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Sony A7 and Sony Nex-6 Compared – Size, Weight, Build Quality, Buttons, Menus, Ect..

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I wanted to compare up close the new Sony A7 with my Sony Nex-6 and in this article I will do just that with photos and a highly detailed HD video. In the video I go hands-on with both the full frame Sony A7 and Aps-c Nex-6, covering all the angles and pointing out a lot of the differences between the two cameras. Besides the obvious sensor size differences, we have buttons and controls, drastic build quality and design differences, size and weight, plus completely different menu systems. The video is pretty detailed so be sure and check it out 😉

The Full Frame A7 is significantly larger than the APS-C Nex-6 and weighs a bit more as well. Is it worth the size and weight? I say yes, but you can judges for yourself as you look at all the test results, sample photos, etc..

Sony A7 VS Nex-6 – Size

Courtesy of Camerasize.com, were able to compare cameras very easily with scale and size reference measurements everywhere. Pretty awesome to say the least and I highly recommend checking it out if you want to compare camera sizes in particular.

Click the Photos for the full size, real scale versions. ~800 – 1000px.

Sony A7 vs Sony Nex-6
Sony A7 vs Sony Nex-6 – Front
Sony A7 vs Sony Nex-6 - Grip side
Sony A7 vs Sony Nex-6 – Grip side
Sony A7 vs Sony Nex-6 - Top
Sony A7 vs Sony Nex-6 – Top
Sony A7 vs Sony Nex-6 - Back
Sony A7 vs Sony Nex-6 – Back

Sony A7 VS Nex-6 – Weight (Body Only)

  • 14.67 oz / 416 g  VS  10.1 oz / 286 g – Body Only

Sony A7 VS Nex-6 – Price

  • $1698 US VS $598 US – Body Only
  • $1998 US VS $748 US – w/ kit lenses

It’s now $1998 US @ BHPhoto for the Sony A7 w/ 28-70mm lens and $748 US @ BHphoto for the Nex-6 w/ 16-50mm pz lens.

Sony A7 and Nex 6 Compared – HD Video

Select the hd quality once the video starts playing then go full screen for the best viewing experience 😉

Closing Remarks:

That is about it for now everybody, but I’m working on a new “LAB” scene downstairs to test and compare the Sony A7 vs Sony Nex-6 head to head. Hopefully using the Lab scene will help illustrate the advantage of the full frame over the crop factor pretty clearly. The High ISO comparison should be night and day and the very least 😉

In any event, I need to eat breakfast and get to work on the Lab scene. Layla is going to help me, so it’s possible some Lego might get involved in the process and/or incorporated into the lab scene. Studio photography and Lighting with the A7 is also coming!

As always, please feel free to comment and ask questions if you have them and thank you very much for your support with the affiliate links!
Jay

New Full Frame Sony A7 and A7r Gear Links:

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16 Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing even more.
    “Average adult male hand”? Well, I look at My hands and see them as normal but it all too often seems to be not in the “average”. The A57 is at best a two finger hold for Me as is My Daughter’s T1i, but with the battery grip on the T1i, I get a full grip… albeit a small-ish full grip. Do You intend to get the optional battery grip for the A7? And is “significantly larger” really significant, or just nicely larger from the Nex6?
    Did I not read somewhere that the A7 and A7r have “eye tracking” I am not sure. If what I think I recall is true, are You going to test that also, especially in a portraiture and (wedding) event situation?
    Good to read that You are going to do some video editing. I admit it really irks Me when I watch videos that are poorly done… like even the free video editors could smooth out some of the annoyances of many photography related videos. Yes, there are a plethora of videos out there but are of poor production quality, lots of times only because it is rushed and lots is assumed (or some of all the producers are doing are trying to sell something else… which is not necessarily a bad thing), yet it does drive Me to other sites instead of. With a captive audience of such specificity, time is not that critical, but covering the skills and knowledge well is critical.
    I’m looking forward, but please don’t rush.

