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Introducing the Sony A6000 – Nex-6 and Nex-7 Replacement?

Sony A6000
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Sony just announced the new A6000 compact mirrorless camera which features a new 24mp APS-C sized sensor with 179 phase detection AF points!  It looks to me Sony tried to take the best of the Nex-6 and Nex-7, minus the tri-navi controls on the Nex-7.

So what is so special about the A6000? Well, the new 24mp sensor has a focal plane phase-detection AF sensor with an extremely wide autofocus coverage area consisting of 179 AF points! A huge improvement over the 99 on the previous Nex-6 16mp sensor.  This works in a hybrid fashion with the Contrast AF system for very fast and accurate AF even though the camera is mirrorless. How much faster is it in the real world? That will be tested shortly 😉

The new sensor also utilizes a gapless on-chip lens design, which fills the gaps between neighboring pixels with optimized lenses that match the angle of incidence to increase light gathering ability and produce edge-to-edge sharpness and quality.

The A6000 is also featuring the powerful Bionz X processor, which allows for 11fps at the full 24mp resolution! That is very impressive and beats a lot of DSLR’s in this area. I don’t know how well the AF will track in comparison, but Sony improved the tracking abilities as well per the press release.

Going for around $800 US, the price point is very good considering the resolution, better build quality, and updated Hybrid AF system.

New FE-Mount 70-200 f/4 OSS Lens Update:
Sony has also announced the price of its previously announced full frame E-mount 70-200mm F4 G OSS telephoto zoom lens (model SEL70200G).   This lens will be available in March for about $1500. Awesome news as the rumors going around were way higher on this lens! I think I will buy this lens to go with the A7r if I decide 100% to keep it. I’m having mixed feelings about it now honestly. With that lens and a killer prime, I think I could be totally happy though and finally get rid of all my Pro Canon gear. Thoughts? Anybody? 😉

The Sony A6000

Check out what the new Sony A6000 looks like from the most common angles. High res images, so click for the larger versions!

ILCE-6000_sensor
ILCE-6000_wSELP1650_front
ILCE-6000_front-kit-lens
ILCE-6000_wSELP1650_leftside
ILCE-6000_rear_black
ILCE-6000_wSELP1650_top
ILCE-6000_rear_lcd
ILCE-6000_flash

Check out the Full Press Release

Sony Electronics Introduces the Versatile A6000 Interchangeable Lens Camera with World’s Fastest Autofocus System
by Communications 02/11/2014

New Mirrorless Camera Features Impressive AF, 24 MP APS-C Sensor, BIONZ® X Processor, OLED Tru-Finder™ and more

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 11, 2014 – Sony Electronics’ new A6000 camera pushes the limits of mirrorless camera innovation, boasting the world’s fastest AF performance1 at just 0.06 seconds.

The speedy new camera (model ILCE-6000) is also equipped with a high-resolution 24.3 MP image sensor and powerful BIONZ X processor. This powerful combination of features ensures that still images, full HD videos and all fleeting moments are captured in sharp focus and incredible detail.
“With the world’s fastest autofocus system1, the ability to capture a blazing 11 frames per second and a 24.3 MP sensor, the new ?6000 rivals even the best DSLRs in the market today in terms of performance, and does this in half of the size and weight at an extremely attractive price point,” said Neal Manowitz, director of the alpha interchangeable lens camera division at Sony.  “It’s an ideal choice for photo enthusiasts eager to ‘go light’ and take their photography to the next level.”
Mike Fasulo, President and COO of Sony Electronics, added “The new A6000 camera is simply the latest in a recent line of awe-inspiring product introductions from our digital imaging group – one of the key pillars of our core electronics business.   As a leader in the imaging industry, we’re continuing to push the limits of innovation, offering products and experiences that only Sony can deliver.”

New ultra-fast AF system

Even quicker than most professional DSLRs, the phenomenal autofocus speed of the ?6000 camera is powered by Sony’s advanced Hybrid AF system.  The new model features a focal plane phase-detection AF sensor with an extremely wide autofocus coverage area – 179 focal points– that is teamed with high-precision contrast-detection AF.  This potent combination allows the camera to accurately track and respond to a subject moving through nearly the entire frame, and to shoot at an eye-popping speed of up to 11 frames per second with continuous autofocus.  It’s an unprecedented combination of speed and frame coverage in today’s market.

