Test the Sony a6000
Seeing a review of the Sony a6000 on a site like Shotkit may surprise some of you, especially here in 2021. For its 5th anniversary, why did I decide to write a review of a...
13/01/2022
Seeing a Sony a6000 review on a site like Shotkit may surprise some of you, especially here in 2021.
For its 5th anniversary why did I decide to write a review of a mirrorless camera that has been superseded
two times
since its release?
Through my work with Shotkit, I have access to just about p>
any
camera – why on earth did I choose to spend a month filming with an entry-level camera and three outdated Sony lenses?!
Highly recommended p>
Sony a6000 (discounted bundle)
Incredible value compact mirrorless camera with super-fast shooting and autofocus performance, and excellent image quality.
Check the current price p>
I hope that this in-depth examination of
world's best-selling mirrorless camera
will make things a little clearer.
It's also going to be a good reminder that getting a good camera doesn't have to mean spending a lot of money on it.
latest model
.
So, enough of the ramble. Have a cup of tea because it's long ;-) Let's go!
Contents
Sony a6000 Review Summary
Intro
p>Specifications
Build & Getting Started
auto-focus
Image quality
Video
Price
sony a6000 vs 6300
Sony a6000 vs a6500
Accessories
Goals
Camera bag recommended
Battery
Battery Grip
screen protector
Frequently Asked Questions
Sony a6000 Review | Last words
This impressive compact camera features a 24.3 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, BIONZ X image processor, 3-inch LED display and 11 fps continuous shooting , all in a lightweight package. Take up to 47 JPEGs, 22 RAWS or 21 JPEGs + RAWS simultaneously before the buffer slows down. The a6000 is affordable, powerful & reliable.
See more reviews
Editor's Choice
Advantages
Incredible value for money
Impressive AF and face tracking
Solid build
Excellent image quality
Disadvantages
LCD and EVF could be better
Cluttered interface
Check the current price
As I mentioned before, it might seem a little strange to write a Sony a6000 review in 2021, several years after its release. p>
5 years in technology is a long time, and there are plenty of photographers out there who wouldn't even consider a 1 year old camera, let alone 5.
The reason I created this a6000 review was to see if the most popular mirrorless camera is still relevant today.
You can compare specs with newer models as much as you like, but the only real way I was going to give you an honest recommendation was to shoot solidly with this camera for a month… that's what I got fact !
I have included sections below that compare the a6000 with its two successors, but what was more important to me than the performance of this camera alone, i.e. not compared to cameras more recent.
24.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
Bionz X Image Processor p>
Hybrid AF system with 25 contrast detection points and 179 phase detection points
Built-in flash + accessory shoe
ISO 100-25600
11 fps continuous shooting with subject tracking
3-inch tilting LCD with 921,600 dots
OLED electronic viewfinder with 1.44 million dots
Diffraction correction, area specific noise reduction and detail reproduction technology
Full HD video recording at 1080/60p and 24p; own HDMI output
Wi-Fi with NFC capability and PlayMemories app
Sony E-Mount Lens
compatibility
4.72W x 2.63H x 1.78in.
10.05oz (body only) / 12.13oz (with battery and stand)
If you want to know more about the camera, click here for Sony a6000 manual.
The concern with most entry-level mirrorless cameras at this price point is that build quality suffers, but thankfully that's not the case with this one.
The metal body is solid and offers an ideal weight for a camera of this size. I particularly like the rubber grip, which protrudes just enough to allow my large hand to have a firm and comfortable grip, while still letting my thumb rest in a natural position to change most settings with one hand.
Well ergonomics is a hugely underrated feature on compact mirrorless cameras. It's all well and good to have a camera as thin as a deck of cards, but unless you can comfortably and securely hold it and still be able to use it with one hand, you might as well stick to your iPhone!
< p>The a6000's dials remained firm and clunky for the month I shot with it every day. p>I also liked that you couldn't 'change' your settings by mistake while carrying the camera, as the dials wouldn't move unless you twisted them yourself.
The rotary dial on the back of the
a6000
reminiscent of Canon DSLRs and offers quick and easy access to a range of options in the camera menu.
