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Dpreview (Click here) tested the NEX-6 and writes: “It performs as well or better than other mirrorless cameras on the market, and offers some unique features that are genuinely useful. The NEX-6 earns a very solid silver award and only just misses out on a gold. While some of our complaints could be resolved with a firmware update (such as the missing histogram in record mode and app speed), others, such as the lack of direct controls and location of the movie mode button, will have to wait for the revision of the NEX-6.”
basically the like the camera performance but not so the camera usability. And the probably strongest competitor is the NEX-7 which costs only $150 more and at the moment is selling better than the NEX-6 at Amazon (here is the ranking). There will be no NEX-6 successor any time soon, but what would you change on the NEX-6 successor to make it a great camera and to overcome some of the usability issues mentioned by Dpreview?
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63 Responses
Thom Hogan also review it on sansmirror.com
http://www.sansmirror.com/cameras/a-note-about-camera-reviews/sony-nex-camera-reviews/sony-nex-6-review.html
Good review by Thom Hogan.
Finally, he is doing neutral review! Means, Sony is getting better, or Thom is becoming good…!!?
I played with it a few minutes and it reminded me of every NEX I have shot with and owned. A totally capable camera that is just so god damn boring. NEX-7 being the only exception… Problem with those is they are damn expensive!
Maybe…but NEX 6 handles high ISO better. Main reason why I chosen 6 over 7.
Even after downscaling the 24mp image to 16mp?
What is less boring about the NEX-7?
Tri-Navi? Higher Pixel count? I can’t think of anything else. The NEX-6 is better in almost every single way.
The major issue of Nex-6 is a lack of touch screen.
Its unbelievable! Such Tier-1 feature like “Wifi+Touchscreen”… its a few years already must have feature in any device, not only in smartphones…
Tri-Navi is one of the reasons I’d pick a Fuji E-X1 over a NEX-7. Seems like Sony prefers gimicks over function. Plus Fuji has a better selection of pro quality lenses.
…misses out on gold because of button placement? Firmware? I been using Sony SLRs ever since I been doing Photography and when I switched to the NEX 6 the learning curve was not that difficult. This camera was one of the best investments I ever made. I use it with Minolta lenses and it performs even better…
I hit the record button on Sony full bodied SLRs more times than I did on the NEX 6 (maybe twice in my 4-5 months of owning the 6?) The Fn button works well…so well I do not need to take the camera from my eye when I use Fn located comfortably in front of the camera.
I do not use the apps so that really doesnt apply to me…the wifi sharing has decent upload speeds (even converts RAW to JPEG when shared on an Android/Apple device). I used the camera once to record and it works just fine…I dont see any major problems with this camera whatsoever, coming from a “sorta” camera enthusiast.
^Forgot to put my “site” above…
Not even one time have I hit the record button by mistake and didn’t they move the button for that same reason. I really don’t see anything major being wrong with the camera other than there being no mic jack and I kinda wish it had the A-mount menu system. I got it because my full frame broke and I just wanted something to shoot with while I saved up for another full frame but now I decided to just get another and I may sell it later and get the nex-7n if its that much better. I will just use 2 nex cameras for events now instead of one bulky camera
They’re now complaining that the record button is now too difficult to press!! LOL, Sony can’t win.
Saying that, it is quite tricky to press, but it is FAR preferable to the record button placement on the NEX-5 – I pressed that accidentally all the time.
I really do think there is a bias towards sony. I am the only one of all my friends who use sony. I have been told by a few that sony sucks. I take better pictures than all of them. They love my pics but sony sucks because its either nikon or canon for them. They have never tried a sony but it sucks?????? Sony needs to do something so the general public can see that they don’t suck.
Like make a camera that delivers the goods and doesn’t suck. A77 sucks at high iso, a99 has a crappy AF module and lags in RAW mode, has a hot shoe that makes you use a wobbly adapter and the new flash that will not accept any wireless trigger. You end up with a bag of different triggers, cords, flashes and adapters that can’t be used natively – very smart indeed.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the tilt screen and live view and had a99 for a while. But Sony really dropped the ball with its AF, Flash system and general speed/performance. It is an expensive leisure time camera that’s why you don’t see lots of pro photographers using it.
Sony’s Nex line is getting there with the Nex 6 – but again the audience is amateur. Amateurs usually pick the brand the pros use. Go figure.
It’s obvious! Put RX1 sensor in it, call it NEX-69 and sell under 1500.
You wish
69, my favourite number.
lol 😀
dpreview still alive? loool
thaught they switched to testing mobile phone cams now.
srsly dprewiew is out of date!
I would love a medium format NEX with 8-300mm zoom lens at a fixed aperture of 1.4. For under 1000 dolars of course.
no no no, this should be max. 500$ and only 500 grams of weight
of course. that is so logical.
> and location of the movie mode button
LOL. The never-ending story.
I prefer the Nex-6 to the Nex-7, but in both cases I think Sony could learn from (well-regarded-for-usability) Fuji, and add just a couple more, well placed, buttons and/or dials (like a focus mode knob and ISO dial).
