Sony NEX-6 Review

Overview by Shawn Barnett and Mike Tomkins
Posted 09/12/2012

Shooter's Report by Eamon Hickey
Posted 04/18/2013

This is the Sony we've been waiting for. Not just the camera, but the company. They are back in fighting form, and what's more they seem to be having fun. Sony wasn't sure the NEX-7 would be quite the smash hit it clearly was, even at its higher price point, but that smash hit told them there was a market for a small mirrorless camera with an electronic viewfinder and an extra dial for a slightly lower price point. Hence we have the Sony NEX-6: a camera that's about the size of an NEX-7 complete with pop-up flash and electronic viewfinder, but with a simplified interface and a 16.1-megapixel sensor instead of 24.3. It also has a real Mode dial, dog-gone it, and that's a welcome change.

Between the NEX-6 and the NEX-5R, Sony has developed two cameras that hit us just about right. Stick a hot shoe on the NEX-5R and we're happy; barring that, we're drawn to the NEX-6 with its physical Mode dial. We might even use the electronic viewfinder.

What's new. Of course, there's a whole lot more to the Sony NEX-6 than those few elements. First, Sony's added its "Fast Hybrid AF" system, which combines contrast detection with 99-point phase-detection autofocus. It's reassuring to see that 11 x 9 array of autofocus points on the screen (both EVF and LCD, of course). Next, it can shoot 10 frames per second at full 16-megapixel resolution while track-focusing, keeping moving subjects in focus. The NEX-6 also records Full HD movies at 60p -- no small feat -- and it has Sony's new Multi Interface Shoe, which not only supports standard flashes, it integrates 21 additional pins for adding accessories to the camera. Finally, Sony integrated a Wi-Fi radio for easy transfer of images either directly to social media or to tablets and cell phones for editing and uploading from there.

And because it's a Sony, it has a huge selection of extra features that users have come to expect. Things like Sweep Panorama, Auto Portrait Framing (a crazy idea that actually seems to work), Auto HDR, and Focus Peaking function, just to name a few.

Initial pricing was set at US$850 body-only, and US$1,000 with the new 16-50mm Power Zoom lens, which started to ship in November 2012.

Build and design walkthrough. Physically, the NEX-6 reminds us a lot of the NEX-7. It's almost exactly the same size, measuring 4.7 x 2.6 x 1.7 inches (120 x 67 x 43mm) and weighing 12.7 ounces (359g) with battery and card (without lens). It weighs 16.5 ounces (469g) ready to shoot with the 16-50mm kit lens.

With a more workman-like appearance, the Sony NEX-6 has less glitz and more down-home practicality than the NEX-7. It isn't homely, but it's not headed out for dinner and dancing in the city. Sony softened the corners and spatter-painted the surfaces. All the major features are right where you'd expect them, though: the infrared remote port on the grip, a good feel to the grip, an AF-assist lamp, lens release button where it should be, left and right microphone holes flanking the lens, and that relatively large APS-C sensor.

From the top. Sony's new 16-50mm Power Zoom lens lets the NEX-6 fit more comfortably into jacket pockets and bags, and is a welcome addition to the line. The overall profile of the NEX-6 is a little thicker behind the lens mount. Whereas the NEX-7 used Minolta's old proprietary hot shoe, Sony's new Multi Interface Shoe appears on the NEX-6, making it compatible with upcoming intelligent accessories as well as standard non-dedicated strobes. The EVF's rubber eyecup is also noticeably larger on the Sony NEX-6, and it's softer so it'll do less damage to glasses. Right of the hot shoe is the pop-up flash, which springs up quickly, hanging over the Sony logo. Sony seems to have settled on putting the Power switch around the shutter button on its latest NEX cameras, and the Function button is also becoming standard. Finally, the Mode dial features PASM, fast access to Scene modes and Sweep Panorama, as well as the two Intelligent auto modes. It's stacked above the Control dial which we appreciate so much (it really does make us happy, because cameras like the NEX-5 and NEX-3 relied too much on soft controls to make important changes).

Sony's wholesale switch to the use of D-rings for camera straps is unfortunate thanks to their tendency to rattle in video recordings, but someone apparently decided it was necessary. We should also note that we found the gap between the lens and grip a little tight.