    Reply

    1. Hi Gerard and thanks for the comments 😉
      In the “real world” the grip on the A7 is still small and almost the same size as the Nex-6 or Nex-7 in comparison to a DSLR. Even the A57 grip is larger than the A7 grip as far as depth goes. Width, not so much. Compared to my 5d mark II the Sony A7 still seams like a small camera. Really nice quality though compared the Nex-6. I need to spends some time custom configuring the buttons, because as is the function menu is the button to press. Then more button pressing and navigating. Easily fixed though I think, just need to spend the time in the menu system.
      I have read about the “eye tracking” and have not seen the feature yet to be honest. I will check for it when I get a second 😉
      Thanks for the feedback on the video editing. It’s so time consuming and that is why know-body does a really good job I think. Separate audio and video is a must, then you have to sync it up. If you don’t script what your saying, your come across like an idiot and/or repetitive. So, a lot of times folks just record and go for it. I can’t really fault that, as I wish I was good enough to do it all live. It’s just not practical though for me. Once I get more proficient with Final Cut X, the video editing will get easier and faster every time in theory. iMovie was so darn limiting and frustrating, although incredible easy 😉

      Reply

      1. From the manual on Eye-AF:

        Eye AF
        Focuses on a person’s eyes when you press the button.
        1. MENU (Custom Settings) [Custom Key Settings] assign the [Eye AF] function to the desired key.
        2. Press the key to which you have assigned the [Eye AF] function and focus on the eyes. 3. Press the shutter button while pressing the key.
        -Depending on the circumstances, the camera may not be able to focus on the eyes. In such cases, the camera detects a face and focuses on the face.
        -If the camera cannot detect a person’s face, you cannot use [Eye AF].
        -Depending on the circumstances, you cannot use [Eye AF], such as when [Focus Mode] is set to [Continuous AF] or [Manual Focus], etc.
        [Eye AF] may not function in the following situations:
        -When the person is wearing sunglasses. When the front hair covers the person’s eyes. In low-light or back-lit conditions. When the eyes are closed. When the person is in the shade. When the person is out of focus.
        When the camera focuses on the eyes and [Smile/Face Detect.] is set to [On], a detection frame is displayed on the face after it is displayed on the eyes. When [Smile/Face Detect.] is set to [Off], a detection frame is displayed on the eyes for a certain time.

        I tried it and it works incredible well! basically when you hit the custom button that you have Eye-AF programed to, in my case C3, a little square comes up on one of the eyes. If you hit it again it switches eyes. Press the shutter button and you have a tack sharp eye 😉 I recommend turning pre-af ON for this to work a little better. I had mine off and needed to focus first in order for the face recognition/ Eye AF to work. I will try to do some live testing if possible 😉
        Best,
        Jay

        Reply

  2. The Sony A7 is a beautifully classical design, and Sony has excelled them with this camera.
    This now look like a real camera compared to the NEX series

    Reply

    1. Thanks Rob for the comments, and I agree the new design is quite nice 😉 Sony really put out a nice product with the New A7 and A7r, no question!
      Jay

      Reply

  3. Hi Jay,
    I haven’t watched the video yet ,just noticed the price comparison- maybe you had better fix the Nex6 price from $7488 to $748!
    Bruce

