Sony NEX-6 preview extended with the addition of test data: Digital Photography Review

I noticed a lot threads in the NEX forum like, "Is AF-C basically a myth for NEX?", calling PDAF on the NEX 6 a farce, and saying inside the focus is still slow.
I am sure DPReview will get to the bottom of this. Can't wait for the full review.

0 upvotes

I think, the PDAF on sensor in NEX series is used mostly for tracking and not for focusing at all. That could explain the AF speed being almost the same as before.

0 upvotes

Is this camera any good or not?

Too many folks are complaining about the "timing" of reviews, previews, etc.

The REAL responsibility of DPREVIEW is to provide, hopefully, objective data and analysis.

Sure, the NEX6 has been out for sometime now, and the title of this article says "preview", but let's not get caught up on semantics.

Is the NEX6 any good?

0 upvotes

REAL responsibility?

You should explain that one..doesnt really make sense.

0 upvotes

yea, maybe 'responsibility' was expecting too much. I suppose I come to the internet with too much naivety?

"they can't put it on the internet if it isn't true"

0 upvotes

As far as product review speed, I am not sure any web site does particularly complete reviews in advance of product introduction. I am not sure how they could. As far as the NEX6 goes, I bought it when my old camera broke, based on the assumption that it would be about the same as every other camera in the price range.

Generally, it is a pretty good camera. I am not wild about the color on the kit lens, but that is easy to fix with the Sony 50mm or even the Sigma 35mm. The autofocus speed seems to be pretty good, but the accuracy is only about average. The camera gets distracted by bright areas, even if you are using center focus or spot focus. Anything moving gets out of focus very quickly, and the Sony has trouble keeping up. The Sony face detection is more likely to focus on the outline of the head than on the eyes.

The kit lens is designed for portability, and comes with the trade-offs you would expect. The only thing I didn't expect is how touchy it is to manually focus. A quarter of a turn takes you from front focus to rear focus, and only a very good eye and steady hands will be able to capture a shot in between. In this respect (and many others) the 50mm "sippy cup" is vastly better.

In short, it is about the same as every other camera in the price range. It is a little better at some things and a little worse at others. Of course, if they said this in a review, they could finish every review within 2 hours of getting the camera.

They might also add: "This camera won't help you take better pictures, unless you are upgrading from a cell phone, and maybe not even then." This sentence can be safely added to every review.

1 upvote

So you are here reading an "extended PREVIEW" of a camera you already own. My point exactly.

2 upvotes

@Low Budget Dave- I don't understand the point of your post. It's meaningless - of course every camera around the same price range is fairly competent within that price range, or the manufacturers would quickly go out of business in a competitive marketplace? The whole point of reviews, and what discerning photographers are interested in, is exactly those 'small differences' you so blithely dismiss, which in use to each photographer, might not be small at all, but a make or break deal. If you're that blasé about every camera, why on earth are you reading DPReview anyway?

That said, I don't feel it's just like every camera at all- it's a wonderful combination of features and IQ. There are a couple of things I feel could be improved- Sony could work on making the rear dial useful in more than just M mode, and give us a way of turning down contrast and saturation in the EVF, and more good, fast glass, which is coming, I know, but overall I'm in love and I came from a D700 and 5Dmkii!

2 upvotes

Oh, a quick note to the reviewers - it might be helpful for prospective owners to revise the review now that Sony has released a firmware update for the prime lenses, so that they all now support the Hybrid AF. Some people may not be aware of the FW release and it might put them off unnecessarily?

Thanks for the great review site though, still the one I find most comprehensive and trustworthy in that it always seems to jibe with my own experience upon using/owning a camera.

0 upvotes

Right on brother!!! I complained few times too...Speed up guys!!!

0 upvotes

I LOVE DRReview and it is very sad for me to see the information here becoming less and less relavent. Reviews used to come out the day after a camera was announced. Now there are "previews" coming out 3 to 6 months after the camera is for sale. So what is the point of that? The Lumix G5 sems like a competent camera that was announced in July and there aren't even studio shots available to compare it to other cameras, at least not on this site. Which means that I am forced to look more and more to other sites for relavent information. It is very sad because this was a great site which I used to recomend to everyone I knew. I am sure these are factors beyond the control of the staff and I am sure they are just as frustrated so you have my sympathy.

