NEW GEAR! Sony a6600 Hands-on Review & a6100, 16-55 and 70-350

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[photorectoby]

Some notes from YOUR comments... but first

Several of you emphasize that IBIS is useful and should be mentioned more
Many of you echo my opinion and while this is a great camera were hoping for a more significant redesign
The Fuji XT-30 is another strong competitor in this space.

[actorsreels]

It has way more improvements than you mention, especially in 4K recording. No screen dimming, no blackout in record mode over hdmi, proxies internally...

[All_You_Need_Is_Love]

Unlike the A6500, the A6600 apparently does not overheat when shooting 4k, and the screen is supposed to stay bright as well when shooting 4k or HD 120p. That is very important for videographers along with the IBIS and better battery.

[DjimmyTrovy]

All these four are great. No complaints from me.

[pieromonteverde]

As it turns out eye-detect AF was a game changer shooting cats in Tanzania!

[LooseEnds]

The new releases are a lot of food for thought. As you point out, the a7ii is now available new with a lens for less than the a6500/6600. It’s a hard choice whether to stay with the crop bodies (I’m still on the A6300) or look instead towards full frame in the future. Lots to consider. Since my interest is more deeply in stills, I think I would lean towards the full frame offerings.

[guyjordan]

Close but no cigar. I expected more but the a6600 looks like a good machine.

[Kelkschiz]

I am most excited by rumors of an A9 II being announced soon.

The a5100 also deserve a mention in this line-up, it beats the a6000 on several points. Not saying it's clearly the better camera but it deserves a consideration. I get the feeling it's often overlooked because it is in a different series and doesn't have an EVF.

[Curtis-Randall]

I’m sticking with my a6400. If they added usb-c, a higher megapixel sensor, and added another dial in place of the removed flash...then I would have purchased this in a heartbeat. I’m glad they are innovating and putting out new products with more features. I’m sure it’s a fantastic camera for the people that need the features, but for me it’s price is too high to upgrade. Thanks for the review!

[JonJakubcin]

The ibis and z battery makes a HUUUUGE difference from the 6400

[andrear]

A6000 series are the perfect cameras to introduce mirroring with smartphones. It would attract many among new generations.

[gabithemagyar]

As someone who already owns an a6000 and an a6300 as well as a fair selection of SONY APS-C lenses and batteries, I can't say that any of the new items are of great interest to me based on what I tend to shoot (stills during travel - mostly outside and in museums & galleries, still during casual get-togethers, and videos of dance performances). The 16-55 f2.8 I would have snapped up to use indoors at functions if it was an OSS lens at that price or if I had the a6500 or a6600 (IBIS models) but it's not worth it for me to buy one of those 2 cameras just to be able to use unstabilized lenses considering that they have the same sensor as my a6300. I may consider the 70-350 if I ever plan a trip or trips where the extra 150 mm zoom range over my 18-200 would be beneficial. If SONY released a 24mm f1.8 OSS lens I would snap it up if it got good reviews on optical performance and cost the same or less as the current Zeiss 24mm. I have no interest in using full frame lenses on APS-C bodies or in moving to full frame in general. Walking around all day on a trip, every pound of gear adds up and seems to get heavier as the day goes on … :-) Of course if I were just buying in first time to the system and had the money my thoughts would be different and I would likely have gone with the a6600/16-55mm f1.8 combination as my main lens, supplementing it over time as specific needs arose for more zoom, faster lenses etc . I don't buy gear for the sake of buying gear. Each purchase I make is for a specific use case which occurs frequently enough to warrant the expenditure i.e. where my current gear does not give me satisfactory results in a given standard situation.

[NirajKedar]

I am opting for the A6100 over Canon because - 1) weight 2) AF at 120fps, 3) better APS-C lens lineup compared to Canon's M series 4) good price

[ivankiefer]

That z🔋, ibis and many other good spects of the camera make it a very solid piece of equipment for a 1000 dollars or 1200 top.

[KwokKaySzeto]

I bought the 6100 to replace my 6000 and I will get the 70-350 because I don’t have that range. Thank you very much for your recommendations.

[theizza]

Sony a6100 + sigma's contemporary trio, that's an affordable kit that gives you professional results for a variety of photography genres.

[charlespangilinan]

I think the 16-55mm f2.8 is the most intriguing, along with the A6600 itself.

The Sony 16-55mm f2.8 has been the most awaited lens for most people, and that wait, I think, is worth $1400 (yeah, too expensive, but accomplished photographers can shell that cash out as great investment). I've been using the Sony 18-105mm f4 for a while now and it's been great, but that 1 stop difference is very vital to having a great image.

Next is the Sony A6600, which is very interesting for the battery. I've been using the A5100 with the 18-105mm f4, and the battery sometimes has me desiring for more juice, even with two spares. And yes, I hate, hate, hate the lack of a good grip on the A5100. That's why I'm thinking of buying the two newly announced products from Sony. And that will cost me $$$ lol help me, Lord!

[adrianking]

I've got the a6400 and going on a rainforest safari holiday, which lens is better, the 70-350, 100-400 or just go crazy and get a 200-600 or is that too much zoom on a crop sensor?

[frankfeng]

Despite few upgrades, there would still be no problem with the new releases if they were priced right:
A6100 <= $650 (vs M50, X-T100, GX85)
A6400 == $900 (vs M6ii, X-T30, GX9)
A6600 <= $1200 (vs 90D, X-H1, G9)
16-55 <= $1100 (vs XF16-55, FE24-105)
70-350 <= $700 (vs EF-S 55-250, FE 70-300)

[johnmakphotography]

The most valuable 11:43 minute video for the new Sony a6600 and lenses! You said it all! Personally, I would just upgrade to the a6400 and save that extra money for a lens. Would love to see your next video! Keep it up and thanks for sharing!