Product Comparison: Sony HDR-MV1 vs Zoom Q4N

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Best Pick

Sony HDR-MV1 Music Video Recorder

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Zoom Q4N Portable Handy Audio Video Recorder

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General Specifications

Brand

Sony

Zoom

Model

HDR-MV1

Q4n

Origin

China

About the Product

Records in your choice of uncompressed linear PCM (LPCM) or AAC formats for CD-quality sound and simple Internet uploading. Sony’s Exmor R® CMOS sensor is extremely sensitive, capturing facial expressions and fast movements, even in dark environments like studios or stages.

With its 10 advanced lighting presets, the Q4n captures our highest-quality video ever — from bright daylight to a low-lit club to striking sunset. And with Zoom's superb audio quality, the Q4n provides a combination no other camera can match.

Key Specs

Sensor Resolution

8.4 MP

3 MP

Sensor Type

Exmor R® CMOS

CMOS

Maximum Frame Rate

30 fps

60 fps

Video Resolution

1080 p

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Sony HDR-MV1 Music Video Recorder

The quality is similar to a Sony Action cam, but I this cam does a little better in low light that the action cam.
Very good at recording audio at loud concerts without much, if any, distortion.
After a few uses, I find it's an excellent sound recorder that has a video record.
Don't expect pro quality video from this as the video part is more of an add-on than main feature. That said, the video is quite good especially in low lighting scenarios and much more "usable" than other brands such as the Zoom Q series.
Video quality is quite good, but other devices do video better; on the other hand, audio quality is very impressive for a device of this size.

Zoom Q4N Portable Handy Audio Video Recorder

Great value for the money. I record live music videos from our band and this has excellent picture and sound quality for the money.
The Q4n exceeds expectations: the video is indeed HD quality and the audio is very very easy to hear with pro quality.
First, let me say that THIS little camera is the best investment I have made for capturing video. From the picture quality to the sound quality, it's the best!
I bought this to obtain HD video quality with excellent audio quality in order to make videos good enough to build my YouTube footprint.
I like the clear video quality and sound, but it picks up lots of background noise.

Size & Weight

Height

2.77 in.

3.4 in.

Width

4.56 in.

1.5 in.

Depth

1.06 in.

4.7 in.

Weight

5 oz.

6 oz.

Imaging

Aperture

F/2.8

F2.0

Face Detection

Low Light/High Sensitivity

Yes

Image File Format(s)

MP4: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264

MPEG4-AVC / H.264

Digital Zoom

1.5 x

Face Detection
Low Light/High Sensitivity

What customers say about "Imaging"

Sony HDR-MV1 Music Video Recorder

The video is very wide angle, giving a fish-eye effect, therefore distant pictures are very curvy (ex. a stage).
This thing is what it is and does what it does, very well. Fixed focus, wide angle, no zoom.
This camera has a fixed focus, very wide angle lens, with no zoom.
It has no motion suppression, so it begs for a tripod.
No image stabilization.
It doesn't have the usual video camera features like a hand strap, flip out screen or image stabilization. It would have been nice if it had those features so it could be more versatile.

Zoom Q4N Portable Handy Audio Video Recorder

The image quality is excellent in dim locations and the audio is outstanding. I'll be ordering another one.
Wow! Wow! Wow! video and audio quality shocked me. Even though I read about fifty go-zillion reviews and kinda knew what to expect... I was still surprised. Very happy with this purchase!
Nice sound, easy to use, I haven't recorded too much yet but it's ok. Haven't tried the full hd image.
I have a good number of cameras and was hoping this would be a good addition - unfortunately the image quality is simply not up to par.

Display

Display Type

TFT LCD

Touch Screen

Aspect Ratio

16:9

Screen Size

2.64 in.

2 in.

Touch Screen
Screen Size

What customers say about "Display"

Sony HDR-MV1 Music Video Recorder

Its small, light, and the screen is on the side which is great.
The fixed view screen on the camera is a huge issue because it is side mounted and fixed. The remote view capability on a smartphone is so much better then anything you could use with a screen being on the camera.
When you are recording it does takes some getting used to because the view screen is on the side but you soon get the hang of this.
Lack of swivel or articulation on LCD screen makes it difficult to compose videos.
The screen is not that nice to look at -- large pixels looks like the technology is 5 years old. The recording angle is odd because the screen is on the side yet the lens points forward.

