As you may already know, Dog Mum takes the reins on every blog we have ever written for Instadoggo, as Dog Dad is behind the camera capturing the content. But it only seemed right that this one was written from Big Nicks perspective, as it’s all about our latest bit of camera kit, and he’s here to tell you why it’s a must have for content creators who are looking to elevate their photography and videography game.

As a dog fanatic videographer with a compulsion to film I’ve always armed myself with the biggest, baddest and often heaviest camera gear to get the most stable cinematic footage. Until I met the tiny Sony ZV-E1 with its superb image stabilisation and smart AI autofocus with animal tracking. It allowed me to lighten my load and simplify the filming process with its simple control layouts, making our content much more fluid and organic. My footage is just as cinematic and beautiful for our followers, but heaps more fun to create, not to mention far less time in post production.

The Sony ZV-E1 has the same image sensor as my Sony Alpha 7S III allowing me to get a fantastic 4K picture even in low light, perfect for woodland footage with the dogs where lighting can be tricky. Alongside the same sensor is the E-mount lens system that allows me to attach my favourite lens as well as giving this camera potential to grow with you and a variety of budgets.

Filming dogs is unpredictably fun, where some of the best footage you’ll get is unplanned. The Sony ZV-E1 has a powerful AI chipset, powering enhanced subject detection so my pooches are instantly in focus and stay in focus to get the most natural, sharp shots. This same AI chipset offers dynamic image stabilisation so I can run with my dogs giving me the smoothest handheld footage I’ve ever created without a gimbal. A feature that makes life simpler, with less takes, making the content all a bit more real.

AI features further simplify the film making process, which is welcome when juggling props, dogs and directing their humans. I often place a camera on a tripod and run back and forth to make sure my shot is framed and looking how I want, which can create dull fixed angled shots. Sony’s AI based auto framing and subject recognition is like having an assistant with me to help on set. The intelligent auto framing feature tracks the subject, keeps them in frame and in focus whilst moving with them and whilst the camera is in a static position, which is great for filming the dogs playing, running and eating. This versatile feature makes postproduction a breeze and for the first time ever I can create high end videos of my dogs entirely solo.

When filming animals I frequently find myself in awkward positions sometimes belly down in the dirt with one hand on the camera at the other rustling a treat bag to get their attention. This camera is light enough (even with my bulky wide-angle lens attached) to hold with one arm. Combine that with the supreme image stabilisation and pet tracking and I can get some of the cleanest footage I’ve ever taken one armed, even when rolling around in the mud. Not to forget the cleanest still photographs I’ve ever taken too.

On almost all our productions I’m tasked as Dog Dad / Camera guy, with Dog Mum either on camera with the dogs or twiddling her thumbs whilst I’m setting up dog only shots. The Sony ZV-E1, with its simple controls and intuitive touch screen makes film making much less daunting and dog mum is loving it just as much as I am. This camera is so adaptable and can be as simple or complex as you need it to be and is now our go to camera on all shoots as it’s so impressively versatile.

To stand out as a content creator you need high quality images and footage to translate your ideas into entertainment for followers. This small, light and very capable camera loaded with AI features is the ultimate camera for people that film solo or have limited equipment. You get social media ready 4K video in any light with a shallow depth of field and the smoothest footage the market has to offer. So, you can ditch your lighting and gimbal and concentrate on getting the perfect video or photo with very little work and with cine vlog pre-sets you can save tonnes of time in colour correction software.

Whilst its easy for video and image quality to grab all the attention, its important to not overlook audio which can be notoriously tricky to get right with juggling what mic to use, too many cables, syncing up sound to picture, environment noise etc. Sony have solved this within their Alpha ecosystem with their ECM-W3 and ECM-S1 game changing microphones which we have has the pleasure to test out.

Pop Sausage with the Sony ECM-W3 mic kit & the Sony ZV-E1 camera

If you’re looking for an audio solution that kills in both inside and outdoors, then the super portable ECM-W3 wireless mic kit is a great addition to your camera set up. The ECM-W3 consists of two tiny mics that clip on to clothing making them perfect for having both hands free with a receiver that plugs directly into Sony Alpha camera range. To set them up you simply take them out of their charge case and they’re paired up, ready for action. They give superb sound clarity and the noise cancellation is exceptional.

Pop Sausage with the Sony ECM-S1 mic & the Sony ZV-E1 camera

For podcasters and vloggers there’s the wireless ECM-S1 mic. Just as easy to set up as the ECM-W3 mic kit, simply plug the receiver into the camera and turn it on The mic can easily be slid into a camera bag to take on location and has a 1/4” thread for mounting onto a tripod or boom stick. There are heaps of options for directional sound with this magic little mic, you can record solo, use it for interviewing, and capturing sounds within a space. We have been using it to VoiceOver videos and we wouldn’t be without it!

We’ll be talking in depth about these two sound capture solutions in June’s blog, where we’ll be deep diving into the beauty of audio for content creators. Watch this space for some gorgeous ASMR content with the doggos, coming very soon!

The Sony ZV-E1 full frame camera with changeable lenses and in-body stabilisation that boasts the same sensor and chipset as its high-end counter parts is an affordable way to get stuck into pro-filmmaking, pair that with one of these microphones and you wont ever look back. The only downside is you’re going to become addicted to capturing your dogs in buttery video and audio quality and won’t be able to put them down.

The Sony ZV-E1 goes every with me now and I’m certain this little camera will be a kit staple for many years to come.

Sample images from the Sony ZV-E1 with the Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM lens (click to enlarge):