Design and Controls

The new camera’s clear, bright OLED Tru-Finder lets you see a live preview of all setting adjustments before the shot is taken, so what you see is exactly what you get.  Conveniently placed mode and control dials on top of the camera give easy access to commonly used settings.  Additionally, a ‘Function’ button and two additional customizable buttons give quick access to any one of 47 assignable functions.  There’s also a built-in flash for extra flexibility in any shooting situation.

Wi-Fi® and PlayMemories™

The A6000 camera has built-in Wi-Fi, giving consumers one-touch connection with Xperia® or NFC-compatible Android™ smartphones or tablets for instant image transfer and sharing2.  A single touch also activates Smart Remote Control, linking the camera with a smartphone or tablet for a live image preview, to fire the shutter from a distance and to review shots instantly.
For devices without NFC one-touch capabilities, users can wirelessly transfer images and videos and activate Smart Remote Control through Sony’s free PlayMemories Mobile™ application, available for the iOS and Android platforms.
The camera is also compatible with downloadable Sony PlayMemories Camera Apps, adding a range of exciting and creative capabilities.  Currently there are a total of 10 different applications available with several others to be released this spring.  Learn more at www.sony.net/pmca .

Pricing and Availability

The Sony A6000 compact interchangeable lens camera will be available in April 2014 in black and silver in a kit with a compact, versatile 16-50mm motorized zoom lens (model SELP1650) for about $800.   It will also be offered separately as a body for about $650.

A6000 Review, First Look, and Sample Photos

Courtesy of ItsDanKReviews:

Courtesy of SonyHowTo

Some A6000 sample photos @ the PhotographyBlog.com
Hands-on with the A6000 @ Imaging-Resource >>

Closing Remarks:

That is about it for the new A6000, but would love to hear your thoughts on the new camera. Is it what you want and need, or are you disappointed and jumping ship to Fuji or something else?

Thanks again for checking in, and stay tuned for some A7r Lab test photos later today!
Jay

Pre-order the Sony A6000 @ BHPhoto | Amazon

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45 Comments

  1. A good upgrade for NEX-6, no doubt, and huge deception for NEX-7 users, and here, no doubt again. Sony announces a big surprise for Photokina. So, once more 11 month before we can buy this new “possibly bad ” surprise.
    As it looks, Sony continues making crippled cameras with upgrade inside and downgrade outside. A7 to A7R is the same. Better AF in the A7 and better body on the A7R. Without the tri-navy system, this camera is useless for many of us. We need 2 reels to adjust Speed and diaphragm. I care nuts about AF, I shoot MF with hybrid lenses only.
    So, simply questions like, why not a EVF model in 20 mpix, why 24 mpix once more? Why not this camera with 20 mpix and a real upgrade for NEX-7 in 24 mpix.
    I will now see to sell my NEX stuff and change to another camera system. All mirrorless cameras work with adapters and all my lenses anyway. I am tired of waiting, and sad when I see a GX7 who has it all, and this A6000 who excels with huge AF and beyond that nuts. The way to go was a 6000, and a 7000, in some way a GX7 clone in APS-C, not a 2 in one where all is inside and the essential is missing outside.

    Reply

    1. @Shamael, Exactly how do you the pull off using TriNav dials to change the “diaphragm” with MF hybrid lense? Please I must know how you do this?
      jason

      Reply

      1. I use mainly Minolta glass on it with the EA1 adapter from Sony. For sure, with old style lenses or M mount where the diaphragm is selected on the lens, this is senseless, but than you use the tri navy system to select camera parameters quiet fast as it is now on NEX-7. I stick since ever to FF lenses on mine since I have the glass, and I use it manually since ever. Also, using AF lenses in a manual focusing operation requires the tri navy system, one adjustment is not enough here. One is sure, this way to downgrade the outside and upgrade the inside is not what most of us expected. Simply, this is not an upgrade to the NEX-7, just an upgrade to NEX-6 and a downgrade of NEX-7. I expected a NEX-7 or GX7 style camera with the 20 mpix sensor, the same they use for the lower levels and do not give a chance to in the higher level bodies.
        Now, looking at the Fuji, it has all one needs as well, just one thing does not fits me in there, and that is the Trans-X sensor. I do not like the rendering of it and the lack of sharpness. Get the shots posted on Imaging resource in full size and see yourself. For me, the result is disappointing. Also Fuji’s price policy is disappointing, it’s just too expensive.
        As Jay says, Sony might think that all of us target FF frame, but here they should better get information from their customers, and they will find out that this is not the case.
        There are for me 4 levels in sensor sizes and the rendering they do. No DOF and no possibility to get any, Almost no DOF and a possibility to get some, Medium DOF and possibility to get more, and a lot of DOF and no possibility to get in depth sharpness at all. So, here we are at small, bigger, medium and FF sensor rendering, and not all of us want DOF only. That is why I want APSC sensors, they fit me the way they are, and I am possibly not the only one.