I set it up to control exposure compensation, so I can leave the camera in aperture priority with Auto-ISO enabled, and just turn the dial to add or remove light.
a6000+ 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 | 1/320 at f/6.3 ISO 2500
What I found a little unusual was the LCD screen, which has a 16:9 ratio, more suited to video playback - when viewing standard 3:2 stills, you are left with black bars on each side of the frame.
The screen can tilt up 90 degrees and down 45 degrees, allowing for creative shooting angles.
The resolution is 921,600 dots, which sounds impressive but isn't that special here in 2021. That's enough for viewing images and taking photos, but don't expect to be blown away by the resolution.
EVF quality is similar 'just OK' - good enough for taking and reviewing images, but there are obviously much better quality electronic viewfinders on mirrorless cameras in 2021.
Did I find the EVF restrictive in any way? No. Would I prefer a more detailed electronic viewfinder with a wider view?
Certainly.
From powering up the a6000 to preparing to shoot, the wait is
no longer than any DSLR costing 10 times the price.
Start-up time on cheaper cameras is usually around a second, and can be a huge annoyance over the course of a day's shoot - that's not the case with the Sony.
I liked the option to swap aperture and shutter speed controls in manual mode - something that's often overlooked in cameras at this price point.
While the
Sony a6000 p>
has been priced to appeal to beginners (and is in fact in my opinion one of the
best cameras for beginners
), it's clear that Sony intended its use to be relevant for more experienced photographers, and dare I say it… for pros too?!
a6000 + 85mm f/1.8 FE | 1/250 at f/1.8 ISO100
The Sony a6000's buttons are all dedicated to single functions, making operation very simple, without needing to start digging through the somewhat convoluted menu.
You can quickly change settings using what Sony calls the Quick Navi screen, accessed via the DISP button. Here you can choose from all the main shooting options by pressing the Fn key and navigating the page using the wheel.
Spending time setting up the a6000 pays off later - I discovered this after setting up the custom menu with my "quite often" used functions, then assigning the 2 dedicated custom buttons to my "most used" functions, I didn't didn't need to delve much into the main menu.
It's a bit of a shame that Sony decided to cram so many icons around the buttons and dial on the back of the a6000. I found the operation of the camera much simpler than the mess of icons suggested!
There's a lot to be said for a clean camera interface, much like a clean desktop - sadly, Sony never seems to get it quite right. .
Aesthetics aside, I found the a6000 a pleasure to shoot with. Once muscle memory was enabled and I was able to find the buttons to change settings without having to peek at the back of the camera, I was able to fully concentrate on my scene.
Sony a6000 vs. Fujifilm X100F | As long as you choose your
Sony e-mount lenses
, the a6000 is one of the smallest mirrorless interchangeable lens (MILC) cameras.
The small 16-50 mm motorized zoom (available in the most popular pack
sony a6000
) is great fun to use and makes the a6000 super portable - see image above. p>
The electronic “motorized zoom” is as responsive as turning a manual zoom ring.
However, being a relatively inexpensive 'kit lens', the image quality on the 16-50mm doesn't quite do justice to the sensor's full capabilities.
Check out the lenses I recommend for the a6000 later in this review for much better options.
If I had to limit myself to one factor that adds the most pleasure to shooting with the a6000, it would be its
amazing autofocus
… so let's take a closer look now.
When I shot the Sony a6000 on day one I was convinced I wouldn't like it. My pet peeve with entry-level cameras is not being able to select the AF point "directly", i.e. you can't press a single button to move the AF point.
This was my biggest dislike for early Fuji X100 cameras, until they fixed the issue with later models.
First have to press a button to engage manual focus point selection
before
to be able to move the focus point might have been a deal breaker for me on the a6000… if not for this camera's amazing ability to predict which focus point you want to use
, especially when a face is involved.
As soon as a subject enters your scene, the camera uses a kind of
voodoo magic
to find his face immediately, then lock it with incredible precision!
If there is no face in the scene and you half-press the shutter button, the a6000 locks onto the nearest object.