On the back. Function over form rings true again when looking at the back. Comparing this to the NEX-7 is like being introduced to the high-school jock's bookish little brother: the family resemblance is there, but the emphasis on appearance is different. Handsome as we find the NEX-7, we're happy with bookish if it gets us the photos we want in a practical way. The diopter correction dial is a little harder to activate thanks to the large rubber eyecup, but it's possible. The pop-up flash button is mechanical, not electronic, which we prefer in a camera like this. The Playback button does not power-up the camera, which makes sense considering the type of power switch employed. The AEL button is not switchable as it is on the NEX-7, but that's easy to live with; we're just happy it's there, and it is programmable. The standard soft buttons flank the top and bottom right corners of the LCD, their purpose changing with the mode or menu. Some, no doubt, are disappointed that the LCD is not a touchscreen, but we didn't miss it while shooting. It would have been very useful for entering text via the virtual keyboard, though.

Three of the four buttons integrated into the Control wheel bring up smart, fast adjustment menus on the right side of the screen, while the DISP button cycles through the various display options.

Battery and storage. The NEX-6 is powered by a 7.2-volt InfoLITHIUM rechargeable battery (part number NP-FW50) which is CIPA-rated to take 360 still images on a single charge while using the LCD screen. That's pretty good for a CSC, but battery life drops to 270 shots when using the EVF. The battery is charged in-camera via the USB port, and an AC adapter and USB cable are included in the product bundle, however a dedicated battery charger is not.

The NEX-6 accommodates several types of recordable media, including Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo and SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards, and is UHS-I compliant. The camera captures images in JPEG (Standard, Fine), 12-bit RAW and RAW+JPEG file formats.

Connectivity. In addition to built-in Wi-Fi and the Multi Interface Hot Shoe, connectivity options include USB 2.0 High-Speed for data transfer (and charging), and a high-definition Type-C Mini HDMI video output with CEC support. Like other recent Sonys, there is no provision for standard-definition composite video output. The Sony NEX-6 also has an infrared receiver in the grip for use with the optional RMT-DSLR1 or RMT-DSLR2 wireless remotes.

Overall impressions. All in all, the Sony NEX-6 strikes us as a just-right answer to the enthusiast's need for a more affordable mirrorless camera. It boasts improved continuous autofocus that can track a subject while firing off 10 frames per second, an electronic viewfinder, an articulating LCD screen, more physical control dials than anything but the NEX-7 -- less complexity than the NEX-7 -- and has a high-quality 16.1-megapixel APS-C sensor that does well in low light. We also appreciate the USB charging function, making it easier to charge while on the road, and you can always purchase a dedicated battery charger if you need one. Built-in Wi-Fi adds even more value to the NEX-6, allowing easy uploads direct to social media and transfers to tablets and phones. And adding the 16-50mm retractable Power Zoom lens makes the Sony NEX-6 smaller and easier to bring along as well as easier to afford.

 

Sony NEX-6 Shooter's Report

By Eamon Hickey

I might be the perfect target customer for the Sony NEX-6. I've shot with advanced and professional SLR cameras (film and digital) for 20 years, but I'm ready -- more than ready -- to lighten my camera load. I put the NEX-6 through its paces over several shooting days in New York City, hoping it might be my holy grail: a serious photographer's camera in a very compact package.

Size and feel. As we already noted, the Sony NEX-6 is quite compact, and the new retractable SEL16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens, which was included with my test unit, definitely helps keep weight and size in check. I could just slip the camera/lens combination into a large-ish coat pocket, allowing it to qualify (barely) as compact in my book. On three different days I spent 3 to 4 hours traipsing all over Manhattan with it and barely noticed its weight or bulk -- exactly what I was hoping for.

Happily, I also noticed right away how easy the camera is to hold securely, thanks to its prominent grip and tacky surface texture. I often like to walk with my camera dangling in my right hand, as opposed to hanging from a shoulder strap, and the Sony NEX-6 is among the best cameras I've ever tried for carrying this way.

Focus and overall speed. As much as I love the new compact system cameras, I've never met one that could focus well on anything capable of propelling itself, and kludgy manual focus systems are the lamentable rule with these cameras. One big promise of the Sony NEX-6 is that it might change that.

