Sony Alpha a6000 VS a6100

Sony is one of the powerhouse for digital cameras and lens systems today, along with several other well-known names. Their customer based products are almost always delivered such as the Sony Alpha a6000 Vs a6100 which have been here for quite some time and still being the choice of many. These close brothers are perfect for beginners and casual enthusiasts who want to take better photos yet they are different and if you want to know why, let’s see the comparison below. 

In this comparison, we are going to talk about:

  • Are You Currently Looking for a Camera
  • What are Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100
  • How are the Unit of Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100
  • How are the Image Quality of Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100
  • How are the Autofocus of Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100
  • How are the Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100 for Recording Video
  • Sony Alpha a6000 Vs a6100

Dedicated Digital Camera

Cameras are a fascinating device because you realize how the market now continues to move into the professional range when the consumer based are all crowded with the flagship smartphone. Smartphone cameras used to be something we only see on movies but almost everyone has the device now, including those that live in more secluded places on earth. The digitalization era is undoubtedly driving the technology being implemented everywhere and it may change the way people consume products as well.

Camera back then was a tool to immortalize a moment whether it is in a form of still or a recorded video. Nowadays it is useful for lots of things, from recognizing who owns a certain device to taking notes quickly when your professor is about to erase the board. The internet is where you can find plenty of information and a huge chunk of it is images whether it is from digital artists or taken photos of certain subjects like your mirror selfie.

The dedicated cameras become the tool of enthusiasts or some people who prefer to capture photos the more “traditional” way. Digital cameras are moving quite fast too, especially from DSLR to mirrorless which seems to be the focus of most companies today. There are more than plenty to choose from and each person may have their own focus on what they are trying to achieve with the device. Starting from a small digital camera with long zoom to those built with gimbals, everyone has their own features to look for. 

For example film makers or content creators may need a camera that they can rely on for recording video. The sensors don’t have to be bigger than APS-C but they have to be easy to use and produce a decent file to edit. For the professional range there are even options like the Ronin from DJI that combine a camera on a solid gimbal for action shooting and handheld application. The cost will be too high for enthusiasts or non-professional but the features are amazing to work with.

On the other hand if you are shooting a hybrid with stills and moving footage combo from time to time, the R5 is still the best option for many. The 8K resolution is massive and future-proof while the shooting speed is even on par with cameras made for sport applications. It has in-body image stabilization, a full frame sensor, and a huge 45MP pixel count to let you play around with the shooting settings. Additionally, RF lenses for this camera are also high performing.

 Sony Alpha a6000 Sony Alpha a6100
Product Dimensions4.72 x 1.77 x 2.64 inches
6.18 x 5.67 x 4.53 inches
Shipping Weight12.2 ounces
13.9 ounces
Best offerCheck priceCheck price

About Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100

These examples are currently some options at the top of the game such as R5 which retail above $3K and Ronin 4D which should be around $7K for the lower model and $11.5K for the higher variant. These are not the costs most people will be willing to spend unless they are professionally working on the field and not us a beginner are planning to spend. A good camera doesn’t have to be extremely expensive but they have to make you confident. 

If you are here then we assume that budget is necessary to consider and there are actually lots of good cameras to try and are also affordable. We do recommend checking an older system of your favorite brand to see what their popular models are and why they are loved by many since you may like them as well. Sony for example may move quickly with its Alpha 1 to compete with R5 but the Alpha series itself is housing lots of attractive cameras already.

For those who want to keep the budget relatively low, Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100 are two ideal options to consider. These cameras are going to be very similar and if you are not familiar yet with the a6000, this used to be quite a huge improvement when launched back then for what it can offer. Today when the price is significantly reduced due to improvements made for the new iteration, the camera may not be as groundbreaking anymore but still very attractive especially for those of us who can’t spend a lot yet.

The a6100 is a direct improvement over the older model but you will still be able to notice the similarities between the two. In comparison, a6100 is noticeably pricier with similar hard specs and it is improved internally to capture better photos and one of the most noticeable is that it works slightly better at higher ISO than a6000 as well as being more versatile for hybrid shooters. Read also: Sony Alpha a6000 Vs Canon M50 here.

Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100 Design

Before checking what’s changed on Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100, let’s take a look at the unit first and these two are very similar. It seems Sony don’t plan to play a lot with how the a6xxx line is going to be in the future as well and this is both good and bad for different people. The good part is they are still very compact and easy to carry with a familiar system if you have used one before but the bad side is they will also lack grip for those who want a more substantial depth.

The display quality is also still the same in terms of clarity and quality but worry not when shooting in broad daylight because EVF is here to assist your activity. What we appreciate a lot is that the a6100 finally changed the tilting screen into a folding one which means we can flip it upward to face the front of the camera for self-monitoring or shooting. Sadly, while you can touch focus on a6100, they are not for navigating the menu which is still as complicated as ever.

Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100 Image Quality

Moving further to the most important part, let’s see the Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100 starting from the hard specs and as it has been mentioned above, they are very similar without significant change. The camera has an APS-C sensor with 24MP pixel count. The changes are made internally and more subtly because a6100 has the more advanced sensor with copper wiring to conduct better signal which allows for pixels with greater surface area. The camera also comes with a new Bionz X processor that improves noise.

In terms of image quality the two are very pleasant to see out of the camera and they seem to behave very similar as well in decent lighting and the color profile seems to not changed too but, try checking the shadowy area of your shots with these cameras because a6100 is noticeably brighter in comparison and it seems to produce less noise so you can preserve some details on the darker spots. Additionally, these two are fast with the same 11 fps burst rate.

Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100 Autofocus 

Talking about Sony cameras is not complete without talking about the autofocus because this is one of the best things about their systems and we are always happy to know that even on the more affordable range like Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100, the autofocus is still robust. Retaining 11 fps is not easy and a6000 is capable of doing it smoothly so a6100 only needs to increase the performance by adding more focus points to 425 instead of 179 on the older model.

When working together with its new processor, a6100 is capable of landing more in focus shots and more accurate when locking the subject. As it has been mentioned above, the a6100 also features touch points so we can easily manually choose the portion to focus on. It does a great job at following it too.

Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100 for Video Recording 

The last part we want to talk about is their recording ability because many of us may want to make video content with these cameras as well. While the sensor and pixel count are mostly the same, a6100 is now able to record at 4K at 30 fps instead of just 1080p which is at 60 fps maximum. This improvement is great for editing and even when shooting at the same HD resolution the a6100 will give you better low light performance compared to a6000.

Sony Alpha a6000 Vs a6100

Both Sony Alpha a6000 and a6100 are ideal options for beginners or anyone who wants to have a good dedicated camera. The differences are not prominent but there are apparently some interesting things such as higher ISO ability that makes your photo a tad better as the camera can preserve more details, better rear screen, better autofocus, and also higher recording setting up to 4K.

- 24 MP APS-C CMOS sensor ISO 100-25600 and Focus Sensitivity Range: EV 0 to EV 20 (at ISO 100 equivalent with F28 lens attached)
- Operating temperature: 32-104°F / 0-40°C.Hybrid AF with 179-point focal plane phase-detection and 25 contrast detect points Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC
- Up to 11 FPS continuous shooting, Compatible OS:Windows Vista SP2-8, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 81, Mac OS X (v106-v109)
- 3-inch tilting LCD with 921,000 dots compatible with Sony E Mount lenses
- World’s fastest AF at 0.02 sec. W/ real-time AF & Object tracking
- Wide 425-phase/425-contrast detection AF points over 84% of sensor
- 24.2MP APS-C Exmor sensor w/ front end LSI and ISO up to 51,200
- Up to 11fps continuous shooting5 at 24.2MP RAW w/ AF/AE tracking

Conclusion 

The decision is all yours because not everyone will want the same things and it is highly dependent on whether these improvements are necessary to you. Personally we recommend a6100 as a better camera but even on the budget a6000 is suitable for building your skills. 

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