        Reply

    2. Hi Shamael,
      Thanks for the comments and sharing your thoughts on the New A6000. I agree, it’s not an upgrade from the Nex-7 unless you want less physical controls. Mind boggling why Sony would do that unless they are definitely coming out with another soon? I can’t imagine why when having the Nex-5t and Nex-6, why they would come out with a slightly modified Nex-6 w/ a killer new sensor. It is called the A6000 in defense of Sony, so clearly it is not meant to be a 7 series in quality and features. I’m still surprised Sony went this route honestly, but It appears they assume folks want full frame over the APS-C, and they are banking on it. If you want the best APS-C sized sensor camera, the New Fuji X-T1 looks incredible and has everything we could ever want. I’m actually going to review it, because I can see people jumping ship for the same reason you plan on. The people that want full frame are going to be happy with the A7 and A7r, but Nex-7 users looking for a new camera will be extremely disappointed.
      Not sure why they went with 24mp, but I assume the high ISO will be acceptable now, unlike the Nex-7 compared to todays high iso standards.
      Jay

      Reply

      1. Sonyalpharumors publishes today that there will be no A7000, not even any other APSC E-mount this year and no successor to tri navy NEX-7 is planned. They will concentrate of FE mount cameras. So, this is for me enough information to sell my NEX-7 now or just keep it as museum piece in my dustbox collection.
        I look forward on GX7 yet, but first I wait what the Samsung 28mpix will be,see how the more pixels perform in low light. As I said, make Fuji’s X-T1 with a conventional sensor, not x-trans, and the camera could fit me. I do not know if any focus peaking is in that new Fuji box, but as I stated before, the top notch in what a camera needs is the GX-7, 1/8000 curtain, 1/4000 silent, focus peaking, high resolution tiltable EVF, touch screen, despite of the smaller sensor, but, I take that loss of surface in account if the camera fits my needs. If I see the offer in lenses for 4/3, very fast lenses down to 0.95, and the prices you pay for them, as a Sony user, it makes me just dream. Compare their lens quality and rendering to Zeiss, they do as well, some do better and all are cheaper.
        Sony might concentrate on FE, but unless you bring a full equipped kit for 1200$ and lenses in price ranges between 300 and 800$ for it, the system will be none of interest for most of us, and then still, the too shallow DOF is an issue many do not seek for, myself included.
        When I was young, around 16 years old, I stepped up to medium format, coming from FF, and the reason was simply the one that medium format allowed me to shot pictures with an in depth sharpness that no FF could give me. My first was a Mamiya C330, my next a Hasselblad C500 and the last, I sold it in 2007, the Zenza Bronica GS in 6×7. In digital this pleasure is not affordable anyway. I still have my Zenza Bronica 4×6 here.
        Sony has always been champion to develop good things and drop them a year later, and this seems to remain their policy. By dropping APS-C e-mount to tourist users only, they will lose a lot of customers, since many, the majority, mainly NEX-7 users, will change the brand and go Fuji, not Sony FE as they would like them to do.
        How can a company be so dumb? And they wonder that they lose money.

        Reply

  2. I was hoping for a nex-7 upgrade. I’ll stay with mine until improvements are made. The faster AF is nice, but loss of tri-nav and degraded EVF is disappointing.
    At least isn’t it time for a firmware upgrade? Better exposure bracketing for us HDR lovers.

    Reply

    1. Hi Bob and thanks for the comments 😉 I agree the loss of the tri-navi makes this a downgrade for the Nex-7 user as far as body and design. The EVF is supposed to actually look better, although it is less resolution.
      I have no idea why Sony won’t give the Nex-7 a firmware update for HDR lovers. It’s been requested since day one pretty much and is absolutely time now! No Nex-7 replacement, then offer a firmware update please?
      Thanks again,
      Jay

      Reply

  3. Hello Jay: “…A7r if I decide 100% to keep it. I’m having mixed feelings about it now honestly” You know your cameras 🙂 What’s causing the mixed feelings?

