The Only Sony Camera You Will Ever Need

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Lenses for Sony A5000:
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GEAR I USED TO MAKE THIS VIDEO

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[AUDIO GEAR] (affiliate links)

[LIGHTING] (affiliate links)

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00:00 - A Cheap, but Great Camera
03:32 - Recommended Camera Bag
06:05 - Recommended Lenses

[trustmeimareporter]

I've worked as a photojournalist for the past 35 years. When I need a small, pocketable setup, I use my A5100 (24mp) and a Kamlan 50mm f/1.1 (great for portraits). Take your time (use focus peaking, bracket your exposures), and you will be stunned with the results. Thanks for this excellent video, Mark.

[joseherrera]

This is my baby. I bought the a5000 10 years ago at Best Buy for $300. Came with the kit lens (which is pretty bad) and a $100 gift card. Love how tiny it is. Its been my main camera since because its allowed in places where other cameras are not. I go through metal detectors and people don't ever give it a second look.

[ggoudey-photo]

The A5000 was my first Sony Alpha camera. I bought mine in 2014. I bought an A7II in 2018 and an A7IV in 2022. I use the A5000 all the time still because of its compact size and yes the image quality of the A5000 is excellent for a ten year old mirrorless camera.

[richestpossibilities]

My first Sony e-mount was the a5100 and it captured some incredible shots for my travel photography series. Mt. Rainer, St. Helen, Banff and the list goes on. I recently just pulled it out and dubbed it the ‘Dad Cam’ small enough for us to use when we travel and want to capture the kids on our travels!

[JohnDevitt]

I use my A5000 with an Industar 69 28mm f2.8 lens and an M39 adapter. The Industar 69 is basically a pancake lens, and together with the A5000 you have a great little setup that you can easily slip into your pocket. Some of the best photos I took in the past year were taken with this setup. Highly recommended!

[johnstinchcombe]

I agree 100%, I was lucky to snag one, body only, in a battered box on ebay for £50 around 5 years ago. These days, it would be more like £150. I’ve captured some of my favourite images on this camera purely because it’s so small, I was able to put it in my work rucksack. Great video!

[JBerg]

I need to thank you. I have been in a creative rut for quite a while now. I have not been taking pictures for far too long. I’ve been saving for a new full frame Sony mirrorless for a long time and something always comes up that sets me back. Kids sick or something in the house breaks and needs fixed. I picked up the a5000 a few years ago at target clearance for $99. This video coupled with some of the lens recommendations have me excited to start taking more photos again. I’ll have that opportunity soon for a long weekend on Lake Michigan. So thank you again! Can’t wait to take some pictures!

[CarlosTikitaka]

I cant express how much you are helping me out

[olafkliemt]

the a5100 is a big step forward. i got one last September brand new in a sealed box with one-year warranty for 11, 000THB (313USD at that time). perfect for experimenting with CCTV lenses like the Fujian 35mm 1.4 and all the fantastic manual lenses by Brightin Star, Risespray, 7Artisans, TTartisan...
edit: the focus peaking comes in very handy in absence of the viewfinder.

[don]

The older NEX series cameras were amazing as well. I look back at photos I took with my NEX 5R back 7+ years ago and the quality and detail is surprisingly good, even by today's standards.

[Gatornade]

I recently picked up a used NEX-6 as my first camera. I didn't time the market at all because I was anxious to get hands on and start trying to learn how to use it! I paired it with the Sony PZ 16-50mm. A week in and I am already thinking I need a different lens!!

[MarinaGarrison]

Agree, these early NEX or a6000 are incredible. Better to spend money on lenses or education on how to use.

[suzatlarge]

I appreciate your commentary about the advances in camera sensor tech, as to videography vs still photography. There's so much BS online about "outdated" "obsolete" cameras - that are absolutely NOT even if they are (gasp!!!) ten years old. I enjoy it when someone shows some love for these "old" Sony cameras. I own some newer and "fancier" ( and more co$tly) Sony cameras - and also still shoot with a NEX-6. It has an EVF, so although not quite as small as the a5000 and with an older 16mp sensor, I stick with it. I enjoy putting an excellent lens on the NEX-6 because like the a5000 you can get some fine captures that way.

[davidpieropan]

The a5100 is the real gem. I own 5 of them for streaming, they are amazing.

[bijosn]

I own an A7iv but I still bought the Canon 5D, Nikon D700 and Fuji X-T1 for the character of the older cameras....its amazing what those old cameras were capable of from a purely image quality perspective


Man looking at your photos makes me miss melbourne, if i ever move to aus, it has to be melbourne

[sphinyal]

People are so obsessive with their bodys, I bought a alpha6000 in 2023 because she was cheap and I knew its all about the lens and my eye :) Hell a camera from 20 years ago would make great pictures with the right lens

[FFFFelix]

I still regularly use my Sony NEX-5t. Such a great little camera!

[Alanwking]

I thought that was one of the NEX line cameras. I loved the NEX 5N, a 13-year-old camera that I enjoyed taking photos with. I had it briefly before I sold it to get the A6400.

[aussieprepper]

The Sony A5000 was my first camera, I only sold it as there was no external Microphone input, replaced it with a A6400 with the useless flip up screen, which I then 'downgraded' to the Sony ZV E10, which I personally believe is one of the best cameras gram for gram, I have not found any shortcomings in that camera for anything I want it for.

[cheerfulyc]

Great points!!! I love the way that U're different from the rest of the YouTubers especially those jumping on promoting every single latest, greatest n most expensive gears! I'm a serious photographer and until now, I still can't justify for replacing my Sony A6000 (which I brought in 2014, sorry Sony) ... and I can take any photos just about as good as any latest cameras! The main reason is, in today's digital age, the camera itself is just a light capturing device and once the image is captured into 1s n 0s digitally, one can easily manipulate the image computationally ... whether it is lens distortions, noise, saturations, colors, sharpness, contrast, len boken and etc! I sincerely hope more people who are seriously into photography spend more time into studying lightings, composition, perspective, post production and developing one's artistic style to become a great photographer rather than focusing endlessly on the gears ... and leave changing every latest cameras and lens to the gear-heads!!!