Brilliant and thorough review. I use one myself, with vintage lenses, and I still learned something. Thanks for your time and effort, mate. Cheers from across the pond.
I got a Sony A7II but the one i use everyday is the A6000, it's my 3rd one, i cannot let it go, i use it with legacy lens mostly, it's very handy, it's light, quiet and the sensor is amazing, i shoot mostly black&white jpegs, it's an amazing piece of gear, love it, thanks for your great work, i love you channel, so classy :-)
Have the same combo of A6000 and A7, makes for compact system especially with the lenses working seamlessly on both formats. I go out shooting with a small shoulder messenger bag divided internally for both bodies and a single prime on each, really light weight kit and very versatile, love em.
I love my Sony a6000, had it for about five years. it is a absolute joy to use, beautiful images, my favourite lens on it is my canon mount Zeiss planar.
Thanks for the review of the A6000 I've had mine for about 7 years now I like the 11fps. It's not the fastest but it was the most affordable at the time. The prime reason for me was the ability to use almost any lens on the market, I was lucky because I had gone to the goodwill's in my area and other stores and picked up so many old lenses for less than $10.00 I needed to keep track of which ones that were not pristine. Yeah, this was when people were saying the film cameras were dead, and eBay had been selling cameras by the box load Ah the good old days.
Worth noting that you can set exposure compensation to the rear dial OR you could map it to the top dial if you're using manual lens and don't need aperture adjustment on camera :-) Love my A6000, got my first manual lens last week after getting in to your channel - thanks!
@@zenography7923 sadly not had much time with it yet due to work commitments, but from what I have done so far I'm really liking that it forces you to work a bit harder and think more. I got a 50mm and already looking for a 28mm too so that I have some options. Its really nice to be able to try different options without having to commit loads of money 👍🏼
I started with the a6000 moved on to the a7ii waiting on the 4. But I still use this little baby and I get great kite surfer pics 11fps on my 70-200 making it a 105 300 and just received the 17-70 2.8. Sharp images and balances well .
Exactly, i have to switch to shutter priority with longer lenses. With my 50mm (75 effectively) the 60th second shutter time seems to work astoundingly well, though, btw.
Thanks for the video. Excellent as always. I've had the a6000 since 2016 and I love it for all the reasons you mentioned. I bought an a7II last year to compliment the APS-C body and to use my vintage lenses at the correct focal length which they were designed for. Both camera bodies work perfectly with my collection of old SLR lenses. I noticed that you said you like to shoot the a6000 in the Vivid creative style. I had never really bothered to experiment with the different creative styles before, but today I did some indoor shots comparing standard with vivid and I quite like the results using vivid. (A little too cold here in Winnipeg Canada at -34C for outdoor shooting). I changed both my cameras to Vivid and will leave them like that.
I have a couple speed-boosters (also known as focal reducers) for my A6000 before I got the A7ii. I bought the speed-boosters for the lens mounts I want to use. The A6000 has a 1.5x crop factor, and the speed-booster acts as a 0.75x reducer, which makes the A6000 almost like a full-frame camera. It's interesting that I find the speed-booster actually makes the image sharper and brighter since it concentrates the light and increases the aperture by 1 stop. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but that's my experience. Check out a speed-booster.
I paid 240 euro for a A6000 with the small kitlens second hand. The kitlens sucks. The camera is great and easy to take with you. I have it now for 1 year and I love it. I bought the Sigma 18-50 mm and the Tamron 18-300mm with it new. Also a adapater for my older FD Canon lenses and a Viltrox adapater for my EF lenses.
Hi Nigel, thank you for this presentation of the camera. I once had both the Sony A7 Mk. I and II before I switched to Nikon Z. The image output of both Sonys were fantastic! Among the APS-C cameras I‘d go for Fujifilm, but that’s only my personal preference. Very well possible that in the future, I‘ll by a used X-H1 or X-S10, because it features IBIS as well. Best wishes, Magnetron
As far as Sony cameras go, I have the A7ii, A6000, and the NEX-5R. I enjoy using them with vintage lenses. The NEX-5R is the smallest of the three, and it's still a fantastic camera.
The a6000 was my first mirrorless camera. It was an impressive little camera. I'm now using a Fuji X-T2 for my main camera. I have no need to go back to DSLR's! haha One camera you might like to check out is the Fuji X-T1 - the bigger brother of the X-T10. I think you'll like it. Especially with the shutter and ISO dials on top. Great cameras!
@@zenography7923 I just purchased one and am waiting for it’s delivery. 300$ in nice condition with a grip. It’s going to be dedicated to vintage lenses ...at least for now. I’ve been using a Nikon system for photographing my animals for many years but have gone back to film on the side for inspiration for my egg tempera work. Have a collection of vintage lenses of many sorts. Saw your video on the xt10 where you mentioned Fuji X Weekly and was immediately intrigued with wanting to try out those film simulations. After all these yrs of looking towards the next generation of gear to enhance my creativity, I’ve since decided revisiting the past is what was needed all along. Thanks for your dedication in putting out inspiring videos. Stay safe...
@@zenography7923 I'm tempting to get one as a back-up even though I own the X-T10! I'm very impressed with the X-T2 as it is! The EVF on the X-T1 and 2 is a so nice!
I just got one for my wife for Christmas so she stops taking my cameras about without telling me. She's going on a road trip through the national parks this spring and figured it would be a nice small camera to throw in her bag. Looking forward to messing around with it. I have a Riii and Riv so my expectations might be too high but we shall see. She hasn't opened it yet and I didn't play with it before I wrapped it. Merry Christmas!
@@zenography7923 I do - I am actually using a focal reducer speed booster with the A6500 and vintage lenses, which means that they behave like they would on full frame, and the 1.5X crop factor does not apply anymore :) I can recommend doing this instead of using a "dumb" adapter.
