Sony E-Mount Lens Guide Here >>

New Sony A6000 vs My Nex-6 – Real World And Lab Testing!

Sony A6000

So I really went to work this past weekend comparing the new Sony A6000 vs my Nex-6, which is now the old model, and on sale @ amazon for only $519 (Click Here) I compared image quality in the real world and Lab, did some focus testing, and created a cool illustration which shows both cameras head to head!
I also received the full frame e-mount 70-200mm f/4 OSS G lens which I’ve been really wanting to try out! So far it’s absolutely awesome on the A6000 and full frame mirrorless A7r Reviewed Here >> in my opinion!
I used the new SEL70200g lens in a really hard head to head focus test with Layla riding her bicycle and the results are clear. The A6000 performed better than the Nex-6 in continuous focus mode in that situation. I also did extended af testing with the A6000, and Sandy the dog, which really illustrates how good the af system is when at a little distance and the subject is moving slower.
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Sony A6000 vs My Nex-6

Image Quality Testing

For all intensive purposes the image quality difference between the A6000 and Nex-6 is a wash in my opinion. Yes the higher resolution A6000 sensor offers more detail and can also be cropped in more if necessary, but if your posting images on the web or looking at the full res images in Lightroom for example, they look about the same. 100% crops you can see a closer view and therefore more detail, but that will only translate into better prints if you’re printing really large. So, talking real world here it’s not much difference. The Nex-6 is awesome and the A6000 is a little better thanks to the extra resolution, but as far as High ISO, Color, and, Dynamic range wise, they are about the same.

Check out this real world flower scene from the deck taken with both cameras from about the same spot using the same 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens.

Real World – f/4, 105mm

Nex-6

Nex-6, f/4, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
Nex-6, f/4, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
Nex-6, f/4, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
100% Crop – Nex-6, f/4, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens


 A6000

A6000, f/4, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
A6000, f/4, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
A6000, f/4, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
A6000, f/4, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens

Lab Scene @ F/8, 105mm

Nex-6:

Nex-6, f/8, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
Nex-6, f/8, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
Nex-6, f/8, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
100% Crop – Nex-6, f/8, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens


A6000:

A6000, f/8, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
A6000, f/8, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
A6000, f/8, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens
100% Crop – A6000, f/8, e-mount 18-105mm f/4 OSS G Lens

High ISO – Auto White Balance

I honestly can’t tell the difference between the two other than a slight red caste to the Nex-6 image, so the A6000 technically has a slight edge in the High ISO/ Auto ISO testing in my opinion.
Nex-6 @ ISO 25600 – Click Photos! 

Sony Nex-6 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600
Sony Nex-6 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600
Sony Nex-6 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600
Sony Nex-6 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600
Sony Nex-6 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600
Sony Nex-6 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600


A6000 @ ISO 25600:

Sony A6000 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600
Sony A6000 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600
Sony A6000 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600
Sony A6000 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600
Sony A6000 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600
Sony A6000 w/ 70-200mm f/4 OSS G Lens @ ISO 25600

A6000 vs Nex-6 – Breakdown Illustration

a6000-vs-nex-6
a6000-vs-nex-6

In other news/ deals:

Zeiss Touit Lens Bundle Deal

If you are looking for the best E-Mount lens quality, then the current Zeiss Touit Promotion (Click Here) might be worth considering! $200 Off on the 32mm f/1.8 Touit lens which I reviewed Here >> and $200 Off the ultra wide angle 12mm f/2.8 Touit lens which I reviewed Here >>
Both these lenses are amazing in build quality and optical quality as you can see from the sample photos in the detailed reviews above. $200 off is really a killer deal and investing in a quality focal length that you always use makes sense in a lot of cases. I could totally see picking up that 12mm wide angle if your into Landscape/ HDR Photography and want tack sharp corners with little distortion shooting raw quality! The 32mm Touit would be better for street shooting, but is also wide enough for a lot of general uses and really fast @ f/1.8! If you really want to go for it purchase both these Touit lenses together and save $800!! That means it will cost only $919 US for both Touit lenses if purchased together (Click Here)

Nex-6 w/ the 16-50mm powerzoom pancake lens @ Amazon for only $519 (Click Here)

Closing Remarks

So what I learned in the past few weeks comparing and testing the A6000 vs my Nex-6 is that the A6000 has some really nice improvements over the Nex-6. For starters the camera is a nicer design than the Nex-6 and the wheel on the top right is no bad at all if you’re coming from a Nex-6. They are very similar in position, only the A6000 has a two smaller dials spread out horizontally as apposed to the stacked Nex-6 design. I honestly like this better after using it for a while.

