One of the key benefits of using the ZV-E1 is using an extended selection of APS-C lenses with no noticeable loss of quality, the camera provides a variety of settings powered by the underlying Clear Image Zoom to accomplish this.

This will not only save you money but also increase the portability of your gear. I initially purchased a cheap Sony 16mm f2.8 pancake lens (SEL16F28) to use as an always on lens that is still pocketable. Instead of the original cover, I use a sturdy UV filter on it to protect it and have it always ready for a "shoot-out".

But then I kept wondering can I push this even further and use a Micro Four Thirds lens on the camera and still profit from an increase in quality?
The Micro Four Thirds format is intended for a much smaller sensor size than APS-C and the 35mm Full Frame equivalent this camera ships with, as you can see from the graphic below:

By Autopilot, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6897985, no modifications done

I had a reasonable priced manual Walimex Pro 12mm f2.0 lying around. There were a few questions I wanted to investigate:

• Will I get acceptable vignetting with this MFT lens when shooting 4K video, which limits the Clear Image Zoom factor to 1.5?
• Is the Walimex's image quality superior when moving the camera to get the same sensor coverage of a subject?
• Can the Walimex's image quality beat the SEL16F28 shot from the same spot, by cropping in digitally in post (same crop factor)?
• Are there situations when I can profit from the Walimex being a faster lens, and will the quality "wide open" compete with the SEL16F28 at f2.8?

TL;DR

Yes to all of the above, the manual Walimex produces better images even when compared "wide open" but I will keep the SAL16F28 as "always on" solution as it is more pocket-able.

Some comparison screenshots from photo mode, this one was taken from the same spot, both lenses same aperture, both cropped in to the same section. The left image features the Walimex and the right shows the Sony. The SEL has some visible flaws and Chromatic Aberration, which is expected from a pancake build.