Sony a6000 Review: A Solid Mirrorless Camera That's a Small Step Up

Pretty much all mirrorless cameras-Fujifilm X, Samsung NX, to name a couple-with APS-C size sensors can take a damn fine picture these days. The a6000 does its best to stand out with a pinch of style and updated tech, but it's still largely the same as the camera it's replacing, 2012's NEX-6.

What Is It?

Sony's NEX moniker may be dead, but the cameras themselves are still very much alive as the Alpha (a) series. The a6000 is a mid-range mirrorless camera with a 24 megapixel APS-C size sensor, taking Sony's E-mount lenses. It costs $650 for the body only, and $800 with a 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens.

Why Does It Matter?

It's the first camera in Sony's revamped Alpha line to aim higher than entry-level. It replaces not only the NEX-6 but the arguably groundbreaking NEX-7, introduced way back in 2011. Not to mention that Sony's innovative A7 and A7r full-frame cameras have also upped the anticipation of whatever comes next.

Design

While largely reflecting the overall shape of the NEX series, the a6000 has adopted more of the clean, angular lines of the a7 and a7r. That's a good thing, because it distinguishes Sony as one of the only mirrorless camera makers with a great-looking design that's not based on retro styling. Instead, a modern approach is taken while not overdoing it with unseemly curves and ornamentation.

The camera is very rectangular, with a completely flat top that is very distinctive, though maybe not the most functional design in the world, as it makes the upper dials feel a bit buried. What is function is its big shapely grip-the best grip on any mirrorless camera, in my opinion. The details remain true to the form of past NEX cameras, the feel of the buttons, the LCD, the popup flash. If it aint broke, don't fix it.

Using It

The a6000 takes great, high quality pictures. But if you were hoping for a major step up over last year's generation, you might be disappointed. The new 24 megapixel sensor is an increase from 16 megapixels on the NEX-6, but the quality of the larger images is still the same when looking at RAW files. Low light capability is also the same. In fact, we compared the a6000 with the ancient NEX-C3 in low light and saw no tangible difference.

That doesn't mean the a6000 is a bad camera; it's still near the top when it comes to APS-C image quality, able to hold its own with Fujifilm, Canon, or Nikon. But any reports of this camera significantly outshining its predecessors are overblown or just plain wishful thinking.

Good Points 

That a6000 has a sleek, modern design, with a solid set of controls and a big, comfortable grip. It produces beautiful images and decent video, with fast AF and response time. Controls are logically laid out, and provide a solid set of customizable buttons. The EVF is also great, and sets it apart from other mirrorless options at $650.

Bad Points

Despite the bump in resolution, image quality remains largely stagnant from previous generations. Some of the buttons could benefit from some tactile differentiation. No microphone jack puts the camera at a huge disadvantage for video shooters. The E-mount ecosystem is still lacking in autofocus lens options, particularly fast prime lenses.

Should You Buy It

For $650, body-only, the a6000 has strong value for the image quality and features you get. It's not a huge upgrade from the NEX-6, unless you really care about giant-sized images or having the latest, speediest autofocus. So keep your eye out for lower prices on that older version.

Around this price point, your mirrorless alternatives are the Olympus EM-10 at $700, which is smaller, with killer in-body stabilization and amazing lenses, but inferior resolution and slightly lower image quality in low light. The same is true for the Panasonic GX7, which, for $800, will get you superior video quality to boot. Fujifilm's X-E2 provides the same features and similar image quality, but is much more expensive at $900 body-only.

It seems like Sony is still in need of a killer feature or two to really set its APS-C mirrorless cameras apart from the competition, but until that happens a6000 represents a solid all-around shooter at a great price. And that'll be even more true if it just kicks its lens production into high gear.