Although the AF performance on the A6000 is much better than the Nex-6, it’s still not DSLR good. Left to right motion is one thing, but back to front at close range is just not realistic with the hybrid sensor AF technology according to my tests. I tried several really hard situations where my Canon 5D Mark II or the Sony alpha A57, A77, A99 would have successfully focused in. The A6000 could not do it for the most part. Layla on a swing for example was to fast for the A6000 to track. At distance, left to right  is pretty easy, and back to front is pretty good. The Nex-6 can also do this with practice, but not at the same hit rate as the A6000. The really fast depth of field shift style focusing is just not up to the same level as the cameras with a mirror in the real world. Slower speed movement at a distance is possible with very good success as we saw in the CameraStoreTV video and also in the Sandy running sequences.

So, basically you have the next generation mirrorless camera technology from Sony in several areas.The video is much better due to the way it sampled and the BionzX processor power. The High ISO testing reveled very similar results in both color and dynamic range when taking raw photos, but low light video is much better on the A6000 regardless.

Coming from the Nex-7, a downgrade from the killer tri-navi design, but a better video button position and internal hardware. I am pretty confident Sony will come out with a higher end APS-C E-Mount camera at some point, but this is good enough for the current market considering the full frame e-mount camera line is what they are thinking I guess. I also heard rumored that a even cheaper full frame “A5000 like” camera might be coming out next? After that perhaps a new Nex-7 or better APS-C camera.
That is it for now and sorry I have been so busy the past week or so. Work and day to day chores this time of year are taking up more time than normal 😉 Please feel free to ask questions and share your thoughts below in the comments area 😉
Jay

Sony A6000 from ~$598BHPhoto | Amazon

  1. Great review Jay!!! I almost got a NEX 6 but I was in US on the day that Sony relesead a6000 and I’m happy with it, specially for AF performance!
    Now I’m digging into this Zeiss Touit kit! I already had Sony’s 10-18 F4, to you think it’s a good deal to take Zeiss 12mm too?? I know Zeiss is faster but I use this focal length mostly during daylight.
    I was concerning also about Contrast-only AF on Touit lenses but I’ve asked Zeiss in their page (http://www.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_de/camera_lenses/touit/touit2812.html) if they have plans to incorporate Hybrid AF and they said yes!!! 🙂
    Also if I had the Zeiss 24mm 1.8 should be good to have Touit 32mm or Sony 35mm too?
    Thanks for the great site! I just realised how much I’ve learnt from SAL! =D

    1. Thanks Andre for the comments and sharing your A6000 impressions so far! If you already have the 10-18mm I would not bother with the 12mm Zeiss Touit unless you really want the absolute best optical quality. It is better for sure, but not that much better for my current situation. Don’t get me wrong I would love to have either wide angle lens personally 😉 If I had to pick one, it would be the 10-18mm for both the OSS and zoom range. If I was printing and did not want to do any post production work, then the Zeiss isw the way to go for better distortion control and corner sharpness.
      As far as the 24mm and 35mm lenses, I would go with the Touit 32mm out of the three lenses. The Touit just produces magical color and bokeh in comparison. The Hybrid AF support is a matter of Sony releasing the info to Zeiss. Sony holds it hostage I was told by a Zeiss rep and is supposed to release the data they need at some point.
      I hope that helps a little,
      Jay

    2. The results i get from the NEX-6 are all limited by the lens. I wish the NEX-6 was “gapless” and with an even lower pixel density. Usability on the other hand seems to be improved immensely by the A6000. So, Sony please give us the usability of the A6000, but the quality of the NEX-6!!!