If it gets the focus point you had in mind, just release the n shutter button and then try again - I found that 9 times out of 10 the camera was able to guess correctly what I was trying to focus on if he got it wrong the first time.
a6000 + 85mm f/1.8 EF | 1/4000 at f/1.8 ISO 100
The hybrid autofocus system means the camera is smart enough to switch from single shot (AF-S) to continuous autofocus (AF-C) and back again, without your intervention.
In practice this means that with Auto AF (AF-A) enabled I could lock focus on one of my children when he was standing still and then as soon as he turned and ran the camera photo would switch to continuous AF mode to capture it in motion (then switch back to AF-A).
I wouldn't normally use AF-A mode on any of my other cameras, as I like to focus and recompose, which is usually inefficient with AF-A.
However, I found that with the a6000 I relied much more on the camera to automatically choose all my focus points for me.
Facial recognition on Sony's mirrorless cameras has always been
breathtaking
, and this camera is no different. Not only does it track faces
even faster than a human eye
, but you can also set it to remember up to 8 faces for the camera to track in any order you choose.
I found this a bit whimsical at first, but soon realized that it was actually a
really useful function
trying to capture a person in the middle of a group of people (and you want to ignore other faces).
Examples might be your child's nursery when your pride and joy are surrounded by random children, or at a wedding when you want to focus on the bride among all the guests.
Watch the video below which illustrates how well this feature works and how you can override the camera's face detection on the fly so you have full control over the AF point.
As you can see, if you take the time to set up the face registration feature, it's an extremely effective way to
allow the camera to do all the hard work
'pick out' the right faces from the crowd.
Sony has placed great emphasis on the focusing speed of the
a6000
when he left, calling him the
world's fastest autofocus
.
Although it is difficult to confirm this 4 years later, what I will say is that the AF
on the a6000 is very impressive.
I usually shoot weddings with a
Nikon D750
, a DSLR 4-5x the price of this little a6000, and I have to say the AF on the Sony is actually
faster
(at least in good light).
Burst mode shooting in high continuous mode is
a lot of pleasure
. This pocket powerhouse capable of triggering 11 frames per second for approximately 22 images in RAW format and 49 images in JPEG Fine format.
Contrary to
sony a6300
< p>and a6500, the a6000 doesn't offer silent shooting, which means using burst mode is a bit like shooting a muffled machine gun!179 phase-detection AF points are spread across nearly 100% of the frame, meaning the a6000 can follow your subject across the scene, and closer/farther to you without missing a shot.
Watching focus points track a subject like some sort of futuristic missile lock- is amazing, and you forget you're using technology that should be considered "old" in the 4 years since this device was released photo.
See how adventure sports photographer Chris Burkard takes full advantage of the a6000's AF tracking features in the video below:
Despite its incredible burst mode performance that can
upgrade more expensive cameras
, the speed at which this camera can write those photos to your memory card is a little lackluster - in a continuous burst of 30 RAW images, I found I was waiting around 10 seconds before the Play button let me review one of the images.
While the camera is 'locked' you can't access any of the menus or playback modes, but you can still continue to shoot (albeit slower), so it's not that bad.
Using different lenses gave me different results than the a6000's continuous AF tracking, but I found that in general it did an amazing job of keeping a subject in focus throughout all 11 frames per second.
In 'Zone' or 'Wide Zone' mode, I simply half-pressed the shutter button to see that the camera had chosen the correct AF point (9 times out of 10 it had!); then fully press it when the subject has started to move.
As someone who generally prefers to select AF points manually, I found this camera's automatic focus point selection to be oddly impressive.
intuitive and precise
.
Coupled with stunning continuous AF performance and a best-in-class 11 fps burst rate, photography with the a6000 is extremely refreshing and quite
very pleasant experience
.
This is where things start to get really interesting. As soon as I saw the images appear on the rear LCD screen of my a6000, I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much in the way of stellar image quality.
As mentioned earlier, the LCD (and EVF), don't really offer much in the way of high resolution, so it's easy to assume that the photos you take won't look good when zoomed in on your computer screen or transferred to a smart device.
(Also, Wi-Fi and NFC transfer via Sony's smartphone app worked well and is an easy way to transfer your photos to a phone or tablet.)