    Reply

    1. I used the A7R for a few days. I have no mixed feelings. I do not buy it for the reason that the shutter is too loud for me. Then, when we consider that a GX7 has a silent electronic shutter limited to 1/4000th and a full curtain shutter up to 1/8000th, then I ask myself why Sony can not do this on their A mirrorless cameras, including this A6000. I have not read about shutter speed on this camera yet, but I doubt that they go beyond 1/4000 once more, what is a real issue on NEX-7 already with fast lenses. Maybe, some day, they will become wise. I target the GX7 now, for me it is the most complete camera on the market yet.

      Reply

      1. Hi Shamael and thanks for the additional information.
        Surprised to hear you don’t like the Trans-X sensor! I will look at the images you mentioned, but I did not find the Fuji X-Pro 1 to be soft in my experience. Perhaps it was just the jpeg engine differences you saw? Fuji is more expensive, but the build quality completely negates that in my opinion. You get what you pay for with a Fuji, although the same IQ can be gotten much cheaper elsewhere 😉
        I agree the GX7 is a pretty awesome camera for the value, but the smaller micro 4/3rds sensor is it step backwards for my style of photography. I totally understand why you would want it though if maximum front to back sharpness is most desired. The smaller sensor has that advantage for sure. I love the depth of field more personally. Don’t forget you will also have a larger crop factor to deal with and your full frame lenses will be effectively longer on the smaller sensor cameras. The GX7 in body stabilization is very nice, plus the higher resolution titling EVF. In addition to that the high res tilting touchscreen on the back is awesome. It’s going to cost you $150 more than the A6000 though and if you look at those features, it’s a hard sell in my mind. 24mp with much better af performance and a larger aps-c sensor and all the other necessities for only $600. The OSS is on the native lenses, so that is not going to happen for this price point.
        You got mew thinking. Sony partnered with Olympus a while back and they are sharing technologies. Sony also canceled the re-lease of the Nex-7 replacement a while back if you recall. It just wasn’t enough of an upgrade, per the Sony execs. So, I wonder if Sony plans on putting in the IBIS technology from Olympus in the real Nex-7 replacement. It could have the same sensor ans the A6000, but have the much better body and IBIS?? That would be a real game changer, and only Sony has the balls to try something like that? What do ya think about my theory?
        Thanks again for the conversation and extensive input!
        Jay

        Reply

    2. LBier,
      I’m having second thoughts about the keeping the Sony A7r, because I ran into some financial issues, and the $2300 could really be spent better elsewhere. I will discuss the issues in the near future, but for now can’t talk about it. I still want the camera and am selling off my old gear on Ebay as we speak. The Sigma 10-20mm is the first to go, and I have a pile of gear ready to list. It’s not an issue with the camera itself, as I really love it and want to keep it. Decisions decisions 😉
      Jay

      Reply

      1. Jay:
        Please PM me through your forum PM feature ( LBier ) with the items you want to sell. I might be able to save you the ebay fees on some items via a direct sale. Thanks!

        Reply

  4. Horses for courses – I couldn’t care about the tri-navi system myself, and regularly photograph motorsports – the super fast AF is a great addition. Sometimes the Internet is so full of negativity!
    Good article Jay, thanks.

    Reply

    1. Great points Simon and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the New A6000 as it relates to your photography needs. A gigantic upgrade for motor sports photography, no question!
      Jay

      Reply

  5. Looks like an amazing camera! 😀
    The problem is everyone comparing with the NEX7 or some other expensive cameras.
    The A6000 is a $650 camera, the NEX6 an $750, and the NEX7 more than $1k. Its more like an NEX 5T and NEX 6 replacement.
    I really like my NEX 6, and this new camera looks better in all aspects.. and for $100 less! How amazing is that?
    The only thing is the lower resolution EVF, but only trying to see if its a big deal.
    I liked a lot the new design, very clean, and has a nice silver version too 😀

    Reply

    1. Very well said Flavio and thanks for talking some sense into the rest of us 😉 The Nex-7 is so much more expensive, but then again the A7 is not that far away from the Nex-7 in that regard. I really think Sony will have to come out with a better APS-C model to replace the Nex-7 with something significantly better. Not sure what sensor Sony will use though? I’m wondering if they gave up pn the 7 series for the A7 and A7r? Note the 7 in the name. Technically it should be the A7000 or A8000 for a crop factor e-mount.
      Jay