  2. Looks like high ISO performance is hitting a brickwall and the only option for me now to get cleaner output at 3200 and 6400 is FF. DXO prime does help a lot though.

    1. A less pixel dense sensor will also be much better Gabriel. For example, and 16mp sensor with he same newer technology that the 24mp sensor has, should be much better! The larger pixels of the Nex-6 for example are about the same output quality as the newer, much smaller A6000 pixels. Something in between the A7 and A7s as far as High ISO performance is concerned seams like the next logical move.
      Thanks again for the comments,
      Jay

  3. The pictures of your daughter was the only comparison I could find here. Bright lit and simple(not challenging the sensor at all!). The Nex-6 still looked much better. Pixel peeping doesn’t impress anyone who takes real pictures. Photography is art. It doesn’t matter if it’s made with 5000 pixels or 210000. I recognize the usability improvements in the A6000, but the picture quality just isn’t there.. Sorry to rain on your parade, but it’s obvious. Secondly you didn’t provide any comparison between the cameras here. (I’m pretty sure you know this as well). I’m talking about “pictures”, web sized PICTURES, not pixel peeping rubbish that you can’t sell to even the most in love “just married” couple.

    1. Hi Jonas,
      The lab comparison at f/8 shows off the color chart with the same lens, and the flower image also shows off the color really well in my opinion. Also, the High ISO is meant to show how close they are to one another. I’m not sure what parade you are raining on exactly? I did not say anywhere the A6000 blows away the Nex-6 in image quality. It’s basically the same as far as I can tell.
      The Layla photos are a bad example for judging because the lighting is not the same in each sequence. It was a focus test. The best exposed images were the ones by the Nex-6 I agree. The flower and lab photos however I think are very similar in IQ to my eye.
      If your looking for an artistic photos then I failed in that regard I suppose 😉
      Full reviews of everything coming and I can take some jpeg sample photos also.
      Thanks again,
      Jay

      1. Thanks for your gracious handling of my criticism…. I was expecting more low light situations, like theater/interior/bars/night scene, with colored or warm light etc.. You had a picture of a turtle on the recently posted A6000 full review, that’s a good one for color resolution, lots of green shades…

  4. Hi Jay,
    Still haven’t decided on which camera to get. I have a A65, usually with a Tamron 28-75 f2.8 and a Sigma 18-200. I wanted to get the RX100 III as something lighter for travel as I told you a few days a go. I realized the A6000 with the kit lens has an even lower price than the RX100 III.
    So I tought an option would be to get the A6000 and start a whole new e-mount system and selling or trading the A65. The weight particularly of the A6000 seems pretty similar to the RX100 III.
    Would it be worth it to trade the A65 in order to get into the e-mount system, and also save some money by not getting the RX100 III?
    Is the new A6000 a worthy replacement to the A65?
    Or should I just get the RX100 III and keep the A65 system?
    As always I really appreciate your input and knowledge !!
    Luis

      1. Sorry buddy, thanks for the reminder as your comment moved way down on the total comments I have for the site. I will get you questions asap and sorry about that Luis 😉
        Jay

    1. Hi Luis and sorry for the delayed reply 😉
      I would consider the E-Mount system for sure. The RX100 III is awesome, but you are paying for the really small size and pro feature set/ quality. The A6000 with a few lenses would ultimately be a much better option in my opinion. The AF is good enough that you don’t really need the bulky a65 camera anymore.
      A6000 @ Amazon >>
      I would rather have the much smaller size and lower weight with the same great image quality personally. The RX100 series is the best possible option for a true pocket sized camera in my opinion. So the cost is only justified if you need super small all-in-one in my opinion.
      I hope that helps,
      Jay

      1. Tks Jay,
        I´ll go with the a6000, please put the link on amazon so you´ll get credit for it.
        Tks again
        Luis

