Sony A6000

Thought I would start a new thread on the SONY A6000.

Please add general helpful information.

Add internet sites that can help learn and use this camera.

Add pictures and examples of your work with this camera.

Add any else that comes to mind.

Several years ago I started a thread on the FZ200 and there are over 70k hits from fellow photographers who have added helpful info on using this camera.

SO lets hear from you all !!!!!!!!!!

Tom :cool:

For those who want to stretch out battery life, here are my recommended initial settings:

Turn ON airplane mode, which shuts off the wifi.

Turn OFF pre-focus, which will stop the camera from constantly focusing when you're not hitting the shutter button

Turn automatic image review OFF so the photo you just took is not always displayed right after you take it

Set sleep mode to something short, like 1 minute

Turn OFF AF-assist light if you don't often take photos indoors in very low light so it doesn't trigger unnecessarily

Also, remember many of the buttons on the camera body are customizable, so you can put many of your most-used settings in the various button positions. The right and bottom buttons of the 4-way arrow, the C1 and C2 buttons, and the AE Lock button can all be changed to other functions. Plus, you can load up to 12 different frequently used settings into the 'Fn' menu, for easy access.

There's a 'quick navi' mode in the LCD display for those who shoot with the EVF most of the time - it will always display all the various camera settings on the LCD, and allow you to change any of those settings by moving the 4-way pad and adjusting the jog wheel - without having to dive into menus to access the settings.

Remember there's 3 different sizes to the spot focus point! You can make it quite small, for when you really need to focus on a small specific point. Some folks don't realize the point has different sizes.

Remember that when using 'Auto' ISO mode, there is the ability to set your own 'floor' and 'ceiling' ISO ranges - just arrow to the right when set to 'Auto ISO', and you can set the low ISO and the high ISO for the camera to use.

And don't forget the 'other' ISO mode - the uppermost ISO setting, with an icon that looks like multiple frames stacked, is a special mode called 'multi-frame Noise Reduction ISO'. This mode does an incredible job of reducing noise at very high ISO levels, by taking 4 shots quickly and automatically stacking and merging them in the camera to deliver 1 shot...the stacking averages out the noise between the 4 frames while restoring detail that would otherwise be lost behind the random noise. This mode will default to 'auto', but you can click the right arrow and manually set the ISO as well, all the way up to 51,200!

Remember that the DRO (Dynamic Range Optimization) mode is set by default to Auto, but you can also manually set the strength from 1 to 6. The same goes for the automatic stacking HDR mode (which also takes multiple shots and stacks them together, but this time to expose for highlights, midtones, and shadows and merge into a single HDR photo). Entering the HDR mode, it will be in Auto, but it can be manually set with a strength of 1 to 6 stops.

There is an option in the menu to display a 'thirds' grid in the EVF or LCD. Aside from providing a good reference for composition, the thirds grid also gives a very convenient horizon guide - allowing you to make sure you're framing straight horizons and verticals by aligning them to the horizontal and vertical tic-tac-toe lines on the screen.

Tom, thanks for starting this thread. I actually made the suggestion earlier this morning in another thread re this camera that we needed one (and would have done it over the weekend), so thanks! :)

Zackiedawg: thanks for that great list of tips. I've only just had the a6000 for a little over a week, and have discovered a number of them; your list is very helpful.

Here are a few internet resources that I've found:

This is the B&H free video with Gary Fong; it's about 90 minutes long, and while the first half hour is more of a commercial for the camera, the last hour does have useful information:

Gary Fong also has a paid site, which others (I think including Tom perhaps) have highly recommended (I haven't used it yet):

http://www.garyfong.com/videos/unleashing-power-your-sony-a6000

This is the Sony a6000 manual from the UK site, which I found more user-friendly than the manual on the American site (and I also like to pdf these things and send them to my Kindle and iPad, so I always have at least this resource when traveling, particularly if I don't have internet access)

http://download.sony-europe.com/pub/manuals/consumer/ILCE6000_HG_EN.pdf

This may sound simplistic, but take a few minutes to sit down and browse the menu. You will find things that are not readily clear as to their function and a quick search in the pdf maual or keystrokes in Google will clear those up.

Using the menu to customize the buttons is a great use of your time. After you have found all of the functions and understand their use, try them out. Play. If they are something you will use often, program them into the control buttons and it will make the camera much easier to use.

