Sony A6100

amazon Sony A6100 reviews

Design

Advanced design is not an integral part of Sony’s A6000 series. This is a black brick that looks and feels like every other model in the lineup other than the new A6600, with a deeper grip and a stronger battery. Familiarity does not cause contempt because the A6100 is functionally different from the usual Sony characteristics, but it is certainly not as beautiful as the Fujifilm X-T30. The camera measures 4.75 x 2.75 x 2.4 inches and weighs 14 ounces with the memory card and battery installed.

The A6100 uses the same E-mount as all Sony mirrorless cameras, both APS-C and full-frame models. That gives access to 54 original lenses from Sony, plus more from third parties like Sigma, Tamron, and Zeiss. Lens selection is a big plus for Sony thanks to the relatively well-rounded E-mount, and it offers an easy upgrade path from APS-C to full-frame if you choose to move down the road.

We were pleased to see that the A6100 features a 0.39-inch OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF). It’s not the best in the business, at just 1.44 million points, but it does give the Sony an edge over the Canon EOS M6 Mark II, which doesn’t have a built-in EVF. The main LCD screen has a negligible 921,000-pixel resolution, but can be tilted 180 degrees for selfies.

The control layout is very simple and easy to read. There’s a dedicated mode dial, dual control dials, and two custom buttons. For novice photographers, that gives the A6100 some room to grow as they graduate from auto-exposure. The A6100 has a built-in flash – something that has been removed from the A6600 – as well as a standard hot shoe for attaching an external flash.

To echo our constant complaint about the A6000 series, there is one remote that doesn’t work. The movie-record button is placed on the right edge of the thumb grip, where it’s almost impossible to reach. Yes, you can reassign this functionality to one of the custom buttons, but that seems like a big ask for entry-level customers. This is just such an easy fix, it drives us nuts because Sony hasn’t updated it yet.

You’ll find USB, HDMI, and microphone ports on the left side of the camera, but noticeably missing a headphone jack (something you’ll find on the more expensive A6600). The battery and memory card share a compartment at the bottom of the camera. The battery is rated for 380 shots, which is pretty good for a mirrorless camera, but a far cry from the A6600’s 810-shot battery life.

Performance and User Experience

The Sony A6000 series has been equipped with a 24MP sensor since day one (5 years ago). They have been revised and improved over the years, and the Bionz X processor has also been tweaked. While it’s odd that Sony hasn’t opted for the 26MP sensor found in the latest Fujifilm cameras, we can’t argue with that decision – image quality is still very good, and there are plenty Few of the A6100’s target customers will notice that newer sensor.

What the A6100 offers are Sony’s latest, artificial intelligence-based autofocus systems, Real-Time Tracking, and Real-time Eye AF. We’ve been praising this new technology since its release and it just keeps getting better, and now we’re happy to see it on an entry-level model. Other companies offer Eye AF, but Sony is still the best out there and this camera’s biggest selling point.

The Hybrid AF system uses 425 contrast and phase detection points that cover 84% of the sensor with a claimed 0.02-second minimum focusing time. We can’t verify that number, but suffice it to say, the autofocus feels very fast.

That matches the continuous shooting rate of 11 frames per second, the large image buffer allows you to capture about 75 JPEG images in a row. The A6100 will have no trouble keeping up with your kids or pets.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the A6100 and the A6600 is that only the latter has in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The two lenses Sony gave us this review, the 16-55mm f/2.8 and 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3, are both optically stable – as are many of Sony’s E-mount lenses. We’d love to see IBIS in a camera at this price point, but since neither Canon nor Fujifilm offers it on their competing models, we’re not surprised it isn’t in the A6100.

Note that both lenses we tested are kit lenses and both are more expensive than camera bodies. The 16-55mm is a premium zoom that sells for $1,400, while the 70-350mm is $1,000. That puts our entry-level camera in the $2,000 region. With any camera, performance and image quality are part of the function of the lens, so our results may be better than what you might expect for a 16-inch kit lens. 50mm f/3.5-5.6 standard (included with the camera for $850).

Sony’s Real-Time Eye AF has worked great with these lenses. It’s trained to recognize both human and animal eyes, but it even worked on statues we shot in a dimly-lit church. We shot the Canon EOS M6 Mark II side-by-side with the Sony and the A6100 was much better.

Real-time tracking also worked great with the runners, cyclists, and surfers we captured on San Diego beaches. We shot a long burst of a train into the station and every frame was in focus. We have never used such a reliable autofocus system before; that on a $750 camera is more than impressive.

But as good as it is, we still can’t get past Sony’s menu system, which is as dense and confusing as ever. We’ve been using this skin for years now, so we know of different hacks to make it work, but it’s a shame Sony didn’t overhaul it. By comparison, the look and feel of the Canon M6 Mark II is a dream to use; an area where it outperforms the A6100.

Image quality

The sensor may be the same, but Sony has re-examined its handling for more accurate colors and pleasing, natural tones. The in-camera JPEG looks good, and of course, you can shoot in RAW if you’re comfortable editing the photos in the post and want the best possible quality.

The camera has a native ISO range of 100-32,000, but it can be expanded to 51,200. Our tests revealed very little noise and digital artifacts at relatively high sensitivities, but we recommend keeping it at ISO 6,400 for the best results. This is where the full-frame sensor, which collects twice as much light, shows a significant advantage, but the vast majority of photographers won’t be disappointed with the A6100’s results.

For video, the Alpha A6100 records 4K/30p using the XAVC-S codec with full pixel reads (3,840 x 2,160). You don’t get the advanced 10-bit HDMI output options you get on the Fujifilm X-T30, but that’s not what most customers in this price range are asking for. More importantly, video is incredibly easy to shoot again thanks to real-time tracking autofocus. However, real-time AF is not available in video mode. If you want, you’ll need to go up to the A6600.

where can you get a Sony A6100 online

Sony Alpha A6100 Mirrorless Camera with 16-50mm Zoom Lens, Black (ILCE6100L/B): Buy it now