  5. Hello Jay:
    Thank you for your service to the community of SONY fans/lovers. 🙂 I’ve been doing a lot of reading of reviews, blogs, etc. before finally ending up with the SONY a6000. Silver! I even went to the local shop and played with lens and body color combinations. The black was calling out to me, but what the heck — maybe to be different, I chose the silver body.
    I hope I was able to do the purchase right — I clicked on the Amazon link on this site. I got a bundle that included the SONY 16-50 and the 55-210. I’m also highly considering the dual Touit lens deal at BH. Is there a link that will give you some credit for the purchase?
    This will be my largest purchase of photo equipment. I thought I’d plunk it in as I was truly enamored by the wonderful photos of the a6000. A pro-photographer friend of mine advised me to look into getting good lenses.
    Your site was one of the first ones that I came across as I was researching on CSCs. I like your writing and presentation style. I truly appreciate the photo examples, videos, and comparisons. I also very much appreciate that you keep up with the latest in camera tech. I love the general feel of your site — it seems very personal, friendly, and “just right”.
    I wish you the best in your photo ventures. I look forward to my “early Christmas present”. Hope to get some tips from you about my forthcoming a6000 as I’m sure I’ll need them.
    Thank you again for all your work, dedication, and passion in photography.
    Cheers!
    Rolly Maiquez

    1. Thank you very much Rolly for the comments and kind words 🙂 I really appreciate it and I try my best to be as honest and detailed as possible without getting to technical. We have the other awesome websites for that stuff….
      Thanks again for using the links through the site and I’m sure it worked as long as your shopping cart was empty. The link for the Touit lenses is (Click Here) I don’t know if that promotion is still going on though.
      Thanks again for all the comments and have a good day. Please feel free to join the forum if you like, registration is back open!!
      Jay

  6. This is a really helpful review and seems consistent with what I have seen when comparing the NEX6 and the A6000. I have a NEX6 and have been very happy. I bought the camera with the standard 16-50 lens and have also purchased the Sony 55-210 zoom. I have to say I have been happy with both of these lenses. I would, however, like a better and more versatile standard lens and also have been looking at the Sony SEL1670Z lens which seems very nice (but also very expensive). You have concluded that for most shooting you can’t see a real difference between the two cameras (I don’t do video or try to photograph sports or other rapid movement). I wonder if I would see more difference with my NEX6 with the SEL1670Z lens than I would with the A60000 with the standard 16-50 lens? That is, is the better lens going to provide more noticeable improvement than the upgraded camera? (Of course, I could also just get the A6000 and the SEL1670Z – but that is a lot more money. I have been tempted – B&H has the A6000 + SEL1670Z for $1296 (pre-order), which is the best deal I have been able to find. I’m pretty sure that the higher resolution of the A6000 would benefit even more with the better lens.)
    Comments, suggestions?
    David Redfearn

    1. Hi David and excellent question! I would recommend investing in the lens over the new camera. The A6000 is not that much better in the image quality department to justify upgrading on it’s own. The lens would be a much better investment in my opinion if you are looking for better quality results. If the fast AF is not important then only the resolution would be making the difference, and it’s not enough in my opinion.
      The A6000 and the Zeiss would clearly be the best option, but I would not upgrade the body if I were in your shoes with my wallet 😉
      I hope that helps,
      Jay

      1. Thanks for the advice – and it confirms what I was thinking. What I did was order the A6000 body and the SEL1670Z lens from B&H. They have it available for “pre-order” for $1296. That means I am getting about a $300 discount (off either the camera or the lens) over the best I can find ordering each item separately. I have been very happy with the image quality of the NEX6, but what pushed me over was the improved ergonomics of the A6000 and the higher resolution if I have to crop. I had been a long-time Canon user when I bought the NEX6, and was amazed at the improved image quality (particularly dynamic range) right out of the camera. I owned a Canon T2i but couldn’t see any improvements in the T3i, T4i and the T5i. I had to do a lot of LR work to get the Canon shots where I wanted – now, I can (almost) forget RAW and post-processng! And, I love the compact size of these Sony cameras.
        Again, thanks so much for your advice. Your site is very helpful.
        David

  7. Jay, great review. I upgraded to the a6000 from the NEX-6 a few weeks ago, just before a two week Europe trip. While I have not fully evaluated the images (I always print an 11×14 blurb album) at first blush the quality seems darn close to the NEX-6, though I have not yet done any RAW processing to verify, I suspect the extra pixels will help. I did find the focus performance so much better. On these trips I carry a Canon SX280HS in the pocket as a backup which seemed nearly as fast to focus as the NEX-6, but with the a6000 the difference is dramatic.
    One thing the a6000 does that the NEX-6 didn’t is a real lag when inserting a fresh battery. It may be specific to my a6000 but more than once I dropped in a new battery, switched the camera on and nothing happened (dark screen) for a long enough time to make me think the “fresh” battery was dead. I even switched to the SX280 for a few hours on the trip assuming I had a dead battery.