So the first thing I did with the NEX-6 was to head to the ice skating rink at Bryant Park to test out the camera's new hybrid contrast/phase detection autofocus (AF), which is designed specifically to do a better job on moving subjects. On this visit and a later one, I used the Sony NEX-6 to shoot fast and medium speed skaters coming directly at me using continuous AF in both regular continuous drive mode (about 2-3 frames per second) and in speed priority drive mode (about 7-10 frames per second, depending on whether I was shooting in the raw or jpeg file format).

I'm happy to report that the Sony NEX-6 is not at all hopeless in this scenario. I got several sequences of four to eight consecutive shots with many shots in good focus, even when using frame rates up to about 8 frames per second.

Sony NEX-6: Real world testing of the new hybrid contrast/phase-detect autofocus system

unadjusted JPEG file

JPEG adjusted in Adobe Lightroom

A special note about NEX-6 Gallery Images: I purposely shot my review gallery images underexposed, knowing that I would be able to maximize dynamic range and preserve highlights by tweaking them a bit in Adobe Lightroom. All images in this review have been adjusted by me in Lightroom, but you can click on the gallery image to see the original, unadjusted JPEG or RAW images for comparison purposes. The two images above are an example of what an underexposed, unadjusted image looks like, compared to the adjusted version.

Now for the caveats: For moving subjects, the Sony NEX-6 AF system still lags behind the performance of higher-end DSLR cameras from Canon and Nikon that I've used, and it's a far, far cry from those companies' pro DSLR models. Nobody is getting a staff job at Sports Illustrated with the NEX-6. For one thing, initial focus acquisition is noticeably slower than that of a good DSLR; very quick, swing-to-the-action shots are iffy at best. Equally important, my hit rate was decent but not excellent -- only about 50% of my skating test shots were sharp (though I should caution that this was by no means a complete test).

I should also add that I was shooting in bright sunlight, and the 16-50mm kit lens can't really stress test the AF system because it has deep enough depth-of-field, even when wide open, to hide some focusing errors. Shooting a basketball game in a dark gym with a 300mm f/2.8 lens would probably yield a much different, much blurrier story.

With those qualifications noted, I'd rate the ability of the Sony NEX-6's continuous AF as reasonably competent. More to the point, it's easily good enough for my style of shooting. As it does almost like clockwork, New York's endless variety of life manifested itself at the ice rink on my second visit, in the form of a white-haired gentleman skating in his business suit, and the NEX-6 had no trouble nailing a number of sharp pictures of him gliding swiftly through his lunch break. Capturing moving people moving about normally -- rather than pro athletes zooming down the court or field or ski slope -- is the kind of shot I need decent AF for, and the NEX-6 did the job.

On the other hand, the first thing I like to do on any camera that I'm using is to separate AF activation from the shutter release button. This is one of the great unsung camera features -- it simultaneously gives you most of the advantages of both auto and manual focus -- and the Sony NEX-6 doesn't have it. Not sure I could live without that.

On still subjects, I found the Sony NEX-6's AF to be both quick and decisive. After my second visit to the Bryant Park rink, I walked three blocks to Grand Central Station where I spotted a young soldier standing with a duffel bag and reading a map, clearly on his first visit to New York. These are the kinds of shots I'm by far the most interested in getting these days, and they require a fast and sure camera. The NEX-6 quickly acquired focus on the soldier in the very dim light, letting me stop, shoot and move on in the space of about a second or two. I made many similar street-style shots in low light, and the camera's AF system worked well nearly every time.

| unadjusted JPEG |	| unadjusted JPEG |

I also liked the camera's focus peaking feature, which shows you the in-focus area with a bright glimmery highlighting (you can choose from several different colors for this highlight). It worked well for me, and I'm delighted to see Sony investing R&D effort on the ancient and seemingly unsexy art of manual focusing. I wish, however, that I could toggle directly, with one button push, between auto and manual focus; it's a two-step process on the NEX-6 no matter how you set it up.

It was clear from my first few shots with the Sony NEX-6 at Bryant Park that, in addition to autofocus, the rest of the camera's overall performance is pleasingly fast. Buttons responded quickly, shutter delay was minimal, images wrote speedily to the storage card and could be played back in just a second or two. In short, on that day and later days shooting with the camera, I never had to wait for it. That's a big deal to me when I'm wandering around looking to capture fleeting moments in the life of the city.

