Sony A6000 Owners Thread

[joannen85]

Hi,
I am looking at getting A6000 but before doing so, would like to find out if anyone has used the camera for shooting Aurora? And what lens should i be getting?

 

[hacktic]

u should be more concerned about spotting the Aurora leh.

 

[ccloh]

Hi,
I am looking at getting A6000 but before doing so, would like to find out if anyone has used the camera for shooting Aurora? And what lens should i be getting?

wah very niche type of photography. not experience before but from what i've read you need a wide or even ultra-wide lens with aperture f/2 and larger (f/1.8, f/1.4, f/1.2, etc) and using long exposure time. A6000 max exposure time is 30 sec only (in non manual mode) or bulb duration if you use in manual mode.

wide and ultra-wide lens meaning those focal lens less than 20mm. 30 sec exposure time i think insufficient as came across mostly do it in multiple of minutes. bulb mode maybe you can as it just press and you control the duration by deciding when you want to release the shutter. one thing for sure you need a tripod. hope that help with my limited knowledge on this type of photography

 

[chiaRH]

Hi,
I am looking at getting A6000 but before doing so, would like to find out if anyone has used the camera for shooting Aurora? And what lens should i be getting?

since aurora comes out at night and covers the sky you will of course need a wide and fast lens

 

[joannen85]

wah very niche type of photography. not experience before but from what i've read you need a wide or even ultra-wide lens with aperture f/2 and larger (f/1.8, f/1.4, f/1.2, etc) and using long exposure time. A6000 max exposure time is 30 sec only (in non manual mode) or bulb duration if you use in manual mode.

wide and ultra-wide lens meaning those focal lens less than 20mm. 30 sec exposure time i think insufficient as came across mostly do it in multiple of minutes. bulb mode maybe you can as it just press and you control the duration by deciding when you want to release the shutter. one thing for sure you need a tripod. hope that help with my limited knowledge on this type of photography

Thank you for sharing. In this case, which lens can actually achieve the aperture? And what would be the price?
I read that for shooting aurora, full frame camera will be perfect. But i was hoping to keep everything below 1.5K.

 

[joannen85]

u should be more concerned about spotting the Aurora leh.

yes... and hopefully i get to spot it...

 

[ccloh]

Thank you for sharing. In this case, which lens can actually achieve the aperture? And what would be the price?
I read that for shooting aurora, full frame camera will be perfect. But i was hoping to keep everything below 1.5K. ******************

most of the readings i came about are using FF camera not sure APS-C can do it or not (not the camera issue but the type of lens available rather). 1.5k to get FF and lens quite difficult even if 2nd hand. if due to budget issue and restrict to APS-C camera suggest you consider other brands apart from Sony. this is to ensure you have the appropriate lens for it.

if has to be Sony, the only one that fit the criteria of less than 20mm focal length and aperture larger than f/2 afraid is Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN prime lens already. that one selling around $500+, quite a sharp lens but no OSS so you definitely need a tripod to get night shoot with long exposure time. Sony lens itself you can find couple of those zoom lens that can do less than 20mm focal length but the aperture all narrower than f/2. the closet is the new zoom lens 16-55mm f/2.8 but that cost like 1.7k so i guess that out of your budget.
there are couple of manual lens that fit the criteria but not sure how comfortable you are with non auto-focus. shooting Aurora maybe you don't need auto focus but if doing normal shoot might be inconvenient. the only manual lens that came to my mind is Samyang 12mm f/2. Samyang and Rokinon is actually the same brand as Samyang bought over Rokinon so if you can find Rokinon 12mm f/2 it is actually Samyang.

just a point to add about Sigma 16mm, apart from using it for Aurora it is also a good wide angle lens for landscape shoot. i don't own this lens but i remember someone in this forum has it so maybe you can ask him/her for more information about it. hope that help.

 

[hacktic]

people choose FF because they have bigger sensors and generally perform better in low light conditions
FF DSLRs are also usually more weather sealed but they can be clunky and damn expensive.

mirrorless cameras brought a new dimension, they are so much lighter now.

getting prime lens is mostly for a specialty. you would still want to bring around a zoom lens for some versatility.


i wouldn't throw you with technicalities.......i would just suggest whatever you use, just shoot in both RAW+JPG format because shooting in RAW lets you bring up some highlights in editing.
it is NOT the same as increasing the overall brightness of the JPG image.