11 upvotes

Reviews have never come out the day after a camera was released. We managed that *once* with the Sony Alpha A55, and once only. You're thinking of previews, ironically.

0 upvotes

Barney: First and foremost: Thank you for the very useful info in the updated preview. The IQ tests point in the direction of a favorable review, and they're a major addition to the initial preview.

Your replies to the comments show us that you're feeling the heat from the complaint that reviews of important cameras have been coming out at a rather slow pace. Good! dPreview publishes the most complete and consistent reviews available, and you're the victims of your own success

The reviews are what attracts our eyeballs to your site in the first place. The many comments here reflect the hope that you'll devote more resources to camera and lens reviews, and less on the content that isn't as connected to what we (your customers) see as your most valuable product.

And again, thank you for the excellent material published thus far on the NEX-6.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 49 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

I really appreciate how DPReview staff is engaging in these news discussions. Thank you and keep up the good work! They seem to listen to their users, other than some manufacturers... (are you reading this, Sony?)

0 upvotes

They are Not listening to the readers.
Read below and you will even see that they go to the point of ridicule toward posters.
See for yourself, right below this post.

0 upvotes

I know I paid nothing to DPReview, so I feel comfortable with the progress. All information I saw here is free of charge. Is it weekly magazine that you have to paid, and so that it must be providing one review per issue? No it's not. Then why complaining?

I do hope DPReview can speed up a bit more. But all I have is only appreciation. Because I know there is no free lunch.

DPReview, I think it's time for you to review how to better utilize the cooperation with DxO Mark. You are partners, right? So there must be some more efficient ways. For example, they concentrate on the lab result of sensors and lenses, and you concentrate on the bodies, performances, AF, menus, etc? More and more new cameras are coming in the next few years, but I know you can make it.

3 upvotes

I'm always completely floored when people are so forward as to actually scold DPR for reviews not being fast enough to their liking. This is a free website and you get so much great content: image galleries, classifieds, reviews, forums, etc.

That some people feel compelled to ask for more, faster, better, sooner, when the site is already so good is something that never ceases to amaze me.

3 upvotes

You missed the point.

We are only asking for the 'Good Old Days' to come back to DPReview.

1 upvote

I do see even Fujifilm X-E1 images are in in the test charts so it should mean a review will be soon out, and judging from what I see it seems on the noise side it's the real new benchmark

0 upvotes

An E-E1 review is just around the corner.

2 upvotes

Where I come from 'just around the corner refers to a block of four corners, (eg.: a rectangle)'.
What polygon are you basing your statement on?

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 35 seconds after posting

1 upvote

A corner is a corner is a corner.

0 upvotes

It looks an awesome Camera. <3

1 upvote

Please post more pictures on the "Challenges" so to tell DPrev that beside Canikon, other cameras can be used to take good photo. Or good photographers used other cameras.

0 upvotes

How long has the NEX-6 been on sale now? And all we get from dpREVIEW is an 'updated PREVIEW'.

Pathetic.

3 upvotes

12 pages of original content including six of proprietary image quality tests... seems like we're giving you quite a lot here, no?

7 upvotes

No.
Your comments on twelve pages, six tests, etc., seem designed to be directed to your superiors as in 'Please ignore all these posts complaining about Previews, we are working hard'.
Your crew's reply comments are all defensive with no concern for your readers.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

2 upvotes

Barney, I think put more politely -- in the past, DPR had been quite quick with cutting-edge reviews. Now, for cameras that seem important to your readership, there seems a long lag. I'm guessing your editorial staff is a fraction of what it used to be, likely driven by corporate cost reduction. I've no doubt the staff is doing their best, but the the perceived speed to market with the reviews seems worse than before the Amazon acquisition. That's the perception, at least.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

3 upvotes

Do you know who owns DPReview?

1 upvote

With the major products, it really is just a perception. If you actually go back and look at the interval between a camera *becoming available for review* (which is normally about the same timeframe as available in stores) we actually do pretty well.

0 upvotes

@nosnoop What takes you so long?

DPreview seem more fixated with reviewing mobile phones and apps than actual cameras these days ... DPreview lost its status of being the best place for camera reviews a long time ago! Shame Cameralabs hasn't got more content, because that's the way reviews should be done!