Great review, but that barnack leica was really distracting though, Please do a walk and shoot with the Zorki 1 (or FED 2), show the leica clones some love! Cheers from Singapore
I've been using the a6000 for about 4 years now.. if i'm being truly honest, i still dont think i need to upgrade it in the near future.. simply a 🐐 camera.
a6k + Meike 28/2.8 is one of my all time favourite combinations. a6000 truly is pocketable with small lens. I take it instead of A7 when I'm not really in the mood of hauling camera bag around. You can set the second wheel to exposure compensation. This is exactly how I use mine, since A7 taught my big finger to go there for exposure and forget about changing metering modes altogether. FYI: a6k with EFCS and Lens Turbo II is very quiet, since LTII acts like a very effective muffler. Personally, I don't care and use full mech shutter on auto when shooting people, but this is something to think about, if being quiet is your priority. Overall, I'd say size with compact lenses gives this camera an enormous advantage over A7 in certain situations. Once you go larger lenses, or pick a pyramid-style APS-C body, like Fuji, APS-C definitely loses a lot of edge against FF. Small sensor makes a lot of sense with small lenses and small body. Sadly, Olympus haven't seem to get the message, pumping out systems which rivalled FF A7 in size and weight. But hey, at least they've got that very important 7 stop IBIS to keep them company in the graveyard.
I have the Sony A6000 with the Viltrox focal reducer, and a set of Takumar lenses. Beautiful images. And the secret about APS C sensors is they run cooler and faster than full frame sensors.
I bought the a6000 brand new in 2015 and use it almost every day and if it ever stops working, I'll buy another one. I use the Sony 90 mm macro lens, the 70-350mm Sony, the kit lenses and the Sony 50mm. All of these lenses have image stabilization and are excellent. In addition I have a dozen manual lenses like the Helios 44-2, Jupiter 8, Pentacon 135mm, etc. as well as a couple of Lensbaby lenses. Thank you for another excellent video and this one about a camera I know well and love.
What is your opinion of the Focal Reducer adapter option to get the full frame equivalent when using vintage lenses on crop sensor cameras (like the a6000)? Here’s the description for the Roxsen brand on eBay : “In common lens adapters, cropping effect occurs in all APS-C digital cameras with 1.5x magnification. This adapter reduces focal length to 0.72x , to adjust the image size to near 1:1 so that the focal length of the image is close to actual focal length of the lens, e.g. 50mm x 1.5 x 0.72 = 54mm. “ It seems it would solve the problem of changed focal length.
Focal reducers are useful, but like anything you get what you pay for. The cheapest ones I've found to be very soft at the edges, such that some shots are almost unusable. I haven't tried the more expensive versions but I would imagine they'd be better!
Very relaxed this Valentines Day, Nigel, but still delivering a video packed with information. I was recently given a Minolta Dynax 800si film camera with a number of lenses. These lenses will also fit a Sony A7 but I don't want to start yet another system as I have too many cameras already!! lol I have put a cassette of black and white in the Minolta and taken about half of them. I need to break out the old developing tank, grab some chems and see what I've got. Great video, nice way to spend 25 minutes on a cold Sunday.
There's very little difference in images, at least as far as I could tell, or in operation either - but the a6000 felt a bit better built, and as I recall, is a bit better specc'd too. I don't think you'll go wrong with either though.
@@zenography7923 thanks. I stumbled across a great deal on a Nex 7 and bought it. I’ll get a Nikon F to Sony E adapter and get started having some fun.
"full frame" is over rated. APS-C cameras can get just as amazing shots, the main advantage it has is ISO performance at a given resolution. When I want 35mm I have a number of great cameras I can use. Nikon FE2, FED 1. Also have a Kiev 88 which can get some amazing images. It all depends on what I want to shoot to which camera I will use.
The Sony a6000 is my first camera i've 3 years ago i still use it today, almost always with vintage lenses. I really like it, no doubt about it. Very good size for traveling. Also you can do really nice wide open close ups with a 50mm lens with low minimum focus distance. But i crops the swirly bokeh characteristic from i.e. a Helios 44-2 and im really into special bokeh shots. I also own a Praktica film camera and i really like my 50mm lenses on full frame, it just feels more natural as a walkaround lens. In my opinion 75mm due to crop can be a bit much sometimes so im looking forward getting a Sony A7 someday. But thats rather a mild inconvenience to be honest.
One thing I've found using cameras as a left-eye dominant person, no camera really works well for left-eye dominant people. So just choose one you enjoy using & if fits your needs! What I use for Sony a6X00 cameras is to set the trash icon to disable touch function, that way my nose won't go faffing with the focus and I can quickly re-enable when I'm not using the viewfinder. :-)
Awesome video as usual. This time I watched with my headphones on and heard your watch ticking probably very close to the Zoom mic. Wow, it really adds to the experience!
Enjoyable channel.....You can get the Canon M5 used for the same price,APSC 24 mpx if you need the canon colours. The one downside with Sony is the scroll wheel.it's poorly designed,too easy to accidently change ISO or one of the other settings. I agree image quality is superb....The Fujifilm X Pro 1 is a little cheaper and a bargain for vintage glass enthusiasts and new it cost 3x the price of a new A6000.
Very helpful Nigel - thanks. Having purchased a few vintage lenses now and really enjoying them, I’ve decided to upgrade my Oly EM10 to a lightly used A6500. I’m retaining my Oly EM5 mk iii and modern lenses as I still love MFT as well.
Hello! I'm considering buying a Kiev rangefinder with a Jupiter 8 lens with the red P and have been trying to find an adapter to make it usable on Sony e mount. Are you using one in this video, and if so, can you tell me where I might obtain one? Ta.
It's more difficult to adapt lenses with the kiev mount as the adaptor has to have a focussing helicoid. You can probably find one on ebay but they tend to be more expensive than those for other mounts. It would be much easier to buy a screwmount camera/lens (zorki or fed) and adapt that instead.
@@zenography7923 Thanks. I bought the Kiev, and I took your advice and checked eBay for an adapter and found some. Apparently, some people are cannibalizing Kievs for the helicoids and affixing them to adapters for modern digital cameras. Some even come with a free RF lens and free shipping like this one: www.ebay.com/itm/154469092791?
It's kinda funny. I've bought this camera without checking much specs etc, and i'using it since 3 years and i just love it. Kit lens it's not that bad. Then i added a 7 artisans 25mm. Only after i've discovered the endless possibilities of vintage lenses. Then i've bought some zeiss, some russians lenses... Great camera indeed!