 

[chiaRH]

Thank you for sharing. In this case, which lens can actually achieve the aperture? And what would be the price?
I read that for shooting aurora, full frame camera will be perfect. But i was hoping to keep everything below 1.5K.

you have to be realistic about the price so you know what youre getting yourself into.

even on a crop sensor, getting a fast lens isn't cheap. Furthermore not only do you need to buy the lens but also a body cos you don't have existing camera body. That makes it even harder to hit below 1.5k unless you get maybe like, really old model + second hand

 

[ccloh]

you have to be realistic about the price so you know what youre getting yourself into.

even on a crop sensor, getting a fast lens isn't cheap. Furthermore not only do you need to buy the lens but also a body cos you don't have existing camera body. That makes it even harder to hit below 1.5k unless you get maybe like, really old model + second hand

actually can hit below 1.5k. A6000 price now is about $499 and the sigma 16mm is about $580 so total is about $1079. however, if requires to do other type of photography will have to get another lens (prime or zoom) and depend on what type of photography, might or might not hit above 1.5k. eg. if only doing portraits, the sony 50mm f/1.8 can get around $300 and add up still less than 1.5k. moreover with the 11.11 sales coming, definitely can get cheaper with those vouchers, discount, etc.

if don't mind 2nd hand, probably can go clubsnap and see any good deal.

think of what type of photography you want to do then look around what type of cameras and lens are available and finally work out the budget. setting a budget straight away can in a way restrict what type of photography you want to do.

 

[joannen85]

actually can hit below 1.5k. A6000 price now is about $499 and the sigma 16mm is about $580 so total is about $1079. however, if requires to do other type of photography will have to get another lens (prime or zoom) and depend on what type of photography, might or might not hit above 1.5k. eg. if only doing portraits, the sony 50mm f/1.8 can get around $300 and add up still less than 1.5k. moreover with the 11.11 sales coming, definitely can get cheaper with those vouchers, discount, etc.

if don't mind 2nd hand, probably can go clubsnap and see any good deal.

think of what type of photography you want to do then look around what type of cameras and lens are available and finally work out the budget. setting a budget straight away can in a way restrict what type of photography you want to do.

Thank you!
I was thinking of the exact pairing
A6000 body with sigma 16mm lens f/1.4 (correct?). The reason why i am considering Sony is I read that the body is compatible with alot of lens.
Apart from taking aurora, i will be using the camera for landscape, architecture and travel.

Can i also try to understand what are the difference between sigma 16mm f/1.4 and Sony 50mm f/1.8? Or even Sigma 30mm f1/1.4?

Also has anyone gotten the lens from lazada before?

 

[ccloh]

Thank you!
I was thinking of the exact pairing
A6000 body with sigma 16mm lens f/1.4 (correct?). The reason why i am considering Sony is I read that the body is compatible with alot of lens.
Apart from taking aurora, i will be using the camera for landscape, architecture and travel.

Can i also try to understand what are the difference between sigma 16mm f/1.4 and Sony 50mm f/1.8? Or even Sigma 30mm f1/1.4?

Also has anyone gotten the lens from lazada before?

16mm, 50mm, 30mm refer to the focal length. as these are prime lens meaning you can't zoom in or out. technically, if you take only JPEG you can set the camera setting from default optical zoom to clear image zoom and you can actually zoom in 2x ie 16->32, 30->60, 500>100 but you will suffer slight but mostly unnoticeable image quality.

f/1.4, f/1.8 refers to the maximum aperture the lens can do. the biggest it is the more lights in can enter the sensor and in doing so, the ISO can be low at 100 and the shutter speed can be very fast or shortest exposure time. the shorter the exposure time can something help to reduce the shake due to non steady holding of the camera. this is especially useful in low light/night photography or creating nice bokeh. another thing is concerning the depth of field (DOF). a wide aperture will give you narrow DOF. hmm how should i put it. example you are shooting a landscape, having a wide aperture only allow certain areas to be sharpest but on the other hand with a smaller aperture eg f/16, you can have a wider areas to be sharpest. another example is portrait, setting to f/1.4 or f/1.8, maybe you can only get 1 eye to be sharpest but using a smaller aperture, maybe the whole face can be sharp. to trade off, the wide aperture will give you the better bokeh effect.

