Sony NEX-6 Review

Summary

When I first found out that Sony came up with yet another mirrorless camera segment with the introduction of the NEX-6, I asked myself if it was really necessary to have so many different cameras to offer. Without a doubt, the mirrorless camera market is growing very fast. However, with 4 different camera segments that share a lot of the same technology, isn’t Sony bombarding potential customers with confusing choices? Then I remembered the DSLR market and realized that it is also divided to similar segments, while the Olympus/Panasonic alliance has even more choices. So considering the price of the low-end NEX-F3 and the high-end NEX-7, creating a more affordable segment is actually a great idea in my opinion. A lot of people really liked the NEX-7 when it came out, but did not want to shell out $1,200 for a body-only version. The Sony NEX-6, on the other hand, is a different proposition at $850. That $350 difference is substantial for many photographers that are considering investing in a mirrorless system. With the NEX-5 series lacking the much needed viewfinder for serious use, the only choice for advanced photographers was to either buy a viewfinder separately, or buy the much more expensive NEX-7. Now there is a better choice with the NEX-6, which is specifically targeted at more serious photographers that are looking for a value proposition.

When evaluating the NEX series cameras, I spent quite a bit of time evaluating both the NEX-6 and the NEX-7. My goal was to thoroughly understand where each one excels or loses and which camera ultimately represents a better overall value, irrespective of its price. As I used both more and more, I started to realize that the NEX-7 just did not justify its high-end status. Towards the end, I found myself using the NEX-6 way more than the NEX-7. There were four main reasons for this. First, the NEX-6 has a much more robust hybrid autofocus system that worked better than the older contrast-detect AF system on the NEX-7. Second, I really liked how Sony implemented the PASM dial on the NEX-6 – it just felt like a small DSLR to me. Third, the ISO standard hot shoe meant that I could use the NEX-6 to trigger standard flash accessories, including my speedlights without having to attach any adapters. That alone was a huge deal for me, because I do quite a bit of studio work. And lastly, 16 megapixels just felt “right” for an APS-C sensor, with very low levels of noise, excellent colors and wide dynamic range. I asked myself a number of times – would I really need 24 MP on a mirrorless system? And my answer was “no” most of the time. If your work requires more pixels for gigantic prints, then the Nikon D800 or a medium format camera are the obvious choices. But I just don’t see much use for so many megapixels on an APS-C sensor, so 24 MP just sounds like an overkill to me for everyday photography. With an inferior autofocus system, proprietary hot shoe, higher price tag and no other notable advantages, I just do not see the point of getting the NEX-7 at this point. Perhaps later this year, if Sony replaces the NEX-7 with a newer model and updates it with the same or better AF system and standard hot shoe, it might then become a better choice. However, the price difference is still going to be there, so you will have to see if the new features will be worthy of the higher price tag…

Without a doubt, the Sony NEX-6 is currently the best mirrorless camera from Sony, period.