@@zenography7923 yes indeed. I've had cameras in my hands long before autofocus, so using old lenses is a pleasure, not an issue. Recently I've bought a Fujica st 801 (paired with a fujinon 55mm f 1.8) for 50 euros, so i can use my lenses also with a native m42 camera. One thing i 'd love could be a "silent shutter" mode to steal some images, maybe using the phone app with the camera hanging on my back.. except for that, I can't complain at all. I love taking portrait with the a6000 using a cheap 3 flashes setup and a remote trigger, with hss and all the fancy stuff... Photography can be really affordable in these times..
I first bought a Sony NEX-VG20 APSC hybrid camera. Really nothing wrong with it, only it's a heavier camera to take photos; I use it for videos mostly. But I want to experience a full frame sensor. So recently, I got myself a Sony A7 mk I. I've got the advantage of both sensor sizes while using the same E-mount for the lenses.
My guy i gotta tell you first that I own a a6000 and i love it, and you can set the top dial towork like exp. compensation for P, S & A modes in the menu>second tab>6 page> Dial/Wheel Ev Comp and set it to Dial :)
If you use a focal reducer (mine is the Kipon BayEyes .07 Focal Reducer) the crop factor becomes negligible and you gain about a full stop in exposure...
you always have some trashy lenses on Sony sensors , give me a break man , aint nothing fantastic about that trashy lens . its ok i am not critiquing you , i like you casual presentation , so i watch your vids . So i support you , but im always going to say , trashy lenses man trashy lenses
@@zenography7923 I get it , you grew up with Zeiss Sonar , Planar and other hand drawn /designed lenses , that are made like tanks . Collecting them , even using them is ok , but say Fantastic lens , Sharp ... wait a minute . Canon EF 28-80 for example is also cheap , cheaper then 90% of those vintage ones , also 35 years old , its 2x as sharp as any of those vintage ones 3-4x sharper then some , and even that is only good for 4-5 Mpix , So when you say sharp ,what does that mean , 3Mpix sharp ? You put a vintage lens on a Sony A7 , and clearly its mushy and soft , and you say sharp . I dont get that , maybe you dont have good eyesight . When i say a lens is sharp , i say 6Mpix sharp , thats what you get 6Mpix on Canon Ef 28-80 . Canon 50m 1.8 8-10Mpix , depending on the body . For anything above 12Mpix you need Canon L lens , or equivalent Those vintage lenses are tops 2Mpix , and even that is Hazy
This is my everyday camera. And I think Sony's aps-c system still using this same sensor. So, if you're a vintage lens shooter, the only thing the latest α6xxx can offer over the α6000 is more battery life, and I think IBIS can be helpful too.
The sensor might be the same, but the processing is different. So it's not like it's the exact same image quality, but especially for the price the A6000 holds up really well. It's mostly in low light and in dynamic range where I do notice it's a bit of an older design. Iso 6400 gets a little bit ugly and noisy (the type of noise with random red and green pixels thrown around, not a nice grainy effect) and the same happens if I push the shadows too much in post. Color science is also constantly improving as Sony releases models. But if you use Capture One Express (free) you get a lot of power to tweak the look as you like and remove a bit of noise and it really opens up the camera and it's definitely good enough to produce professional results. But in high iso performance things have definitely improved over the last 7 years as you'd expect.
Interesting video as always. It would be great if you made a video about left handed cameras for people like myself whose left eye is dominant. Which vintage cameras are best for lefties? Thank you!
In aperture priority the top dial can be set to adjust exposure compensation. I have to disagree with you on the viewfinder though as I find it virtually unusable in bright light and the rear screen is the only option. That is also not the best even in sunny brightness mode, still probably the best budget mirrorless camera out there despite it's failings of which I consider the viewfinder to be the biggest.
I have shoot with this camera the last 4 years with a tone of vintage lenses and i have created beautiful video too.Although in video i love to work with the amazing sigma 35mm f1.4. During the last year I purchased the sony A7 so this beauty became my first choice for going out and taking pictures.Both cameras complemented perfectly each others and are very easily used with vintage lenses due to accurate focus peaking.
This camera pops up all over the place on Flickr pages when I’m interested in a vintage lens and search the pages for some images. Had no idea it was that small! The images are wonderful and 300$ for a 24 megapixel camera is a really good buy. You mentioned the rangefinder lenses utilize a slimmer adapter... is that because they are M39 mounts or is there another reason? Thanks again for another lovely talk on cameras and photography.
I have this camera (as well as its' predecessor the NEX-6) and it is everything as you have described it. I use it as well as my Fuji XT-20 as my go-to cameras for mounting vintage lenses since there are an abundance of adapters for them.
Please help me - Sony a6000 when i am trying to send the image from imaging edge mobile app i am getting error message as Could not obtain image please reply why this edit is coming
I had this camera before I bought a Sony ar7iii and found it a perfect combination with a sigma 56mm 1.4 the images this combination produces work beautifully for me. So what do I do now? I find my hands going back to the small light a6000 again and again! It’s just so tactile. Thank you for your kind reply, I really enjoy your presentations. May see you with a few of my photo group in Epsom, at some time. Regards!
I am still using from time to time my Sony NEX-7 in addition to my full-frame cameras. I also like the small form-factor and the little amount of attention it draws to my shooting. But some lenses won't work with it, e.g. the Jupiter-12. This form-factor (similar to the A6000) is not great when used together with heavy lenses due to the small grip. I also owned the A6000 for some time and I can report, that the NEX-7 is nearly as good but can be purchased nowadays for less than 200 GBP. The NEX-7 has a microphone port, something what the A6000 is lacking but the menu is quite archaic. The video quality isn't great but nevertheless I will keep the NEX-7 forever for shooting stills and produce videos with my Sony A7S or my Sony ZV-1. Generally I am astonished how well these early Sony mirrorless cameras have aged.
They've aged really well, and are still entirely useable. The nex 7 is a great little machine - I almost bought one when they were new, but waited for the a7 instead!