6 upvotes

I have to agree. DPreview has lost its way.
Fixing this site would be easy. Decide who you want to serve and let that guide you. If your audience is going to be people who snapshoot with phones and other toys, then you are definitely on the right track.
On the other hand, if the site wants to serve people who love photography, who want to grow in technical skill and wish to be kept informed about new photography equipment. then take a look at the site as it was four or five years ago, and go back to that approach.

4 upvotes

Content reduction coincides with the purchase by Amazon. Maybe not a reduction but not as much of the core content I liked before they moved to America. Maybe that is why I don't come to this website but a few times a week instead of every day as before.

2 upvotes

@ Alan - if you came every day you'd see more core content.

0 upvotes

Actually, no. He wouldn't.

6 upvotes

What takes you so long?
There has been only one DSLR/Mirrorless REVIEW in the whole December/January; and only 4 DSLR/Mirrorless REVIEWs since September (5 months). At this rate, it would take you many more months just to finish the products announced at Photokina.

People would like to come here to look for information for their purchase decision. So a timely review is essential; a preview just doesn't cut it.

Your first preview was written 4 months ago. So you have 4 months to work on the NEX-6 and all we get is just an extended preview?

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

9 upvotes

They haven't had four months to work on the NEX-6. A preview is based on a pre-production sample, whereas the actual review process is based on a production unit, and can't begin until the manufacturer provides DPR with one.
These extended previews don't delay the reviews; DPR are able to publish them because they're actually working on the review.

5 upvotes

@ Revenant - bless you for trying to insert a note of reason!

0 upvotes

@Revenant @Barney Britton
The NEX-6 was available for purchase on Oct 30. So if you use that date, it would be 3 months. The pre-production model should allow them to complete all the specifications/body&design/handling/menu etc sections. They then just need the test shots from the production model.

IMHO, that is just too long. If you want to stay relevant and be the "go-to" site for people buying cameras, you would have to work faster. Now, instead of users coming to this site with the question "what camera should I buy?", we can only have users coming to siite wondering "did I make the right decision when I bought the camera a few months ago?"

2 upvotes

I love DPreview, my first stop everyday.
But.. there are sites that go out and buy their own cameras to test.

5 upvotes

It doesn't matter when the camera was available for purchase. DPR, like many other professional review sites, review products that the manufacturers send them. They can only start working on a review if and when they receive a sample from the manufacturer.

And a full review require more than just a few quick test shots in a studio. You have to use the camera extensively in real life situations to get a feel for the UI and ergonomics, to try out all the features under different conditions, and to discover the little quirks that all cameras have.
Of course, a lot of reviewers don't go into such detail, but their reviews are frankly not very useful. I'd rather wait a few months for a fuller review, to be honest. As long as the camera is still in production, the review is still relevant. Or are you only looking at models released within the last few weeks, when you're shopping for a new camera?

0 upvotes

Wow, an extended preview. That´s worth a message on the top page? What about a finished review - not just previews? Previews that never become reviews is a disease that only is spread on DPreview. Maybe the name doesn´t stand for "Digital Photography Review" but "Digital Preview". Other sites have their finished already up for some weeks. Don´t you think it´s time to speed up your reviewing process? Should be possible as you have more staff than ever before.

16 upvotes

Yes, it's definitely time to start speeding up our reviewing process. I totally agree. And there are some big reviews right around the corner. But in the meantime, here's 12 pages of original content, including six pages of proprietary image quality analysis. I know, I know, we're so lazy...

2 upvotes

uhh... so much content and it's still not enough? Does it really matter that much how it's named? Preview or review? Can you point to better and free content?

0 upvotes

Whats worry me about the nex6 is not the NEX 6 itself (for sure a great camera)... but the very interesting but questionning lens that go with it: the SEL1650PZ

see DPreview forum... many many questions
This lens require strong amoutn of correction to give good results (auto correction in JPG, manual or semi-manual correction in RAW).

So, what about the "measured" lens quality with and without correction
What about the real field of view (focal legh equivalent) at wide angle for corrected and uncorrected pictures? What about compatibility with older NEX cameras. Could you ask Sony some official explanations?

The only point with NEX6 is: what about hyrid AF efficiency? and why no hybrid AF available for video shooting? can we axpect an update by Sony concerning this point?