      Reply

    2. FlavioRoss: I had the same thoughts. The EVF on the NEX6 rocks. However I would certianly like the opportunity to compare the new A6000 AF I keep hearing about

      Reply

      1. I had a look through the RX10 EVF that is the same as A6000, and being inhabited to the NEX-7/6 EVF, the RX10 looked excellent, in many ways even better. But compare that yourself. Anyway, the EVF is not a picture viewing tool, it serves to frame your shot, and both do that in huge way. The EVF is not a treat to me, the 1.4 vs the 2.3 is not noticeable. What disturbs is the smaller magnification, 0.7 vs 0.75, but that becomes an habit as well once you use it at regular basis. I want to see what I frame, and both EVF do exactly that. The LCD does not allows me that in bright sunlight, so consider an VF as an aid only.

        Reply

    3. If Sony says clearly that this is a NEX-6 upgrade, nobody will compare that anyway. But, this is the replacement for NEX-6 and NEX-7. It is clearly stated everywhere that Sony said this, and Sonyalpharumors posted today that Sony informed that there will be no A7000 or any APSC upgrade for the NEX-7. That is why, we, NEX-7 users, have some complaints that are justified. This camera makes not a better picture as NEX-7, the first shots I have seen in full size and downloaded to compare look not as good, despite the excellent high ISO skills, but that is to be seen when more shots get posted. This is a budget camera with high capacity, good skills and futures, and nobody will say the opposed, but still, it is not an update or a in any way a replacement for the NEX-7. For 650 for the body, this camera is a present, no doubt about that.

      Reply

  6. Hey jay,
    U have reviewed the RX10 and his EVF, how do u compare these? are the colors and refresh rate beter on the RX10 then the old EVF with 2.4 dot, does it feel like an upgrade or an downgrade?
    I’m stuck…. I really like the a6000, love the fast autofocus, but then that said, will it work with al the E-mount Sony lenses? for example the 18-200LE.
    Which does have the latest firmware for PDAF on my NEX-6, but only Sony can update the firmware on this lens. It’s not as easy like the kitlens.
    It would be great if u get ur hands on this model to look at the firmware of the kitlens, i’m curious if the version 1.02 has changed.

    Reply

    1. The viewfinder has a slight little bit less magnification, but I did not see that as a difference in the RX10 viewfinder. The refresh rate is excellent, the brightness and the image you see is more neat and details look better than in the 2.3 million EVF form NEX-7. Now, it is reported that A6000 has that EVF, and I know that it s a good EVF that looks better in detail and rendering than my NEX-7 one. I have had the occasion to look through the A3000, and that one looks good as well, much better than some we find in some point & shoot cameras. Now, let’s not forget that A3000 is a cheap camera, not at the level of the sensor which makes amazing good shots. What lacks in A3000 is features. It has no focus peaking and some other features are missing, but it makes amazing pictures, even better as A58 which I handle almost every day as well. In our club are all Sony models, except A99, no one ever bought one. It is a pity that Sony did no higher level model with the 20 mpix sensor. A58 has focus peaking but I do not want one more dslr to complete my collection that I need to dust twice a week here.

      Reply

    2. Hi Angelus,
      I honestly did not notice any difference, but I did not A and B them. Next time I get one I will do a better comparison. Less resolution should be noticeable. I don’t think it’s going to make a difference at the end of the day though. I use the LCD screen 99 percent of the time, and pretty much just use it as a guide like Shamael said.
      Sony is clearly trying to save money and battery life with this lower resolution evf in my opinion.
      The firmware update is an intersting question. I really don’t know if all the lenses will need a new PDAF algorithm for the new sensor pattern/ spread. If so, all the the lenses might need an update. I’m pretty sure you can update all the lenses via the website. I know I updated a few of mine and the Nex-6. It would be a shame if you had to send it back to Sony for the update.
      Jay

