The Sony A6000 is a 24-Megapixel APS-C mirrorless camera that was announced in February 2014, and although it’s been around the market for a relatively long period of time, it’s still a camera that’s well equipped to do the kind of work that modern photography demands. During its launch, the camera was touted as having the fastest Autofocus system in the world for APS-C Sized mirrorless cameras, and even if that may not be the case right now, it’s still pretty high up there compared to more recent releases. The Alpha A6000 is also fitted with a tiltable LCD screen, and on top of it there’s an 0.39 inch electronic viewfinder. As standard, the Sony APS-C mirrorless camera comes with the 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, and despite being unable to do 4K quality video recording, the A6000 is still a formidable camera to work with. By the end of this Sony A6000 review, you’ll have found out why the camera is considered one of the best point and shoot under 500. If you want 15 more cameras to choose from, visit our best digital camera review.
Why We Like It – Sony A6000 Review
The Sony A6000 may be a little dated, but as you’ll see in this A6000 review, it still has a lot to offer, and is sold at one of the best prices that you’ll get for a beginner-friendly mirrorless camera.
- Tilting Rear LCD Display
- Hybrid AF System
- Two control dials
- Not capable of 4K video capture
Performance
The Full HD Sony Alpha A6000 is one of those Sony cameras that offer a lot more value than the money you’ll spend on it. It comes with a high ISO range of 100-25600 for great shots in low light, and a shutter speed that ranges from 1/30000 of a second to 30 seconds. The A6000 Sony camera is capable of a continuous shooting speed that ranges from 11 frames per second, and has a battery life that will see it get up to a healthy 325 shots before it starts running low. It’s menu system also received an upgrade from what the NEX-6/NEX-7 cameras use, and is a bit more complicated to navigate. Nonetheless, once you get it figured out and customized, it should be a bit easier to get around. Just like the Nikon Coolpix B700, it also features an electronic viewfinder, though at 20.2 Megapixels, the B700 is outmatched in terms of picture quality.
Related: Here’s the latest Sony A5100 review
Design
Despite being a bit dated, the Sony A6000 would still pass as a well designed camera compared to what you’ll find in the market today. It does come packed with a lot of dials and buttons, and the fact that it’s rear LCD display isn’t touchscreen would mean setting things like the auto focus point would have to be done through custom buttons. In fact, you get up to 7 buttons that you can customize, and like the Olympus OM-D, two mode dials instead of one for changing your settings quickly. This might help you switch through your settings faster than you would with the Canon PowerShot SX710 HS. The only one nit-pick that we have with the mode dial is that neither of them have a memory recall mode, so you’ll always have to set up everything from the start when you use them.
Value
The Sony A6000 relies on a BIONZ X image processor to produce sharp images, and with NFC and WiFi connectivity both supported, you’ll be able to share your shots without much strain. It’s 24 Megapixel CMOS sensor is also difficult to find in other entry level cameras today, and with a tiltable rear LCD (which you’ll also get with the Nikon P7700), you’ll be able to take shots at whatever angle you’ll need to. Also, image quality in the A6000 is pretty much better than what its predecessors have to offer, as it comes with an advanced 179-point AF system that covers 92% of the frame.
Related: Learn more about this camera with our Sony DSC W830 review
Sony A6000 Review Wrap Up
With a 24.3 Megapixel image sensor, a BIONZ X image processor, Full HD recording capabilities and a fast Hybrid AF system, the Sony A6000 is probably the best camera you can go for if you’re just getting started out. If you opt for one with the 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens, you’ll be getting a good quality camera with all the essentials you need to take the best pictures.