Of course with the modern design of the NEX, Sony would need to make the buttons/dials sleek and sexy, but I’m sure they could do that.
For geeks like us, this dpr review may be a little too late, however for normal people this is fine.
I considered the NEX-6 but the lack of stabilization with legacy lenses put me off, and its quite expensive for what it is. In addition, compared to the NEX-7 the ergonomics are weak at best, and I have much higher hopes for the NEX-7N.
The problem is that the mirrorless market is quite complicated and quickly developing, with Sony getting most things right but aim not high enough, Fuji aiming high enough but doesn’t deliver a great multimedia device, and sadly, there’s still no manufacturer producing an APS-C mirrorless with IBIS. That is not a necessity as such, but would make considerations a lot easier.
I guess I sit down and wait quietly, until they get things right.
“In addition, compared to the NEX-7 the ergonomics are weak at best”
What is so much weaker about NEX-6 egonomics?
Direct exposure correction. It is must have but absent with NEX-6
Direct exposure compensation
Direct ISO control
AF/MF AEL button on NEX-7, although I prefer having separate buttons, this is ok
In P/A/S mode rear dial replicates top dial with NEX-6, and only soft key B is programmable
All three dials work intelligently together with the navigation button (trinavi) on the NEX-7, in contrast to the top dial on NEX-6 which generally just replicates rear dial.
Custom setting bank under navigation button NEX-7
Soft key B and right key programmable on NEX-7, additional custom settings under soft key C.
After considering this, I’m safe to say that the NEX-7 is superior in the ergonomics department, and so will be it’s successor.
Besides this, the the 6 has some advantages for some people like the new MIS shoe (the least supported hotshoe on the planet, at least for a while), and a mode dial.
The real pain is that the NEX-6 could be far better ergonomically than it is now. And that only by improving firmware, but Sony clearly wants distinction between 6&7. But intentionally dumbing down a camera for the sake of segmentation is really a bad idea.
Technically the NEX-6 is a NEX-5R without Touchscreen, but with Viewfinder, integrated Flash and Standard Hotshoe in a near NEX-7 body. Not into Viewfinders, not into Flash Photography and not into Retro Style Cameras I’m better off with the 5R, but a standard cinch Audio-In would have already made the difference.
Don’t forget that the NEX-5R doesn’t have Quick-navi. That is a BIG one as far as I’m concerned, especially if you’re used to the old Alpha DSLRs that had it.
True – also that I forgot about it, especially since I’m mostly using Aperture Priority anyway and don’t really need this wheel. That’s something like Touchscreen, Viewfinder, Standard-Flash-Hotshoe or Audio-In: Some really need it and others don’t. Myself I’m preferring the NEX-5 Form Factor (and also the design). I’m the perfect customer to buy a Full Frame Sensor with 4K Video in a Lens Rear Cap 😀
I would add a touch screen, improving focus point selection. A battery charger included.
Also i would add a lot apps. Feeling not much competition Sony is not going to engage more than 1-2 engineers for its “store” (as i feel they presently do). Pity they cannot see what possibilities the “Magic Lantern” (or the smaller CHDK) brings to the Cannons.
If by the way they are short of app ideas, just ask. Also, does “6” have the resources needed for a lot of apps? If not, again you can ask for ideas. Just some more zest is needed.
Like DPreview, I also dislike the video button on the NEX-6. Very awkward / bad location and difficult to use.
Cannot set exposure correction to the top wheel: fail. This is ergonomic disaster.
No.
It’s not a disaster but it doesnt make any sense to omit it.
The only thing that I have to complain about NEX is that the controls are always crippled. Like omitting the touchscreen from all models but the 5 series. While I hate it, I have to admit that it’s a good strategy because I’m considering an upgrade just because of that. It’s just too useful for manual focusing.
I persuade not to buy NEX-6 and NEX-5r two my friends: because they are crippled and I don’t want to advice cameras that are inconvenient to use. I dropped an idea to buy NEX-5r (I have EVF and I don’t like fixed EVF) because its top wheel is practically useless.
So in my experience Sony only loses crippling their stuff.
And I always wonder when so called “customer” looks for excuses for some company that tries to sell him/her something. I always thought customer should think only about his/her own profit and comfort.
Can you read? What I posted was just an explanation. Not an excuse.
It’s a fact that enough people are buying their stuff. Actually it’s kind of ironic because the more people buy things as crippled they are, the more they are going to leave omitted. In that sense I think it was a good choice of yours to tell your friends not to buy the current gen cameras.
You see the opposite example in olympus. Their stuff isn’t selling well enough so even their lowest level camera (PM2) got most features of the higher tier cameras like advanced bracketing, same sensor etc.
Ill never buy NEX until ill be able to customize as much as i can with A57
Some things to fix by firmware in nex 6 are cusoj function settings for central button C, and enabling multiple settings changes when using the Quik navi screen – onlyallows one function change at moment then deactivates the screen. These changes would greatly improve the usability of the nex 6.
