Sony A6000

[id4elizabeth]

Zachie - what len(es) would you recommend for the a6300, given the kind of photos I shoot? I'd like to keep my load as light as possible, but do need that lens stabilization!

[flatlander321]

Thanks for the A77 and A6000 info. I'll probably go with the A6000, but need to think about lens needs, options, and pricing for both.

[zackiedawg]

Zachie - what len(es) would you recommend for the a6300, given the kind of photos I shoot? I'd like to keep my load as light as possible, but do need that lens stabilization!

 

Well you do have the advantage if you were to choose an APS-C camera like the A6300 to save quite a bit over the cost of the A7RII body, so that gives room for some nice lens budget...Much will depend on just what key areas you'll be shooting most.

 

For flower closeups and such, honestly almost any lens can handle excellent detail - even cheap consumer zooms tend to be more challenged when you're shooting subjects a little farther away, or at wide open aperture, so when close like a flower, the 55-210mm is cheap and would do fine. You could also consider an 'all around' lens like the 18-200 which would also do fine for that stuff. You probably don't need a high-end lens like the 70-200mm F4 unless you're going to shoot moving subjects or farther subjects, where it's extra resolution and speed will help a lot. A nice prime or two will also serve you well - the 50mm F1.8 is stabilized, small, and reasonably priced, and can do shallow DOF well with that reasonably fast aperture. With the basic kit lens, that would keep things small, light and cheap and do fine for most of your needs - and then you could consider a lens upgrade down the road once you figure out what focal range you like the most and where you most need the upgrade. I'd say take the kit lens, 50mm F1.8, and 55-210mm for starters...and if you end up wanting to do lots of architecture, interiors, etc I personally find an ultrawide to be lots and lots of fun and can get even tight interiors all in the frame - so consider maybe the 10-18mm. All of those lenses are stabilized too.

 

Down the road, you can consider some of the high-end FE lenses - but first get the cheaper ones and find out where your photography has the most need for upgrade. That would be my suggestion.

[havoc315]

Zachie - what len(es) would you recommend for the a6300, given the kind of photos I shoot? I'd like to keep my load as light as possible, but do need that lens stabilization!

 

I'll just chime in with my experience of the few a6000 lenses I've used.

 

The 10-18/4 is very good for landscapes. It's small, compact and stabilized. Not the best lens I've ever used, but produces good overall quality in its tiny size.

The Sony Zeiss 24/1.8 is close to being exceptional. Still small and light weight. Looking at your blog, it's an excellent lens for street photography. Very high image quality. Really sharp. It is not stabilized, but stabilization isn't critical in such a short focal length. (Camera shake is a much bigger issue with telephoto lenses )

The basic kit 55-210 is stabilized, very light weight and very cheap. Many people are happy with its image quality. It may be perfectly good for you, and produce good quality photos for use on a blog. It isn't a low light lens. And it will not be razor sharp. The 70-200/4 will be vastly superior, but much more expensive and much heavier. May be worth the difference if you do heavy cropping, print large prints, or want pro level results. But the cheap lightweight 55-210 may be all you need.

 

The only other e-mount lens I can speak about from experience is the 50/1.8. It is stabilized. It can be used for short telephoto street photography. But it's primarily great as a portrait lens. It is very very very good if you need a portrait lens. And it's light weight, stabilized.

[c230k]

If your interested in buying the NEW Sony A6300, here is a good compare with our A6000. Wonder who is going to be first to buy the NEW A6300.

 

http://cameradecision.com/compare/Sony-Alpha-a6000-vs-Sony-Alpha-a6300

 

Tom :cool:

Edited February 11, 2016 by c230k

[havoc315]

If your interested in buying the NEW Sony A6300, here is a good compare with our A6000. Wonder who is going to be first to buy the NEW A6300.

 

http://cameradecision.com/compare/Sony-Alpha-a6000-vs-Sony-Alpha-a6300

 

Tom :cool:

 

Already pre-ordered.... and selling my A6000 this weekend. So I'll be without a Sony camera for a few weeks.

 

Those type of website comparisons aren't great at finding the real differences. For example, it is noted that the A6300 has more AF points. But misses the big point, that this makes it adaptable to A-mount and potentially 3rd party glass. No mention of the 8fps without blackout. And, though it's still premature until we see real world samples and DXO testing, we may see a nice little jump in image quality.