However, when I finally managed to transfer my footage from the a6000 to my computer, I couldn't believe how beautiful they looked.
If you are someone who wants to take photos in JPEG to minimize the time spent editing your photos, I think you will be very happy with the images from this camera.
a6000+ 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 | 1/320 at f/6.3 ISO 1600
The 24MP Exmor HD CMOS sensor with Bionz X processor ensures that JPEGs are
sharp, vivid and contrasting
, but not too much.
Sony's dynamic range optimization function achieves a
well balanced picture
which makes full use of the camera's impressive ability to handle highlights and shadows.
I spent most of my time shooting in RAW so I could test out the full file capabilities of the a6000, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.
You can check out DP Review's highly technical analysis of dynamic range performance here if you need a bedtime read, but believe me,
Sony's files offered from an APS-C sensor
.
24Megapixels is also a great resolution, where files aren't so large that they require huge memory cards, but still offer enough headroom for some high-quality cropping.
ISO performance was quite good for a high-megapixel APS-C sensor, with results similar to the review
Nikon D3400
I wrote recently.
I found the best image quality to be below ISO400, with noise introduced into the image soon after, but this was only apparent when zooming in to really inspect it.
As you can see in my image below taken at ISO 3200, you can't see any noise at all.
a6000+ 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 | 1/320 at f/5.6 ISO 3200 | When viewed at normal sizes, ISO 3200 looks great!
The Sony a6000 has a nice pop-up flash that you can use in a pinch when the light gets really low, but I still prefer to crank the ISO is higher for a noisier image versus the look deer shit in the headlights produced by those little flashes on the camera!
Overall, the image quality of the Sony a6000 is superb, especially considering the p>
bargain price
of this camera.
As with all cameras, you'll need to pair this one with good glass to really get the best image quality from the sensor.
While I found the motorized zoom handy and fun to use, shooting with a prime lens such as the Sony 85mm f/1.8 FE really achieved pro levels of image quality. The Sony 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 was also quite impressive, but only really useful during the day, or in adequate light.
This being a photography review, I don't feel qualified to speak much about the video performance of the Sony a6000.
Check out the video review above to get a better idea of what this camera is capable of in the right hands:
What I will say is that the a6000 offers full manual control over exposure settings during video recording, which is sure to please videographers.
I also liked the ability to shoot video in manual mode, while still being able to select Auto-ISO. This means you can have creative control over aperture and shutter speed for how the video looks, while letting the camera choose the appropriate ISO sensitivity to maintain the correct brightness.
Much like autofocus for photos, AF for video was equally impressive. I didn't experience much of the myriad AF modes available during video, but found the tracking to be fast and accurate, and left me to just focus on keeping the subject in frame.
Finally, we come to the strongest draw card - the Sony a6000 price!
One of the huge benefits of buying a slightly older camera is being able to take advantage of
dramatically reduced prices.
When the camera was released in 2014, it cost around $800, which I still consider a great price for a camera that packs so much technology and high image quality into such a compact package.
Here in 2021 the price of the Sony a6000 plus a kit lens has dropped to around
half
this, making it the most advantageous mirrorless camera
!
My preference after testing a few lenses would be to buy it
'body-only'
, saving 150- I have a lot of money to buy it with the 16-50mm motorized zoom.
Although I found the motorized zoom fun and loved its compactness makes the overall camera, there is
much better
Sony a6000 lenses
, and I'd rather dedicate the economy to one of them.
Last word - I still can't believe you can get
so many cameras for so little money
– it is undoubtedly the
< p>best mirrorless camera under $500,and a camera that I would happily recommend to my friends who want the best value here in 2021.
(Budget still too tight? Find out the
best digital camera under $200
)
It's only natural that photographers want the latest camera gear. After all, "newer" normally means "better", but is that really the case with Sony's a6000 vs a6300 mirrorless cameras?
2 years after the release of the a6000, the a6300 hits the scene, touting a "newly developed image sensor", better viewfinder, 4k video recording, more AF points and a more rugged body. You can also use a wider range of Sony A-mount lenses on the a6300, with tracking and autofocus working on the new E-mount.
So on paper everything looks pretty good…but remember the a6300 costs around
two times
the price of the a6000.