    1. Thanks for the comments and sharing your experience so far Keith 😉 I did put the battery in once and notice it took a long time to turn on, but thought it was just a weird coincidence. I guess the camera may have to read the battery information first, before it boots up or during which slows it down. They are “smart batteries”
      Thanks again,
      Jay

  8. Hi,
    It’s a very good review, still I have quick question about one of the last paragraph… about Nex 7 😉 I have now Fuji X-E1 but although picture quality is very good I’m not so happy about the autofocus speed. I’d like to come back to Sony so I wonder about Nex7 (as I still have Metz flash for Sony) or the a6000..
    As I do more street photos than action photos (except maybe photos of my dog :P) I am more interested about focus in low light scenarios – have you maybe tested focus speed for both of these cameras? On many occasion probably I could use Metz but it’s not always possible (like on the street) and I’ve heard that Nex7 have issues with focusing at all in low light.. not sure about a6k though..
    I’d appreciate your feedback 🙂 Cheers, Radek

    1. Hello Radek,
      Yes the Nex-6 and A6000 both focus much better in low light than the nex-7. The A6000 is the best option currently from Sony for focus speed, but the full frame A7s is the best for low light 😉
      Jay

      1. thank you very much for confirmation 🙂 I cannot afford a7s but a6k should be right to my needs 😉

        1. Anytime, and good luck with your new camera! Please consider joining the forum, so you can share some photos or ask questions etc…
          Thanks again for the reply,
          Jay

  9. hi
    70-200mm ? i saw in sony web site they told this lens is for full frames ! but in this review you installed 70-200 on nex6 and a6000
    is it possible i use it on a nex-5r ? what about lens abilities does it loss some abilities?
    best reagards

    1. Hi Mohsen and yes the 70-200mm will work fine of your Nex-5r! It will also work on the full frame A7 series camera, but the E-Mount is the same 😉 It does not lose any abilities, but does have the crop factor due to the smaller sensor. So, 1.5 X 70-200mm = 105-300mm effective focal length equivalent.
      I hope that helps you out,
      Jay

  10. This could be a late comment 🙂 . I have fuji hs20exr since 3 years. I believe that I’m far behind the new technology of photography and I feel that I need smaller camera with better results. In my opinion Sony is the best choice for small size and good results. The question is:
    what is the best option for the value of money between all NEX models (nex3,5r,5t,6,7 etc) and A6000, A5000 models?
    note: image quality and focus accuracy and speed are preferred.
    Thanks Jay 🙂

    1. Hi Joseph and thanks for the excellent question.
      A lot of people are in your shoes and the the best bang for the buck currently is the Sony Nex-6 in my opinion. The A6000 is the new version and is certainly better, but the Nex-6 can be picked up cheap and is just a better deal for the real world and those on a budget. The A6000 is significantly faster in the AF department due to the 2nd generation Hybrid AF, but the Nex-6 is still really good for a mirrorless camera having the 1st generation hybrid AF.
      If you don’t need an optical viewfinder (the eyepiece) then, the Nex-5t would be a great option!
      I hope that helps,
      Jay

      1. I really appreciate your quick reply. but I have another question if you don’t mind, please
        I found a deal at a local storage includes Fuji X-A1 + 16-50mm + 50-230mm for around $620
        I’ve checked amazon and I found Nex6 + 16-50mm + 55-210mm for $930 or I can get Nex6 + 16-50mm and a white box 55-210mm for $740
        What do you recommend? The Fuji or Nex6 ?
        I hope that I’m not annoying you with my questions. 🙂