EVF/LCD. I loved the superb versatility provided by the two high-quality viewing options on the Sony NEX-6. It's hard to overstate the benefits here.

For the skating shots, I used the eye-level XGA Tru-Finder OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF), much like I would have with a traditional DSLR. At about 2,359,000 dots, it's sharp and responsive, and I had no trouble seeing the image even when shooting bright daylight scenes. No EVF that I've used can show the nuances of light, shadow, and color that you can see through a good optical viewfinder, but I don't expect that (yet). For composing shots, I had no trouble with the EVF in the NEX-6.

For most of my walk-around people and street shooting with the camera, I used the rear, tiltable LCD display for composing my pictures. As I moved through the crowds on Fifth Avenue, it was easy to make what we used to call Hail Mary shots, holding the camera high above my head and framing with the LCD tilted down.

For most other street shots -- the travelers in Grand Central Station, subway passengers, coffee house patrons -- I used the NEX-6 more or less at waist level, composing with the LCD tilted up. In my experience, people feel a lot less threatened when you shoot this way, compared to holding the camera to your eye. I've never been punched in the nose while street shooting, and I'd love to keep it that way. Like the EVF, the LCD is sharp and responsive, and I had no trouble viewing it in bright daylight.

Controls. Overall, I was fairly happy with the enthusiast-oriented control interface of the Sony NEX-6 as I shot with it, but I have some quibbles. I feel like Sony climbed three-quarters of the way to the top of the mountain, then just stopped.

With two control wheels -- one for aperture and one for shutter speed -- and a constant, real-time exposure readout in the form of a live histogram, the NEX-6 let me quickly control the exposure basics in manual or automatic exposure modes. The ISO setting is also accessed with a dedicated button, and I could change it quickly as I moved from subway station to street to Starbucks to sunlight to shade.

So far, so good, but then Sony blew it, in my not so humble opinion. You can't directly access exposure compensation when in automatic exposure mode. You have to click a button and enter a different control mode, and when you do, the live histogram disappears, so you can't see what your adjustments are doing to the exposure as you make them. (The histogram reappears when you go back to shooting mode.) This system is just bafflingly dumb. If they let you assign exposure compensation to the rear control dial (which is just sitting there, forlornly, with no purpose in automatic exposure mode) and kept the histogram active, Sony would in one fell swoop double the usability of the NEX-6's exposure system. I lamented this every step I took with the NEX-6.

Also baffling to me was that I could not save custom sets of camera settings, which would have allowed me to have, for example, a high ISO setup for shooting in the subway and a daylight setup for shooting above ground -- and then switch between them quickly as I walked down the stairs into a train station. I honestly didn't believe any serious camera made these days could lack this feature.

The way I shoot, I use other camera functions much less often, and I think Sony struck generally a good balance between direct button access and menu diving. The company touts the Quick-Navi interface on the NEX-6 -- basically a display of functions on the LCD, enabling two-button access to all of them -- but I found no real advantage to it over the camera's other pathways for accessing the same features.

Lens. For my style of shooting, especially in and around New York, the 16-50mm focal length of Sony's new E-mount kit lens (24-75mm in 35mm equivalent terms) was perfect. The unusually wide lower end of that range let me capture buildings and public spaces in the close quarters of this crowded city, and the rest of the range was ideal for shooting people on the streets and in cafes and restaurants.

As I walked and shot, I did struggle a bit with both the power zoom and the fly-by-wire manual zoom functions on the SEL 16-50mm, sometimes finding it difficult to precisely control the focal length. I also briefly stumbled a few times when I switched to manual focus and forgot that the ring would no longer zoom the lens. But these were minor issues, and I'd almost certainly learn to avoid them with more time shooting the camera.

Wi-Fi and special features. I downloaded and installed two of Sony's PlayMemories apps for the NEX-6: Smart Remote Control (which works with PlayMemories Mobile running on a smartphone or tablet) and Direct Upload. We're definitely in the frightening land of Very Early Stage Technology here. The instructions and dialogs for creating Wi-Fi connections are barely intelligible, like throwbacks to the entertainingly cryptic Japanese instruction manuals of the 1960s. And the apps are, at this point, fairly rudimentary, with very limited features and capabilities. Still, if you can decipher them, they work, and later versions will undoubtedly offer more and better features.