      Reply

  7. Had a chance to try a bit the A6000 yesterday.
    The first thing I notice is how sexy is the silver version 😀 The build quality and feel is more like an A7 than the NEX6. Thats a good thing.
    The menu is like the A7, so unlike the NEX 6 all the buttons are customisable. When in A mode both the top and the rear dial are for control the f number at default, but I think you can change the rear dial to change the ISO or Exp Comp.
    The focus looks good, but don’t know how better are than other cameras. Looking at the EVF you can see the numbers are slight less sharp than the NEX6, but the image overall is about the same. There are a circle in the center too (?), and show the PDAF focus points when in focus.
    The camera was very slow, and the buttons not so responsive, def was not the final firmware.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the update Flavio!
      It’s a shame to hear about the laggy camera, and yes you can make the buttons whatever you want. Should be pretty nice once all set-up for full manual mode or Av mode which is what I use most of the time.
      The pdaf focus should be a much wider spread across the whole sensor. Not sure what the circle is, but perhaps it was in spot metering mode or one of the different viewing options. It’s hard picking up store cameras for the random settings issues 😉
      Jay

      Reply

    1. Hi Spyros and thanks for the comments 😉 Sony went for the full frame market clearly and left the high end APS-C users for the competition. Although the A6000 is by no means junk, it’s not to the same Nex-7 standard as far as the tri-navi and lower resolution EVF. Features and price wise it certainly delivers though and beats the competition. Build quality wise the Fuji is the way to go, no question in my mind. Fully manual controls that are top quality in design and function. The Olympus is also very appealing when you look at the features and quality for the money. The smaller sensor turns me off, but everything else is on point and beyond Sony in a lot of ways.
      If your a die hard APS-C sensor user, then sensor technology, build quality, and features are basically what your shopping for. If you want the best features all together, the Olympus wins, If you want the best IQ, the Sony wins. If you want the best build quality, the Fuji wins. All the cameras are great in the end, but going for a slightly different users.
      I think if your happy with the APS-C and don’t plan on ever going full frame, then investing in the latest Fuji X-T1 is a great choice and I will be reviewing that camera system! The lenses and camera are killer if you don’t mind paying for the build quality. If you want better IQ, then go for the full frame Sony A7r. If you don’t need the extra physical dials and can get away with using custom buttons, the New A6000 is the best bang for the buck IQ and features wise in my opinion.
      Jay

      Reply

      1. Thank you very much Jay for your reply.
        What I would like SONY to do is to listen to the photographers for once, something like what Fujifilm is doing and to stop building cameras based on market research. Ok, I get it they have a business to run, but they could at least release one, just one high end APS-C sensor camera so we can all enjoy our lovely glass on a smashing fuji-like body.
        I think SONY is trying to make APS-C mainstream. They want everyone to ditch their phones for something that has amazing IQ. They are aiming for the masses with their APS-C models. FF is a great thing, no doubt about it, but again you see that both A7 models don’t offer what you would say is perfect. They have carefully spread the goods between the two, again, I don’t know why. Probably so they have a foothold to sell new cameras when they release them? I feel that SONY just makes cameras that will not be enough when their next camera is released but Fujifilm is trying to build a solid “platform” on the X-mount. It is making cameras that don’t make you want to upgrade, they just make you want to get better glass.
        I don’t know if I am making any sense, I hope you get my meaning.
        I will really be looking forward to the X-T1 review! Make it as extensive as possible and may I dare suggest a heads on competition agains the A7, not the A7r.
        Anyway, have a great day Jay!

        Reply

        1. Hey Buddy and thanks for the conversation on the matter at hand! It’s nice to know what a hardcore street shooter wants. What you’re saying makes perfect sense, although I would not say the goods are spread between the a7r and a7. I would say more that the A7 is the more affordable version with the older A99 full frame sensor and PDAF technology. The A7r is higher resolution next generation sensor tech and focuses just as fast with every real world test I have tried so far. I’m working on the extensive A7r review now 😉 I would go with the A7r over the A7 for sure if you want my recommendation. What is the full frame A7r missing other than a built in flash? The loud shutter I’m pretty sure you don’t care for?
          Jay

          Reply

    1. The A7r shutter is indeed loud or as some may describe a “longer” sound. Maybe louder to me because I am so close to the shutter. However, I haven’t had anyone complain. It’s not starting loud. Its sounds like a camera shutter–very recognizable by most people. Here’s a great comparison: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gt4a6Gf_bQ . The actual sound demo begins at the 2:11 mark

      Reply

      1. Thanks for sharing the link LBier 😉 The sound of the A7r is longer because it’s twice as long. You can turn on the electronic front curtain shutter feature only with the A7. The A7r does not have that option in the menu. Click clack instead of just a click.
        Thanks again for the link,
        Jay

        Reply

  10. I must say as an NEX 6 owner this is tempting me, but I think I’ll hold off until more reviews are available to see if the boost in megapixels comes with a cost to noise sensitivity, if the EVF downgrade is noticeable, and if the AF is all it’s cracked up to be… thanks for the info Jay!