For astrophotography this is a real winner because the crop factor crops out a lot of the problem areas in refractors and other telescopes. The smaller sensor also has less glow and other issues. Lower weight means portable mounts can be carried just about anywhere with less junk to stabilize them. And, at the price, if Mother Nature does something bad to it....it doesn't hurt as bad!
That's interesting - I haven't done a lot of astrophotography, but if you're losing the edges of the frame you are indeed losing many of a lens's flaws. Thanks for the tip!
I have an A6000 along with the threes 2.8 Sigma lenses, 19, 30 and 60 mm, plus a 7Artisans 12mm. Also with Pentax PK and M42 adapters. I lost the ability to sit on my hands after I acquired a Nex 5 to use on a telescope.
full frame lenses also perform better on full frame sensors, there are other videos on YT with technical analysis of IQ and contrast which confirm this, I think it is due to the lenses casting a bigger image circle than an APS-C sensor needs leading to metering errors.
Aside from the lack of mic jack, the a6000 is quite a capable video camera, if you have the latest firmware and the right memory card you can record in the higher bitrate XAVC codec. The autofocus is also really fast with native Sony lenses. 👍 Also: a Lens Turbo 2 adapter is great for vintage lenses
when you mention that we lose it's character - i think about how one might get a lens for it's swirly bokeh - and so is it correct that one would lose some of that swirled in an APSC camera? Can you confirm this statement? I had a funny desire the other day that if there's "speed boosters" for full frame DSLR AF lens - it could be interesting to have the same concept for vintage adapter lens as well haha
With no speedbooster, on aps-c, you'll lose about a third from the edge of the shot as compared to the same lens on full frame so yes, you'll lose a little of the swirly goodness, but as you still have the central two thirds, much of it will be preserved. You'll only lose a bit of lens character!
The sensor is more exposed to dust, and they gather it more readily than a dslr when exposed to it, but I've never found it to be a problem. Occasional use of a blower helps too!
The reasons why the a6000 live on so long was the name. It rolls off the tongue nicely and sounds futuristic compared to the old NEX names when it came out in 2014. Sony finally realized it and marketed their succeeding APS-C mirrorless cameras using the a6x00 nomenclature and design.
I have a Canon M100 which is even cheaper and more compact. Perfect for compact RF lenses. Sure, it doesn't have a viewfinder but it has a full-flip display instead. The only thing I'm missing on the M100 when shooting with vintage lenses is that I can't assign the focus zoom to the video button on top.
Not sure, if a professional photographer will enjoy it that much since it relies on it's (very good) touch screen a lot. You have to get used to it. But I'm willing to accept that for the overall package and compactness. Works with the Industar collapsibles to some degree. Even, if you want auto focus, pair it with the ef-m 22mm and you still have an APS-C camera which fits into your pocket and is huge fun. Like I mentioned the only issue is quickly switching to focus zoom.
Me: No, I don't need another camera.
Zenography: Maybe you do.
Brilliant and thorough review. I use one myself, with vintage lenses, and I still learned something. Thanks for your time and effort, mate. Cheers from across the pond.
The first channel I watch every Sunday morning. I like the new presentation setup!
Glad you're enjoying it!
I got a Sony A7II but the one i use everyday is the A6000, it's my 3rd one, i cannot let it go, i use it with legacy lens mostly, it's very handy, it's light, quiet and the sensor is amazing, i shoot mostly black&white jpegs, it's an amazing piece of gear, love it, thanks for your great work, i love you channel, so classy :-)
Have the same combo of A6000 and A7, makes for compact system especially with the lenses working seamlessly on both formats. I go out shooting with a small shoulder messenger bag divided internally for both bodies and a single prime on each, really light weight kit and very versatile, love em.
The sony mirrorless cameras are very nice indeed, no doubt about it!
I love my Sony a6000, had it for about five years. it is a absolute joy to use, beautiful images, my favourite lens on it is my canon mount Zeiss planar.
Thanks for the review of the A6000 I've had mine for about 7 years now I like the 11fps. It's not the fastest but it was the most affordable at the time. The prime reason for me was the ability to use almost any lens on the market, I was lucky because I had gone to the goodwill's in my area and other stores and picked up so many old lenses for less than $10.00 I needed to keep track of which ones that were not pristine. Yeah, this was when people were saying the film cameras were dead, and eBay had been selling cameras by the box load Ah the good old days.
Worth noting that you can set exposure compensation to the rear dial OR you could map it to the top dial if you're using manual lens and don't need aperture adjustment on camera :-) Love my A6000, got my first manual lens last week after getting in to your channel - thanks!
I hope you're getting on alright with your first manual lens!
@@zenography7923 sadly not had much time with it yet due to work commitments, but from what I have done so far I'm really liking that it forces you to work a bit harder and think more. I got a 50mm and already looking for a 28mm too so that I have some options. Its really nice to be able to try different options without having to commit loads of money 👍🏼
I've got this, it's a keeper
They're fantastic little machines - I'm very impressed with this one!
I started with the a6000 moved on to the a7ii waiting on the 4. But I still use this little baby and I get great kite surfer pics 11fps on my 70-200 making it a 105 300 and just received the 17-70 2.8. Sharp images and balances well .
Are you this enthusiastic everytime you meet a new girl too? How long does it last? Until you wish you never met her.
The course of true photography never did run smooth...
Fantastic camera, but there's one "negative": no minimum shutter speed in auto ISO setting. Nothing else.
Exactly, i have to switch to shutter priority with longer lenses.
With my 50mm (75 effectively) the 60th second shutter time seems to work astoundingly well, though, btw.
Panasonic’s GX80 is somewhere in the same region. The crop is worse, but it’s cheaper, has image stabilization and 4K Video if you want that too.
Thanks for the video. Excellent as always. I've had the a6000 since 2016 and I love it for all the reasons you mentioned. I bought an a7II last year to compliment the APS-C body and to use my vintage lenses at the correct focal length which they were designed for. Both camera bodies work perfectly with my collection of old SLR lenses. I noticed that you said you like to shoot the a6000 in the Vivid creative style. I had never really bothered to experiment with the different creative styles before, but today I did some indoor shots comparing standard with vivid and I quite like the results using vivid. (A little too cold here in Winnipeg Canada at -34C for outdoor shooting). I changed both my cameras to Vivid and will leave them like that.
