Real-world test: the Sony a6000 goes surfing with Chris Burkard

Chris says a few things the camera is not good at, you should probably watch it again. He says it is not good for shallow DOF, not good for long exposure or low light. Where the camera shines is action. That is pretty unbiased to me, since it is proven to be good in action in lots of test videos.

No way this camera is good for sport shooting. Basically he used a very large DOF in order to get around that. A sport shooting camera needs to be able to have an excellent dynamic focusing system on small fast moving objects in various light in order to be considered an outstanding sports camera. The a6000 does not do this. Accuracy of the dynamic focusing is seriously lacking.

I am not saying it isn't a good camera, just that if you are buying an a6000 as a sports camera, as the video suggests it is for, you are going to be disappointed. Mirrorless is the future, but it isn't there yet.

Ok lol.

Things that don't use an internal combustion engine

Aaaaah - that old saying: "If truth hurts" !!

Come again?

They needed extenders for the 70-200 f4
The adapter for the 70-400 makes it lame for sports
When you go long, low light, narrow focus, and need focus for "real" sports vs EVF which is lame for sports, the canon system trounces the sony for sports - yet they term the Sony as great for sports? Oh well, it was fun watching.

yea ..ill also keep my eyes for those big GM trucks they thought always would sell ..
until they reached bankruptcy .

and while you ponder the sarcasm in that reply keep in mind that canon camera has less dynamic range today than a 2009 Sony camera ..eons in terms of technological development .

GM emerged from Bankruptcy just fine and truck sales across the board in 2014 were among the best figures in the last 10 years.

In terms of DR, that's fine considering the only ones needing to push shadows 2 full stops are those that don't know how to use a camera. Even then, the 7DMKII metering system is far better than most out there.

Let me know when it can actually be used for indoor basketball or better yet a childrens on-stage play. Less than stellar light kills it's AF Capability. But hey, I'm still waiting on SI to switch over to Sony for football, basketball, baseball or more....hasn't happened for a reason.....

"those who dont know how to use a camera"

can your answer be any more arrogant ?

GM was saved by Obama ..it was also no allowed to make "shorts" on their stocks for months...still has not prevented them from producing buggy cars that killed people (just loving the gm comparison more and more here )

no one will help canon if they stop innovate for too long .

"loved" your argument about DR ,shows great maturity

Dear friend prossi,
this is the answer to the withdrawn comment from you.
So, you are accepting this is not an open minded review.
And truth is always naked.And it doesn't know how to hide.
thanks.

Canon EOS7D Mark ii vs Sony a6000 Side-by-Side Shootout
by 2x pro photographers .

look it up on youtube..says it all ..and not in favor of the 7D

OOps! I didn't check, just believed what I read elsewhere. Chris is sponsored by Nikon, so they must have given the OK! This from Wikipedia, the often correct source!

Egg on my face.

"I had tested the Alpha 6000 with tele-lenses"
Lenses? Which? I thought there was only one available, the 70-200/4

I don't want to hurt anybody. I am not with any brand.
I loves innovations like NX1 , A6000, DH4, X-T1, OM-D E-M5 II,etc
thanks.

Yes and No.
Asking people who have 15+ years of investment in expensive tools may not always try out new stuff just for fun.
They will change when the KNOW that it will work.
But how should that knowledge be gained? And by whom?

But, I agree that it would be interesting to see what a sports shooter would accomplish with it.

If the QC was up to standard; people had to return many copies of the 7D2 to get a properly focusing camera. The refurbished market will be awash with 7D2s. DP was too quick with their silver and it probably wouldn't have placed at all if they had waited. A sports camera with focus problems is not any good to anyone.

being able to shoot sports with a decent buffer does not define a great camera... the 7D2 is a great camera, especially for sports but its IQ, though good is nothing special, its DR is poor and a few other niggles, that's why it got silver, simple.

DPR don't base their review recommendation on whether or not a camera is a good sports camera or not!! being able (or not) to shoot sports is one of many considerations...there were many things the the 7D2 was not great at and THAT'S why is got a Silver and not a Gold award...simple!

DPR doesn't base their recommendations on real world experience, just as this surfer dude video is very narrow real world experience. The 7d2 deserved platinum for its price in broad based sports and wildlife genres. DPR also heavily weights toward dxo. Wedding pros are beginning to realize that the sony iso 100/200 DR is just a parlor trick to shoot skies within exposure, but faces completely in shadow black -- when you bring the exposure up, the face colors are tooney ruined. Canon users ask for real world portrait examples during events-- and there are few-- if none. in Landscape, dxo and dpr don't care about the tooney colors from the iso100/200 parlor trick. Hans has the solution to color and dr http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55337482

"The A6000 body sells for $548 US, so why worry about it. Its not a threat"

correct, sums it up nzmacro, no worries, mine is already paying for itself

"I'll say it, being a good sports camera doesn't mean it deserves Gold!! THAT is one aspect of the 7D2 that is great"

Jostian, the marketplace is loaded with cameras. The sony a6000 is a nice option with some primes for travel. But when you step into long sports glass - there is the rub - and I wonder why anybody with sports in their genre would take that leap. A great sports camera for $1799 with a grand lens system deserves platinum. You had to spend over $5000 to get this in the past. No camera does everything great. This one leads in its class. Nikon never built the d400. Canon has the glass, the extenders, the system and the support. It wasn't given credit by DPReview, where credit is due.