    Reply

    1. Chris: While I am going to eventually sell my Nex 6 even though I’ve only had it for eight months–it’s a great camera–AF performance always delivered for me. If it weren’t for the A7r that caught my eye I’d still be Mister Nex 6 at least until the A6000 came out. LoL .

      Reply

      1. Well, my resolve didn’t last long LOL
        Chris Niccols of “The Camera Store” has a very nice hands on review of the a6000 and though I’m a bit leery of buying a camera just based on specs I think his video review convinced me. Sony made temptation too hard to resist with such a reasonable price tag!

        Reply

        1. Thanks for the comments Chris, and I just posted that awesome review on the forum here: http://sonyalphalab.com/forums/showthread.php?426-Sony-Nex-6-Reviiew&p=1262#post1262
          Chris Niccols is my favorite live camera reviewer and I absolutely trust his opinion. He knows what he is talking about and has a great real world perspective.
          I wish I could do my reviews as good as his, but it’s much harder than you might think 😉 The A6000 focus speed is awesome and accurate, plus the new 24mp sensor has better high ISO performance than the Nex-6 he said. That is amazing and I was not expecting that to be honest considering the pixel density and how the Nex-7 sensor performs in that area. Sony really hit a grand slam with the sensor and perfomance, but screwed up on the camera body itself. The mode dial is in the wrong spot so it’s a bit awkward, and it really should have a refined tri-navi controls. If it had that, everybody would be happy. Throw in a touch screen and raise the price to $950 and so many people would be saying thank you Sony for listening to us! Add audio in and out ports and it would be even better.
          For the price the A6000 is awesome, bottom line, but Sony really should consider making a A7000 if they don’t want to lose the hardcore photogs wanted the full manual controls. It’s hard to get everything perfect, but the A7r is really close. Sony knows the tri-navi on the Nex-7 was awesome, but the dials were just a little to ease to spin. A little more resistance between clicks would be perfect.
          I still find it hard to believe Sony is not coming out with a A7000. It has to becoming, just not in this quarter probably.
          Jay

          Reply

      2. The A7r is amazing and I really want to keep it. This new Nex-6 and Nex-7 replacement looks awesome, but as I said before a refined tri-navi system should totally be on the camera for sure. It’s a downgrade in ergonomic usability, but an upgrade on everything else. The new body looks really nice quality wise!
        Jay

        Reply

  11. Well I pulled the trigger on the a6000, so I guess I’ll have an NEX to sell soon LOL. Hopefully you get an affiliate link from B&H Jay as I went through your links above to make the purchase.I agree Chris Niccols is a very good reviewer, but then again he is a salesman! But he always comes off as authentic and down to earth, and as I said, that review pretty m much made the decision for me! I have found your site to be very instructive and informative as well Jay! the bits you did on the NEX 6 settings and the articles on using adapters have been especially helpful. Keep up the great work and thanks for what you do!

    Reply

    1. Thanks Chris for using the link above! I greatly appreciate that and you letting me know. I will confirm it went through;) I agree that Chris is a salesman, but he reviews tons of cameras, not just Sony and they all get the same treatment from what I’ve seen. The real world approach is always preferred by me as well.
      Thanks for the feedback on the Nex-6 articles and congrats on the new camera! I will get one asap and test out the high speed af and high ISO in the lab. I have a few ideas to see just how well the focus works in low light 😉
      Catch up with you later and if you want to join the forum let me know. I’ll set you up an account if you want as it’s invite only at this point, and your invited to share your work or whatever else you want.
      Jay

      Reply

  12. Hello Jay,
    my firts impression after just one day (only @night in very low light condition) with the new A6K.
    In my opinion (having read a lot about the 7 and used the 6 for almost 6 months with around 9000 shots), YES it is defenetly the replacement of NEX 6+7. Of course, as you pefectly described in your great article about “the perfect mirrorless camera”, we would have appreciated touch screen, tri navi, better EVF, etc, etc, …up to GPS and all other gadgets, BUT…
    – The FOCUS is awsome, fast and precise…ANOTHER WORLD (Like 50% faster, I saw on youtube a test comparing shots of Nex 6, 7 and A6000 and I can confirm it) UNBELIVEABLE !!!
    – the 11 fps BURST with continuous focus are amaizing
    – Finally a better MENU and many other features like in the A7 (many said that it is a little A7 (costing half of the price)
    – Battery: I’m @67% after 285 shots, most with continuous and some with flash
    – FULL customization of the buttons/menus
    – Better @ high ISO (especially compared with NEX 7)
    I think (for me) it is enough to say that it worths the upgrade!
    You know, I’m just a begginer in photography, so I’ll wait for your comments and review!
    Thanks
    Andrea