For me the A6000 was the first real mirrorless camera that could actually beat DSLR cameras
I have a couple speed-boosters (also known as focal reducers) for my A6000 before I got the A7ii. I bought the speed-boosters for the lens mounts I want to use. The A6000 has a 1.5x crop factor, and the speed-booster acts as a 0.75x reducer, which makes the A6000 almost like a full-frame camera. It's interesting that I find the speed-booster actually makes the image sharper and brighter since it concentrates the light and increases the aperture by 1 stop. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but that's my experience. Check out a speed-booster.
Btw, the ones I got are made by Viltrox, the manual focus version costs about $80.
I have one as well, but it makes heavy full frame lens even heavier. So that's a thing. Mine is by Pixco for MD mount.
For around the same money one can look at the Lumix GX7. The form factor is very nearly identical. Has a silent shutter option.
I paid 240 euro for a A6000 with the small kitlens second hand. The kitlens sucks. The camera is great and easy to take with you. I have it now for 1 year and I love it. I bought the Sigma 18-50 mm and the Tamron 18-300mm with it new. Also a adapater for my older FD Canon lenses and a Viltrox adapater for my EF lenses.
Sounds like a nice kit - enjoy!
@@zenography7923 It is, thank you! Nice vlog as well!
Hi Nigel, thank you for this presentation of the camera. I once had both the Sony A7 Mk. I and II before I switched to Nikon Z. The image output of both Sonys were fantastic! Among the APS-C cameras I‘d go for Fujifilm, but that’s only my personal preference. Very well possible that in the future, I‘ll by a used X-H1 or X-S10, because it features IBIS as well. Best wishes, Magnetron
I love how the only aspect of this camera that shows its age on paper is the ISO performance.
I know what you mean!
As far as Sony cameras go, I have the A7ii, A6000, and the NEX-5R. I enjoy using them with vintage lenses. The NEX-5R is the smallest of the three, and it's still a fantastic camera.
Still use the A6000 with my Sony A7RIII, paired with Zeiss Loxia lenses and the magic begins
I almost ran over to keg to get an a6000! 😁
Maybe a video on the how the adapters work with the lens. Is metering stopped down? How is it done?
The a6000 was my first mirrorless camera. It was an impressive little camera. I'm now using a Fuji X-T2 for my main camera. I have no need to go back to DSLR's! haha
One camera you might like to check out is the Fuji X-T1 - the bigger brother of the X-T10. I think you'll like it. Especially with the shutter and ISO dials on top. Great cameras!
Funny you should say that - I've been thinking of checking out an XT1!
@@zenography7923 I just purchased one and am waiting for it’s delivery. 300$ in nice condition with a grip. It’s going to be dedicated to vintage lenses ...at least for now. I’ve been using a Nikon system for photographing my animals for many years but have gone back to film on the side for inspiration for my egg tempera work. Have a collection of vintage lenses of many sorts. Saw your video on the xt10 where you mentioned Fuji X Weekly and was immediately intrigued with wanting to try out those film simulations. After all these yrs of looking towards the next generation of gear to enhance my creativity, I’ve since decided revisiting the past is what was needed all along. Thanks for your dedication in putting out inspiring videos. Stay safe...
@@zenography7923 I'm tempting to get one as a back-up even though I own the X-T10! I'm very impressed with the X-T2 as it is! The EVF on the X-T1 and 2 is a so nice!
Incredible Work 👍
Thanks for the insights, it really does not make sense for the majority of us to get the latest and greatest. I am rocking a X-T1 myself! All the best
The X-T1 is lovely - enoy!
Sony thinks like olympus! Charm and quality! Grettings from sweden
And greetings to you Gustavo, this is indeed a charming little machine!
I just got one for my wife for Christmas so she stops taking my cameras about without telling me. She's going on a road trip through the national parks this spring and figured it would be a nice small camera to throw in her bag. Looking forward to messing around with it. I have a Riii and Riv so my expectations might be too high but we shall see. She hasn't opened it yet and I didn't play with it before I wrapped it. Merry Christmas!
I’ve been considering one for a few years, but here in the US prices are sky high.
FIRST! I have the Sony A6500 and I love it. Just recently bought the A6000 for my daughter :)
These are great little cameras - hope you're enjoying yours!
@@zenography7923 I do - I am actually using a focal reducer speed booster with the A6500 and vintage lenses, which means that they behave like they would on full frame, and the 1.5X crop factor does not apply anymore :) I can recommend doing this instead of using a "dumb" adapter.
Thanks!
Thanks great shows Tony......
hey i have lumix LX 100 and it really is an underrated camera, could you please review it in your channels, it would be a bless for me.
Great review, but that barnack leica was really distracting though,
Please do a walk and shoot with the Zorki 1 (or FED 2), show the leica clones some love!
Cheers from Singapore
Those little barnacks, and the Russian copies are beautiful little machines, no doubt about it!
It works great with my vintage lenses. But for videos you need a gimbal even if you use a modern lens with OSS.
I've been using the a6000 for about 4 years now.. if i'm being truly honest, i still dont think i need to upgrade it in the near future.. simply a 🐐 camera.
a6k + Meike 28/2.8 is one of my all time favourite combinations. a6000 truly is pocketable with small lens.
I take it instead of A7 when I'm not really in the mood of hauling camera bag around.
You can set the second wheel to exposure compensation. This is exactly how I use mine, since A7 taught my big finger to go there for exposure and forget about changing metering modes altogether.
FYI: a6k with EFCS and Lens Turbo II is very quiet, since LTII acts like a very effective muffler. Personally, I don't care and use full mech shutter on auto when shooting people, but this is something to think about, if being quiet is your priority.
Overall, I'd say size with compact lenses gives this camera an enormous advantage over A7 in certain situations.
Once you go larger lenses, or pick a pyramid-style APS-C body, like Fuji, APS-C definitely loses a lot of edge against FF.
Small sensor makes a lot of sense with small lenses and small body.
Sadly, Olympus haven't seem to get the message, pumping out systems which rivalled FF A7 in size and weight.