Edited February 11, 2016 by havoc315

[pierces]

If your interested in buying the NEW Sony A6300, here is a good compare with our A6000. Wonder who is going to be first to buy the NEW A6300.

 

http://cameradecision.com/compare/Sony-Alpha-a6000-vs-Sony-Alpha-a6300

 

Tom :cool:

 

Always appreciate your links Tom, but.....(;))

 

I'd wait for a hands-on report from one of the major sites. this one is sort of a generic Consumer Reports comparison with a few factual errors (I know I didn't miss the ISO51200 non-multi-frame setting on my A6000) and a complete blank in comparing the sensor design. The copper wire circuitry could have significant impact on noise control and is actually the tech that enables the 4K output and high-speed HD. The increased viewfinder resolution is mentioned but not the increased refresh rate and uninterrupted live-view continuous shooting which should vastly improve tracking of moving subjects. Since they don't include any sample images, little can be gained over just going to Sony's site and reading the specs oneself.

 

My very favorite part was the "I've got to say something here" weight comparison:

 

"Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony a6000 is significantly lighter (60g ) than the Sony A6300 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips."

 

If two ounces is a deciding factor, you could always just skip the last quarter cup of coffee before leaving on the long walk. :)

 

I guess I'm just jaded by the reviews at sites like DPReview and Imaging Resource where actual photographers with understanding of the technology do the comparisons with more than a spreadsheet comparison of all the little numbers on the spec sheets.

 

Dave

[nmeola]

My Alaska trip is coming on fast. I have been practicing with my A6000 with the two kit lens I am getting beter every day as I go out and just keep shooting. My question are there any suggestions on which lens 18 - 50 or 55 - 210 I should start out with. I think it will be hard to switch lenses back and forth on plane or helicopter. You can not take a camera bag on them so have to keep lens in you pocket.

Also any suggestions on setting whicl on glacier. We are going to go dog sledding and this is the one moment I want good photos.

[havoc315]

My Alaska trip is coming on fast. I have been practicing with my A6000 with the two kit lens I am getting beter every day as I go out and just keep shooting. My question are there any suggestions on which lens 18 - 50 or 55 - 210 I should start out with. I think it will be hard to switch lenses back and forth on plane or helicopter. You can not take a camera bag on them so have to keep lens in you pocket.

Also any suggestions on setting whicl on glacier. We are going to go dog sledding and this is the one moment I want good photos.

 

It's really not that hard to change between 2 lenses, but...

 

Depends what you want to capture. From helicopter, plane and glacier, assuming your priority is landscapes, and the members of your party in front of the landscapes, you go with the 16-50. Use the 55-210 when after wildlife, like on a whale watch.

[c230k]

What is your favorite camera mode to use and why? I am partial to Aperture.

 

 

Tom :cool:

[pierces]

What is your favorite camera mode to use and why? I am partial to Aperture.

 

 

Tom :cool:

 

A-mode since there was an A-mode!

 

Except for the very rare low-light action, I find the control over depth of field is the most important adjustment in my usual shooting style.

 

Plus, I have too much pride to admit that the Intelligent Auto mode on the A6000 is probably smarter than I am... :)

 

Dave

[havoc315]

A-mode since there was an A-mode!

 

Except for the very rare low-light action, I find the control over depth of field is the most important adjustment in my usual shooting style.

 

Plus, I have too much pride to admit that the Intelligent Auto mode on the A6000 is probably smarter than I am... :)

 

Dave

 

M mode more and more...especially where the camera has dual dials and auto-ISO in M mode. A-mode when I'm lazy.

Really depends on the camera and lens. But I often want to use a shutter speed slightly faster than the a-mode default. I find at some focal lengths, some cameras, set the shutter speed a little low for my tastes, too low to get sharp photos 100% of the time. Especially when switching between stabilized and non stabilized scenarios.

 

For example, when using my non-stabilized 85mm lens... I prefer a shutter speed of 1/250 minimum. At 1/100, I get a little softness. Guess my hands aren't the steadiest.

 

My Nikon does allow me to set a minimum shutter speed in A mode. So sometimes I use this. But when switching focal lengths and lenses, sometimes it's simpler just to control the shutter speed myself. Also when outdoors shooting nature -- wildlife and landscapes, I may have to switch to a fast shutter speed quickly to catch a bird. So it helps to be in M.

 

Back when I had the a55, I never used M. First, auto ISO didn't work in M mode. Second, with only one dial, it wasn't quick and easy to make adjustments.

