Sony A6300

[zackiedawg]

It does still work with EFCS - but that could be why the shutter delay is noticeable - it has to perform that stop down first, and though it does it pretty quickly, it's not instant and that slight delay of around 1/10 second or so is definitely there. But it's one quick single shutter sound using ECFS unlike that weird double-shutter sound you get without. I don't know that it would be able to use EFCS though at very fast shutter speeds...I was shooting in low enough light that I didn't really push the limits...that will require a little more extensive testing on a good day.

[havoc315]

It does still work with EFCS - but that could be why the shutter delay is noticeable - it has to perform that stop down first, and though it does it pretty quickly, it's not instant and that slight delay of around 1/10 second or so is definitely there. But it's one quick single shutter sound using ECFS unlike that weird double-shutter sound you get without. I don't know that it would be able to use EFCS though at very fast shutter speeds...I was shooting in low enough light that I didn't really push the limits...that will require a little more extensive testing on a good day.

 

Granted, Im adapting Nikon lenses with a new adapter, as opposed to Sony.

With 1 lens, it worked perfectly wide open. But whenever I stopped down, the image was over-exposed, like you get with a sticky aperture. I remembered on the Sony A99, how the EFC supposedly didn't work with some older lenses. I went into the menu and disabled the EFC.. and now the lens works perfectly, except you get the double shutter sound.

[tommui987]

To learn more and get all the benefits of the A6300,

 

Tom :cool:

 

The Prodical Son has returned from Fuji!

 

Am happy as Tom's comments/advice is always welcomed!

 

Now if I can only find a A6300 body!

[c230k]

The Prodical Son has returned from Fuji!

 

Am happy as Tom's comments/advice is always welcomed!

 

Now if I can only find a A6300 body!

 

 

Just looked B&H has them in stock NOW!!!!

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Category_Digital+Cameras&Ntt=sony+alpha+a6300&gclid=CL-Pp_Hs-ssCFUgkgQodJnwE0Q&N=4291645412&ci=9811&sts=ma

 

Tom :cool:

[c230k]

Any thoughts on the new Sony FE 70-300MM F4.5-5.6 G OSS , think would make a great zoom for wildlife and the A6300.

Not as great as the Sony 70-200 f4 but a bit smaller and not white.

 

Tom

[zackiedawg]

I'll tell you all about the FE70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS lens, as soon as mine arrives. Due to ship in early May. My thoughts are it is almost perfection for a smallish, light, and reasonable reach wildlife/birding lens - I use the 70-200mm extensively, but always wish I had a little more reach...the 300mm will be for me just right - so as long as IQ is pretty solid at 300mm, it will definitely be used all summer long. Since I got the A6300, I've never wanted a lens more - it really on paper will be a fantastic focal reach for me at just the right size on the A6300, and weather sealed like the A6300 too so the combo can take a little Florida summer rain if need be.

[tommui987]

Just looked B&H has them in stock NOW!!!!

 

Tom :cool:

 

Thanks Tom

Tom

[c230k]

I'll tell you all about the FE70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS lens, as soon as mine arrives.

 

Justin

 

Is this better than buying a lens adapter and going with Sigma or Canon? It's a few hundred cheaper and then you have the choice to use the adapter with another lens. Or you get what you pay for. I do want a longer zoom lens, then my lens kit will be complete.

 

Thanks

Tom :cool:

[zackiedawg]

Though adapters on the A6300 will work faster and pretty much native-speed style, they do still have some restrictions compared to E-mount lenses. I haven't seen extensive tests on the Canon EF adapters, but assume they will be similarly limited as the LA-EA3 adapted lenses are:

1. They will focus wide open, so if you're shooting stopped down, there is a slight shutter delay as the lens stops to the shooting aperture...it's not huge - about 1/10 second or so, but noticeable

2. The focus area selections are restricted - I know Expandable Flex Spot is gone, I think Zone as well

3. The AF-C focusing ability can only be used in the 3fps burst mode and single shot modes - the faster frame-rate modes of 6fps, 8fps, and 11fps will not continually focus after the first frame when using adapted lenses

4. Some other functions like eye-focus are not available when using adapted lenses

 

So there are a few advantages to the native lenses. The downside to E-mount lenses are - they may not have the longer focal reach you need, and they can be quite a bit more expensive. But IF they have the lens in the focal range you want and you can tolerate the price, the lenses are usually of very high quality and built and will give you the maximum and full functionality of the camera and all its modes. The 70-300mm focal range is something I've been pining for on the E-mount since my very first body. I'd love to see more long options, but the 300mm is at least a reasonable walkaround wildlife focal on an APS-C body and a reasonable size and weight.