For video, of course, 4k is great for cropping after the fact, and extra focus points are useful when tracking a subject across the frame.
However, for stills photography, most people agree that the a6300 isn't a big enough upgrade to justify the price increase over the a6000.
So in the a6000 vs a6300 battle I recommend you stick with the a6000 and use the money you save to invest in
great goals
in place.
To complicate matters further, Sony decided to release the a6500 shortly after the a6300. The logical comparison might be the two newer cameras, but in this case I think it's more appropriate to pit the Sony a6000 against the a6500.
Both cameras still offer that incredible 24MP sensor and 11fps continuous shooting in a compact mirrorless body. The a6500 has its predecessor's improved image sensor, so it's cleaner at high ISO sensitivities, but not noticeably so.
Then there's 5-axis image stabilization in the a6500, which can help with handheld shooting at slower shutter speeds, especially when using lenses.
on the a6500
which do not have image stabilization. It is also good for video shooters.
The a6500's improved image processor also means you can take even more images one after another, and the camera will process them faster (meaning the camera won't be “ blocked" by writing files to the
memory card
after taking a series of images in quick succession).
My favorite feature of the a6500 is the touch screen and touch focus capability. Unfortunately, the a6000 does not have a touch screen.
However, is the a6500 worth
thrice
the price of the a6000? I don't believe so, unless you're a video shooter.
For stills photography, I think the price/performance ratio of the a6000 over the a6300 and a6500 still makes it a clear winner.
At this price,
there is simply no better mirrorless camera than the a6000.
[Related:
Sony a7ii vs Sony a6500
]
For such a popular mirrorless camera, it's no surprise that there are excellent
Sony a6000 accessories
available in 2021.
Since this latest bargain price makes it such an accessible camera for beginners, most people have enough spare change to buy useful accessories. Let's take a look at the most popular:
I wrote a whole article on what I considered to be the
best lenses for sony a6000
, so I'm not going to repeat myself here.
If you don't have time to read the entire article, here are 4 of my favorite lenses:
You'll notice that the Sony a6000 wide-angle lens that I recommend is actually from a brand called Rokinon.
It's a great affordable option if you want to take super wide-angle shots, but note that it's manual focus only.
< p>Peak Design Sling 5L is a large camera bag for a6000 owners with 2 zooms and a small main lens.My recommendations for a camera bag for the a6000 would be something compact and lightweight, with room for a spare battery, some cards, and some lenses.
The Peak Design Everyday Sling is my top pick for a Sony a6000 camera bag. If you only have a few small lenses, the 5L version is perfect.
It looks great in all 3 color options and is designed with lots of features you never knew you needed - I love the little organization options inside the pockets in particular.
If you prefer a
camera messenger bag
over a sling, I'd go for the price-worthy LowePro Event Messenger 100, or the Think Tank Mirrorless Mover (5 or 10, depending on how many lenses you need to carry).
You should also check out my guide to the best camera backpacks
here
.
It's by no means such a sexy accessory for this camera, but I would recommend getting a few spare batteries so you can keep shooting all day without worry.
I wouldn't normally recommend third-party camera batteries, but in this case there is a great alternative to the official Sony a6000 battery, from the well-known brand RAVPower.
The RAVPower FW50 offers two high quality batteries for the a6000 plus a USB compatible charger, all for less than $30!!
Since the set and batteries weigh less than a pack of cards, you can keep it in your bag attached to a portable USB charger, meaning you'll never run out of power on your vacation.
This makes it an excellent
travel camera setup
for those who will not have access to a power outlet for long periods of time.
Another option for getting more shots from your camera is a third-party Sony a6000 battery grip. My pick is this Neewer Battery Grip, which includes suppression control. I have several Neewer products and they are all good quality for their bargain prices.
While it might seem odd to add something to your a6000 that makes the compact form factor much bulkier, a battery grip can make it much more comfortable to hold for long periods, especially if you're using larger lenses. long.
In addition to
better battery life and better ergonomics
, a battery grip also makes portrait orientation shooting much easier, thanks to additional buttons and dials that are conveniently located when holding the camera vertically.
