Despite its age, the Sony A6000 demonstrates that many of the key characteristics we still look for in a camera. The 24-megapixel sensor in this camera is still as competitive today as it was when it was first introduced. Although Sony has constantly improved the AF system in its later A6000-series cameras, the A6000 is already quite good – possibly as good as most of us need. Its 11fps burst mode is hardly ever surpassed, even today. Nevertheless, you don’t get 4K video, and the screens and design are starting to seem a little stale. Even worse, the price of the A6000, which was once a steal, has been steadily rising. That used to be cheap and worn out, but now it’s just looking worn out.
Features
Sony anticipates that NEX-7 users will switch to the A7, while NEX-6 users will go to the new A6000.
The A6000 and the A7 share a similar appearance and feel. It has a brand-new APS-C CMOS sensor with 24.3 million pixels. The sensor uses a gapless on-chip architecture, similar to the component in the A7, which is meant to improve light gathering efficiency.
The sensor also features 179 autofocus points, all of which are utilized for phase detection, but 25 of them are also used for the camera’s hybrid autofocusing technology, which uses both contrast detection and phase detection.
With the exception of DSLRs and other compact system cameras, Sony’s claim that the camera has the fastest AF in the world for APS-C sized sensors is made possible by this autofocusing mechanism. Also, it has features like Lock on AF, Eye AF, and AF area settings in common with the A7. Moreover, the camera is fitted with Sony’s newest CPU, the Bionz X, which is also present in the A7/A7R. According to Sony, this is three times faster than the previous model.
The Bionz X processor enables a maximum sensitivity speed of ISO 25600 in addition to a faster speed.
A tiltable LCD screen and an electronic viewfinder, both measuring 0.39 inches, are located on the camera’s back. These components match those of the recently released RX10 bridge camera.
Create & Handle
Thankfully, this entry-level mirrorless camera does not suffer from the common build quality issue that plagues entry-level mirrorless cameras at this price point.
For a camera of this size, the metal body’s weight and solidity are ideal. I especially appreciate the rubber grip, which sticks out just enough to give my large hand a secure grip while still allowing my thumb to rest in a natural position so I can alter the majority of settings with one hand.
The importance of good ergonomics on compact mirrorless cameras is greatly underrated. Even if you have a camera that is as thin as a deck of cards, you should still stick with your phone unless you can carry it safely, comfortably, and while still being able to operate it with one hand.
The a6000’s dials remained tight and heavy during the month that I shot with it every day; at first, I found them to be a little too stiff, but as I got used to them, I came to appreciate their substantial feel.
The knobs wouldn’t move unless you manually turned them, so you couldn’t accidentally “bump” your settings when carrying the camera.
The rotating wheel on the back of the a6000 is similar to those on Canon DSLRs and offers quick and simple access to a number of menu choices.
I configured it to manage exposure compensation so I could simply spin the dial to add or subtract light while keeping the camera set to Aperture Priority and Auto-ISO.
Image caliber
Things start to get extremely fascinating from this point on. I must say that I didn’t have high hopes for the image quality when I first saw the pictures on my a6000’s back LCD screen.
It’s safe to anticipate that the photographs you take won’t appear well when expanded on your computer monitor or downloaded to a smart device because the LCD screen (and EVF) don’t actually offer much in the way of high resolution.
(Incidentally, the Sony smartphone app’s wifi and NFC transfer worked great and is an easy way to get your photographs onto a phone or tablet.)
But when I finally got around to downloading my photos from the a6000 to my computer, I was astonished by how fantastic they appeared.
I think you’ll be pleased with the shots from this camera if you want to shoot in JPEG to cut down on the time required to edit your photos.
JPEGs are crisp, vibrant, and contrasty, but not too so, thanks to the 24MP Exmor HD CMOS sensor and Bionz X engine.
The Dynamic Range Optimization function from Sony aids in obtaining a balanced image that fully exploits the camera’s remarkable handling of highlights and shadows.
To test the full capabilities of the files produced by the a6000, I spent the majority of my time shooting in RAW, and I must admit that I was pleasantly impressed.
Conclusion
Sony has almost succeeded in producing the ideal tiny system camera, but it still has some work to do. Excellent visual clarity, a compact and stylish system, and programmable controls are all fantastic features, but there are a few annoyances that prevent it from being truly outstanding.