But hey, at least they've got that very important 7 stop IBIS to keep them company in the graveyard.
I have the Sony A6000 with the Viltrox focal reducer, and a set of Takumar lenses. Beautiful images. And the secret about APS C sensors is they run cooler and faster than full frame sensors.
That sounds like a very nice set up!
I bought a focal length reducer to fit the Minolta manual lenses I have, and it works quite well on my Nex-7.
I bought the a6000 brand new in 2015 and use it almost every day and if it ever stops working, I'll buy another one. I use the Sony 90 mm macro lens, the 70-350mm Sony, the kit lenses and the Sony 50mm. All of these lenses have image stabilization and are excellent. In addition I have a dozen manual lenses like the Helios 44-2, Jupiter 8, Pentacon 135mm, etc. as well as a couple of Lensbaby lenses. Thank you for another excellent video and this one about a camera I know well and love.
Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks!
A great walkabout lens for A6000 is Sigma 30mm DN Art f2.8. It's a baby Leica without breaking the bank. No vintage lens can beat it.
Thanks for the info!
What is your opinion of the Focal Reducer adapter option to get the full frame equivalent when using vintage lenses on crop sensor cameras (like the a6000)?
Here’s the description for the Roxsen brand on eBay :
“In common lens adapters, cropping effect occurs in all APS-C digital cameras with 1.5x magnification. This adapter reduces focal length to 0.72x , to adjust the image size to near 1:1 so that the focal length of the image is close to actual focal length of the lens, e.g. 50mm x 1.5 x 0.72 = 54mm. “
It seems it would solve the problem of changed focal length.
Focal reducers are useful, but like anything you get what you pay for. The cheapest ones I've found to be very soft at the edges, such that some shots are almost unusable. I haven't tried the more expensive versions but I would imagine they'd be better!
There's a firmware update for the a6000 video codec apparently
I hope they fixed the processor issue. Mine froze up and the fix was $400
You are truly the Bob Harris of the photography world. :-)
I am honoured to walk in Bob's shoes.
Very relaxed this Valentines Day, Nigel, but still delivering a video packed with information.
I was recently given a Minolta Dynax 800si film camera with a number of lenses. These lenses will also fit a Sony A7 but I don't want to start yet another system as I have too many cameras already!! lol
I have put a cassette of black and white in the Minolta and taken about half of them.
I need to break out the old developing tank, grab some chems and see what I've got.
Great video, nice way to spend 25 minutes on a cold Sunday.
Glad you enjoyed it, hope the film shots work out nicely!
You only need an A7, when you want to shoot wide......
How does the A6000 compare with your experience shooting the Nex 6?
Having reviewed them both for use with vintage lenses which do you prefer?
There's very little difference in images, at least as far as I could tell, or in operation either - but the a6000 felt a bit better built, and as I recall, is a bit better specc'd too. I don't think you'll go wrong with either though.
@@zenography7923 thanks. I stumbled across a great deal on a Nex 7 and bought it. I’ll get a Nikon F to Sony E adapter and get started having some fun.
I used a6300 for a few day's a long with Fujifilm xpro-2 and end up with Fujifilm system.Good offer if you are interested in to Sony system thought.
The Fuji cameras are very nice indeed - enjoy!
@@zenography7923 Anything is nice as long as it can take photo.
My first camera... Very good performance for the money, and you can adapt any lens you want!
They're great little cameras, for sure!
"full frame" is over rated. APS-C cameras can get just as amazing shots, the main advantage it has is ISO performance at a given resolution. When I want 35mm I have a number of great cameras I can use. Nikon FE2, FED 1. Also have a Kiev 88 which can get some amazing images. It all depends on what I want to shoot to which camera I will use.
The cheapest way to shoot full frame is to shoot film, no doubt about it!
@Peter Brown don't know what you are ranting about... and the word is wannabe
@Peter Brown no, try something new
The Sony a6000 is my first camera i've 3 years ago i still use it today, almost always with vintage lenses. I really like it, no doubt about it. Very good size for traveling. Also you can do really nice wide open close ups with a 50mm lens with low minimum focus distance. But i crops the swirly bokeh characteristic from i.e. a Helios 44-2 and im really into special bokeh shots. I also own a Praktica film camera and i really like my 50mm lenses on full frame, it just feels more natural as a walkaround lens. In my opinion 75mm due to crop can be a bit much sometimes so im looking forward getting a Sony A7 someday. But thats rather a mild inconvenience to be honest.
One thing I've found using cameras as a left-eye dominant person, no camera really works well for left-eye dominant people. So just choose one you enjoy using & if fits your needs! What I use for Sony a6X00 cameras is to set the trash icon to disable touch function, that way my nose won't go faffing with the focus and I can quickly re-enable when I'm not using the viewfinder. :-)
Awesome video as usual. This time I watched with my headphones on and heard your watch ticking probably very close to the Zoom mic. Wow, it really adds to the experience!
Enjoyable channel.....You can get the Canon M5 used for the same price,APSC 24 mpx if you need the canon colours. The one downside with Sony is the scroll wheel.it's poorly designed,too easy to accidently change ISO or one of the other settings. I agree image quality is superb....The Fujifilm X Pro 1 is a little cheaper and a bargain for vintage glass enthusiasts and new it cost 3x the price of a new A6000.
Very helpful Nigel - thanks. Having purchased a few vintage lenses now and really enjoying them, I’ve decided to upgrade my Oly EM10 to a lightly used A6500. I’m retaining my Oly EM5 mk iii and modern lenses as I still love MFT as well.
Hello! I'm considering buying a Kiev rangefinder with a Jupiter 8 lens with the red P and have been trying to find an adapter to make it usable on Sony e mount. Are you using one in this video, and if so, can you tell me where I might obtain one? Ta.
It's more difficult to adapt lenses with the kiev mount as the adaptor has to have a focussing helicoid. You can probably find one on ebay but they tend to be more expensive than those for other mounts. It would be much easier to buy a screwmount camera/lens (zorki or fed) and adapt that instead.