Oh, one more thing....go out and use it. Familiarity with this camera breeds contempt for most others. ;)

Dave

I asked about this on another thread this morning, but now that we have this one, it's much better posted here. I've had one instance so far when shooting with my new a6000 in which this message suddenly appeared: "camera error. please turn camera off and then on." That did not work -- turning the camera off and then on just kept bringing up the same error message on the display. So I took out the battery and fortunately that cleared the problem, whatever the problem was.

I've since "Googled" this to find that others have gotten this error message as well, and Sony says sometimes you have to re-set the camera settings to default. (User reports say that too, and also that sometimes just taking the battery out, as I did, will do the trick.)

I realize there are a lot of electronics in play, but it was a little distressing to have this happen. Obviously, I'll keep shooting and see if the problem recurs, but has anyone else experienced this? Any thoughts/advice?

Should I worry?

My A6000 has been with me since April 2014, as I got one of the first ones to hit the streets...it's run through over 50,000 shutter actuations so far, very heavy use, and so far, no such error. I have seen a few other threads or posts pop up where a few people seemed to experience that message - though not too many considering there've only been 2 or 3 posts on dpreview nex forum out of hundreds of users...I honestly don't know if they got lemons, or if these were just rare random glitches that only happened once or twice and never again.

If I were you, and I got that message more than 3-4 times, I'd likely want to return that camera & get another.

Thought I would start a new thread on the SONY A6000.

 

Tom :cool:

Thanks Tom, for setting up this tread.

I have had the NEX5 (sold it), the NEX7, and falling under the influence of Dave, bought the A6000.

Love the camera! But wondering how to reduce the shutter noise (the "clack") to the sound level of the FZ2000 or Panasonic P&S 40?

Thanks

I have always preferred Canon because of the battery charger. So far, I haven't found any other brand that uses something you put the battery in and plug into the wall. But now I am desperate to buy the fastest pocket-size camera with no delay or lag time, so with all of the praise the A6000 is getting on the board I'm thinking maybe I should consider changing brands - as long as recharging dead batteries does not require connecting the camera to a computer.

So my first question is about all Sony cameras: How do you recharge batteries? Can you do that without keeping the battery inside the camera and using a USB cord? The answer is very important to me because I mostly use cameras during vacations, when I don't have a computer and do need to swap batteries.

About the A6000 specifically: Will it fit comfortably in a jeans pocket?

I have always preferred Canon because of the battery charger. So far, I haven't found any other brand that uses something you put the battery in and plug into the wall. But now I am desperate to buy the fastest pocket-size camera with no delay or lag time, so with all of the praise the A6000 is getting on the board I'm thinking maybe I should consider changing brands - as long as recharging dead batteries does not require connecting the camera to a computer.

 

So my first question is about all Sony cameras: How do you recharge batteries? Can you do that without keeping the battery inside the camera and using a USB cord? The answer is very important to me because I mostly use cameras during vacations, when I don't have a computer and do need to swap batteries.

 

Not sure why you think Canon is the only brand that lets you charge the battery outside the camera. They pretty much all do. The batteries for all of my Nikons can be charged outside the camera, same for the batteries for my Panasonic Lumix. The issue is not whether you can charge the battery outside the camera, it's whether an external charger is supplied by the mfr when you buy the camera. In the case of the Sony a6000, it's not.

Sony supplies a USB cable for in-camera charging of the battery by connecting it to a computer or, better yet, to a wall outlet via the also-supplied A/C connector. BUT you can also BUY an external charger that will allow you to charge the battery outside the camera (like you,my preferred method).

So when I bought my a6000, I also bought this Watson external charger:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/837444-REG/watson_c_4228_compact_ac_dc_charger_for.html

When I'm not shooting and don't need the camera, the in-camera charging cable provides a means for me to charge two batteries at once (one in-camera and the other externally). So yes, you don't need a computer to charge the a6000 batteries (even if you don't buy an external charger).

My objection here is that more and more mfrs are not supplying external chargers with their cameras, requiring the purchase of yet another "accessory."

Thanks Tom, for setting up this tread.

 

I have had the NEX5 (sold it), the NEX7, and falling under the influence of Dave, bought the A6000.