        1. Hi Joseph,
          The Fuji X-A1 is a great looking camera, but you are paying more for the better build quality than the power and/or features. For example the Nex-6 has a built in viewfinder and the Fuji does not. That is huge and a deal breaker for me personally. White box deals are usually fine, but you might be missing a manual or something, I would double check to make sure first.
          Bottom line, you can’t go wrong with either camera system as they are both great quality for the money with killer IQ. The Sony is not as rugged and a more modern design, therefore cheaper to make and can have more features like the EVF for about the same price.
          I hope that helps,
          Jay

  11. Hi. I’m really into a6000! Thnking of buying it next week. The problem is, I went to a local store and tried it and, since I use glasses, there was an issue I found while using the viewfinder. The viewfinder slides over the glasses when I move the camera and the sensor tells the camera Im not using the viewfinder, which turns the lcd screen on and the evf off. since this distance is so short and the sensor gets tricked, this keeps happening for every small movement I make afterwards.
    Does anyone knows if there is a menu option to override the transition between evf and lcd based on the sensor?
    Thanks

  12. Hey Jay I have been veiwing your videos on youtube since ive been getting into photography. Ive been wanting to get into photography for a while. I have been using my iphone for years and kept telling myself I should just research and take the plunge. I purchased the Olympus pm2 and it was so much fun. AF was super quick, I loved the colors and the touch to focus was something I was comfortable with. I wanted to learn “proper” photography and not let the camera do all the work and it tought me well how to play with a camera.I am still a beginner but fell in love with photography the way I did with drumming when I found out I knew how to drum. I take pictures every day.
    Recently I sold the olympus and purchased the NEX 6 and loved the IQ and having the buttons opened my eyes to conveience. I love my camera its so fun, I do wish I had touch screen for quick changes to focus areas but it isnt a deal breaker. Im in a unique position, I have to return my NEX6 because the guy I purchased it off of (from Amazon) acted like it was “like new” but it had LCD issues. So Im returning it for my money back and I am flirting with the idea of getting the a6000 instead of another nex6. I take street photography, I love walking around philly and taking pictures, I walk around the lakes near me and I go to museums. My fiance uses it for parties and we both use the video for get togethers and parties. By your review it sees like the NEX6 still meets all of my needs and the a6000 doesnt do anything the nex6 cant that I need. if the a5100 had function buttons I would buy that in a heart beat because of the touch screen. So any advice on which would be a better for the beginnger to build around.

    1. Hi Jesse and that is a hard decision for sure! The Nex-6 is still the best bang for the buck, but the A6000 does have much better video quality. Otherwise the IQ is very similar. The AF is also much faster on the A6000 and can help capture moving subjects and so fourth better. So, is it worth it? It depends what you need for video quality I would say?
      I hope that helps?
      Jay

  13. Hi Jay,
    Thank you very much for the post, excellent comparison!
    I currently have a RX100 Mk2 And I really love its compact size and IQ, but I’m thinking of upgrading to a camera with easier controls for setting image parameters and such, and I’ve been watching the a6000, but I also noticed now the NEX 6 is selling at $499 which is a whole $250 cheaper than the new model. So I’d like to know how’s the IQ of these two with the kit lens compared to the RX100 Mk2, and which one do you recommend given the actual prices (I mostly use it to take pictures, nearly no videos, when I’m on trips or vacations).
    Thanks!
    Luis

    1. Hi Luis,
      The Nex-6 would be the better option for you in my opinion and is low as $499 @ Amazon (Click Here)
      Now, the issue is the kit lens vs the built in Zeiss lens on the RX100M2. The kit lens quality is not as good for the Nex-6, so it’s not really a fair comparison. With a Zeiss lens mounted to the Nex-6 blows away the RX100M2 in IQ. With the kit lens, it’s better in High ISO and depth of field control due to the larger sensor and pixel density, but not that sharp in the corners. The kit lens is not near Zeiss quality, but the Nex-6 sensor is definitely better than the RX100M2 sensor.
      I hope that helps and makes sense??
      Jay