    Reply

  4. Very nice comparison,
    I must say, the A7 aint that much bigger, in body sizes, but it is alot more in weight.
    It’s good to see that u give the kitlens a chance, most of the otters wont even consider it.
    2 weeks ago i got myself a 18-200le lens and a bigger bag so i can carry 2 lenses with me.
    I have a 16-50 atm which makes it compact but i will get the 35f1.8 in the near future.
    I think zooming is a great deal for my shooting, i know u prefer the 55-210 above the LE, but i wanted the best compact option for my nex6 and only a maximum of 2 lenses when i’m on the road, so i cover the whole range of 18-200 and a fast prime.
    I’m curiouse how the A7 look like with an 28-200 lens or even a comparison between the sizes of the nex6 18-200le combo with the A7 28-70 kitlens.
    I must say that i’m impressed with the IQ and the high ISO which is a big plus on the A7, i thought the nex6 did a great job with high ISO but these pictures at 6400 are great. I love the button layout and the menu which was always a let down on the nex.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Angelus for the comments and detailed info/ explanation on your gear and current situation. The sel18200le is perfect for what your using it for sounds like to me 😉
      The A7 with the kit lens is about the same length as the Nex-6 w/ 18-200le lens full compressed based off memory. It’s a very compact lens fully closed, and the A7 kit lens is pretty larger for a kit lens. The A7 is probably just a little longer in fact with that combo at fully closed. The 55-210mm is much longer so, it would stick out past thew A7 kit lens for sure. I’ll do a few more comparison shots!
      ISO performance is amazing and wait till you see ISO 25000! Working on an article now with “Lab” test photos – A7 VS Nex-6 – Jpeg quality.
      Catch up with you later,
      Jay

      Reply

  5. Hi Jay,
    Have you figured out the special Eye AF on the A7 .I mean how to set it up so it focuses on the eye or is it automatic somehow .
    Thanks.

    Reply

  6. Hello Jay,
    I have a question for you. I know this is totally off topic but I live in Minnesota and during the winter and the sub zero temperatures we have here; The skin tone in pictures look so harsh and never warm. It’s like devoid of color. I’m not a pro or anything and I was wondering how to correct that? Shooting RAW? I don’t know if you get what I mean though. A response would be nice. Thank you! You’re always so helpful. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Not sure what you mean exactly UC? Outside in the cold you mean? You can adjust for this in camera with the white balance, or by using some flash. Otherwise your going to need to be inside where it’s not so cold. Raw is definitely better for editing and gibes you more room to pull the colors one way or another. It does require a bit of work though.
      One method to make sure you have the skin tones correct is to make sure you use a calibration chart to set your white balance on the camera. Then using custom wb your camera, the colors should be a lot closer straight off the camera. You need to shoot the target in the same light your model is in.
      I hope that helps, and more info on lighting specifics would be great 😉
      Jay

      Reply

      1. Lighting specifics would be outside in an overcast or cloudy day. I don’t think I could explain any further as I’m stumped on how to put it into words. I’ll try your suggestions. Thank you!

        Reply

        1. UC,
          Yeah, your talking outside in the cold weather UC and there is not much you can do. The skin does it’s thing in the freezing cold and you would have to add color in order to make it look better. Your best bet is to have a warm car or something and then jump out quick for a shot if you really want the skin to look it’s best. Trying to make the purple’ish, red, white skin is really hard to fix. You can add some warmth in lightroom with a selective adjustment brush to just warm the skin tones. You can also use this same tool to pull out colors you don’t want. I used to do all of this in Photoshop, but with the selective adjustment brush, Lightroom is very effective theses days. Professional quality portrait work, I would still use photoshop for major repairs, but for regular stuff Lightroom is awesome!
          Another thing you can try is using center weight average metering and possible raising your exposure compensation a little bit. Often times in bright conditions the skin tones will get unde3r exposed which makes it look even worse. It’s much hard to fix if the skin tones are not exposed correctly. That should be the priority in a portrait shot, although often requires flash for balancing with the ambient light.
          Cold days are much harder, as is the wind. One other thing you can do is calibrate your white balance and then use custom. This will ensure your colors are as accurate as possible, and will give you more editing room to fix them in post if needed. Sorry for all the info, but it’s a really complex issue to resolve in the real world. I’ve seen great skin tones in the freezing cold, but those are usually on ski slopes and everybody is actually warm, even though it’s freezing, so the skin looks pretty good.
          I hope that helps you out a little and feel free to ask more questions if you have them,
          Jay

          Reply

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