The Sony NEX-6 produces beautiful panoramic images almost effortlessly.

Of the Sony NEX-6's many special features, I was most interested in the Sweep Panorama and Handheld Twilight modes. When using Sweep Panorama, the camera guided me through a sequence of handheld shots and then automatically stitched them together. The result was a pretty amazingly sharp and artifact-free panorama.

I tested Handheld Twilight mode one evening in my neighborhood, capturing evocative shots of the streetlights and restaurants of Second Avenue. This feature, too, works almost magically, producing colorful, sharp handheld images of night scenes -- a great boon for a guy like me, who wants to leave his tripod in the closet where it belongs.

Movies. I also shot some video test clips with the Sony NEX-6. I liked that the camera's separate record button for video let me instantly switch to shooting movie footage, and it works with most of the camera's still image shooting modes and settings. This gave me control over aperture, shutter speeds, focus mode and more -- much more control over those parameters than many cameras allow when shooting video clips.

Using the power zoom function of the SEL 16-50mm lens, I could zoom smoothly, but I couldn't feather the zoom speed effectively, a minor quibble for this type of camera. In manual focus mode, focus peaking worked beautifully for pulling focus while recording a clip.

I didn't do an exhaustive analysis of the quality of the NEX-6's video footage, but I thought my clips looked great -- very sharp, with no obvious video artifacts.

Visit our full Video page for more sample clips and movie mode details.

Day and night: IR's Dave Etchells took these shots with the NEX-6 on the West Coast when it was introduced to the press last fall.

 

Sony NEX-6 HDR, DRO and Creative Effects Modes
Intelligent Auto (no effect)	HDR Auto	DRO (lv5)
Handheld Twilight	Partial Color	Retro
Creative filters and modes: Above are just a few of the Sony NEX-6's creative shooting modes. DRO (Dynamic Range Optimization) is set to level 5 and showcases just how useful that feature can be for rendering good exposure across the entire range of an image when desired. Handheld Twilight mode is great for obtaining low noise images in low light without a tripod, and Retro is useful for an aged, faded look.

 

Sony NEX-6 Image Quality Comparison

Below are crops comparing the Sony NEX-6, Sony NEX-7, Canon T4i, Olympus E-M5, Pentax K-5 II and Samsung NX20.

Most decent cameras produce very good results at base ISO, but the NEX-6 is interesting enough we wanted to show how it did at ISO 100 compared to similar cameras at their base ISO. We also like to see what they can do at ISO 1,600 and 3,200. And finally we'll compare high-contrast detail at base ISO, 3,200, and 6,400.

NOTE: These images are best quality JPEGs straight out of the camera, at default settings including noise reduction. All cameras in this comparison were shot with our very sharp reference lenses.

Sony NEX-6 versus Sony NEX-7 at ISO 100

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 100	Sony NEX-7 at ISO 100
The NEX-7 produces larger, more detailed images across the subject, but with a higher resolution sensor (24 vs 16 megapixels) and a higher price tag this is what we would expect. The NEX-6 still looks quite good in comparison, actually showing better definition in the shoulders of the bottles.

Sony NEX-6 versus Canon T4i at ISO 100

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 100	Canon T4i at ISO 100
The NEX-6 wins the bout here against the Canon T4i despite the latter's slightly higher resolution, returning a sharper pattern on the mosaic and a more detailed and lifelike image of the red and pink swatches. The NEX-6 also does a slightly better job with the curved edge of the Mas Portell bottle.

Sony NEX-6 versus Olympus EM-5 at base ISO

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 100	Olympus E-M5 at ISO 200
Mixed results here, as the EM-5 clearly shines on our bottle and mosaic, loses clarity when comparing the red swatch, but wins again in in the pink and the other red fabric. Some of the "pop" in the EM-5's image is due to heavier sharpening, producing visible halos in the Mas Portell label, but bringing out thread detail nicely in the pink fabric.