3 upvotes

What about the not-so-good performance of the electronic viewfinder in very low light. After some testing I realized that NEX-6 suffers from the same usual issues of the EVF - lag and graininess, that start to appear when it gets really dark. What makes things worse is the fact that in almost complete dark the EVF is not truly usable if you want to frame and shoot stars or other faintly lit subjects, like a luminous watch. In my opinion, an optical viewfinder is by far much better in such situations and NEX-6 EVF is no exception..

0 upvotes

Alex did you ever try to shoot stars with a $800 (price at launch) DSLR? The Optical View Finder is not as great as some people think. The small and dark VF is not capable of seeing more the a view very bright stars, just like the EVF or the LCD on a mirrorless. But on the mirrorless you can use magnification to help focussing on a bright star. You can use the flip out LCD when the camera is on a tripod (ver tried to focs a DSLR on a tripod? I did it is back breaking!
For real dark situations neither the EVF or the OVF are very usefull, but in my opinion the EVF/LCD is better then the OVF. As far as I know starts are not moving that fast that the refresh rate of the EVF is a problem, neither is it in darkish situations, where fast moving objects will always be hard to catch as you need long exposures so again not a problem. Where OVF do shine is in sport photography where the movement is important...

4 upvotes

This camera has no way to set the upper limit for auto-ISO. It's 3200, period. It has just two aspect ratios, 3:2 and the oh-so-useful 16:9. It has no way to configure a button to manually switch from LCD to EVF (you have to menu dive). Enthusiast-level? I understand you can't get everything for $850, but these things are pretty basic for enthusiast cameras.

4 upvotes

Waiting to see the PDAF performance in the review, as well as a full review of the new power zoom SELP16-50 kit lens. Hopefully, this full review will come before the NEX-6 is replaced by a new model.

11 upvotes

Yeah, you will never get the review of the 16-50 90%+ of buyers of NEX-6 will use. But you'll get something absolutely irrelevant. Have you seen what the samples were shot with? It is Sony DT 50/1.8, Alpha mount lens, with adapter. DPR does not care that almost no buyer of the camera will shoot with this lens. Customers will look at the review and expect the results they see, but instead they will get mush there. It looks like a misinformation campaign.

6 upvotes

@peevee1, you're referring to our studio test scene.. We have always photographed this scene with the same lens for a given mount and sensor size. This way, when you evaluate different cameras side by side, you can more easily compare the performance of the sensor/processor, not the lens. That's really the whole point of our test scene.
When we shoot image samples for reviews we shoot with lenses that consumers are likely to buy with the camera.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

5 upvotes

Very few of the image samples in the gallery are shot with the kit zoom, and even fewer are shot wide open or at low iso to judge the quality of the lens.

0 upvotes

@ Poronga - that's not true, I'm afraid. But your point (or what I think is your point) is well-taken. We need to get better at describing what you should expect from kit lenses and I want to work this into reviews in the near future.

2 upvotes

I got it, finally:

Preview a camera until it becomes long in the tooth, monitor buyer's feedback, then release the final review written as not to upset any one portion of the market, vendor or buyer.

This premise is not how DPReview became DPReview.

But I guess things change for better or worse.

A real shame.

I stopped all of my printed publication photography subscriptions because all of the reviews became nothing more than a glorified manufacturer's spec sheet.

DPReview, Let's get back to business, please.

Comment edited 10 minutes after posting

14 upvotes

'Back to business'? You mean the business of testing cameras? We just added six pages of test data to this preview. Or am I missing something?

4 upvotes

Yes, a Final Review with a Conclusion and a Rating.

18 upvotes

As Nikonworks stated, and I would add... in a timely manner.

In other words, before the camera becomes obsolete.

3 upvotes

We're working flat out on reviewing cameras right now. Honestly, we are. So why on earth do you (Nikonworks and GodSpeaks) insist on creating this ridiculous fiction?

Of all the feedback we get, I'm most puzzled by the negativity that surrounds the publication of test data attached to previews. Don't you see that this proves - without a doubt - that we're working on the cameras? Or am I missing something? I know it's fun to throw stones, but seriously? You don't. Make. Any. Sense.