But as long as a camera effectively has 2 dials, and can use auto ISO, M really isn't very hard.

I'd say I use A 50% of the time, M 30-40%, and S/other the rest.

[nmeola]

I am doing the helicopter in morning and whale watch in afternoon. Your suggestion is what I was thinking. On the whale watch, what setting would you use.

Edited February 13, 2016 by nmeola

[flatlander321]

I'm looking at e-mount kit lenses for an a6000. 16-50mm and 18-55mm are the 2 common options for low power zoom lenses (correct term?). One of them would be paired with a 55-210mm kit lens if I go with an a6000.

 

Is there a significant advantage to one or the other? The 16-50 can be smaller, doesn't accept a lens hood, and requires serious optical compensation to reduce distortion in the picture file. The 18-55 is somewhat larger, can use a plastic lens hood, and uses the same size filter (49mm) as the 55-210 lens. I'm not sure about distortion correction for it. Also, I won't carry an a6000 with any lens in my pocket, so size is not an important issue.

 

About that distortion compensation. I have the non-subscription version of photoshop elements 14 and currently use it for .raw files from my FZ-200/300 cameras. Will I lose the sony lens compensation if I do the same with picture files from an a6000? Maybe panasonic does lens compensation as well and I'm not aware of it? I do like being able to correct white balance errors on important pictures. I normally use auto white balance, but it's not perfect especially on overcast days.

[c230k]

The 16-50 can be smaller, doesn't accept a lens hood.

 

Check this out for lens hood.

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=lens+hood+for+sony+16-50mm+oss&rh=n%3A172282%2Ck%3Alens+hood+for+sony+16-50mm+oss

 

Tom :cool:

[havoc315]

I'm looking at e-mount kit lenses for an a6000. 16-50mm and 18-55mm are the 2 common options for low power zoom lenses (correct term?). One of them would be paired with a 55-210mm kit lens if I go with an a6000.

 

Is there a significant advantage to one or the other? The 16-50 can be smaller, doesn't accept a lens hood, and requires serious optical compensation to reduce distortion in the picture file. The 18-55 is somewhat larger, can use a plastic lens hood, and uses the same size filter (49mm) as the 55-210 lens. I'm not sure about distortion correction for it. Also, I won't carry an a6000 with any lens in my pocket, so size is not an important issue.

 

About that distortion compensation. I have the non-subscription version of photoshop elements 14 and currently use it for .raw files from my FZ-200/300 cameras. Will I lose the sony lens compensation if I do the same with picture files from an a6000? Maybe panasonic does lens compensation as well and I'm not aware of it? I do like being able to correct white balance errors on important pictures. I normally use auto white balance, but it's not perfect especially on overcast days.

 

Photoshop's lens corrections can correct Sony distortion.

[havoc315]

I am doing the helicopter in morning and whale watch in afternoon. Your suggestion is what I was thinking. On the whale watch, what setting would you use.

 

There is nope effect setting I could tell you now. It's balancing shutter speed, aperture and ISO based on the situation you find yourself. Ideally, I'd want to keep ISO at 800 or less, keeping shutter speed at 1/500 or faster to compensate for rocking boat and moving wildlife, I'd want to keep aperture at f8 for a pretty wide DOF. I'd shoot AF-c, either center point, center zone, or possibly with AF lock. Id shoot continuous bursts to get the perfect moment.

But if you have a very overcast day for example, you may need a higher ISO or slower shutter speed, or wider aperture. If you find yourself shooting Eagles in flight, for example, you might want to prioritize a higher shutter speed. If you get some bright sunlight, you might be able to shoot even faster and keep your ISO even lower.

[zackiedawg]

Is there a significant advantage to one or the other?

 

The key advantage for ME personally with the 18-55mm kit lens is that it is not a compacting power zoom. I have a strong personal dislike of power compacting lenses...I don't like power zooms in general as I prefer to do so manually, and I especially don't like that power compacting lenses will go back into their compacted state any time the camera goes into sleep mode...walking around I hate feeling the lens compacting back in every minute or two, especially if it's just before I was about to use it again. So I avoid power compacting lenses. Your mileage may vary!

[c230k]

NEED SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!

 

I use Picasa 3 for sharing and viewing photos on my Mac and iPad. This program is going away and looking for an alternative program to use.