Isn't it great to have so many affordable Sony a6000 accessories?! As a general rule, the more expensive a camera, the more expensive its peripherals become, so it's refreshing to be able to enjoy great prices with a6000 add-ons.
They're cheap and protect your precious camera screen – enough said… get one! Here is my choice.
UPDATE:
since writing this review I have come across a Sony a6000 set which includes the two lenses above, a memory card,
< p>mini travel tripod, filters, a bag… in short, a whole bunch of accessories that you may or may not need!!
However seeing as it's the same price as the other set of lenses only I thought you might as well get it - I wrote a full review on the set
here
.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Sony a6000 a good camera?
Yes, even though it's over 5 years old, it's still a great camera. It is also excellent value for money and loved by many professional photographers as well as beginners and amateurs.
Is the Sony a6000 discontinued?
Sony rarely discontinues its cameras, despite launching new bodies almost every year. En tant que tel, vous pouvez toujours en acheter un auprès de tous les principaux détaillants d'appareils photo.
Le Sony a6000 est-il un appareil photo professionnel?
Il est doté d'un CMOS Exmor APS HD de 24,3MP APS-C capteur avec processeur d'image BIONZ X, ainsi qu'un éventail de fonctionnalités de qualité professionnelle. De nombreux photographes professionnels l'utilisent pour leur travail.
Le Sony a6000 en vaut-il encore la peine en 2021?
Oui, définitivement! C'est autant une bonne affaire pour l'argent aujourd'hui qu'en 2014, lors de sa première sortie.
En raison de contraintes de temps, je n'ai pas eu l'occasion de parcourir les milliers d'images que j'ai prises pendant le mois pour cet examen Sony a6000.
Quand je trouverai le temps, j'en téléchargerai d'autres pour que vous puissiez mieux comprendre ce qui est capable de ce petit appareil photo incroyable.
Bien que je ne recommande généralement pas les appareils photo uniquement en fonction de leur prix, il est difficile d'ignorer la quantité de fonctionnalités que vous obtenez de l'a6000 pour un prix aussi avantageux.
Tout petit problème que j'ai eu lors de la prise de vue avec l'a6000 étaient tout à fait justifiés lorsque je considérais que l'ensemble de l'appareil photo coûtait moins cher que n'importe lequel de mes objectifs reflex numériques!
Je pensais qu'il serait également très évident pour moi d'utiliser un appareil photo sorti il y a plusieurs années lorsque en écrivant cette critique.
Cependant, je pensais honnêtement que je tournais avec un appareil photo très moderne. Bien sûr, l'écran LCD arrière et l'EVF ont été améliorés dans les modèles ultérieurs, et des collimateurs AF supplémentaires et un traitement plus rapide peuvent être agréables pour certains, mais j'étais tout à fait satisfait des performances.
J'ai adoré laisser l'appareil photo sélectionner le collimateur AF (et le visage du sujet) et le suivre automatiquement sur l'écran. De cette façon, j'ai pu suivre mes enfants en mouvement rapide simplement en les gardant à l'intérieur du cadre du viseur de l'appareil photo - un énorme gain de temps (et de santé mentale!).
La qualité d'image était excellente, même si je dois disons, pas tout à fait à égalité avec les appareils photo Fujifilm X que j'ai utilisés dans le passé. Cependant, les Fuji sont généralement beaucoup plus chers, ce qui est donc tout à fait justifié.
Dans l'ensemble, j'ai trouvé le Sony a6000 un appareil photo amusant et gratifiant
pour tirer avec.
À moins de 500$, c'est vraiment
unbeatable
, et je n'hésiterais pas à le recommander aux photographes débutants et plus avancés à la recherche de pour un
appareil photo compact abordable avec d'excellentes performances.
Fortement recommandé
Sony a6000 (Bundle discount)
Compact rapport qualité/prix incroyable Appareil photo sans miroir avec des performances de prise de vue et de mise au point automatique ultra-rapides, et une excellente qualité d'image.
Check the current price
Avertissement: Toutes les recommandations sont impartiales et basées sur l'expérience utilisateur, sans biais pour les produits ou la marque. Products in this article may contain affiliate links.
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