thinking of getting an a6000

Hi everyone, I've had a t4i and used an sl1 for a while, nothing really else other than trying out my friends 5D2 and a 6d for a few minutes. But for some reason my camera's I've had the shots i wanted to get although they came out in focus, weren't really fast enough unless unless the person was stationary (someone cooking and a flame pops up, bicycle riding) sometimes its good, other times i've had to just delete over 20 pictures because what i wanted was in focus. I also bicycle everywhere when I can, thats why I was looking at the a6000, fast auto focus, 24mp vs 18, same size aps-c sensor but mirrorless. And they can be had at a good price now. Does anyone know if a newer model is coming out? If not I was looking to get the a6000 and pick up some good lenses later other than the 16-50 and 50-210 that I've seen for around 750ish new with both lenses, I know they aren't great, but I've used both the canon 18-55 regular is and the stm model so i know what kit lenses are capable of and if you can still get good shots out of them.

Any opinions?

Thanks.

I'm really confused by your post... are you saying that you can't get any motion shots in focus with your camera, but you can if they're stationary? If so, there could be a number of factors as to why that is.

I also think that though the a6000 has a very good AF system, when it comes to tracking it won't give you much if any advantage over using even an entry level DSLR. You would have better luck learning to use the AF system of your current camera. Do you use all points when tracking? Do you use single lock AF or continuous? Are you using a faster enough shutter speed?

itsray wrote in post #17681174
although they came out in focus, weren't really fast enough unless unless the person was stationary

If they're in focus, but still blurry, then maybe you're using too slow a shutter speed?

itsray wrote in post #17681174
sometimes its good, other times i've had to just delete over 20 pictures because what i wanted was in focus

I'm guessing you meant "wasn't in focus"? If so that kinda contradicts your earlier statement. I'm with EverydayGetaway here, I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to say.

itsray wrote in post #17681174
I also bicycle everywhere when I can, thats why I was looking at the a6000

Although small and mirrorless, you're actually not saving much weight compared to a similar SL1 kit:
Canon SL1 370g
Canon 18-55 STM 205g
Canon 55-250 STM 375g
Total: 950g

Sony A6000 344g
Sony 16-50 116g
Sony 55-210 345g
Total: 805g

From what I've heard the Sony 16-50 is not a great lens, even for a kit lens. I think the Canon 18-55 STM is supposed to be much better.

itsray wrote in post #17681174
Does anyone know if a newer model is coming out?

Yes, but nobody knows when (at least not publicly). There have been rumors of a new high-end Sony crop mirrorless (A7000?) for quite a while, maybe a year now, but Sony seems to be focusing on the A7 line at the moment.

Do you currently own a T4i or SL1? If so, I'm not sure I would recommend spending the money to switch to the A6000. If you don't currently have a camera, then the A6000 is a great one to get.

i did have one but i had to sell it about 6 months ago due to financial reasons

In that case the A6000 is a great camera that would probably make you quite happy

You might want to go see one in person at a local electronics store (if you haven't already). See how it fits in your hand (being smaller, it doesn't feel the same as a DSLR, some people find it more awkward), see if you like the electronic viewfinder (some people prefer an optical viewfinder), play with the menus (Sony's are a bit different than Canon's). I personally like the EVF, and don't mind the ergonomics. I almost bought one a while back, but ended up getting an A7 instead.

If/when a new model comes out it will be more expensive, so factor that into your decision also.

thanks for the advice. the a7 models are nice. but i keep reading the a6000 has faster autofocus

Heya,

Can you post examples where you think the camera was letting you down?

Very best,

MalVeauX wrote in post #17687933
Heya,

Can you post examples where you think the camera was letting you down?

Very best,

I would but I usually end up deleting those. I do feel that those cameras were good enough (t4i,sl1). But currently I have no camera and would like to get a new one soon within the next 2 months. The shots that didn't end up turning out good were probably not a fast enough shutter/bad focus during an indoor shoot for a friend who's a chef which also was at night, so a lot of night photos where there was enough lighting didn't turn out so good. I've thought about getting an a7II in the next 2 months because I've seen how FF is better. Now again, I do this as a hobby to enjoy myself outside of corporate work. But there are times I do things that are paid.

There's really two issues here.

You won't get a night and day difference in focusing between A6000 and T4i. Whatever problems you're having are technique related.

But size wise, it will be a very noticeable change. Forget the specs, SL1 is still a thick brick compared to A6000. It's just a bit narrower than T4i but still thick. And the lenses are sizable.

I have swore off knocking the lenses I did not personally use myself just based on reviews.

I recently bought a 55-210 used, just because it was cheap and I could use some extra reach. I am finding it significantly sharper than I expected based on the reviews.

I don't have 16-50, however I do have 18-55 which is a bit larger, and it's a sharp lens. The bokeh isn't the greatest though.

You can also get a Sigma 30/2.8 for something like $140 used, and it's very sharp.

So if the goal is to build a smaller setup with same capabilities, Sony APS-C would work just fine. I jumped the ship myself over two years ago and haven't looked back yet.

But you will not fix your focusing problems since I suspect they have nothing to do with your gear.

It's been ten months I've been trying to get acquainted with the A6000. I have had various DSLRs for decades and I am quite good with gadgets. With the A6000, however, I am still having problems because of its user interface with its millions of different menus is just so confusing that I lose my patience.

It is clear you can set it the way you like. This reguires at least two days off sitting down and figuring out and testing.
I am not kidding you here. You have beautiiful face recognition focusing which unfurtunately does not work with f/4.0 zoom in low light. All of a sudden, no autofocus. You can choose the focusing points. You can choose most anything but then when you are in a situation the mode you had configured does not work anymore, you just flip to the Inept Auto mode because any other options are hidden in the mazes of million menus. Maybe you'll get pictures that are correctly exposed and in focus. More likely not.

About lenses. The set lens is OK, nothing more nothing less. The Zeiss 16-70mm zoom has serious quality issues. Some samples are excellent whereas others less so. Mine focuses fast and gives sharp results in normal light. In low light it will not find focus. The color balance is blue.

If you get your A6000 to work, get extra battery and an external charger. A portable power bank also is a good idea. No other camera goes dark like the Sony. If you are used to a DSLR that needs to be charged once a week, this beeps twice a day.

You might love playing around with the third-party lenses that can be adapted to the A6000. There are two 'yes, buts'.
First one is that the autofocus with the Metabones adapter is not somethng that you would daily use.
The second thing is that yes, you can adapt for instance Canon lenses and get beautiful results with manual focusing.
Only that on the Canon bodies they perform better.
The Sony lens lineup leaves much to be hoped for. They are working on it at Zeiss with some excellent glass coming up. Not exactly 'value' but very, very good. The better Sony lenses are designed for the FF A7 sensor so youäd be buying picture circle real estate you have no use for...unless you are planning go for the A7 series...with more megapixels, bigger files and unless you are printing murals,no observable difference in the picture quality.

So, I probably will sell my A6000, its charger and two batteries, the Metabones adapter, Zeiss 16-70 zoom, 12mm Rokinon and the 20mm pancake.
There is a great potential there and the version 5.0 might finally be the one to get.
If you are in a situation where you actually have to get the pictures, I strongly suggest shooting with something else, Canon or Nikon, Lumix or Fuji or the other mountain, Olympus.

is there a way you could use an external flash and mic at the same time with it?