Sony NEX-6 versus Pentax K-5 II at ISO 100

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 100	Pentax K-5 II at ISO 100
The NEX-6 produces a clearer, more accurate image across the board, with the K-5 II pumping the yellows of the mosaic and the pinks from the fabric swatch, shifting the pink strongly towards magenta. Interestingly, this comparison reveals that the NEX-6 does over-sharpen its images slightly, as there are slight halos visible in the Mas Portell label not present in the K-5 II's shot. (Note that the slight mottling in the background behind the bottles in the K-5 II's image is the texture of the paint on the backdrop rather than image noise. The K-5 II actually brings out real detail there that the NEX-6 misses.) It's a close contest, but we give the nod to the NEX-6 here, for its better handling of the pink and upper red swatch.

Sony NEX-6 versus Samsung NX20 at ISO 100

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 100	Samsung NX20 at ISO 100
Note how crisp the NX20 images are until you come to the red swatch. With that one exception, it's the clear winner at base ISO.

Most digital SLRs and CSCs will produce an excellent ISO 100 shot, so we like to push them and see what they can do compared to other cameras at ISO 1,600, 3,200, and 6,400. Recent advances in sensor technology have made ISO 1,600 look a lot more like ISO 100, but there are still cameras whose quality starts to fall apart at this setting. We also choose 1,600 because we like to be able to shoot at least at this level when indoors and at night.

Sony NEX-6 versus Sony NEX-7 at ISO 1,600

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 1,600	Sony NEX-7 at ISO 1,600
A close call here, which is no surprise given the same manufacturer. The NEX-6 certainly holds its own against its higher resolution big brother, the NEX-7. The NEX-7 struggles some due to its smaller pixels, but having more of them somewhat makes up the difference. Pretty much a toss-up, perhaps a slight edge to the NEX-7.

Sony NEX-6 versus Canon T4i at ISO 1,600

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 1,600	Canon T4i at ISO 1,600
The T4i clearly shows more noise in the shadow behind the bottle, and is generally less clear in the other two crops as well. A nice ISO 1,600 image from the NEX-6 overall.

Sony NEX-6 versus Olympus E-M5 at ISO 1,600

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 1,600	Olympus E-M5 at ISO 1,600
Again, a fairly close call here. The EM5 produces a grainy pattern around the edge of the bottle, but creates a crisper image of the mosaic. It loses almost all detail in the red swatch but still gives a good rendering of the pink one.

Sony NEX-6 versus Pentax K-5 II at ISO 1,600

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 1,600	Pentax K-5 II at ISO 1,600
The K-5 II again over-saturates the dark yellow in the mosaic and the (now magenta) pink swatch, and loses the red swatch entirely.

Sony NEX-6 versus Samsung NX20 at ISO 1,600

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 1,600	Samsung NX20 at ISO 1,600
A big nod to the NEX-6 here, as the NX20 produces colored blotches and odd "grains" in the background behind the bottle, as well as a somewhat water-colored rendition of the mosaic and red swatch.

These days, ISO 3,200 is a very viable shooting option for many cameras, so let's take a look at some comparisons there.

Sony NEX-6 versus Sony NEX-7 at ISO 3,200

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 3,200	Sony NEX-7 at ISO 3,200
Obviously ISO 3200 is traditional water-color territory, but each of these Sonys produces a reasonable image, with a slight nod to the NEX-7

Sony NEX-6 versus Canon T4i at ISO 3,200

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 3,200	Canon T4i at ISO 3,200
The NEX-6 is yet again clearly superior to the T4i at higher ISOs, with more detail and less apparent noise and artifacts. Good work, Sony.

Sony NEX-6 versus Olympus E-M5 at ISO 3,200

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 3,200	Olympus E-M5 at ISO 3,200
As before, the EM5 is sharper in the first two crops as well as in the pink swatch, but as with so many cameras it entirely loses detail in our tricky red swatch.

Sony NEX-6 versus Pentax K-5 II at ISO 3,200

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 3,200	Pentax K-5 II at ISO 3,200
Another close call between these two cameras, again noting the obvious pumping of the dark yellows and pinks from the K-5 II, and slightly more noise in the shadowed areas behind the bottle. The increased noise trades off favorably with the better resolving of the bottles' edges, but the K-5 II totally loses detail in the red swatch. We like the better definition of the K-5 II in the first two crops to give it the nod, but its handling of the red and pink fabric swatches tips us back in favor of the NEX-6.

