Thinking of upgrading to A7II from a6000

[SpencerPhoto]

Hello friends.

I've had an a6000 for a couple of years and although it has been a fine camera, I have found for someone with bigger hands it's a bit uncomfortable to hold with the smaller grip after a while, especially when using a bigger lens at times. I downgraded from a DSLR but maybe the a6000 was a bit too small.

I've held an A7II in Best Buy and it seemed much more comfortable, and I've always wanted to go the FF route. With the B&H promo going on I can grab an A7II for probably less than an a6500.

I was just curious if anyone else had a similar experience upgrading to FF from an a6000 and what their thoughts were.

I'm just a general shooter of most things (landscapes, people), but no sports.

 

[Dan_168]

Hello friends.

I've had an a6000 for a couple of years and although it has been a fine camera, I have found for someone with bigger hands it's a bit uncomfortable to hold with the smaller grip after a while, especially when using a bigger lens at times. I downgraded from a DSLR but maybe the a6000 was a bit too small.

I've held an A7II in Best Buy and it seemed much more comfortable, and I've always wanted to go the FF route. With the B&H promo going on I can grab an A7II for probably less than an a6500.

I was just curious if anyone else had a similar experience upgrading to FF from an a6000 and what their thoughts were.

I'm just a general shooter of most things (landscapes, people), but no sports.

I don't have any of those two you mentioned but in general speaking, with the same generation technologies from the same manufacture, the FF always offer you better noise performance, better DOF control, better DR.

I went from 20D to 1DS MKII as my first FF digital camera about 12 years ago and have never looked back, that's not saying FF is ideal for everything, all these years I always shot with at least one crop camera side by side with the FF, they are for totally different applications, I kept my 1D MK II ( which has a APS-H 1.3X crop factor) back in 2005 for sport all the way to the 1.6X crop Nikon D300 then 1D MK IV, and fast foward to 2017, now I have 4 FF bodies and I just picked up a Nikon D500, took advantage of the huge discount during last Christmas when they offered D500 body + Verical grip + memory card + camera bag for $1700 or $1800 USD. I remember my friend picked one up just 3 months ago for $1999 body only. so a pretty sweet deal I got.

With that being said, FF and crop both serve different purposes for me, the crop is for sport, airshow, and wild animal, and FF is for everything else such as landscape, astro, low light indoor, portrait, events.....

Looking at your applications, landscape, people, I would say a6000 to A7II is a good move, I personally have hard time to live with a6000 type of tiny camera and even my A7RII is way too small for my liking but still better than the a6000 series, but that's personal preference thing only, for me the size is only half of the story, I am more concern about the quality from the FF vs crop sensor, while I don't have the a6000 but I now have a D500 which also has the Sony latest generation crop sensor and a Fuji which everyone in the Fuji forum claimed it's the best thing since slice bread, but I saw a huge difference between those crop vs my A7R II and D800E in term of image quality. There is really no one-fits-all thing, you just don't get the best IQ, fastest frame rate, biggest buffer, best handgrip/ergonamics.... all in teh same camera, just need to focus on your own priority if you can only maintain one format/system.

Oh, don't forget that means you may need a whole new set of FF lenses if you don;t already have one.

 

[Mordi]

Hello friends.

I've had an a6000 for a couple of years and although it has been a fine camera, I have found for someone with bigger hands it's a bit uncomfortable to hold with the smaller grip after a while, especially when using a bigger lens at times. I downgraded from a DSLR but maybe the a6000 was a bit too small.

I've held an A7II in Best Buy and it seemed much more comfortable, and I've always wanted to go the FF route. With the B&H promo going on I can grab an A7II for probably less than an a6500.

I was just curious if anyone else had a similar experience upgrading to FF from an a6000 and what their thoughts were.

I'm just a general shooter of most things (landscapes, people), but no sports.

I own an A7II, and A7 - and a few weeks ago, an A6000.

I upgraded to the A7II from the A7 because I wanted IBIS for my many adapted film-era lenses. Then I added a TechArt Pro autofocus adapter that converts almost any film era MF or AF lens into an AF lens.

I nevertheless bought an A6000 used (4900 clicks) from KEH a few weeks ago. It's perfect for walk-around travel shots where its compact size and quick focus really pay off - it's much faster than the TechArt Pro.

I will keep my A7 for business shoots where I want/need a second full-frame camera. But for travel, with a manual adapter, I can shoot all my MF lenses on the A6000.