[c230k]

Much appreciate your input on the lens. After further review, thinking I might try another method. Looking at buying the new Sony RX10 III, great all in one with a 600mm lens at f2.8.

 

 

Tom :cool:

[zackiedawg]

Well had a chance over the weekend to get out my big Tamron 150-600mm lens on the LA-EA3 adapter with the A6300, in some nice light, to see how it handled. Result? Just fine! I started using it with a tripod as I was worried how I'd so without stabilization...but after a short walk using it with, I decided I would be fine with the shutter speeds kept up, so left the tripod in the car and went handheld. Wasn't a problem. Focus is plenty fast and snappy in AF-S mode, all apertures. There is the aforementioned slight delay in the shutter when shooting stopped down - about 1/10 second or so, nothing that will prevent you from getting the shot most of the time, but be aware of it if shooting a quick moving or erratic subject that might move on you just as you go for the shutter. I also had a very limited chance to try some bird-in-flight shots - the LA-EA3 adapted lenses are limited to 3fps in AF-C mode, but the focus itself is reasonably quick and seems to find the subject quickly - it's not quite as fast as native E-mount lenses - the hit rate is a little lower with the focus occasionally missing a fast subject - I tried it on purple martins in flight and had 3-4 out of every 15 or so that were good - the misses were not always because of the focus system, but my inability to keep the subject in the frame or find the subject. The focus missed a moving martin closing on the camera about every other frame, but once got 3 in a row. Bigger subjects should be easier for the system to keep up.

 

Here are a few samples from that day with the Tamron 150-600mm:

 

 

 

 

[pierces]

Sony A6300 Image Quality Comparison at Imaging Resource: Side-by-side with the A6000, GX8, X-T1, D7200 and full-frame A7.

 

Surprising.

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/sony-a6300/sony-a6300A.HTM#image_quality

 

Dave

[c230k]

What are your preferred movie setting format and record setting?

iPad use ? (nice to show friends)

 

Thanks

 

Tom :cool:

Edited April 15, 2016 by c230k

[pierces]

Still haven't tried any movie footage other than a brief 120fps clip of my granddaughter jumping into the pool.

 

For some reason, I just never think to do video.

 

Dave

[shootr]

Sony A6300 Image Quality Comparison at Imaging Resource: Side-by-side with the A6000, GX8, X-T1, D7200 and full-frame A7.

 

Surprising.

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/sony-a6300/sony-a6300A.HTM#image_quality

 

Dave

 

This really makes me wish my A7 order wasn't cancelled...:(

[c230k]

25 TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SONY A6300

http://www.colbybrownphotography.com/25-tips-getting-the_most-out-of-the-sony-a6300/

 

Tom :cool:

[c230k]

Good information on how to take video with success with your A6300

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-a6300/7?v=1&utm_expid=20106105-1.lXsXJU8CT2i23Ibvc1h0tg.1&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dpreview.com%2Fvideos%2F0819001723%2Flights-camera-stinging-nettles-our-sony-a6300-video-shooting-experience%3Fv%3D1

 

Tom :cool:

[pierces]

Now that I'm entering my third month with the A6300 I have a few observations to share. We recently went to a resort in Hawaii for a few days with our daughter's family and stayed over to visit with friends This gave me an extended workout with the 18-105 f/4 and a lot of side-by-side shooting with the A6000. Here are a few notes from the trip:

 

Autofocus - The A6000 has excellent autofocus. Fast and accurate. The A6300 toasts it. The autofocus-while-magnified feature in AF-S DMF and AF-A (when it chooses single AF) trumps peaking for critical focus and ensures tack-sharp focus on the magnified area. I used it in this shot to check focus since it was covering a pretty large area at varying distances:

 

 

As it turned out, the magnify and refocus helped and let me go from sharp to very sharp at the center of the fall which was a great compromise distance.