    Reply

    1. Awesome news Andrea and thank you very much for the real world update! The A6000 is proving to be an amazing with a few silly short comings as we discussed.
      – 50% faster focusing is mind blowing speed improvement. The A5000 is about as fast as my Nex-6, so that really is crazy speed improvements. It sounds and looks like it focuses as good as the a99 or a77 for that matter.
      – Really impressed with the battery life you are getting so far with almost 30 shots, awesome!
      – Full customization of the buttons is a very nice feature as well
      I really think the A6000 is a killer upgrade for anybody with a current Nex camera wanting huge AF speed improvement. The AF speed and overall sensor improvements from the Nex-7 are to huge not benefit from. It really is DSLR speeds in a mirrorless camera for the fist time. Have you tried and low light high speed focus tests by any change? I think I read the focus is not very good in low light, compared to a DSLR due to the physical size of the PDAF sensors embedded in the image sensor. That seams reasonable to me, but real world testing will have to be done to check this. In good light the A6000 is super fast and accurate in all tests I’ve seen so far.
      Even though you are a beginner to photography, your opinion is just as valued to me as a real world user, so please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts! I really appreciate it and I’m sure many others reading this will as well 😉
      Thanks again,
      Jay

      Reply

      1. Hi Jay,
        I just came back home after 1000 shots in a night and in a day…yes I confirm in good light 6k is incredibly fast and precise in almost every shots and I had to set the continuouse shot to mid or even low (instead of high) because of too many pics were really the same. At night of course is A LITTLE less precise. I tested in a church with moving children (that is one of the worst situation in my opinion) but the results were great too!!! Especially if compared to nex6 that was not very precise in focus as I mentioned in a previouse post. And I also could love the potential of the sel35f18 finally. So again I’m really impressed.
        I take the occasion to wish happy Easter to you and your family.
        Andrea

        Reply

  13. 24 megapixel?? It reeks of the old megapixel marketing ploy…
    If you want more pixels get a bigger sensor. There are physical limits to pixel density as color of different wave lengths diffract and don’t hit the same pixel, so you loose color resolution per pixel, as pixel density increases. I also seriously doubt dynamic range and low light performance can improve on the 16 megapixel NEX-6. I got the NEX-6 precisely BECAUSE of the lower pixel density compared to the NEX-7.
    Now they’re back with their megapixel mumbo-jumbo again. Why don’t they keep the same mp and work on dynamic range, color resolution, low light performance etc…. Simply improving image quality! Fully customizable buttons and customizable program modes for different styles of shooting would be far more important improvements. Imagine you change the program mode dial to your sports shooting and the button layout(customized by yourself) changes to give you all the controls you need to shoot fast moving objects in your own way, not the way the camera forces you to work.
    What do people do with the photos from these compact cameras? Create wall size billboards or what?? What’s the need for all those pixels? I usually only see people using them on webpages or for viewing on TV/monitors, maybe the occasional 30/40 print, all of which use only a fraction of the resolution of the image sensor..
    Sony, I’d rather see you work on quality pixels than quantity and fully customizable buttons and dials. If I really need 24 megapixels I’d be using a larger sensor, there’s just no way around that.

    Reply

    1. Sorry for my knee-jerk reaction to this camera, but that’s what happens when I see such an increase in pixel density promising to deliver better quality. Indeed there seem to be some good improvements in usability and customization. Though from what I’ve seen in sample shots so far my fears regarding pixel density seem true, colors are just not as good as on the NEX-6. Jay, when you test this camera please post comparison of the same scene with the NEX-6, for example cozy, dim lit wood-panel bar interiors, closeup of colorful fruit stand at a market. Neon lit alley after dark, that sort of thing. Carry both cameras with you and just snap the same scene. I’d be interested to see what those megapixels do to the colors. And I’m talking about web sized photos here, no high res pixel peeping. Simply pretty enjoyable photos, in the end it’s the picture that matters!

      Reply

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