@@zenography7923
Thanks. I bought the Kiev, and I took your advice and checked eBay for an adapter and found some. Apparently, some people are cannibalizing Kievs for the helicoids and affixing them to adapters for modern digital cameras. Some even come with a free RF lens and free shipping like this one:
www.ebay.com/itm/154469092791?
It's kinda funny. I've bought this camera without checking much specs etc, and i'using it since 3 years and i just love it. Kit lens it's not that bad. Then i added a 7 artisans 25mm. Only after i've discovered the endless possibilities of vintage lenses. Then i've bought some zeiss, some russians lenses... Great camera indeed!
Mirrorless cameras really open up the possibilities for creative photography, and this is one of the nicest!
@@zenography7923 yes indeed. I've had cameras in my hands long before autofocus, so using old lenses is a pleasure, not an issue. Recently I've bought a Fujica st 801 (paired with a fujinon 55mm f 1.8) for 50 euros, so i can use my lenses also with a native m42 camera. One thing i 'd love could be a "silent shutter" mode to steal some images, maybe using the phone app with the camera hanging on my back.. except for that, I can't complain at all. I love taking portrait with the a6000 using a cheap 3 flashes setup and a remote trigger, with hss and all the fancy stuff... Photography can be really affordable in these times..
I bought a nex 3n and I'm amazed. Next will I buy a 6000.
These are extraordinary little machines for sure!
I first bought a Sony NEX-VG20 APSC hybrid camera. Really nothing wrong with it, only it's a heavier camera to take photos; I use it for videos mostly. But I want to experience a full frame sensor. So recently, I got myself a Sony A7 mk I. I've got the advantage of both sensor sizes while using the same E-mount for the lenses.
Hello Zenography,
The A6000 is a good camera . Well... but not for my, betwin 14mm to 85mm I use my A7, from 90mm to 1500mm I use my Om-D.
My guy i gotta tell you first that I own a a6000 and i love it, and you can set the top dial towork like exp. compensation for P, S & A modes in the menu>second tab>6 page> Dial/Wheel Ev Comp and set it to Dial :)
Another excellent video thank you Nigel.
Thanks Tony, glad you're still enjoying them!
If you use a focal reducer (mine is the Kipon BayEyes .07 Focal Reducer) the crop factor becomes negligible and you gain about a full stop in exposure...
you always have some trashy lenses on Sony sensors , give me a break man , aint nothing fantastic about that trashy lens . its ok i am not critiquing you , i like you casual presentation , so i watch your vids .
So i support you , but im always going to say , trashy lenses man trashy lenses
Trashy? They’re cheap and make fantastic images - sounds like a win - win situation to me. Thanks for looking in Pavle.
@@zenography7923 I get it , you grew up with Zeiss Sonar , Planar and other hand drawn /designed lenses , that are made like tanks .
Collecting them , even using them is ok , but say Fantastic lens , Sharp ... wait a minute .
Canon EF 28-80 for example is also cheap , cheaper then 90% of those vintage ones , also 35 years old , its 2x as sharp as any of those vintage ones 3-4x sharper then some , and even that is only good for 4-5 Mpix , So when you say sharp ,what does that mean , 3Mpix sharp ?
You put a vintage lens on a Sony A7 , and clearly its mushy and soft , and you say sharp .
I dont get that , maybe you dont have good eyesight .
When i say a lens is sharp , i say 6Mpix sharp , thats what you get 6Mpix on Canon Ef 28-80 .
Canon 50m 1.8 8-10Mpix , depending on the body .
For anything above 12Mpix you need Canon L lens , or equivalent
Those vintage lenses are tops 2Mpix , and even that is Hazy
@@dedskin1 sounds like the only thing that matters to you is sharpness.
This is my everyday camera. And I think Sony's aps-c system still using this same sensor. So, if you're a vintage lens shooter, the only thing the latest α6xxx can offer over the α6000 is more battery life, and I think IBIS can be helpful too.
I think they've improved the iso performance too, but it's kind of a detail...
The sensor might be the same, but the processing is different. So it's not like it's the exact same image quality, but especially for the price the A6000 holds up really well. It's mostly in low light and in dynamic range where I do notice it's a bit of an older design. Iso 6400 gets a little bit ugly and noisy (the type of noise with random red and green pixels thrown around, not a nice grainy effect) and the same happens if I push the shadows too much in post. Color science is also constantly improving as Sony releases models. But if you use Capture One Express (free) you get a lot of power to tweak the look as you like and remove a bit of noise and it really opens up the camera and it's definitely good enough to produce professional results. But in high iso performance things have definitely improved over the last 7 years as you'd expect.
Interesting video as always. It would be great if you made a video about left handed cameras for people like myself whose left eye is dominant. Which vintage cameras are best for lefties? Thank you!
You should try the A5000/A5100. You are gonna love it!
In aperture priority the top dial can be set to adjust exposure compensation. I have to disagree with you on the viewfinder though as I find it virtually unusable in bright light and the rear screen is the only option. That is also not the best even in sunny brightness mode, still probably the best budget mirrorless camera out there despite it's failings of which I consider the viewfinder to be the biggest.
...you could put a film into the Leica. The extra weigth in the back would make it stand....
I have shoot with this camera the last 4 years with a tone of vintage lenses and i have created beautiful video too.Although in video i love to work with the amazing sigma 35mm f1.4. During the last year I purchased the sony A7 so this beauty became my first choice for going out and taking pictures.Both cameras complemented perfectly each others and are very easily used with vintage lenses due to accurate focus peaking.
Does A6000 have multi-exposure facility? Very useful video this, thanks.
I have nex7 and i hate that camera. Hopefully those newer models have better shutters.
I like the shutter on my NEX-7. It is a lovely camera.
This camera pops up all over the place on Flickr pages when I’m interested in a vintage lens and search the pages for some images. Had no idea it was that small! The images are wonderful and 300$ for a 24 megapixel camera is a really good buy. You mentioned the rangefinder lenses utilize a slimmer adapter... is that because they are M39 mounts or is there another reason? Thanks again for another lovely talk on cameras and photography.
As always, splendid work / Ulf
Thanks so much Ulf, very glad you enjoyed it!