2 upvotes

Hey Barney,

I made an account specifically to contribute to this thread because I love the information at DP Review, and I think that Nikorworks (blatant) thoughts are indicative of how the site has recently been running.

Providing test data is undeniably important, but this isn't DP Test Data, it's DP Review. As an avid reader I have always valued the test data that you supply; accessing a free methodological approach to new cameras has never been as important as it is today, where your camera (more than ever) determines your final print. This being said, how your staff interprets this data is the differentiating factor between this site and other photographic organizations.

I don't think anyone is insinuating that you do not work hard. However, maybe we don't come here specifically for the raw information. How you inform us on your review; the content included in the conclusion and final score is what continually brings me back. A preview on the NEX6 so late simply isn't the same.

2 upvotes

I completely understand, but we reviewed the NEX-6 *on the day it was announced*. This update is literally that - an update. We've got hold of a reviewable, production-quality final camera, and published our standard proprietary test data ahead of the full review - in effect, giving you a 'review in progress'.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

The problem is, people probably don't really care that much about your upcoming review anymore because they probably already bought the camera.. Your review is a little too late and that's what people are complaining about, not that you don't provide enough content.

1 upvote

Nothing I post here at DPReview is 'Blatant' , just truthful.
And Barney, you should not let such an untruthful characterization of a poster's comments go by without comment.

Re-read my comment, with 16 likes, and hopefully you will realize all these responses are not about you but about missing final reviews.

And your statement that I am 'throwing stones' is extremely un-professional,
flaming for selfish defensive purposes, and one you should apolgize to me for posting.

Comment edited 5 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

I hadn't read this preview when it was first published but having read it now, it confirms my suspicion of a very light AA filter in front of the sensor. While I use the raw format exclusively, I have noticed a certain crispness to the images after my default sharpening procedure in LR 4. While my D800 is superior (well, yeah) the D800 actually requires more sharpening than my NEX-6 to reach what I consider adequate sharpness. It appears very light AA filters or none at all will be the norm in the future.

2 upvotes

It's time Sony made good quality, small and cheap lenses. We've enough bodies already.

Comment edited 17 seconds after posting

7 upvotes

good god YES

1 upvote

True, but the marketing department wants new bodies to push upon the masses.

0 upvotes

If only they could put out as many good lenses as they are unveiling new generations of camera...

7 upvotes

This criticism is holding less and less water, yet people keep regurgitating it at every opportunity.

As soon as I can afford it, Im getting the stabilised 35mm and 50mm primes, and when it comes out, the 20mm pancake.

2 upvotes

Nope still does. m43 has a stack of lenses. Fuji only has a few (but nice ranges) and are very good quality. Samsung has a 16/20/30/45/60/85 (and thats just primes) at affordable prices. Sony has very ho-hum lenses (except one super expensive one) and they're not exactly compact. There's a reason manual lenses have shot up in price since the NEX came along as its the only way to get decent glass on the system. If they had any of their competions range they would kill the market.

0 upvotes

Nice too see that nex-5n holds up good against it when it comes to IQ

0 upvotes

Same sensor, just a little more crowded out with the pdaf pixels. The 5n is quite a camera, esp for 300 bucks body only. Absurd.

1 upvote

no pop up flash for 5N is a issue

1 upvote

The 5n is very good and the 6 is better. In a year when it's on clearance it will be the great bargain the 5n now is, probably reduced to around $600, so you'll be comparing the price of a clearance NEX-6 to the full price of a next-generation 5.

In the meanwhile it's just a very fine camera at a high, but reasonable, price. Wish I could afford one. Maybe next year.

0 upvotes

I just looked at the studio comparison tool and in terms of noise the Nex-6 is doing even better than the Nex-5N. Very nice to see a better sensor in the Nex series.

The jpegs look cleaner also.

Comment edited 22 seconds after posting

1 upvote


Just posted: Sony Alpha NEX-6 Review Mar 26, 2013	Sony to release firmware updates for A-mount and E-mount systems Jan 29, 2013	Just Posted: Sony NEX-6 and 16-50mm power zoom preview Sep 12, 2012	Sony announces NEX-6 16MP enthusiast mirrorless camera with Wi-Fi Sep 12, 2012

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Sony NEX-6 preview extended with the addition of test data

Sony Alpha NEX-6

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