Sony announces NEX-6/7 replacement, 70-200 Full Frame E f/4 zoom

Sony FE 70-200mm f/4.0 G OSS Lens

Click to Pre-order... $1498
White 70-200 F/4 zoom...although for that price/size at E-mount it should be 2.8!

Sony A-6000

Click to Pre-order... $698
Sony A-6000...it's replacing the NEX-6 and 7...why do I say that?

The body is a mix of the two, it has a 24mp sensor, and supposedly improved AF. ; Body only at $650, not that bad!

 

Dude I am interested in that A-6000, especially since my NEX-6 has been glitching up a bit as of late (1st shot after a timeout leads to a "camera error... turn power off and back on" which resolves the problem. ; Annoying.

 

I'm impressed with the early video tests, assuming production versions hold true...the AF tracking looks quite a step up from the NEX6:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6N2KQ26fd4

I like many of the features announced, not only the ones that upgrade from my NEX-5N, but even from the NEX6...including the return of the additional custom buttons (two C buttons, plus all 5 buttons on the jog wheel can be programmed, as well as the AEL button)...the ability to turn off pre-focusing (I love this!), expanded bracketing to 3 EV of up to 5 frames, addition of NFC for smart-phone linking...it's looking pretty darn nice and for a crazy-good price ($650 body only!).

 

Looking deeper into the specs, there are many things I like...and only a few I don't, when I compare the A6000 to my NEX-5N. ; Note that some of the features on my 'like' list are already on some of the newer NEX bodies like the NEX6, but I'm comparing directly to my NEX5N for consideration of what I gain/lose in upgrading. ; Here's what I like:


Ability to load apps to camera for functions I don't have now - primarily MFNR!
MFNR's ability to go up to ISO51,200
The ability to go into the menu and turn off pre-focusing (I love this)
Ability to turn off video button in menu
Dedicated AEL button
PDAF tracking does seem to work
The MR setting on the dial to save preferential settings banks
5 EV bracketing abiity
+/- 5 EV range
Ability to shoot continuous 3/5 frames on timer
NFC
C1 and C2 custom buttons, as well as restoring the 5 custom buttons around the jog wheel (which the NEX-5n has)
New menu structure from the A7, getting rid of NEX menus
Fn button with pregrammable settings


Things I don't like?
Larger body compared to my NEX-5N, though when I have the EVF attached the advantage is lost. ; Lower res and slightly smaller EVF, though reviews say color and brightness may be better.


Things I don't really care about:
24MP - nice if it can perform well at high ISO, but I was fine with 16MP
Built in flash - I'll never need it as I don't use flash with NEX.
Flash Shoe - ditto above.
11fps focus tracking/shooting. ; Let me clarify - I love the AF tracking and focus speed claims, if they hold true - and the ability to track focus at 11fps is awesome if true...but I don't find much need to shoot at 11fps for my needs, so I'll most likely use the 3fps or 6fps burst modes with focus tracking. ; It's nice, and maybe the development of the capability at 11fps is what made the improved PDAF come along in the first place, but I'm fine if it does it at 6fps, which is plenty for me for birds in flight.

 

I hope the focus is better than the 6. ; That is a really weak area. ; Especially in less than perfect light.

 

This looks pretty promising too, if it holds true - this dog is really RUNNING (go to about 1:49), quickly, towards the camera, so if the focus is keeping up with him which it appears to be, as well as the kid on the bike (at about 2:00), it's definitely fast tracking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BpC6R4B9YM


And this one shows focusing in low light, indoors - some of the sample shots are ISO3200, so it's decently low light:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2f9ue2FJB4


I don't think for a $650 mirrorless camera anyone should be thinking it can replace a full frame pro-body DSLR, but it certainly looks to have moved the bar for mirrorless focus speed and tracking in various light conditions, if it lives up to the early samples and claims.

 

You can either use your phone as a remote trigger/viewer and/or you can download photos to the phone. I need to update my apps because they supposedly have fixed some of the complaints with the app like it's basically a glorified shutter release, you can only change Exposure compensation but the API allows for more.

You don't have to use the remote app in order to download pics from it, just Sony Playmemories.

If you have a wifi hotspot you can bypass your phone and go straight to Facebook, Flickr.

 

Assuming that the AF is improved (I'll bet that it is, ? is: does it match current prosumer AF yet?), look at these apps:

https://www.playmemoriescameraapps.com/portal/

You can do some edits in camera before sending. ; Auto-ISO is still a work in progress compared to the top of the line cameras (I think it's because most people would never think to set limits) but if you are shooting a manual focus lens, Auto-ISO is perfect (shoot in shutter priority, aperture set on the lens).

I don't anyone has made an autofocus Nikon adapter yet. ; Even the Canon AF converter is slow - the new AF is optimized for newer e-mount lenses only. ; Although you can shoot Sony glass with phase detect AF using SLT tech and high speeds.

Guess we'll see the real world results once they go into the wild....

 

So the new Smart Remote on even the now legacy NEX series cameras is better.

You can zoom PZ lenses on the phone
You can finger point AF on the image
You can change settings in the mode you are in (mode dial so that makes sense that you can't change the mode!)

It seems faster than before - it slows down if you want to save the image straight to your camera after each shot or even review the shot....it still saves the image on the camera so you can get it later if you want.

 

I found (with Justin almost by accident) that you can use the in-camera HDR mode with a tripod using Smart Remote as the trigger. ; Happy little discovery. ; If the app has improved that significantly, it would be a major feather in the hat for using that camera at night, as AF was still a little wonky to say the least. ;

That said, for $650, I will almost definitely upgrade the camera body when it becomes available. ; Still wish Sony had a better lens lineup though. ; The M4/3 lineup kicks the snot out of Sony. ; Yes, Gary, you told me so.

 

M4/3 had a head start, just like Canon did with AF. They can catchup, they just aren't doing it as fast as the market wants them to.

 

When did u last update the smart remote app? I think Sony updated it during the last PM.

 

I went crazy this morning and downloaded three of the free beta apps and updated a few.

 

I have ver. 4.0.1 installed on my phone.

 

What version on the NEX?

 

Idk. ; Let me check.

 

1.1. ; I guess you have to USB and download the update over top?

 

Yes. There is one app that they tell you to uninstall the precious version first but the instructions are posted. I like the new website because when you plug in it tells you which apps are installed.