 

AF-C is pretty amazing in it's tracking ability. I hear that the $5000 pro bodies do a slightly better job but not $4000 better IMHO. The AF-C dots tagged my granddaughter as she rounded the corner and stayed locked as she rocketed the last 20 ft or so to splashdown. It seems pretty smart about finding the subject in a moderately confusing scene as well.

 

 

The A6300 is also focuses better in dim light than the A6000. Below, the oh-hey-look-at-that impromptu snapshot locked solidly at f/9.

 

 

ISO performance - Better. Not night and day better like the full-frame A7RII or A7SII monsters but better. The shot above was at ISO6400 and didn't have any noise reduction applied. Same with the shot of our friends' son and granddaughter below (f/4 at 105mm):

 

 

Weather-sealing - Not a big thing, but not running for shelter like a vampire at dawn when the drizzle starts is a nice plus.

 

 

Just a note on the 18-105 f/4 - "Pro" reviews are mixed with a generally positive trend but shooting with it on a couple of extended trips has left me with a mild distrust of pixel-peeping technical reviews. I like it. I like the range. I like how well the OIS works. I like the shots it delivers and I like how it feels on the A6300. In case you're wondering...I'd like it more if it was smaller but after all, physics is physics!

 

82mm - f/5.6 - ISO6400 - crappy restaurant light

 

Conclusion - The A6000 is an awesome little camera. It's a very capable shooter that makes few compromises for the savings in size and weight. There is little wonder that is is the best selling single model of any mirrorless camera (and any interchangeable-lens camera over $600). Would I still recommend the A6000 to someone new to interchangeable lens cameras or someone interested in a no-compromise downsizing from a DSLR? Yup. In a minute!

 

But....

 

The A6300 is a step up from its older sibling in enough small (and not-so-small) ways that I feel no regret at spending the extra money over getting a second A6000. It also makes me all tingly thinking about what Sony may drop in our laps over the next couple of years...

 

It's a great time to be a photographer!

 

Dave

[tommui987]

Now that I'm entering my third month with the A6300 I have a few observations to share.

Dave

 

Thanks for the observations. I still haven't had a chance to test out fully the A6300 - and still got to sell one of the A6000,

 

One thing I was going to ask you was your settings of ISO/apperture/speed.

 

In days of yore, using Nikon, ASA etc, I would pull out my Weston, measure the light and shoot and using the tungsten filter when necessary.

 

How do you do it in this digital age? (Getting tired of correcting things in PS or LR)!

 

Tom-2

[havoc315]

Thanks for the observations. I still haven't had a chance to test out fully the A6300 - and still got to sell one of the A6000,

 

One thing I was going to ask you was your settings of ISO/apperture/speed.

 

In days of yore, using Nikon, ASA etc, I would pull out my Weston, measure the light and shoot and using the tungsten filter when necessary.

 

How do you do it in this digital age? (Getting tired of correcting things in PS or LR)!

 

Tom-2

 

Auto ISO.... Aperture priority, and customize a minimum shutter speed, depending on the lens and whether you're shooting action. You may want to dial in about +0.3 of exposure compensation, it can usually use a slight boost.

[pierces]

Thanks for the observations. I still haven't had a chance to test out fully the A6300 - and still got to sell one of the A6000,

 

One thing I was going to ask you was your settings of ISO/apperture/speed.

 

In days of yore, using Nikon, ASA etc, I would pull out my Weston, measure the light and shoot and using the tungsten filter when necessary.

 

How do you do it in this digital age? (Getting tired of correcting things in PS or LR)!

 

Tom-2

 

Right now I have settled on Auto-ISO limited to ISO6400 with the shutter speed minimum set to 1/30 unless I'm shooting people where I'll bump it to 1/60 or 1/125.

 

I'm usually shooting in A-mode. That's been my preference since there was an A-mode. I prefer to control depth of field myself but find I try to hover around f/5.6 unless I'm looking for a soft background.

 

For action, I switch to S-Mode and set the shutter speed to whatever is appropriate.