I have this camera (as well as its' predecessor the NEX-6) and it is everything as you have described it. I use it as well as my Fuji XT-20 as my go-to cameras for mounting vintage lenses since there are an abundance of adapters for them.
You know it took me a couple of hours to realize what was missing from this video… No singing! I miss your singing…
Hmm...what rhymes with a6000?
@@zenography7923 ant
@@zenography7923 astound'n (astounding rounded off a little bit)
$$$$
The nex 6 is awesome too and cheaper
I've heard it's a nice little camera - thanks for the tip!
Please help me - Sony a6000 when i am trying to send the image from imaging edge mobile app i am getting error message as Could not obtain image please reply why this edit is coming
Sorry, I'm not sure. Perhaps someone else on here could help?
I had this camera before I bought a Sony ar7iii and found it a perfect combination with a sigma 56mm 1.4 the images this combination produces work beautifully for me. So what do I do now? I find my hands going back to the small light a6000 again and again! It’s just so tactile.
Thank you for your kind reply, I really enjoy your presentations. May see you with a few of my photo group in Epsom, at some time. Regards!
It certainly has points to recommend it over larger cameras... Then again, I do like my a7...!
I am still using from time to time my Sony NEX-7 in addition to my full-frame cameras. I also like the small form-factor and the little amount of attention it draws to my shooting. But some lenses won't work with it, e.g. the Jupiter-12. This form-factor (similar to the A6000) is not great when used together with heavy lenses due to the small grip. I also owned the A6000 for some time and I can report, that the NEX-7 is nearly as good but can be purchased nowadays for less than 200 GBP. The NEX-7 has a microphone port, something what the A6000 is lacking but the menu is quite archaic. The video quality isn't great but nevertheless I will keep the NEX-7 forever for shooting stills and produce videos with my Sony A7S or my Sony ZV-1. Generally I am astonished how well these early Sony mirrorless cameras have aged.
They've aged really well, and are still entirely useable. The nex 7 is a great little machine - I almost bought one when they were new, but waited for the a7 instead!
For astrophotography this is a real winner because the crop factor crops out a lot of the problem areas in refractors and other telescopes. The smaller sensor also has less glow and other issues. Lower weight means portable mounts can be carried just about anywhere with less junk to stabilize them. And, at the price, if Mother Nature does something bad to it....it doesn't hurt as bad!
That's interesting - I haven't done a lot of astrophotography, but if you're losing the edges of the frame you are indeed losing many of a lens's flaws. Thanks for the tip!
I have an A6000 along with the threes 2.8 Sigma lenses, 19, 30 and 60 mm, plus a 7Artisans 12mm.
Also with Pentax PK and M42 adapters.
I lost the ability to sit on my hands after I acquired a Nex 5 to use on a telescope.
As long as you don't sit on your telescope you should be ok... :)
Top class video as always
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks!
You need both for a more dynamic experience.
Long time Canon shooter until I picked up A6400. Now I'm a Sony fanboy
Cool!
What was that? 2:58
full frame lenses also perform better on full frame sensors, there are other videos on YT with technical analysis of IQ and contrast which confirm this, I think it is due to the lenses casting a bigger image circle than an APS-C sensor needs leading to metering errors.
That's plausible I guess, but I found they worked pretty nicely on this one!
Aside from the lack of mic jack, the a6000 is quite a capable video camera, if you have the latest firmware and the right memory card you can record in the higher bitrate XAVC codec. The autofocus is also really fast with native Sony lenses. 👍 Also: a Lens Turbo 2 adapter is great for vintage lenses
Thanks for the info!
So tempting. Was considering the A7 but a carry camera with Zorki or Fed lens on would be lovely. Get thee behind me Satan ;-(
Indeed!
@@zenography7923 What the Hell ;-) I've ordered a used one from MPB. A lovely little carry camera. It can share my Sony and adapted lenses.
2:58 sounds rather musical, I find
nice review of sony a6000 still capable and in standard size pixel 24mp and also nice video of your cat, many photographer and youtuber have cat 😅🙏📸👍
He's a great cat, because over the years he's learned to pose for a shot!
@@zenography7923 nice more of cat photos for samples, i likr your cat 👍🙏😅🐈
when you mention that we lose it's character - i think about how one might get a lens for it's swirly bokeh - and so is it correct that one would lose some of that swirled in an APSC camera?
Can you confirm this statement?
I had a funny desire the other day that if there's "speed boosters" for full frame DSLR AF lens - it could be interesting to have the same concept for vintage adapter lens as well haha
With no speedbooster, on aps-c, you'll lose about a third from the edge of the shot as compared to the same lens on full frame so yes, you'll lose a little of the swirly goodness, but as you still have the central two thirds, much of it will be preserved. You'll only lose a bit of lens character!
@@zenography7923 thank you for the confirmation.
@@shApYT hmm yes that does make sense.
What puts me off buying mirrorless is that exposed sensor. Surely it gets dusty when you change lenses? Love this channel by the way. Thanks.
The sensor is more exposed to dust, and they gather it more readily than a dslr when exposed to it, but I've never found it to be a problem. Occasional use of a blower helps too!
I found that my DSLR gather more dust due to the flapping mirror moving around and deep dust collecting mirror box.
The reasons why the a6000 live on so long was the name. It rolls off the tongue nicely and sounds futuristic compared to the old NEX names when it came out in 2014.
Sony finally realized it and marketed their succeeding APS-C mirrorless cameras using the a6x00 nomenclature and design.
I have a Canon M100 which is even cheaper and more compact. Perfect for compact RF lenses. Sure, it doesn't have a viewfinder but it has a full-flip display instead. The only thing I'm missing on the M100 when shooting with vintage lenses is that I can't assign the focus zoom to the video button on top.
I've somehow missed out on the Canon mirrorless models - I'll investigate soon!
Not sure, if a professional photographer will enjoy it that much since it relies on it's (very good) touch screen a lot. You have to get used to it. But I'm willing to accept that for the overall package and compactness. Works with the Industar collapsibles to some degree. Even, if you want auto focus, pair it with the ef-m 22mm and you still have an APS-C camera which fits into your pocket and is huge fun. Like I mentioned the only issue is quickly switching to focus zoom.