Canon's version is buried in the scene mode dial and fully automatic. You can mimic it in manual by speeding up autofocus, but transitions are a beat slow.
Color Science: PowerShot V1
Sony's newer color science is a big improvement, and I like its HLG profile with a little extra contrast. But Sony leans cool and green, while Canon leans warm and slightly magenta, and most people like Canon's skin tones right out of the camera. That's why I built my professional kit around a pair of Canon R5 Cs. Straight out of camera, the V1 looks noticeably better to me.
Lens: PowerShot V1
The original ZV-1's 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 wasn't wide enough. The ZV-1 II fixed that with an 18-50mm F1.8-4, though it lost optical stabilization and drops to F4 quickly. The V1's 16-50mm F2.8-4.5 is wider still, with optical stabilization plus standard and enhanced digital stabilization. In video it crops to about 17-52mm, but a millimeter on the wide end is worth a lot. Thanks to the bigger sensor, background blur is similar, with smoother roll-off on the Canon. For walk-and-talk vlogging, though, get a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 instead of either.
Audio: PowerShot V1
Good audio matters more than good video. Both have fine preamps, 3.5mm mic jacks and windscreens for their onboard mics. The V1 adds a headphone jack and a multi-function shoe for Canon's cable-free mics. Monitoring audio on something this small, at a convention or protest, is invaluable. If you don't have a good mic yet, buy a DJI mic kit before either camera.
Size and Ergonomics: PowerShot V1
The ZV-1 II is smaller and lighter, but its slippery plastic grip isn't great in summer. The V1 has a textured rubber grip and, the feature that sold me, a built-in fan. I've shot whole client YouTube channels on multiple ZV-1s and only overheated once, but with the V1 I'll never think about it. It's still pocketable, unlike some cameras people call pocketable.
It's also a real production tool: three of these give you a 10-bit Canon Log 3 multicam setup with audio monitoring. And its 9:16 frame guides let you compose horizontal and vertical video at once from the same 4K recording, a feature borrowed from Canon's cinema cameras that most content cameras still lack.
Battery and Extras: PowerShot V1
The V1 lasted almost 90 minutes of 4K 24. The ZV-1 II, rated for 45 minutes, impressively lasted about 70. Both run on USB-C power, have zebras, peaking, levels and histograms, work as webcams and have clean HDMI out. The V1 adds frame guides, wireless streaming, a control ring and a modern, bright, sharp screen. Sony's screen feels a decade old, so footage always looks better on any other device.
Aftermarket Support: Sony ZV-1 II
The ZV-1 II benefits from a decade of RX100-shaped cages, filter mounts and teleprompter solutions. When I shot this, the V1 had none. You'll also need Canon's roughly $50 multi-function shoe adapter to use a flash.
The New King
Final score: PowerShot V1 seven, ZV-1 II two, one tie. The V1 is also a really capable photo camera. The ZV-1 II refined a successful formula, while the V1 was designed from the ground up for modern creators and working professionals. Sony has a lot to do with a ZV-1 III. And if you want a deal, look for a used or refurbished ZV-1 II, because it's still a really good camera.
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