Capturing perfect memories doesn't have to be complicated — instadoggo (2024)

My husband Nick is the techy one. He is a videographer by trade, and for many years he has been the one capturing content on a camera that is so intimidating to me, I’ve never been brave enough to even try. However, as time goes by, my confidence grew and I love capturing honest, genuine videos of the dogs going silly things on my iPhone, so I decided to expand and take the leap with my very own Sony ZV-1 II

After reading a lot of reviews, this camera seemed to be the perfect match for me. It’s ideal for beginners, light weight, simple to use, requires little or no postproduction and can be used in selfie mode at great ease, which is exactly what I was after when shooting alone with the doggies.

I wanted a camera that I could vlog with and take photographs, elevating my own skills from simple iPhone content, and the ZV-1 II has made my transition enjoyable and surprisingly easy!

One of my absolute favourite features is the portability. This nifty little camera weighs in at just 292 grams and is small enough to carry in my pocket, without compromising on quality, as it features a wide angle zoom lens for versatile framing, a 1.0-type image sensor which captures full details photo and video in a variety of light, and an intelligent microphone, which is ideal when trying to capture organic ‘in the moment content’. I can depend on this camera to get the shot at the click of a button even when I’m on my own, and after 5 months of use, it hasn’t once let me down!

I also need to mention the Real-time Tracking feature, which allows me to focus on and follow exactly what I want by simply tapping the screen. The ZV-1 II automatically makes sure you always stay in focus. It recognises human faces and eyes, so it keeps track of the main subject without wandering off. The Eye AF feature can even be set to track animal faces and eyes too, which is perfect for me and my pack of pooches!

As the owner of four very small doggies, I’m often rolling around the floor, bending down to try to film them in action, which can often result in shaky and unusable footage as I’ve never been the nimblest of women. But with the powerful stabilisation, the ZV-1 II is built to capture excellent, smooth footage even when I’m shooting handheld, squatting down and even running backwards!

All in all, this camera is perfect, and it’s been a total gamechanger for me! Its smart but simple, intuitive, chic and fun! The ZV-1 II comes everywhere with me, and I always feel well equipped that I won’t ever miss a moment, whether in my personal life, or as a content creator. Its far superior to any content I’ve ever caught on a smartphone, and I really feel as though Sony have developed this camera with all my own concerns in mind. As I feel much freer and more creative when using it and I’m loving the results, even without postproduction!

When I’m ready to post content, transferring data from my ZV-1 II to my phone or laptop shouldn’t be any simpler, with the Creators App allowing uploads even while your phone or laptop are in stand by mode. You can even turn your smartphone into a remote control to operate the camera from a distance, which is another clever little hack I’m obsessed with!