16mm, 30mm, 50mm will produce different viewing angle from wide to narrow. landscape photography need wide lens like those of 16mm. 50mm is something like what a human eyes see in term of viewing angle so it is good for portraits and even street photo. in doing portraits, say you like doing a lot of head or head-and-shoulder shoot, and not to get too close to the subject, 50mm will be just nice. 30mm is in between 16mm and 50mm. it is like somewhat between a wide angle and a portraits lens. you need to use your legs to move in front or behind to achieve what a 16mm and 50mm can do. outdoor shooting should have no different as you can mostly use your leg to achieve but for indoor when space is constraint, a 30mm would be better than 50mm in capturing more things.

i bought the sigma 30mm f/1.4 from shopee, actually it is the same shop as in lazada just that with the discount voucher and pricing, shopee is cheaper during that time. today 11.11 sales you should be able to get a lot of discount. i saw in lazada the 50mm black was selling $296 and if after applying voucher and bank discount can drop by $30 but somehow it is out of stock now. the same shop selling the silver color at $275 (not sure why silver color is cheaper than black) so if apply those discount, can get like under $250. for the sigma 16mm, maybe you can get near $500 after all the discount now.

hope that help.

 

[hacktic]

u seem like a casual shooter.
i don't think you want to be swapping those 2-3 prime lens every now and then especially in the cold.

just get the latest RX100vii. its touted as a pocket-sized powerful A9.
otherwise the bigger RX10 is another alternative where you wont have headaches over what lens to bring (every few 100 g counts and they do get pretty heavy over time)

 

[joannen85]

16mm, 50mm, 30mm refer to the focal length. as these are prime lens meaning you can't zoom in or out. technically, if you take only JPEG you can set the camera setting from default optical zoom to clear image zoom and you can actually zoom in 2x ie 16->32, 30->60, 500>100 but you will suffer slight but mostly unnoticeable image quality.

f/1.4, f/1.8 refers to the maximum aperture the lens can do. the biggest it is the more lights in can enter the sensor and in doing so, the ISO can be low at 100 and the shutter speed can be very fast or shortest exposure time. the shorter the exposure time can something help to reduce the shake due to non steady holding of the camera. this is especially useful in low light/night photography or creating nice bokeh. another thing is concerning the depth of field (DOF). a wide aperture will give you narrow DOF. hmm how should i put it. example you are shooting a landscape, having a wide aperture only allow certain areas to be sharpest but on the other hand with a smaller aperture eg f/16, you can have a wider areas to be sharpest. another example is portrait, setting to f/1.4 or f/1.8, maybe you can only get 1 eye to be sharpest but using a smaller aperture, maybe the whole face can be sharp. to trade off, the wide aperture will give you the better bokeh effect.

16mm, 30mm, 50mm will produce different viewing angle from wide to narrow. landscape photography need wide lens like those of 16mm. 50mm is something like what a human eyes see in term of viewing angle so it is good for portraits and even street photo. in doing portraits, say you like doing a lot of head or head-and-shoulder shoot, and not to get too close to the subject, 50mm will be just nice. 30mm is in between 16mm and 50mm. it is like somewhat between a wide angle and a portraits lens. you need to use your legs to move in front or behind to achieve what a 16mm and 50mm can do. outdoor shooting should have no different as you can mostly use your leg to achieve but for indoor when space is constraint, a 30mm would be better than 50mm in capturing more things.

i bought the sigma 30mm f/1.4 from shopee, actually it is the same shop as in lazada just that with the discount voucher and pricing, shopee is cheaper during that time. today 11.11 sales you should be able to get a lot of discount. i saw in lazada the 50mm black was selling $296 and if after applying voucher and bank discount can drop by $30 but somehow it is out of stock now. the same shop selling the silver color at $275 (not sure why silver color is cheaper than black) so if apply those discount, can get like under $250. for the sigma 16mm, maybe you can get near $500 after all the discount now.

hope that help.

Yes...
since 30mm falls between 16mm n 50mm. Am just thinking if i should get it to try out the lens. Just a thought and would it be wise?