 

What the ability to use on my Mac and upload to a cloud and use for view on my iPad or sharing with friends. Picasa did a great job and was fun too use, but Goggle decide to closed and use Goggle photos, which to me was a bit confusing compared to Picasa.

 

So what can I replace it with.

 

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP MUCH APPRECIATED AS ALWAYS.

 

Tom :cool:

[pierces]

The key advantage for ME personally with the 18-55mm kit lens is that it is not a compacting power zoom. I have a strong personal dislike of power compacting lenses...I don't like power zooms in general as I prefer to do so manually, and I especially don't like that power compacting lenses will go back into their compacted state any time the camera goes into sleep mode...walking around I hate feeling the lens compacting back in every minute or two, especially if it's just before I was about to use it again. So I avoid power compacting lenses. Your mileage may vary!

 

I have to agree. But... (there's always one) I sold my 18-55 along with my NEX-5 and replaced it with the 16-50 specifically because of it's compact nature. I have the little gem on my camera most of the time when travelling for business, carrying it along for family events or when it's just sitting on the desk waiting for the dog or cat to do something cute. I sometimes wish it would wake up a bit faster and when I'm shooting "for real", it stays in the bag. Despite the negatives associated with it, it allows me to carry my A6000 along in my computer bag or jacket pocket and produces remarkably good images.

 

Here is a video of a teardown of the lens I found over on Imaging Resource the shows that engineering that went into making it. New respect for my little travel buddy.

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2016/02/10/tearing-down-the-impressively-engineered-sony-e-pz-16-50mm-f-3.5-5.6-lens

 

Dave

[pierces]

NEED SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!

 

I use Picasa 3 for sharing and viewing photos on my Mac and iPad. This program is going away and looking for an alternative program to use.

 

What the ability to use on my Mac and upload to a cloud and use for view on my iPad or sharing with friends. Picasa did a great job and was fun too use, but Goggle decide to closed and use Goggle photos, which to me was a bit confusing compared to Picasa.

 

So what can I replace it with.

 

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP MUCH APPRECIATED AS ALWAYS.

 

Tom :cool:

 

"As of March 15, 2016, we will no longer be supporting the Picasa desktop application. For those who have already downloaded this—or choose to do so before this date—it will continue to work as it does today, but we will not be developing it further, and there will be no future updates. If you choose to switch to Google Photos, you can continue to upload photos and videos using the desktop uploader at photos.google.com/apps "

 

Doesn't look like you have to panic for a little while!

 

Lightroom mobile is not free ($10/mo. subscription gets you Lightroom and full Photoshop), but it has some real power and can sync settings and adjustments between desktop and mobile versions. It works on those Apple devices too. ;)

 

Dave

[wmjivey]

Fooling around yesterday thought this waterfall picture was cool

https://www.flickr.com/gp/134354370@N02/7j26PW

 

John

[flatlander321]

I ordered 2 e-mount kit lenses today and they came with a free camera and a factory battery. :) It was a used sony a3000 kit with the camera, battery, charger, 18-55 lens, and 55-210 lens. The a3000 is a basic mirrorless camera styled like a dSLR with a 20MP APS-c sensor and uses e-mount lenses.

 

Now I can wait for a good deal on an a6000, possibly with a different lens. The sigma 30mm prime looks interesting.

 

The bonus in this deal is a spare camera that uses the same lenses and battery as the a6000. The a3000 is a basic camera, but I was surprised at how well it did in reviews and image quality tests.

[pierces]

I ordered 2 e-mount kit lenses today and they came with a free camera and a factory battery. :) It was a used sony a3000 kit with the camera, battery, charger, 18-55 lens, and 55-210 lens. The a3000 is a basic mirrorless camera styled like a dSLR with a 20MP APS-c sensor and uses e-mount lenses.

 

Now I can wait for a good deal on an a6000, possibly with a different lens. The sigma 30mm prime looks interesting.

 

The bonus in this deal is a spare camera that uses the same lenses and battery as the a6000. The a3000 is a basic camera, but I was surprised at how well it did in reviews and image quality tests.

 

That's exactly how I got my NEX-3C body...as a lens accessory!

 

Just wanted to add that the Sigma 30mm shoots way above it's price range. Remarkable image quality for a $199 lens. No stabilization but fast and sharp.

 

Dave

[pierces]

Fooling around yesterday thought this waterfall picture was cool

https://www.flickr.com/gp/134354370@N02/7j26PW

 

John

 

It was!

 

Dave