Nex6… A Perfect camera!
The Only thing missing Is The Alpha A menu and same Fn menu function…
I really love my nex 7 ! The only thing I missed is its issue with wide angle lenses… Magenta cast, vignetting and CA
Probs with wa lenses then just update to latest firmware which fixes these issues
I like this in use, but would always prefer more direct external controls. In practise, though, I’d really like the rear dial to set automatically to exposure comp when in A and S modes, and BETTER AF in low light. Even with a fast lens like the 35 1.8 it all too often defaults to the ‘general focus square’ and misses critical focus on the actual subject in low-ish light, even with the AF assist light active. This is with the latest body/lens firmware, so it’s using hybrid AF.
if it comes with a touch screen then it is gold award to me.
I agree about the touchscreen. The NEX 6 needs one, also the ability to use the back dial in all modes. Make it customizable. But with the mode dial and especially the built in EVF, it’s much better than my NEX 5n
Only complaints I’ve got with my NEX-6:
1. Very odd playback system where movies and pictures are separate.
2. Wifi is terrible (can’t send pics over like an eye-fi card, can’t tether to computer, etc.).
3. I wish the two dials would not duplicate each other’s functions (such as in playback, one should zoom in while the other should advance to next picture).
4. Again, with the dials, I wish that they always did something. For example, in Av mode, the dial behind the shutter button is to change the aperture, but the rear dial doesn’t do anything. It would be great if a firmware update allowed us to set that to do *something*. ISO, exposure, whatever.
Otherwise, I love the peaking and sensor and EVF.
Am I the only one that is glad the NEX 6 didn’t come with a touch screen? Have yet to think to myself ‘damn, if only my screen was a touch screen right now.”
I love my NEX 6 as is. I just wish Sony would hurry up with the CZ 16-80mm.
I hope its a G series 16-80mm because CZ won’t use stabilization in their lenses. Love the Zeiss look and I don’t mind unstabilized primes but when I shoot with a zoom flexibility is top priority and OIS helps with that. Plus the G lenses are pretty darn good.
Has it been confirmed that it will be unstabilized? If it is, then scratch what I said previously and replace with;
A really good 16-80mm or so stabilized lens.
hmm… exposure compensation.. i just adjust my shutterspeed and aperture accordingly.. takes me like 1 sec. but i guess i could see how some people would be annoyed by the lack of a exposure dial.
I never record with my nex.. so i could care less. only reason i chose nex 6 over nex 7 is because of the iso performance.
Yo I feel bad for those dat say da nex menu is complicated. You gotta be a dum mutha base head if its hard fo you. I’ve had my nex for a day and I already got dat tip down. Da nex menu is nice yall. Stop Trippin and stay cool.
Sony is truth.
Keep it real sar
what?
Nex 6 is the most refined model at the moment. I am very happy with mine
About the interface…
Last few days I’ve been playing with a new Nikon D800. And comparing how the usability and the menu of nex 6 to it.
Overall there is nothing disastrous about nex 6 at all. I even like the video button. It works really well for my hand and fingers here. Have never accidentally pressed it nor had a hard time.
After I customized all the buttons, work flow is pretty good. Wished the menu was the alpha menu. And a 2 custom user mode would be real appreciated.
how about making both dial’s function able, eg top dial to adjust aperture and back dial to adjust exposure. Also add touchscreen.
Im with you man. I don’t understand why people complain about the nex menu. I think its actually the best I’ve ever used. Everything is easy to find and for the most part intuitive.
I changed my NEX7 to NEX6.
NEX 6 has better autofocus, better viewfinder, better high iso performance, and better ergonomics (without tri navi uper two dials accident adjustment)
NEX6 has much better lens compatibility,
Here are original files MTS files from dpreview. Water shots have a lot of moire for some reasons (Possibly due to line skipping in sensor and very sharp glass)
http://fil.io/FL5jg/Sony%20NEX-6
“some of our complaints could be resolved with a firmware update”
Dream on.
I’ve really been shooting a lot over the past four months and have to date shot around 4000 pictures with the Nex 6, I’ve used it for architecture,street and some action shots. I have to say that all round this is the best camera I have owned. it’s ability to use old Rokkor manual focus glass is wonderful and my favorite lens is the Rokkor 58 f1.2 just brilliant. I’m waiting for my Rokkor 24 which is on it’s way and that will open a little more landscape photography. The draw back on the auto focus is real when using the 50mm f1.8 Sony, as a result I don’t use it that often in low light the 30mm 2.8 just renders better. The Wifi is superb and I use my phone for remote shooting and for quick uploads to review and edit on my IPad . The menu’s are easy and I have set mine up to suit me. The 12 frame burst is just brilliant, still can’t believe it is so fast. I love the EVF and it really works for me. So all in all I’m a fan of where Sony are going with the technology.
I was so excited about this camera and nearly pulled the trigger yesterday until I found out it didn’t support tethered shooting. I could cry. I’ve been looking for a camera for well over a year now, and “Mr. Right” is just not out there at any price.