    1. Hi Shiraz and great question. The Lightroom software on default applies some noise correction, but also the long exposure noise reduction on camera might have kicked in here. Even though they are raw files it does still do something to them at times. DPReview is also using a much different scene then I am for testing. I would use these test images as a good guide as to what you can expect in the real world. I use Lightroom 5, not sure what the others use.
      I hope that helps,
      Jay

  14. Great read Jay. Thanks.
    I am not a professional but consider myself an enthusiast and currently own an NEX-6. I am happy with the camera. I have the standard 16-50 kit lens in addition to the 55-210, 50mm -1.8 and the new Tamron 150-600. I guess that I am ‘all in’ with Sony mirrorless. I think they are the leaders in mirrorless technology, so I think that i am in a good place.
    The shortcoming of this unit is the auto focus, especially when in continuous mode. I would like a quicker, more precise system, especially when panning birds with the Tamron lens.
    As I read various review of the A6000, it seems an ‘upgrade’ to the A6000 may not be worth the money. I would appreciate your opinion on this.
    The ‘body only’ cost seems to be about $450.00.
    My lens choices are not appropriate for a full frame A7000 system (neither is the burst speed of continuous pictures) so an upgrade to full frame does not make sense.
    Can you share your thoughts on camera body upgrade given my scenario. Do you think Sony will offer upgrades to this ‘line’.
    Thanks.
    Dennis

    1. Hi Dennis and great questions!
      If you want better AF performance then the A6000 is totally worth the upgrade in my opinion. The Tamron will not work with the fast AF for example. So depending on your lenses I guess determines if it is worth it to you. IQ is very similar to the Nex-6 except for the higher resolution of course. Focus speed is leaps and bounds better than the Nex-6!
      I hope that helps,
      Jay

  15. Killer review – very nice – thanks Jay – your images are always fantastic – I skipped the NEX6 – so I got the NEX5n and NEX7 and A6000 and now A7 – took advantage of good price on A7 with kit lens for $1200 – as I understand it is the same sensor as in the A7 II – minus the IBIS – yes IBIS is great – I plan to get the 24-70 F4.0 which has IS – and of course kit has IS but I do not expect to use it much once I get the 24-70 –
    the other lens I plan to get is the 55mm F1.8 with no IS – which is a shame – but for $1200 I figured a a good way to get into system first – one of the articles I read said that the IBIS on the A7 II was not that impressive – and no where near as good as the one on the Olympus OMD-EM5/1 – I have both and can say their IBIS is fantastic – even down to 1 sec – I guess there are few other nice things in the A7 II that are nice but opted to put the $500 extra into a lens – as I have the A6000 I will use it for fast action –
    keep up the great work

  16. Jay,
    Thanks for your excellent reviews. I have a Nex-6 and an A7, I use my camera for video 80% of the time, my question is , what aspects of the A6000 are better for video over the Nex-6? Some of the video issues on the Nex-6 are limited choices in the FPS, 17, 24 and 60, but no 29.97 or 30 fps options. There is not 3.5mm audio input on the next-6 ( although hot shoe supports a handycam microphone)
    Has the A6000 addressed these issues or provided more video features?
    Thanks
    Jim

  17. Hey There. I’m a makeup artist and looking to buy either the NEX6 or the A6000 to photograph my work and clients, and I’m a bit confused, they both look great. What would you suggest? With skin smoothening, and eye makeup to show up on camera rather than get washed out?
    Thanks
    Shay

    1. Hello Shay and thanks for the comments/ question. The A6000 is the better camera of the two, but the Nex-6 is more than capable to do what you need. I would suggest getting the A6000 (body only) and the 50mm f/1.8 OSS Lens for what you want to do. That will produce killer portraits and detail to show off your work like a pro 😉 The Nex-6 is the older model and the focus is not near as fast. The sensor in the A6000 is also 24mp which is higher resolution than the Nex-6. Meaning you can print larger if you wanted to, and the images will have more detail when zoomed in. The 16-50mm kit lens is decent, but not near the same quality at 50mm f/1.8 lens in my opinion. If you need a wider view for some photos, then getting the kit lens might be a good option. If you are just doing head shots though, the 50mm is what I would recommend starting with. For the money it is the best option I feel.
      I hope that helps,
      Jay

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