The A7II/A6000 is a great combination. In good light, I often can't tell whether an image was shot with which camera. The A7 shines when I am in bad light, or need the full field of view from, say, my CV 15mm Series III or 35mm f1.4 Summilux-M. If I were you, I would NOT trade in or sell my A6000.

 

[rashoop]

Similar situation here, though I have an A6300, and a bunch of lenses for it. Great set-up, but a recent sunrise shoot in Yosemite made me wonder if the results I got (which i'm very happy with) would have been noticeably better with an FF. I'll certainly keep the A6300 for LONG hikes and backpacking trips, but for times when a bigger body and lenses wouldn't be a burden, it certainly is intriguing.

I'm in "initial research" mode right now, and as part of that, I'm also wondering if waiting for an A7ii replacement makes sense.

Slightly OT, but my question, related to this, has (I'm sure) been asked before, but of the Sony FF lens offerings right now, what would be a recommended 1st lens? The 24-70Z/f4 looks like a good launching point, maybe with the 1635Z/f4 for wider applications. Thoughts?

 

[SpencerPhoto]

I'm in "initial research" mode right now, and as part of that, I'm also wondering if waiting for an A7ii replacement makes sense.

--
Bob

Yeah, I can see where that might make sense for some. In my case I'm sure the A7III will be quite more expensive than the A7II is at "regular" price, so the chance to grab one for under $1200 is something I'm finding hard to resist.

Thanks for the responses so far. They have been great.

 

[blue_skies]

Hello friends.

I've had an a6000 for a couple of years and although it has been a fine camera, I have found for someone with bigger hands it's a bit uncomfortable to hold with the smaller grip after a while, especially when using a bigger lens at times. I downgraded from a DSLR but maybe the a6000 was a bit too small.

I've held an A7II in Best Buy and it seemed much more comfortable, and I've always wanted to go the FF route. With the B&H promo going on I can grab an A7II for probably less than an a6500.

I was just curious if anyone else had a similar experience upgrading to FF from an a6000 and what their thoughts were.

I'm just a general shooter of most things (landscapes, people), but no sports.

I own an A7II, and A7 - and a few weeks ago, an A6000.

I upgraded to the A7II from the A7 because I wanted IBIS for my many adapted film-era lenses. Then I added a TechArt Pro autofocus adapter that converts almost any film era MF or AF lens into an AF lens.

I nevertheless bought an A6000 used (4900 clicks) from KEH a few weeks ago. It's perfect for walk-around travel shots where its compact size and quick focus really pay off - it's much faster than the TechArt Pro.

I will keep my A7 for business shoots where I want/need a second full-frame camera. But for travel, with a manual adapter, I can shoot all my MF lenses on the A6000.

The A7II/A6000 is a great combination. In good light, I often can't tell whether an image was shot with which camera. The A7 shines when I am in bad light, or need the full field of view from, say, my CV 15mm Series III or 35mm f1.4 Summilux-M. If I were you, I would NOT trade in or sell my A6000.

I am with Mordi, using the A6000 and A7ii side by side has definite benefits, and also does not wet my appetite for either the A6300 or A6500.

The rumored specs of the A7iii sounds exciting, given the features of the A7rII that are out already.

I don't (ever?) see the A6500 become my 'goto' low light camera, and will keep dragging the A7ii (or -iii) around on certain trips. For other trips (sunny weather, daylight), the A6000 already does a wonderful job.

 

[viperkeeper]

Hello friends.

I've had an a6000 for a couple of years and although it has been a fine camera, I have found for someone with bigger hands it's a bit uncomfortable to hold with the smaller grip after a while, especially when using a bigger lens at times. I downgraded from a DSLR but maybe the a6000 was a bit too small.

I've held an A7II in Best Buy and it seemed much more comfortable, and I've always wanted to go the FF route. With the B&H promo going on I can grab an A7II for probably less than an a6500.

I was just curious if anyone else had a similar experience upgrading to FF from an a6000 and what their thoughts were.

I'm just a general shooter of most things (landscapes, people), but no sports.

I went from a6000-a6300-A7rii I'm disappointed in the A7rii and miss my a6000. Autofocus speed, FPS, and the small buffer are killing me. If you don't shoot sports and like portrait/landscape then the A7ii is going to be better for you. You'll have better dynamic range in landscape and a shallow DOF for portrait. For my use I think the a6500 is a better camera than the A7rii but for your use the A7ii sounds like a better choice than an a6500. Just remember FF glass = $$$ you'll have better options with APS-C plus you can use FF lenses too. The Zeiss 24mm F1.8 is my favorite lens of all time and makes me want to get back into the a6xxx

 

[BBQue]

What lenses are you planning to use for A7ii? A good three lens starter kit would be Batis 25, FE 55/1.8 plus Batis 85

Seriously, consider the entire system before you switch to FF.