Sony NEX-6 versus Samsung NX20 at ISO 3,200

Sony NEX-6 at ISO 3,200	Samsung NX20 at ISO 3,200
Odd artifacts and false color interpretations become entirely too obtrusive here in the NX20, while the NEX-6 remains fairly consistent in comparison.

Detail: Sony NEX-6 versus Sony NEX-7, Canon T4i, Olympus E-M5, Pentax K-5 II and Samsung NX20.

Sony NEX-6 ISO 100 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Sony NEX-7 ISO 100 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Canon T4i ISO 100 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Olympus E-M5 ISO 200 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Pentax K-5 II ISO 100 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Samsung NX20 ISO 100 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400
Detail comparison. High-contrast details often remain sharper as ISO rises, so they're worth a look as well. The EM5 and NX20 certainly stand out at base ISO here, but that's largely due to the extent of their over-sharpening; the NX-20 is particularly bad in this respect. The NEX-6 and NEX-7 show a remarkable consistency across ISOs, while the K5II, T4i and NX20 lose the most ground as ISO rises. Interestingly, what was too much sharpening from the EM-5 at base ISO stands it in good stead at ISO 6,400, helping hold onto the inner detail in the large letters.

 

Sony NEX-6 Print Quality

A terrific range of excellent printed images for the price. ISO 100 good at 24 x 36, but hung on a wall and viewed from 5 or 6 feet away, even 40 x 60s look fantastic! A good 13 x 19 inch print at ISO 1600, and a good 5 x 7 at ISO 12,800.

ISO 100 prints look quite good at 24 x 36, with 20 x 30s excellent - crisp detail and rich, vibrant colors. And as mentioned above, with the exception of minor softening and some slight pixilation in a few areas, these are suitable for wall display up to 40 x 60. Really remarkable for this class of camera.

ISO 200 is a carbon copy of ISO 100, with just the slightest softening in our target red swatch. Still quite good here at 24 x 36.

ISO 400 again shows only minor added softening in a few areas, but otherwise exceptional image quality. Detail and color are terrific at 20 x 30 with good wall prints possible up to 30 x 40.

ISO 800 16 x 20s look quite good here also, with 20 x 30s suitable for wall display.

ISO 1,600 shows more softening in some areas and luminance noise in the shadows, as is common at this ISO, but we'd still rate 16 x 20s as very good, and 20 x 30s fine for wall display.

ISO 3,200 produces very nice 13 x 19s and excellent 11 x 14 inch prints, again with only minor noise in the shadows and mild softening in a few areas.

ISO 6,400 11 x 14s would be suitable for most uses, and 8 x 10's look very good, with similar minor issues as mentioned above.

ISO 12,800 shots show a lot more blurring and blotchiness in many of the colored fabrics, but prints are good at 5 x 7.

ISO 25,600 prints are good at 4 x 6 and usable at 5 x 7.

For a camera at this price point to be capable of shooting images that print this well is amazing. Please remember, however, that we shoot these tests with our sharp reference lens and not the supplied kit lens, so your own results with a kit lens may vary somewhat. But the body of this camera is certainly capable of producing superb printed images for the price.

 

In the Box

The Sony Alpha NEX-6 retail kit package (as reviewed) contains the following items:

• Sony Alpha NEX-6 camera body
• 16-50mm SELP-1650 E-mount Power Zoom Lens
• Shoulder strap
• Micro USB cable
• NP-FW50 rechargeable Li-ion battery
• Body cap
• CD-ROM
• AC-UB10 AC adaptor
• Eyepiece cup

 

Recommended Accessories

• Large capacity SDHC/SDXC memory card. 16GB Class 10 should be a minimum.
• NEX-6 Leather Body Case and Lens Jacket (~US$100)
• AC-CHDFW Alpha NEX Camera Accessory Kit (spare battery, mini HDMI cable) (~US$95)
• BC-VW1 Dedicated Battery Charger (~US$60)
• HVL-F60M External Flash/Video Light (~US$550)
• ECM-XYST1M External Stereo Microphone (~US$160)
• LA-EA2 Alpha NEX Camera Mount Adapter (~US$350)

 

Sony NEX-6 Conclusion

Pro:

Con:

More consumer-friendly controls than NEX-7, including physical Mode dial Lightweight and compact design, with prominent and comfortable grip Sharp, bright, responsive OLED EVF Tiltable, 3-inch high-res LCD monitor Hybrid AF system with 99-point phase-detection autofocus delivers speedy and decisive AF on stationary subjects, even in dim light Continuous AF worked reasonably well on normal moving subjects in bright light Focus peaking function makes manual focusing easier Overall operational performance is very good, with extremely fast prefocused shutter lag and fast 10 fps full-resolution burst mode Very good high ISO performance for its class Very good dynamic range in RAW files Good handling of contrast, color and exposure, even under harsh outdoor sunlight Excellent low-light performance Stunning print quality with ISO prints looking great up to 24 x 36 size Full HD 1080p video recording at up to 60p with stereo sound Auto, shutter/aperture-priority or manual exposure supported for movies Several fun creative modes and filters, including in-camera HDR, Handheld Twilight, Sweep Panorama and a host of special effects Built-in pop-up flash Multi Interface Shoe supports flashes and additional accessories Built-in Wi-Fi New 16-50mm kit lens is more compact, and goes wider than most (24-75mm eq.) In-camera lens corrections can be individually controlled (except for distortion correction which is forced when the 16-50mm is mounted) Can charge camera with USB connection, if desired Dual media (SD/MS Duo) card slot Affordable at under US$1,000 with new kit lens

Design not as sleek as NEX-7 (though that might be a pro for some) Hybrid AF system still lags behind some comparably priced DSLRs in terms of speed and accuracy Can't separate AF activation from shutter button Default toggling between manual and autofocus is a tedious, two-step process (unless you use a custom function key) NEX-6 does not allow custom group settings, as Sony has provided for other models with its "Memory Recall" function LCD is not a touchscreen Kit lens produces strong barrel distortion and C.A. at wide angle in uncorrected images Larger than average minimum macro area Not much control over noise reduction (only 2 settings) Wi-Fi features and functionality still lacking and nowhere near smartphone standards in terms of ease-of-use and capabilities Startup and mode switching a little sluggish Somewhat shallow buffer depths in Speed Priority Continuous mode Battery life a little short when using the EVF a lot (just 270 shots with EVF) No standard mic jack (but can use Sony's proprietary external mic in Multi Interface Shoe)

 

When adding up the pros and cons to the Sony NEX-6, it's pretty clear that there's not much to dislike about this compact system camera. The NEX-6 truly carves out its own space in Sony's CSC lineup, and even though its resolution has been scaled down to 16 megapixels (compared to the NEX-7's 24 megapixels), it still delivers image quality that rivals other APS-C cameras at a very affordable price. (Just go back and check out the comparison crops above if you want certain proof.) The NEX-6 delivers sharp, detailed photos in most shooting situations, with a strong balance of noise and detail up to ISO 1,600 and good handling of color, contrast and exposure. Print quality proved to be stellar, as well, with ISO 100 images looking great at sizes up to 24 x 36 inches.

And what's more, the NEX-6 makes a high-performing, lightweight CSC even more approachable for consumers. While it's no dumbed-down or crippled model, the NEX-6 features revamped controls and menu system that make it easier to use while also providing a raft of advanced photographic features, including a real Mode dial (with PASM!), focus peaking and more. The camera's built-in flash and Multi Interface Shoe gives it added flexibility, as does the new, compact 16-50mm kit lens which almost makes the camera pocketable.

Sony has touted the NEX-6's "Fast Hybrid AF" system, and for the most part, it performs admirably, delivering speedy and decisive AF on stationary subjects, and reasonably fast AF on normal moving subjects -- just don't expect it to keep up while photographing fast-moving sports. Our reviewer found that the 99-point phase-detect autofocus still lags behind higher-end DSLRs in terms of speed and accuracy, with just 50% of his field gallery shots winding up in focus when he shot in continuous AF mode. Additionally, our reviewer was dismayed that the NEX-6 doesn't provide the "Memory Recall" function found on other models, such as the RX100 and A77, which allows you to toggle between groups of settings for different shooting situations.

Despite these small disappointments and a few other minor quibbles, the NEX-6 proves that Sony continues to listen to its customers and make excellent cameras for a wide variety of users. In truth, both serious enthusiasts and those new to interchangeable lens cameras should find the camera to be just what they need in terms of photo quality, speed, size and overall convenience -- especially at such a reasonable cost. Of course, we made it a Dave's Pick.

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