"I'll take a wild guess and say the the 7D2 is the best camera you've efter used?"

You guessed right Eleson. I've had every canon 1.6 clear back to the $2K d30. I had 5dc for 5 years that played out in portraits. My gear is paid for by others. The 65 cross types that cover the frame are amazing for rule of thirds shooting with shallow dof without recomposing. My 5dc could never do that consistently. The 6d and the d610 don't have rule of third cross types. On the dr comment you made, that doesn't play after iso 400 where most action shooting occurs. My point was the 5ds/r will be amazing for scapes on tripod and the colors will be outstanding. The color fidelity and wb of my 7d2 are excellent. The hi iso for my 7d2 is amazing for a crop camera, best in class for a 10fps 1.6 costing under $1800

Ok MAC, lets agree on this then, the 7D2 is a great sports camera, the A6000 is great 'all round' package, especially in terms of size, IQ etc.

We agree on the 7d2. I'm using 2 Odin Triggers and 3 Odin receivers on my 7d2 and my SL1 and they work beautifully and in harmony for the event shooting I do with my 35 f2 IS, 100L, 10-18 stm, 70-200 f2.8 L with 1.4 II and 55-250 stm. To be "an all-around package", there needs to be enough reasonably priced glass designed for it, and a commitment by the manufacture to keep the new glass coming. Read the most popular thread. Sony and Nikon are not designing crop glass for their crop bodies. Whereas Canon is - the newly released 10-18 stm, the 18-135 stm and the 55-250 stm are incredible. I paid just $180 for my 55-250 stm and it is sharp wide open and it is sharper between 200 - 250 than Canon's 70-200 f4L with 1.4 ext II. So for $1980 with my 7d2 and 55-250 stm, I'm virtually certain I would have done better than the $2000 Sony A6K + sony 70-200 f4 in that good light where they were continually struggling for reach. For limited use, the A6K + a few primes is fine.

Ok, let's just agree that the 7D2 is a great cam then.

A cam doesn't take a single photo on its own Eleson. I always look for glass first. It's about the system, not the cam. Everybody needs to decide on the truth and then there is what is known as the perception of their own truth. You asked about frame rate - well was the focus and exposure locked to get the higher frame rate? Here is some fun reading - best threads ever on DPReview. Be informed and then decide on your own truth. I'm not a Sony Troll. They are making progress. My pro friends say mirror-less is still 3-5 years away to try to convince us it's here now as a great sports camera to replace your dslr. As I said, Sony needs to work on glass, shallow dof focus, OVF vs EVF

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54982075
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55056224
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55066095
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55065971

Here is what Peter Miller has to say:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW9-8kBcx1I

I was wonder where that discussion about 11 fps vs 8 fps came from.

Here it is:
a6000 does deliver 11fps as long as the aperture is faster than f16.
OTOH, the a77 deliver 12fps at the lenses fastest aperture or f3.5 if the lens is faster.
During that burst, the a77 adjusts exposure continously.
If the a77 is set to continous AF it also adjusts AF during the burst.
(And I'm betting newer a6000 does also, but I don't find it worthwhile to read the manual to find out.)

Thing is, these are two different cameras, and it could be helpful to be clear about what camera you refer to.

A third camera, is the A7(ii) which has yet another set of behaviors.

Yes, three different cameras, one is E-mount FF, one if A-mount APS-C, and one is E-mount APS-C. (Still looking for G-mount)

"You asked about frame rate" - No I didn't.

fps is also a function of keeping up with shallow focus on a moving subject and turning off nr, etc, where the sony has more noise at hi iso. Get back to me when you do that test

If I made mistakes on sony specs, it is no wonder, they have everyone confused on iteration after iteration and weak support.

if you want sports/wildlife, get canon system, even a 70d

below are some 7d2 iso 16000 sample from a guy who shoots both sony and canon. He'll tell you EVF sucks for sports.

and I wonder what happens when you rack the sony lens when you shoot action. In Mayhem's video shootout with the mirrorless samsung the samsung was toast when he racked the lens with narrow dof on the outer points

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55339649

Why would anyone trade modern IQ for a Canon that uses old sensor technology, practically out of the stone age (Sony and all other chip makers are way ahead, only Canon trails.

"and I wonder what happens when "
That's fair, sceptisim is healthy.
But if you really wondered, then you'd spend the time to find out. Instead of calling it she*t without knowing.
And,again, what Sony do you refer to???

And seriously, do you really think turning NR off or on makes any difference at all???

"If I made mistakes on sony specs, it is no wonder, they have everyone confused on iteration after iteration and weak support."
This explains a lot to me, could it be so that Canon is actually releasing models a the maximum speed their users can grasp?
It's just the users of other cameraws that think they are lazy and slow.

When I asked earlier if the 7D2 was the best camera you ever used, it was actually a question whether or not you actually used any other camera. Albeit in a bit of disquise.