 

[Rathenwohl]

Hello friends.

...

I was just curious if anyone else had a similar experience upgrading to FF from an a6000 and what their thoughts were.

I'm just a general shooter of most things (landscapes, people), but no sports.

Hey, I can offer my first hand experience...

I primarily photograph family, vacation/travel and occasionally landscapes, have large hands, an a6000 and recently picked up an A7ii with kit lens.

I've carried the a6000 everywhere and switch between the sony 20mm 2.8 and 50mm 1.8 OSS. Both are great lenses, btw.

The A7ii has a larger grip but it is also heavier than the A6000. After carrying the A7ii around Disneyland for a weekend I would say it is not really an improvement over the a6000 comfort-wise. Very subjective and others may disagree but at best it's a three finger grip for me with my pinky hanging off the bottom. My old Nikon D3200 was definitely more comfortable than both Sonys.

Also, the a6000's AF seems a bit faster and more accurate in lower light based a quick side by side comparison. It's not a significant difference, certainly not a deal breaker, but something to be aware of. Finally, the a6000's built-in flash comes in handy.

The real benefit of the A7ii is the IBIS, additional more custom buttons and dials, extra AF mode and of course the FF sensor with larger pixel size. After using it for two weeks I have absolutely zero buyer's remorse though I will be picking up an external flash soon and will eventually upgrade the glass.

I'm keeping my a6000 as a lighter/cheaper carry anywhere camera and the A7ii will come out for more serious work.

 

[Sr1racha]

If you are happy with the image quality and just want a larger camera, perhaps just putting a battery grip on the a6000 would make you happy?

I love my full frame gear, especially for its low light performance, but I miss the compactness of the crop lenses, as well as the price. When I'm shooting for fun and with my family and friends, I rarely really need the image quality that my A7rii delivers.

 

[SpencerPhoto]

Thanks again for all the replies. I really appreciate taking the time.

 

[Jerry R]

I went with the A7 (just an oz heavier than the A6500 and a few $100 less). I expected some improvement in IQ but am presently surprised by the S/N and dynamic range of the FF sensor.

 

[mdcromer]

D500 is a Nikon sensor, not Sony.

Great for speed / high ISO as a crop lens but not quite as great for base ISO work.

 

[sportyaccordy]

The A7II/A6000 is a great combination. In good light, I often can't tell whether an image was shot with which camera. The A7 shines when I am in bad light, or need the full field of view from, say, my CV 15mm Series III or 35mm f1.4 Summilux-M. If I were you, I would NOT trade in or sell my A6000.

I want the A7II/A6000 combo, but I think keeping the A6000 really depends on his end use. I'm looking to get an A6000 because the A7II is awful at AF-C with adapted telephoto lenses.... but for general photography it's awesome. Obviously an A6000 is smaller than an A7II, but not by much.... A7II is still pretty small with the right lenses. So I would only keep the A6000 if there's something it can do photographically that the A7II can't.

 

[westlites]

I came from the A6000 which I have since passed onto my daughter, and now use the A7II.

AF wise, the A7II is not as capable as the A6K for action and low light. AF-C and for that matter, even AF-S are also not as good even in OK light. I'm glad I can still borrow the A6K for the school activities of my youngest which require AF shooting. If you do a lot of those, definitely don't sell the A6K or just buy the crop successor bodies.

The full-frame and camera lens combinations are also appreciably bigger and heavier, I've needed to buy a new bag for casual carry. The bulk of carrying the A7II gear approaches the hassle of carrying DSLR gear, in comparison carrying the A6K gear is less of a commitment (hope you get what I mean). I also miss the pop-up flash for fill.

OTOH, the A7II is better built with more controls, the EVF is much better, image quality is a step up with better JPEGs and more latitude processing the RAWs. Note, though, that you'll still get most of these benefits from the A6300 and A6500, with much better AF (especially continuous eye AF) and video capability.

Most compelling reason for the switch for me was to be able to use my old MF lenses at their "true" focal lengths without having to use a focal reducer.

If this wasn't a consideration, I would probably have stuck with E crop with its smaller size, especially since FF E lenses are quite costly and big.

If you want the best of both worlds (FF goodness + better AF), I'd wait for the A7III.