Zoom Q4N Portable Handy Audio Video Recorder

The ability to rotate the screen down makes it easier to frame the stage, since I place the camera high on a mic stand to get above the crowd.
If I had one gripe it would be the LCD screen is small and difficult to see under certain conditions. But overall for the price this is a great unit to take any live music applications.
This camera has so many glitches that I don't know where to begin. Sometimes it turns on and sometimes it doesn't. If you plug in an external mic, the camera will turn on; however, the screen won't.

Features

Microphone Type

Unidirectional, 120-degree X/Y stereo

120° A/B and 120° X/Y stereo

Slow Motion Recording

HDR Mode

Action Camera

Night Recording

Yes

Wind Noise Reduction

Yes

Shock Resistant

Water Resistant

Extras

Linear PCM & AAC audio formats for versatility, Wide-angle 120° Carl Zeiss® Tessar® lens, Exmor R® CMOS sensor is ideal for low light, Deep stereo sound with 120° X/Y mic, One-touch remote and one-touch sharing, External microphone option, Tripod mount for rock-steady recording

High-quality 160° wide-angle lens (F2.0/16.6 mm), 10 “Scene” options for use in different lighting environments, plus five steps of digital zoom, Easy one-button recording, Self-timer function to delay video recording by 3, 5, or 10 seconds, Built-in stereo microphones can be configured for A/B or X/Y, capable of handling sound levels up to 140 dB SPL, Compatible with USTREAM Producer, Flash Live Media Encoder, Skype, and other popular streaming applications

What customers say about "Features"

Sony HDR-MV1 Music Video Recorder

The arms protecting the mics feel sturdy enough.
Good playback and editing features built into the camera.
The outstanding feature about this recorder is the quality of the image and the sound. They are borderline breathtaking. I am very pleased with that. It is also very easy to use. It charges through the USB port which is a plus giving no need for batteries or a special charger.
I am very unimpressed with the smartphone control feature. Fantastic idea - total failure in implementation. So - buyer beware. Maybe the next generation will be great but for what I need this for and how I need to use it - it's a fail.
No Zoom feature and No ability to switch from Wide Angle to Narrow Angle.

Zoom Q4N Portable Handy Audio Video Recorder

Also, it automatically recorded all the videos in short segments so that I have to put them together in the end, which is no good to me.
For the price, this is one nice video camera. If you are looking for something to film live performances this is a great buy, the audio quality on this is great.
Very impressed by the audio quality. Great camera for live music. I purchased to make videos of my band. Works phenomenally well in clubs and bars. Very satisfied.
Thrilled with the sound quality! Having some issues finding the right card to use with it. Tried the larger GB card but it would only recognize the smaller memory card.
While I should not have been surprised by the video quality, given what I've seen of other Zoom products, I was quite disappointed by the lack of flexibility in the video settings, and the complete lack of zooming ability.

Connectivity

Wi-Fi Enabled

Yes

Microphone Input

Yes

Tripod/Monopod Mountable

Yes

Output(s)

Micro-HDMI (Type D), Headphone Jack, Line Input (Analog Audio), Microphone Input, Multi/Micro USB

Micro-HDMI (Type D), Combined line/headphones stereo mini jack, USB 2.0

What customers say about "Connectivity"

Sony HDR-MV1 Music Video Recorder

Uses Micro SD and has a Micro USB for charging.
After the recording, you can transfer the videos by using NFC (Near Field Communication, Android only) or WiFi. My phone was equipped with NFC and I tried it.
You can set this up on a tripod or hold it by hand.
Plenty of inputs/outputs including headphone, HDMI, microUSB (with trickle charge), and mic.
No A/C adapter included (USB cord is).

Zoom Q4N Portable Handy Audio Video Recorder

My cover band plays a 4 hour set and if I connect the Q2HD to a power source via the usb connector, it runs all night.
Plus I want to tell you in advance that the Zoom Q4n does NOT come with an extra battery or charger OR SD Card!, but you can connect the cord to recharge the battery to the camera while you are using it!
It doesn't come with an adapter to charge the battery by plugging it into the wall, but it does come with the charging cord! Any usb to outlet brick should charge the camera.

Power

AC Adapter Compatible

Yes

Battery Model

Rechargeable Battery Pack NP-BX1

Rechargeable Battery Pack

Charging Interface(s)

USB

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Certifications