 

Love the camera! But wondering how to reduce the shutter noise (the "clack") to the sound level of the FZ2000 or Panasonic P&S 40?

 

Thanks

Have you enabled electronic front-curtain shutter?

Settings (little gear) > Section 4 > e-Front Curtain Shut. = on

Eliminates the first closing of the shutter before the exposure.

Keep in mind that the shutter on the FZ200 only has to cover about 1/16 the area of the A6000/NEX-7 sensor and involves much less travel and mass.

Dave

So far, I haven't found any other brand that uses something you put the battery in and plug into the wall.

Actually, up until the A6000, all Sony e-mount cameras used to ship with the Sony BC-VW1 wall charger in the box with the camera. My NEX-3 and NEX-5N each came with one. Lately, they switched to shipping their cameras without external chargers...however they supply both a USB cable charger AND an AC/DC wall outlet adapter that the USB cord can plug into - so the battery can be charged in the camera, but doesn't require the computer to be charged - just plug it right into a wall.

As others mentioned there are plenty of third-party external chargers you can buy which work with the Sony batteries from the A6000 - and you can even buy the 'official' Sony versions including the BC-VW1 which used to come in the box. Personally, it's never been a problem for me as I still have my old wall chargers from my NEX-5N, and just use that with my A6000 batteries. I'm even glad the batteries can be charged in camera because I have 3 batteries to charge - so I can put one in the external charger, and one charging in camera simultaneously. And the extra advantage of the provided cable being both AC/DC and USB compatible is that I can top off a battery while driving in my car by plugging into my car's USB port.

About the A6000 specifically: Will it fit comfortably in a jeans pocket?

I don't think I'd consider the A6000 a jeans-pocket camera. A loose jacket pocket? No problem. A cargo-shorts pocket? No problem. Jeans would probably be very tight and not real comfortable for the jeans wearer!

The best place I have found to learn all about this camera, it's like having Gary sitting next to me as I ask questions on how to.

I hate to pay for guidance, but this was well worth it to me, you can go to this site and give it a try before you buy.

http://www.garyfong.com

Let me know what you think.

This tread is also going to a great place to learn and we have several great experts using this camera.

Tom :cool:

Don't forget Gary Friedman's book his Sony series answers alot of question, download to your computer, tablet and phone don't leave home without it!!

http://www.friedmanarchives.com/alpha6000/index.htm

John

Not sure why you think Canon is the only brand that lets you charge the battery outside the camera. They pretty much all do. The batteries for all of my Nikons can be charged outside the camera, same for the batteries for my Panasonic Lumix. The issue is not whether you can charge the battery outside the camera, it's whether an external charger is supplied by the mfr when you buy the camera. In the case of the Sony a6000, it's not.

Reviews and questions about Nikon cameras clearly state the battery stays in the camera. If a camera owner says that, you know it is true. Some people said there is no way to charge the battery outside the camera. I can't remember what brand that was. All "what's included" descriptions list a cord to charge it but only Canon shows a picture of a wall charger, so I had nothing to disprove customer claims you have to keep the battery in the camera.

Obviously the camera companies are trying to make us give them more money. If the chargers were included in the package, they would be free. I remember when 16 MB memory cards were included in the package. Now nobody puts any size memory card in it, including Samsung and Sony, who make them.

I have always preferred Canon because of the battery charger. So far, I haven't found any other brand that uses something you put the battery in and plug into the wall.

 

About the A6000 specifically: Will it fit comfortably in a jeans pocket?

1. All camera batteries may be used w external chargers. It is just that you might have to buy one.

2. The A6000 fits easily in a jacket pocket. it fits in a cargo pants pocket with the kit lens. It does not fir in a jeans pocket.

DON

1. All camera batteries may be used w external chargers. It is just that you might have to buy one.

 

2. The A6000 fits easily in a jacket pocket. it fits in a cargo pants pocket with the kit lens. It does not fir in a jeans pocket.

Can I use a Canon charger for a Sony battery?

Can I use a Canon charger for a Sony battery?

No. And you might not even be able to use your Canon charger with another type of Canon battery. Each camera battery requires a specific type of charger; sometimes, within a brand, cameras will use the same type of battery, in which case you can use the same charger for those batteries. (For example, the Nikon D5100 and P7000 both use the Nikon EN-EL 14 battery, and thus can share the MH-24 charger. But the Nikon D7000 uses a different battery and thus requires a different charger.)

