Camera Test: Sony Alpha NEX-6 ILC

The Bottom Line
The ILC market continues to evolve rapidly, and the NEX-6 fills a spot that Sony hadn’t yet addressed. Considering how many photographers we’ve encountered who have described the NEX-7 as being just a little too expensive for them, we’d expect that a fair number of avid shooters will be won over by this model. Sony’s line of lenses still doesn’t match the selection you can get in the Micro Four Thirds format, but recent additions have been promising.

If you are looking for an ILC as a second camera, the fact that the NEX-6 doesn’t have as much resolving power as some models shouldn’t be much of an issue. If it’s to be your main camera, then you’ll have to decide whether the resolution it delivers is enough for you. For most people, the NEX-6’s resolution will indeed be enough, especially for casual, everyday shooting. Even with modest cropping of images from the camera, you can produce very nice prints at 13x19-inches or even greater enlargement—bigger than most non-pros will ever print. And if you don’t plan to print at all, the NEX-6 makes a wonderful companion to your cell phone. But be forewarned: some of your Facebook friends may want you to shoot their weddings and parties after they see what you can capture with this camera.

SPECIFICATIONS
IMAGING: 16.1MP effective, APS-C-sized CMOS sensor captures images at 4912x3264 pixels with 12 bits/color in RAW mode.
STORAGE: SD/Memory Stick Pro slot stores JPEG, ARW RAW, and RAW + JPEG files.
BURST RATE: Full-sized JPEGs (Fine mode), up to 24 shots at 3 fps; RAW (12-bit), up to 15 shots at 3 fps using an SDHC UHS-I card.
AF SYSTEM: TTL hybrid phase/contrast detection with 99 phase and 25 contrast focus points; single-shot and continuous AF. Sensitivity rated down to EV 0 (at ISO 100, f/2.8).
SHUTTER SPEEDS: 1/4000 to 30 sec, plus B (1/3-EV increments); shutter life not rated.
METERING: TTL metering with 1200-zone Multi-segment (evaluative), centerweighted, spot (size of spot not specified). EV 0–20 (ISO 100).
ISO RANGE: Stills, ISO 100–25,600 (in 1/3-EV increments); Video, ISO 100–6400.
VIDEO: Records at 1920x1080p at up to 60 fps in AVCHD v. 2.0; at 1440x1080p at 30 fps in MPEG-4 MOV format; built-in stereo microphone; no built-in mic input.
FLASH: Built-in pop-up; GN 20 (feet); Multi Interface shoe for dedicated flash or other accessories; flash sync to 1/160 sec.
VIEWFINDER: Fixed eye-level OLED with 2,359,296-dot resolution.
LCD: 3-inch TFT with 921,600-dot resolution; 5-step brightness adjustment.
OUTPUT: USB 2.0, mini HDMI video, composite video, analog audio, and Wi-Fi.
BATTERY: Rechargeable NP-FW50 Li-ion, CIPA rating 270 shots (with EVF) or 360 (with LCD screen).
SIZE/WEIGHT: 4.8x2.8x1.1 in., 0.8 lb with a card and battery.
STREET PRICE: $848, body only; $998, with E-mount 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 OSS retractable zoom lens.
INFO:www.sonystyle.com