 

Auto white balance seems to do pretty well so I leave it there unless the light is specific (flash, photoflood, etc.)

 

I keep autofocus set to Zone and DMF or AF-C depending on, again, whether still stuff or people are the targets.

 

The settings above are the daily go-to. For specific situations I may switch to full manual or whatever fits the situation. Moving a lot of my common menu selections to the custom buttons and Fn menu has made it very easy to manage the settings.

 

Hope I didn't leave anything important out!

 

Dave

[tommui987]

JUSTIN - or anyone:

 

Have you made a comparison with the 70-300mm lens on the A6000 as opposed to the A6300? Is there a significant difference?

 

(Sorry, lost your webpage to see if you did make a comparison).

 

tom-2

[pierces]

Here's a Gary Friedman blog video about "un-obvious things about the A6300".

 

Worth a look:

 

 

 

Dave

[pierces]

Reposting this from another thread. Many A-series adopters will likely buy the camera with a kit lens of some sort.

 

Back when I bought my A6000 with lens, I found the kit comes without a body cap or back cap for the lens.

 

Body cap/lens back cap available for cheap on Amazon.

 

They fit just fine...but I've never used the body caps on either the A6000 or A6300 since they are always "lensed". Bought the package above since the combo was less expensive that the rear lens caps alone.

 

Dave

[Emperor Norton]

I added an A6300 to my bag of cameras. As mentioned in another thread I bought the kit version with the 16-50 lens and was surprised to see there were no end or body caps included. Easy enough to solve, but coming from the DSLR world a but surprising. Ditto the lack of an external charger (even my AW100 came with an external charger now that I think about it). I'm not a fan of using the USB port to transfer and charge (charging via laptop was painfully slow, the wall-wart is a must) so I need to find a hopefully multi slot external charger.

 

I bought the 70-200 f/4 which I'm thinking I should've opted for a slightly longer lens over (see the 70-300 thread by tommui987).

 

I also have the kit 16-55 lens, which while I like it's length (both focal range equiv and compacted size) I'm less than thrilled with its speed and sharpness.

 

Theres also a 16mm f/2.8 and a fisheye extender kicking around but I haven't tried those.

 

For a pomegranates to hand grenades comparison I'm going to compare the A6300 and its lenses against my DSLR, a D800E.

 

Size: The A6300 wins this hands down. Even with the 70-200 its much lighter in the hand than the D800 with vertical grip and 24-70.

 

Capacity (battery): Due to the vertical grip the D800 wins this, though the method used on the D90 was far more logical (D800 has 1 battery in the body and 1 in the grip, grip has to be removed for body battery access d'oh. D90 both batteries were kept in the grip, so no need to remove for battery changes).

 

Capacity (storage): Due to having dual slots the D800 wins this. It would've been nicer if both slots were of the same format however.

 

Shot speed: No contest. The A6300 is 11fps while the D800 shoots was it 4-5?

 

Autofocus tracking: Again the A6300 is faster, plus it has face registration, face detect and eye detect. I found eye detect didn't work on my brothers midget minions (4yr old and an 18 month old) that or they're too fast for it.

 

Built in flash: Not a fan of either. Even though the flash on the A6300 was set to "fill" I wound up with this:

 

Focus: I don't know yet if its my error or the AF system but the camera has said things are in focus and yet the shot didn't turn out tack sharp (or maybe it's the cheap lens). So far the D800 wins this.

This was supposedly in focus:

 

Noise: Even at 1600 ISO when pixel peeping in lightroom there seemed to be an excessive amount of noise on the Sony. Nikon wins this.

When pixel peeping this originally it looked noisy to me.

 

Price: Sony.

 

Manual: Nikon. The printed Sony manual seems to be a cliff notes version to just barely get the user up and running.

 

As I said this was a pomegranates to hand grenades comparison and I don't mean to seriously compare the two against each other. I will get out and shoot the A6300 to see if some of the focus issues aren't due to too slow a shutter speed. I'm wondering if the real issue I'm having is Im used to the D800 sensor and now anything else seems fuzzy/not as sharp.

 

I am happy overall with the camera I just have to hurry up and test that 16-50 lens more.

Edited June 28, 2016 by Emperor Norton