The Watson charger for the Sony a6000 battery to which I linked in my comment above costs $20. Or you can pay more for a Sony charger.

I found this interesting I was looking on the two big lens rental sites, for maybe something for the next cruise and found to rent a second A6000 body is only $30 aweek. My older A57 is still rents more than a A7 or even a A77, who would guess?

John

PS I get my SEL50f1.8 today!!!

For those who want to stretch out battery life, here are my recommended initial settings:

 

Turn ON airplane mode, which shuts off the wifi.

Turn OFF pre-focus, which will stop the camera from constantly focusing when you're not hitting the shutter button

Turn automatic image review OFF so the photo you just took is not always displayed right after you take it

Set sleep mode to something short, like 1 minute

Turn OFF AF-assist light if you don't often take photos indoors in very low light so it doesn't trigger unnecessarily

 

Another good reason to turn OFF the auto image review is that you are able to keep your eye on your subject, particularly when using burst mode. If auto image review is ON, there will be a short moment after you have taken a burst of photos as the images write to the card and the buffer clears when you won't be able to see your subject. So this turn OFF tip is a two-fer. :)

I haven't found any other brand that uses something you put the battery in and plug into the wall... I'm thinking maybe I should consider changing brands - as long as recharging dead batteries does not require connecting the camera to a computer.

 

How do you recharge batteries?

Actually ALL cameras manufactured today uses their own batteries. I believe the manufactures figured out that four "AA" batteries didn't add to its bottom line!

If you check with Amazon, you will find a host of DIFFERENT batteries for different model cameras (a Nikon DSLR, a Canon DSLR for example, may use a different battery type even though the camera may be from the same manufacturer.

You can also buy various wall-type chargers by different manufacturers, including off-brand manufacturers for the batteries, both manufacturer-supplied and off-brands.

My two Panasonics uses two different batteries and are not interchangable.

Thank goodness my NEX-7 and A6000 uses the same type batteries.

And yes, there are not only Sony chargers for the batteries, but some off-brand chargers as well.

Remember that mostly all camera batteries are manufactured in China and mostly all battery chargers are also products of China.

In recent years, I've stopped putting UV filters on my lenses and use a lens hood for protection. The 16-50 kit lens for the A6000 does not come with a hood, and best I can tell from a search, there's none available.

Please correct me if that's wrong, but if it's not, what have folks done in terms of lens protection? A UV filter? Nothing?

Thanks!

In recent years, I've stopped putting UV filters on my lenses and use a lens hood for protection. The 16-50 kit lens for the A6000 does not come with a hood, and best I can tell from a search, there's none available.

 

Please correct me if that's wrong, but if it's not, what have folks done in terms of lens protection? A UV filter? Nothing?

 

Thanks!

Check these options at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=lens+hood+for+sony+16-50mm&tag=googhydr-20&index=electronics&hvadid=56289755707&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5605433386850863066&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_9rlxw3ri88_b

Tom :cool:

Check these options at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=lens+hood+for+sony+16-50mm&tag=googhydr-20&index=electronics&hvadid=56289755707&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5605433386850863066&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_9rlxw3ri88_b

 

Tom :cool:

Thanks Tom! I'm thinking that the lens is so small, the traditional style hood would not fit "backwards" on it for storage when mounted on the camera....

Anyone use any of these lens hoods? UV filter for protection instead? Or nothing?

Nothing.

I use a lens cap keeper or and just snap it on or let it dangle depending on expected time between shots. I seldom use a UV filter for protection anymore except in bad weather or really gritty conditions. For the 16-50, I got a 40.5mm x 49mm step-up ring so I can share filters with the 55-210 telephoto and the 50mm f/1.8.

I have thought about one of the aforementioned hoods but when we go on a tour or visit a landmark, the always give you a "hood" to block side glare in the form of informative literature and all my other lenses have their own. :)

Dave

Good morning

Was up early this morning and found a GREAT deal on the Sony A7R Full Frame Mirrorless Camera. Would you believe $199.00 regular $2199.00 from the Sony Store on the internet.

Think will try it out and then sell and take my profit, do not want to have to buy all new lenses.

Tom :cool: