First deal. Here's to hoping it is a good one.
Harvey Norman currently has the A6000 body for $673, the lowest compared to other authorised retailers. Combined with a free $150 EFTPOS gift card promotion from Sony, the price you are paying is effectively $523. If you still have the AmEx $100 off $300+ offer in your backpocket, you will then have it at $423 which is cheap as chips.
Mustang out!
The zeiss sel1670z is a good travel lens but it is pricey. Just bought one for $700 second hand.
Otherwise sigma 19mm, 30 and 60mm Art primes are great value if you don't mind switching lenses.
Hey there, I am on my way out of the house now so my recommendation will be very brief with no price references, apologies.
The SEL18200 may be what you are looking for - wide range of zoom with optical stabilisation but the trade off is that it is quite big and aperture is F3.5-6.3. Other than that, there is the SEL1855, SEL1650 for shorter zooms. On the higher end of the scale you have Sony Zeiss lenses such as SEL2470Z.
Potential lenses down the road:
If you are comfortable with prime lenses, you have Sigma lenses (19mm, 30mm, 60mm), Sony lenses (28mm, 35mm, 50mm), Zeiss Touit lenses (12mm, 32mm, 50mm macro). On top of that, you can use full frame E-mount lenses which opens up to a whole lot more lenses including the legendary FE 55mm which is just crazy sharp and beautiful like a mini Zeiss Otus. Since it is mirrorless, you can also use an adaptor to whatever lens you want to use from Voigtlander, Leica, Nikon, Canon, etc.
I used to have the A6000 and I am repurchasing it because I love that camera so much. FYI, my favourite all around (default) lens on it is SEL35F18, but note that I use proper wide angle lenses for anything landscape or 85mm+ lens for any portrait photos.
If you had more time, I think you'd be able to share the meaning of life. Bravo.
SEL18200 is pretty good covering wide range of zoom and you can get them used ones. For portraits, I would advise 35 mm or 50 mm with F1.8 or close. Only downside of these mirrorless is average pictures with less light.
Worse iso performance in low light conditions occurs for all cameras, DSLR included. The ISO performance of same size sensor mirrorless vs DSLR is pretty much the same.
@Goonos: I have tried both and they are not the same. Mirrorless struggle to focus in low light or a a bit dark places as it is digital, where as DSLRs not. Much better picture quality. More ISO value means more grains which sometimes is fine, but auto focus is a pain.
Having said that, I still prefer those. You can get an external flash and use it passively to have great pics.
Which cameras exactly did you try? I have a feeling you are comparing a Micro Four Thirds camera to an APS-C DSLR. I agree that traditionally DSLRs generally have the advantage of auto focusing in dim light however the best mirrorless cameras can now focus just as well if not better (panny G8, A6500, X-T2). APS-C based sensors in mirrorless perform just as well as in DSLR. Nikon 7200 uses the sensor found in the A6000 with low light measuring 1333 and 1347 respectively. Lets not forget that the Sony A7R Mark 2 is a full frame mirrorless that smokes the Nikon D810 (also full frame)
@Goonos: We are not talking Full frames here, Micros or other mirrorless. Lets compare apples with apples.
Sony A6000 suffers in focusing in low light and most DSLRs dont. I have 18-200, 50mm and the kit lens. All have same issue. You need a flash or do manual focus.
I use the sel35f18 90% of the time now. It covers most of what I look to photograph and does it very well. It's 35mm f1.8 - which is really quite nice and creates sharp images with great 'bokeh'.
I've owned the 16-70z before - it was amazing but it is a bit expensive and unless you're closer to the 70mm side, you don't get much 'bokeh' on portraits.
The 18-105 F4 is another great all around lens - but it's quite big and to me it ruins the whole 'compact' mirrorless experience for me.
The 30mm Sigma f2.8 - $199 - probably the best cheap easy to use every day lens.
Digidirect have the Sony Zeis 16-70mm F4 for $1162.00 with $200.00 sony cash back.
I was looking @ their price 6weeks ago and it was 1064 (before the cash back offer was available) > told saleman this and ask for final price of 1050 > immediately accept my offer (this was <1 week ago).
With 200 cash back = 850 which is v.good price for this lens- new/authorised seller
I just bought it for 1162! :( Is it possible to cancel the order and bargain for 1050?
If you don't care about the bulky size, get the 18-105mm G F4. The image quality of this lens is almost the same as the Zeiss 16-70mm, but with a further zoom range and lower price. Also it's a power zoom lens with a biggest constant aperture of F4 , which means you can use this lens for professional video shooting. 18-105mm is a good range for most of the video work.
The zeiss sel1670z is a good travel lens but it is pricey. Just bought one for $700 second hand.
Otherwise sigma 19mm, 30 and 60mm Art primes are great value if you don't mind switching lenses.
I also bought mine second hand. It's quite a good lens once you consider how compact that sucker is. I saw my friend's 24105L for her canon. That's a cheaper lens by far, but it was almost 3x the size lol.
Tempting. I still have 5 amexes with the HN offer on them.
$670 - $200 (amex) - $150 (eftpos) - $67 (TRS) = $253.
Hmmm… Might have to consider this if I can't utilise the amex offer any other way. (still looking to get iPhone 7+, but no stock at the moment..)
Yeah. Tempting for me as well. Same situation as you but I got $1500 ($600 + $900) worth of HN gift cards so already got my $500 back from AmEx and flying out on Boxing day. I ended up getting my IPhone 7+ from somewhere else so was just going to get an Apple Watch 2 for my wife and have the rest for the next Apple iPhone.
I already have the Nex 6 which works great for me so I'm not sure if it is worth the 'upgrade', especially if I have to get a potentially expensive lens separately. I already love my standard Sony 16-50 lens kit I got with it and was not sure if there was anything nicer out there which does similar but is not too expensive. IE $300+ for the lens.
Great deal, top first post!
Is the Amex offer not available to people to get right now?
I'm wondering the same thing. If it is, this looks like a great deal - but I'm not seeing it on my Amex card.
I just tried to enroll - the site reported that the maximum number of cards has enrolled.
I have Sony Zeiss 1670 f4 (and a B&W 10x ND filter) and Hasselblad 16mm in e mount (makes for a small combo of camera lens) on my hardly used, year old A6000. I prefer using my Sony A99, big as it is.
bought this a while back when Harvey Norman had their special. Camera suffers from overheating auto shut down issue when recording videos. :(
Have used the camera for over a year, including recording combat sports events that went up to 4 hours long. Have never had this happen to me once.
Numerous people reported the same issue. You're probably the lucky one. just google a6000 overheat and you'll even see people tearing the camera up just to install some heat sink.
The A6300 is the model known for this, not the A6000 that we are discussing here. Others have clarified this already in this thread, too.
@Lionmaru-G: Your link flows to 10 pages of camera reviews, of which none make any comments about heating issues - unless discussing the A6300 overheating.
Here's a fixed link for you to follow, since you seem unable to google properly: https://www.google.com/search?q=sony+a6300+overheating&ie=ut…
@Lionmaru-G: Here's an 82-page long thread about the camera and user experiences from those who bought & used it here in Australia. There's not a SINGLE post about it being an issue for A6000.
So you are going to use whirlpool as a standard for camera users in Australia? LMAO
Why benefit do i get from lying about the overheating issue of A6000 when clearly a large majority also suffer from the same problem. Heaps of people on youtube channels also acknowledge A6000 problem too. I'm simply letting over people know about it before purchasing thats all. As im one of the unlucky one who picked up A6000 last year from Broadway HN also has the same problem.
@Lionmaru-G: What "large majority" are you imagining here? Your best two attempts of providing any evidence of your claim has been 10 pages of positive reviews listed on google for the camera with no mention of problems and a Youtube clip with a 35% downvote rate that globally reached a total of 4000 views? You are the only person here making this claim and 1600+ users discussing the camera at the southern hemisphere's largest IT & Tech forum never once complained about this "issue" of yours.
But by all means, don't me let you stop digging your own hole.
How much would be the lens to click portraits? I have heard this is very good camera but want to check total overall cost.
Cheapest 'great lens' for portraits: Sample photos: Sigma 60mm f2.8 - https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=sigma%2060mm%20f2.8%20e%…
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SIGMA-60mm-F2-8-DN-ART-SERIES-LEN…
I use the Sony 50mm F1.8 for most of my portraits. I got it at JB for under $300 after some hard bargaining.
http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/prod8339.htm has it for $342
the 50mm 1.8 is an excellent portrait lens and prob get second hand for $150-200 make sure you dont get the full frame version though because that isnt very good.
Buy it here and if you have Amex HN offer, it will be $199.
http://www.harveynorman.com.au/cameras-printers-stationary/c…
Thanks guys. I have only one Amex HN offer. So using it on camera purchase. I will probably buy lens from ebay as HN will be expensive.
Loved this camera but the battery life is a pain. Budget for two to three extra batteries and an external charger to minimise the pain.
I don't find it that bad, also it's got a micro usb port , so you can charge it with a powerbank :)
But you cannot use the camera while charging, unless you buy a6300 or a6500.
Sure - this definitely is not a professional use camera. More so a 'hobby-ist' camera that can achieve great results.
I normally use it for a 100 or so shots and then put it down, charge it with powerbank in my camera bag as I'm travelling and I always have no issues with my 1 battery.
For mirrorless cameras, turn it off when you are not using the camera for next few minutes, since the display/electric viewfinder & autofocus tracking will drain the battery heavily. You will find significant battery improvement if you do this trick.
It's just different using habits people need to change from using DSLRs.
update the firmware to 3.20
Ive also got NEX3n i can confirm A6000 definitely drain battery much much faster!
I wonder if this is the problem that causes overheating? draining too much power from battery increase the temp too much
The EVF is the biggest drain on the battery (which the 3 does not have). If you are constantly using the EVF or if you leave it on in a bag (which will activate the EVF) then that would account for it. The A6000 isn't know for overheating. The A6300 when in video does though.
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=a6000&rlz=1CAACAJ_enAU718…
Cool i'll turn off EVF and give that a try
Can't remember the video length for the camera battery off the top of my head, but I can take 1400+ photos and replace my flash batteries 4 times before a fully charged camera battery would run out on me.
Try turning on airplane mode. I find my batteries lasting much longer now.
Any review on this camera? I am looking for a mini DSLR
I love it - focuses well. Good range of lenses. Very well priced for the features you get.
Very good camera. It is not a dslr, it is a mirrorless camera. One of the few that is full frame instead of micro 4/3 or APC. Only compatible with sony lenses (or use of an adapter) as far as I know.
A6000 is not full frame .. its apsc .. a7 is full frame… if you're paying around 500 .. its a good deal.
I stand corrected 😀
Best stills camera you can find from that price range. Fast autofocus, better image quality and better high ISO performance compared to Micro 4/3. Burst mode at 11FPS is insane.
I had this for few months, it is very good for video. Sensor wise it is great. Photos are great too. However, the image quality are pretty crappy with SEL1650 and SEL55210 lens. SEL1650 is much much worse than Canon or Nikon kit lens. However it is extremely compact, and hence I use it the most when travelling. AF performance is no where as good as any entry level DSLR. Especially in low light. During daylight AF is OK, nothing great just OK. My 550D focuses faster and more accurately than the A6000. Saying that, it isn't the same as DSLR and shouldn't be compared in the same way. It is for a different market. Try fitting your DSLR in your pocket.
With the right lens like the SEL50F18 and SEL35F18 the photo image quality was on par with the new Nikon DSLR. There is no doubt that the sensor on this camera is of the same quality.
While the SEL55210 is not quite as good as other lenses it is still nice and sharp in the centre stopped down. Anyone who does not pixel peep probably won't notice the quality difference.
its a very good value all rounder.
Hmmm… using a NEX5R, 4 years old. Cheap lenses, the 16-55, 55-210 kit lenses and a 2nd hand SEL18-210.
Was wowed by the price of the A6000, but the new 6300 looks very good particularly for the AF… But its 2x the price !
A6300 worth it ? Not really a photog, just need it for fast moving kids and family shots. Not too impressed with the ISO range of the 5R to be honest
theres the new A6500 which has inbody stabilization. it's much better than A6300
I know, its just out. The inbody stabilization is tempting as it opens up adapters and other brand lenses, but the price is not… closer to $2000…
yeah at that price, the a7 mkII seems like a better buy! also justifying a ~$2000 as a non-professional (be it amateur or enthusiast!) is next to impossible (when you can pick up this a6000 for sub $500!)
the IBIS is attractive for lenses such as the SEL24F18Z, but yeah will wait until it's cheaper lol
Bought. Damn you guys… No Amex offer, but still good value. Will look into reapplying for a fee free Amex, used to have the Virgin one with the 100k bonus points.
which is cheap as chips.
Where do you buy your crisps from??
Without the AmEx, the cheapest it has been was from the recent JB Hi-Fi deal for $594 + $150 eftpos gift voucher, so basically $444 for the body. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/280714
PS: Speaking of AmEx, how does it work with all these HN deals posted here lately? Do you have to have AmericanExpress credit card? And what's the interest like? Sorry, I am really confused about all the AmEx deals around here. And as a debit card user, I am not really that familiar with the costs and/or benefits of using CCs.
Actually if there is a "how to amex cashback" guide/post on ozb that would be very helpful. I understand the idea, but generally amex cards are all >$200 annual fee which kills the allure for me.
Ooo fancy. And they're all applicable to the cashback offer! I may have to investigate this more now. thanks =D
Yes, you have to pay with your Amex credit card. I dont care about interest as I pay full when payment is due. Ozbargainers are interested in all these deals with Amex only.
well, IT was actually 414 with extra 5% at JB HIFI after 150 gift voucher. I bought one and it is a nice little camera.
O, you're right! I forgot about that 5% discount. Damn it! Now I am regretting that I didn't get one.
is this a decent upgrade from the sony nex-3?
cheers
night a day upgrade
how so? the image quality was pretty/is i mean decent on the nx3 (its 16meg)
I updated from the nex-5.
Things I really liked on the a6000:
-Hot shoe mount - so I can add a proper flash. (I added the F20M sony flash - great for indoor photography and has bounce feature)
-Taking photos of moving objects - it's 1000000xbetter. It focuses a lot faster and has a million different modes to track the object.
-Low light performance. Iso6400 on the a6000 looks 10x better than iso 6400 on the Nex-5.
-Overall menu system/buttons. They've added a lot more buttons and it's a lot easier to 'control' your camera on the go. With the nex3/nex5, to adjust ISO I had to go into menus and then select brightness and then set it. By the time I had done all of this, 90% of the time, I would have missed the shot getting it adjusted to the correct light.
-Electronic View Finder - gone are the days of struggling to see your screen in broad day light. You can use the view finder which is actually quite decent.
-Micro USB is the charging port (not the old usb connection anymore).
In general - I personally shoot in manual, and find it a MUCH better camera. I DEFINITELY get a lot better photos as a result of this camera body.
But that being said - If you're happy with your Nex3 and you never find yourself taking too long to set up a shot and 'miss the photo' - then save your money. There's no need to update.
only thing i need it to do is, take pictures when the person and back ground are in focous.. can any camera do that?
Sounds like you are already happy with what you have. Save your money :)
For me, I was limited by my camera in terms of what I could shoot and so I upgraded then. It improved a lot of my photos by changing to the a6000 from the nex-5 for reasons above.
If you're happy with what you have, just keep it. Save the money and spend it on something else.
oh im not, sadly a crappy point a click or my iphone can do both fore ground and back ground, but not the expensive ones,… thats why im asking, whats so hard about it?
The 'out of focus' effect is a generally a good thing. People try to achieve that. If you've got a busy photograph, you want to blur out everything naturally and focus on your subject. Example : https://www.flickr.com/photos/iwonapodlasinska/20471528443/i…
If you put your hand 5 cm from your nose and look at it - you'll notice your eyes naturally even does that 'effect'.
Now if you dislike it and just want a 'clear photo'… all you have to do is a shoot at low focal lengths and at a smaller apeture.
So most lenses are between 16-70mm. What you are looking for is something like a 16mm lens, with apeture set to f5.6 above… and you'll get the desired effect you're after. In general - get a point and shoot/or just use your phone if you dislike the 'out of focus effect'.
I can understand for travel photography a lot of people dislike the out of focus effect because they want to be seen and they also want to show the building or whatever it is…
Yes. Every camera can take pictures of the subject and background in focus. Only some (depending on lens) can achieve separation and blur the background (bokeh). You might find this A6000 guide useful for your NEX3 anyway (page 19 in particular): https://www.sony.net/Products/di/common/images/products/qb9a…
my GF wants to look good and have the surrounding in focus as its on a trip, whats the point if they cant capture the eifle tower, or German parliament in the back ground too? its not an unreasonable request too imo.
now ive tried aparture but it takes too long to shoot and still isnt quite right… so really the crappy $100 camera is still preferred…. ;-(
like these arnt clear either http://digital-photography-school.com/wp-content/uploads/201…
even 16 would be too blury, im gona need like 50!
http://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/fstop.html
that 50 is decent in terms of what i need.
@T1OOO: you should be able to get the whole frame in focus at F8 with any lens unless you are very close to your subject. Shoot in aparture priority and then set a higher aparture and the cam will auto select iso and shutter speed. If you still get dof effect switch over to manual focus and twist the focus all the way around to infinity, the camera on auto focus will try to get a bokeh effect when it can.
Is it just me, or has this camera actually become more expensive over the last 18 months? I bought this from Harvey Norman over a year ago for $605 with the 16-50mm Lens Kit (after a small cash back redemption) and it also came with a $50 Sony store voucher card. I'm sure the camera was already for sale for at least a year before I purchased it, too.
hrmmm might see if better deals come up thens
yeh i agree, sony products are hideously overpriced
look at the rx100 models for example
the mark one is still hovering around $600
mark v is well over $1.5k
I don't think they are overpriced, but yes, they are expensive. The RX100 M1 is around that price because its deprecation has been offset by the decrease in the AUD. Also, it has not dropped as much because it took aaagess for any competition to arrive. The M5 is too expensive for my liking (as I would not need the features of it say over the mark 4) but then again there is nothing else with similar specs if you do need it. The new Olympus EM1 Mark 2 is being released for close to $3k! That's for a M43 camera. Just a sign of the times.
hmm yeah i'm hoping there's another deal with a lens, because the helpful posts above about which lens to get are all pretty pricey lenses…
Aussie dollar was much stronger back then. It was almost $1 us = $1 AUD
nah dude, that was 5 years ago not 12-24months……
The AUD when I purchased the camera was 73c to the US $1. That's the exact same as what it is today.
I think there was a big shortage after the tsunami went through quite a lot of factorys, then they were dealing with refugees from fukishma, and lack of electricity supply,
so there was a big backlog of orders and the prices never went back down
Someone who's just bought a camera would have to tell us, are they even made in Japan anymore,
or made in China now and just profiteering
I bought the a6K+kit lens in August of last year and it was 778 after cashback. The year before that, there were apparently some very good deals on the a6000 and the 1670z bundled together. argh
Middle of August last year was when I bought mine from Harvey Norman.
I have a6000 for 2 years now with sony 16-50 kit lens + sony 55-210 kit lens + sony 35mm 1.8 + sigma 19mm 2.8 + samyang 12mm 2.0 + sony 16-70 4.0 and would advice to save up for the "unfortunately expensive" but better lens, for my case Sony 35mm and Sony 16-70, though i still like the samyang (despite it being manual focus).
If i have my time again, would save up for the overpriced Sony 24 1.8 (which i dont have), sony 16-70 and samyang 12mm 2.0.
My 2 cents.
Is there a good all round lens anyone would recommend,
and any good deals on lens as well, as that would be a big factor in whether or not to buy into this system