 

[ccloh]

Yes...
since 30mm falls between 16mm n 50mm. Am just thinking if i should get it to try out the lens. Just a thought and would it be wise?

err i don't really suggest "get it to try out the lens" unless you are assured you can sell it away if you find it you don't like that focal length.

for the type of photography you mentioned this is my personal view

aurora -- definitely need a wide and fast lens

landscape -- mostly wide lens will be used

architecture -- this kind of divided. if you like to see the whole of architecture example the old hill street police station, a wide lens or even the 30mm is good enough. however, if you like to do like part of the architecture, i would say the 50mm is the better choice. 30mm also can but you need to walk closer to it.

travel -- i assume will be scenery, scenery + people inside the photo. for pure scenery, wide lens will be nice. if doing scenery + people, this will be a little challenge. if using the wide lens, you can get in as many scenery as you like but the people you want to photo shoot will really have to stand quite close to you if not they will appear "small and tiny". as you increase the focal length, the people need not stand too close to the camera but trade off is you might have some part of the scenery crop out. most people i know will use zoom lens instead for this case as they can change the focal length easily to suit the view they want.

so you have to really think carefully what type of photography you will be doing mostly and focus on the lens that does the job.

someone mentioned the RX100vii, you might consider that compact camera. it is not mirrorless so you don't have to worry what lens to get. if i'm not wrong that camera focal length is from 9mm to 72mm, this range surely cover all you need from aurora to landscape to travel and even portraits. the only downside probably the aperture size is fixed. the widest is f/2.8 at the shortest focal length and f/4.5 probably at the 40mm onwards my guess. in having versatility, you have to trade off with the aperture size you can get.

 

[sarlame_saucepack]

Sorry to barge in. I am selling off this good condition A-6000 with 35mm. 13-k plus SC. You can inspect it thoroughly. RTS: I am changing system. You can can p.m me over it. Photo of cam. Price: 650.

https://imgur.com/a/TDATdum

 

[DrSheldonCooper]

Hi guys. I lost the hood of my Sony 50mm F1.8 OSS. Anyone knows where I can buy the hood and roughly how much?

 

[ccloh]

Hi guys. I lost the hood of my Sony 50mm F1.8 OSS. Anyone knows where I can buy the hood and roughly how much?

you want to buy back original ? probably need to go down to any of the Sony store. might not come cheap. moreover, this lens is quite old already so might not have the stock too. the SEL35F1.8 also having the same thread size but it is petal hood compared to the round hood of 50mm. another is the 55-210mm zoom lens same thread size and it is those round shape hood. if you can't find that, you might want to consider using the 35mm or the 55-210mm. if can't find in sony store, next bet i think is qoo10 already. they have sellers from Korea and Japan might have stock. Sony hood model number comes in ALC-SHxxx numbering. maybe you google search can find overseas seller selling the original.

if you don't mind not original and 3rd party you can try those online like lazada, shopee or aliexpress. few dollar you can get it already. there is screw-mount and bayonet mount for camera hood. all Sony original (even Sigma too) hoods are bayonet mount type. so if getting 3rd party, you have to choose the correct mount.

 

[xKazeolus]

Anyone have experience with 18-105 and 18-135 lens? Currently deciding between both of them...

 

[ccloh]

Anyone have experience with 18-105 and 18-135 lens? Currently deciding between both of them...

i'm using the 18-135mm. IQ wise though can't be compared with prime lens but is much better than the 16-50mm and 55-210mm. it doesn't have power zoom so you have to manually turn the lens ring to zoom in and out. it also doesn't display the zoom distance on the lcd or view finder so you probably need to take look at what distance you have zoom in.

the corner sharpness is definitely better than the 16-50 kit lens. if i'm not wrong 18-135mm is light than 18-105mm, very much lighter.

the min aperture is 3.5 - 5.6, day photography is not much an issue since most of the time you probably set it to F8 - F16 for the shoot. night or low light photography i have not tried with this lens as i have prime lens with wider aperture which are good for low light/night photography. F3.5 is not good enough for reasonably good low light/night photography.

the different between 18-105 and 18-135 apart from the max zoom distance and power zoom is the aperture size. fixed F4 vs F3.5-5.6. however, F4 or F3.5 or F5.6 to me is not much a difference in day photography as most of the time am using F8 - F16.

have not tried with video so can't comment on that.