This is boring, over and out.

"Why would anyone trade modern IQ for a Canon that uses old sensor technology, practically out of the stone age (Sony and all other chip makers are way ahead, only Canon trails."

It might play out a tad in landscapes a bit but it doesn't play out in real portrait, wedding and sports/action shoots. In fact it ruins the colors of faces. The best practice is to get the shot right straight out of the camera and Canon's new exposure system on my 7d2 is amazing. The 7d2 crop sensor is amazing high iso and no banding I just sold a bunch of 5x7's at iso12,800. The prediction is that canon's 5d4, based on how great the 7d2 is doing, will once again take the high iso lead - that is not ancient - that is leading!. For portrait and sports, the sony DR is nothing more than a parlor trick. The reason users buy the 70d as the all-arounder is for the Canon glass - Canon is leading in development of crop glass. The reason to spend $800 more than the 7d2-best value action camera on the planet!

You are obsessed and completely one eyed Mac. If the Canon shooters I shoot with had that attitude about one brand and one camera, they would be out in the cold. Its a good action camera Mac, no doubt about it, but there are plenty of others around as well. Gulp, heaven forbid, even Nikon's.

It depends on who is pushing the button and I've never sold image files that small. Prints that size look fine from most cameras and not all DSLR's either.

Worry about the image Mac, not the dumb box. I see plenty of decent sports shots from a heck of a lot of different brands.

Time to move on, see ya.

"and I wonder what happens when "
That's fair, sceptisim is healthy. "

yes, based on my long sports experience, it is a good question

"But if you really wondered, then you'd spend the time to find out. Instead of calling it she*t without knowing."

You called it that, I didn't, I said it was fine with a few primes for specific purposes, which I may indeed buy - eg, the $1000 water housing setup surfer dude talked about.

"And seriously, do you really think turning NR off or on makes any difference at all???"

It has been long established fact in-camera NR slows down frame rate.

"This explains a lot to me... their users can grasp? ... are lazy and slow."

Oh come on Eleson, keep it civil...

"When I asked earlier if the 7D2 was the best camera you ever used... Albeit in a bit of disquise."

I knew you were disguised ;) Be kind. Open mind. I may buy a sony RX4,5,6 for travel scapes

"This is boring, over and out."

Canon is where the glass is at. Try it, you might like it.

"Its a good action camera Mac, no doubt about it, but there are plenty of others around as well. Gulp, heaven forbid, even Nikon's."

Nikon never built the d400

"It depends on who is pushing the button and I've never sold image files that small. Prints that size look fine from most cameras and not all DSLR's either."

For sports it's about acquisition capability, not just button pushers, watch the Sports Illustrated Shooter video I posted above.

"Worry about the image Mac, not the dumb box. I see plenty of decent sports shots from a heck of a lot of different brands."

Because of glass and acquisition, Canon and Nikon on pro sports sidelines - but as I said, Nikon didn't build the d400 in this class

"Time to move on, see ya."

good luck, enjoy what you have, it is fun

"Because of glass and acquisition"

You mean like this Mac

http://birdsinaction.com/index.php/Equipment

Mounted on m4/3 and an APS-C 24 meg sensor. No AF though, never found a use for it ;-)

"This explains a lot to me... their users can grasp? ... are lazy and slow."
Oh come on Eleson, keep it civil...

Ok, I admit. That was not civil.

But I don't think it was undeserved.
Almost nothing from your side regarding a6000 have been correct.
No interest whatsoever in actually getting the facts straight before claiming stuff.
Not even knowing what mount the a6000 uses. Or the a77 for that matter.

Or tried to understand what Sony is releasing and how it fits together.
"Having everyone confused" is simply wrong.
So I made the deduction that you only hang out with Canon fanboys, hence the comment. Again sorry for that. I should have asked first.

And the F3.5 stuff. Have you taken the time to correct that in any of the posts wrote that in? I think you should.
(OH, F3.5 is for PDAF during video, nothing else)
...

...

You have absolutely no idea on how the 70-400 performs on tha a99, or the a77mkII, or with adapter on the a6000, or on the a7II?
But still throwing stuff around like it was manure.

"Sony would be toast." - How do you know?
Because you've been touted that Canon is the greatest 'til you believed it?
- What if that's wrong ...?

One thing is consistent, do not say anything like "Opps I was wrong. I'll check better next time" Or just some kind of knowledge that you were out on thin ice.

Throwing stuff around with no care. From the latest post this popped up:
"It has been long established fact in-camera NR slows down frame rate."
- Long established really means it is not facts. Folklore at best!
It may certainly be true for some cameras and for some
circumstances. But it sure is not an universal truth.

Couldn't it be so that even if Canon cameras got bogged down by NR, other don't?

Get out more , try some stuff.

@Scott Everett: " We've now done the same with Canon 7D MK II, Samsung NX1, Fuji XT-1, and Nikon D750".

Thank you for mentioning the Fuji X-T1 and Nikon D750. These a very interesting cameras beside the Sony A6000. I like the extensive camera reviews of your page a lot!

I would welcome more videos, very helpful and it breaths a bit vibrancy life into the reviews