Fun with A6000

[MikalWGrass]

Guy, I rented another a900 from them a few months ago. Excellent outfit to deal with.

 

[scho]

Couple of walkabout shots with the A6000 and M-Rokkor 40mm f/2.

 

[Rawfa]

JUST got the A6000 and even though I didn't have A LOT of time to test it the AF REALLY surprised me positively (specially when compared to the A7's AF).
Here are some VERY QUICK tests out of my window with a focal reducer and a Canon FD 24-40mm f2.8.

 

[Rawfa]

Playing around the house (fe 28-70)

 

[ryc]

Just picked it up yesterday. will use with the ZA lenses.

 

[Rawfa]

Straight out of the A7 with the FE 55mm 1.8

 

[raist3d]

I never expected myself to be on a Nex, er. Alpha thread, but here I am.

From last night (Sony SEL35mm F1.8 OIS - 52.5mm equiv)

- Ricardo

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I honestly have bought these small point and shoot cameras before and have sold them off just about as fast as I can but this one. I have to say I'm pretty impressed by it and I actually like shooting with it and the files are darn good. Now it serves as not only a solid backup but a fairly serious tool I can actually use with client work. This weekend I'm away from home so I have it my new Sony 24 ZA and my ZA 20mm with me but the little kit lens ain't half bad. I'm mostly shooting the 24mm to try it but this makes things fun for me.

 

[Rawfa]

My wife

Iso 2000, Canon FD 50mm f1.4 with an off brand focal reducer

 

[raist3d]

I honestly have bought these small point and shoot cameras before and have sold them off just about as fast as I can but this one. I have to say I'm pretty impressed by it and I actually like shooting with it and the files are darn good. Now it serves as not only a solid backup but a fairly serious tool I can actually use with client work. This weekend I'm away from home so I have it my new Sony 24 ZA and my ZA 20mm with me but the little kit lens ain't half bad. I'm mostly shooting the 24mm to try it but this makes things fun for me.

Guy, the biggest problem I am finding with the A6000 is that I am not seeing the same "bite" I am used to seeing with the Fuji or even the Nikon V3 in the right situations. After some arduous research I see it's a factor of:
- the lens (the Zeiss lenses add certainly more punch)
- but by a big % the raw converter.

I found DXo does a *superb* job with color. But unfortunately if you use their distortion correction you get sometimes concentric circles in photos at high iso. I did a google search and they sort of acknowledged a solution which is to turn vignette correction off, and that helped but not quite in all situations.

Turning distortion finally did it but turning off distortions in a raw converter is a bit umm...

Ironically the Sony Image Data Converter does a pretty good job with color.

I am not quite impressed with LR 5.4 here (though not surprised- I saw this problem before with Pentax RAW files).

B&W in LR 5.4 is ok.

- Ricardo

PS: Update- Guy- I have never been impressed with the Nex's, except this A6000 (Alpha now I guess). It's like Sony "figured it out." Good ergonomics, great handle, still small (which I like/a must for me), customizable, good features.

 

[raist3d]

Rawfa- I like the expressions and portraits but I find the black point seems off (kinda low contrast/not black set to some level of gray). Otherwise I like.

- Ricardo

 

[Rawfa]

Ricardo, I was actually going for a bit of a faded look without going too far.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Just got home from a wedding planning trip in Lake Havasu. I shot some stuff that I'll post tomorrow in ACR. Still waiting for C1 support than I'll have a better idea of this sensor.

 

[ryc]

Waiting for my adapter to use ZA lenses. but here is one with the nikon 28mm 2.8 ais

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I shot these with the A6000 and the ZA 24mm F2 lens with the Sony 4 adapter around F7.1. I processed these quickly in ACR which is not my processing program so I am still on the fence about quality of files until I get them in C1 which will give me a better idea on performance of this sensor BUT i am still very impressed by this cam so far. I know I am keeping it thats a given. Im in mental debate about the A77II and getting that as well since I do NEED a higher performance machine for my big runway shows and rent the ZA 70-200 2.8 for it. But my thinking for all PR and event work is the A6000 and A77II with my full assortment of A glass and getting the 16-50 2.8 DT lens for the A77II which is perfect for on camera flash and grip and grins. Than use my A7r for the real work with more client advertising and landscape work. Having all three bodies A7r, A6000, A77II just about covers anything thrown at me. Right now in A mount glass I have the Sony 20 2.8, 24mm F2, Sigma 35mm 1.4, 85 1.4 and 135 1.4 plus I have a 55mm FE and this little kit lens on the A6000 which aint too bad but may sell it just for the cash to get my A77II and its kit lens which I think is much better and faster. Im about to hit the pre-order buttons on it right now. LOL

Anyway the Sony 24mm F2 looks darn good and need to get it on the A7r but so far its got what I want. These are nothing special I was scouting for wedding locations

 

[MikalWGrass]

Guy - the files look nice and clean. How will the 77II give you better performance? Grip? Extra battery? More focal points?

I read a review of the a6000 by a sports shooter whose review I found on sonyalpharumors.com. You will have to cut and paste the link.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/new...-report-part-ii-focusing-on-a-world-in-motion

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Exactly what I am thinking is the dang grip more than anything with close to 15k in images i just can't wrap my hand over a camera with my arthritis. Plus I gain extra battery power , more AF points and I am thinking better low light AF continuous tracking and more important the 70-200 F4 FE is a little too slow and rather have the ZA 70-200 2.8 which I rent. Although I am guessing they are using the same sensor but the A77II i think is using a separate focusing engine which sounds to me to be more accurate. One other little issue with clients sometimes is and hate to even say this but you need to look Professional with your gear and the A77II has more meat to it. I know sounds pathetic but appearance some times works.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

One other thing the 16-50 2.8 DT is rated pretty good and sounds like the perfect zoom in these APS mounts

Nice feature with the A77II as well is I can go about shooting without a adapter so all my A glass can take advantage of all those AF points. So model work and portraits would be nice to actually not focus and recompose. Thats a big plus and the price is low on it.

This would give me a outstanding AF kit and i still get my cake and it it too with my 36mpx A7r. The more I digest this the more it makes perfect sense to me and i can actually justify it to myself and for my business makes a good decision. This is scary I am just to logical here and normal thinking. ROTFLMAO

Really I am buying time until all the FE glass is out and proven plus by than a new 7 series will be on version II. Im just thinking ahead

But I don't want to take away from the A6000 as this thing is got some juice to it. It will now reside with me on all shooting as backup and primary if needed

 

[MikalWGrass]

Not being a pro, I don't have the issue of how the cameras appear to my clients. However, I was speaking with a former reporter who has read up on all of the Sony gear. I mentioned that I was thinking about the a6000 with the underwater housing. He immediately told me that if I get that combo he will pay me to photograph and video his son's swim strokes (his son is one of the fastest in South Florida). My ancient Nikonis is on its last legs anyway.

Now that I followed your advice on how best to track things, I will stick with the a900 for a while more, though it too has issues when first trying to focus on a moving subject (flag football player).

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Yea I saw your post they look good but I am assuming the A900 is not unto what these new breeds of AF are today and they keep breaking new ground too. I would hold off just a little bit and see whats around the corner. I am truly buying time here which you don't have too. i have client needs and that dictates a lot. If there was no client I would not be buying the A77II thats a given right there. The A6000 is just a nice carry around and its got some punch. It paid for itself on one gig a week or so ago and more important I nailed it with it too and the files look great.

Now that underwater housing looks dang cool and a bunch of fun to have with the kids.

My kids are too old BUT I am going to be a grandpappi in October. LOL