Best products from r/a6000

I don't have a whole lot of experience with the built in flash as when I used it I didn't have much luck with it. It isn't very powerful but I have seen youtube videos showing how you can use it some what effectively. If you are using the kit lens you can use it straight on but if you have a longer lens, such as a Sigma 16mm, the barrel of the lens is so long that it gets in the way of the flash make the built in flash unusable unless you point it upwards and bounce it off the ceiling or such (again i'll refer you to youtube for more research on that). If you are looking for a cheap alternative to the built in flash I highly recommend a cheap $30 flash off Amazon (maybe even cheaper with the Amazon Day deals going on right now) and a cheap LED light for photography for extra light. I personally have this flash (for $30.99) and this LED light (for $34.59).

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There are a few scenarios in which I use these lights.

1. If I am indoors and there is some ambient light I will typically just use the flash on the a6000 which I then mount the a6000 on a tripod. It is great for group photos as I am still able to hit my focus, use a low ISO (typically 100), and not have to use f1.4 or f2. Typically your lens will be sharper around that F4-6 range in my experience.
   
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2. If the room you are shooting in has no good natural light source or poor lighting and you want to use an ISO of 100 and etc I will use the LED light as my main light source. I find a constant light source gives my camera the ability to find the proper focus as the a6000 seems to have trouble finding focus when it is very dark. So if your camera can't hit the proper focus a flash won't really help all that much. Nobody wants a well lit photo that is out of focus.
   
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3. Then you can also use them in combo. You can use the LED light as a constant light source and flash if you wish.
   
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   I will say if I am taking photos of animals or people I never use the LED light as the constant light source can be overwhelmingly bright on the eyes where as the flash is just a quick, well, flash of light. So shooting stills might be best to use an LED light of sorts in your scenario. Again this is my experience of a hobbyist photographer AND if you want to do it on a small budget, by no means am I a professional and I always recommend people to do their own research on how to use their camera properly as there is great videos and guides out there from known professionals.

The kit lens can definitely fit, but depends on the jacket pocket. Typically if you're carrying it on the go, you want some flexibility with your gear, I'd go with the kit lens.

If you're looking into just a compact camera though and don't plan on buying any more lenses. Look into the Sony RX100 Line. Compact powerful cameras with a zoomable zeiss lens. Will definitely fit into any pocket. It also has a selfie friendly flip screen :D I recommend anything between the 3rd and newest edition so you get that flip out screen. It takes great pictures too!

RX100 III (oldest model with flip screen)

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Premium-Compact-F1-8-2-8-DSCRX100M3/dp/B00K7O2DJU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1539353104&sr=8-2&keywords=rx100&dpID=41mW-DoHAGL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

RX100 VI (newest model)

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Premium-Compact-24-200mm-DSCRX100M6/dp/B07DKG29RG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1539353261&sr=8-5&keywords=rx100&dpID=41Aq4mL0fxL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

If you're just starting out, learning to "zoom with your feet" while using a prime is some of the best advice I can give. You'll be a better photographer for it. You'll also appreciate the wide f1.8 aperture for low light.

I can't speak to the quality of the 55-210mm, but I've never been a big fan of the cheap telezooms with variable max apertures (f6.3 in this case when zoomed in at 210mm is disgusting). I can appreciate that it would be important if you want to get kid action shots, though. Just know that you'll need really bright conditions to be able to use a fast shutter speed at a reasonable ISO while zoomed all the way in.

Would also recommend comparing the Sony 35mm/1.8 to the Sigma 30mm/1.4 before you buy. I just got the Sigma a few weeks ago and have been floored by the sharpness. It's about $60 cheaper, too.

If I were in your situation, I'd go for your second option (16-50mm kit + a prime). I have the 16-50mm and very rarely reach for it, but understand that it's nice when you start out to have a range of focal lengths to play with.

Alternatively, just get the a6000 body only + a prime, and once you get a feel for what you type of shooting you do most, rent a wide prime or a better quality telephoto to help decide what to buy next. I wish someone had told me not to waste money on the low-end kit lenses early on. If you get serious about photography, these will just clutter your bag, and camera shops will only quote you insulting offers when you try to sell them.

Perfect flash: Nissin i40. Super light, super bright, easy to use. Runs on batteries and even has a video light. It's a TTL flash but it offers also manual modes. I really enjoy this one. It is a really small flash which fits perfectly on the a6000.

Nissin i40

I suggest starting with P on your dial for auto modes. Intelligent and Superior both use HDR and I had a lot of outdoor shots I couldn’t retake that had radioactive looking grass and errant flaring on them before someone here helped me figure that out. Check out how I learned this:

https://reddit.com/r/a6000/comments/9avst4/a6000_w_kit_lens_whats_causing_the_vertical/

Now I use P if I want an auto mode and it gives me easy shots as well as a lot of latitude to do post editing without being overboard from the start. I took these yesterday in P for example:

https://i.imgur.com/5uP7Mtu.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1rJQeVM.jpg

I’ve also found David Busch’s book to be really helpful too. The manual that comes with the camera is nice but this book goes way more in-depth. Best of luck!

Congrats! You got a great camera! I own one and I absolutely love it!!


My advice: Take your time to explore the camera, it has a lot of nice features to experiment with. You can try with the book by Gary Friedman, he goes through every single detail of the camera, the buttons and the menus are all explained.


Mire importantly, go out there without little buddy and shoot!

Thanks for the help, this will be a good starting point. I didn't think about getting extra batteries. I just want to make sure that this is considered a kit lens or if it's something else like this.

Do you want something robust and expensive that can handle rough surf and watersports, or are you looking for something a bit more basic?

I've have friends who have had a lot of uccess using stuff like this DiCAPac underwater camera bag

Until I hit the big time, I don't think I'll be buying any more hard plastic housings, this style looks like it'll do good enough for me for quite some time.

I use some Neewer or Meike or something from Amazon. These are metal. They'll work with whatever lens you want, but make sure the focal length is greater than the extension tube focal length.

The raynox should work, as the extension tubes fit between the lens and the body.

MEIKE MK-S-AF3A Metal Auto Focus Macro Extension Tube Adapter Ring (10mm+16mm )for Sony Mirrorless E-Mount FE-Mount A7 NEX Camera A7 A7M2 NEX3 NEX5 NEX6 NEX7 A5000 A5100 A6000 A6300 A6500 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRXL7Q1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2FZ9BbEEAM1Y6

There is much better value in other cards mate. You can grab a Samsung 64GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSDXC EVO Select which is an excellent performing card for under $20 or the 128GB model for under $40. They are U3 rated which means they guarantee the write speed will remain above 30MB/s. The tests I have seen have shown this card writes much faster than this.

The max write speed the A6000 is capable of is 35MB/s. At 1080 60fps, my guess is that the write speed required would be around a third of that, but at least you will have a card which can clear the buffer at max speed should you be burst shooting stills.

Absolutely! Thanks so much for the help.

So for the lighting, I bought two clip clights like https://www.amazon.ca/Bayco-SL-300N4-8-5-Inch-Aluminum-Reflector/dp/B007RKKEHA/ref=asc_df_B007RKKEHA/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292962912878&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7779507648941511035&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001212&hvtargid=pla-357225917488&psc=1 and wrapped white cloth over them to soften the light from them. What would you say the main issue is with the lighting? DIY of course, but is there anything I could do with what I have to improve the lighting?

I highly recommend this little lens. Great for street and the manual focus keeps you thinking. The price is worth it. Give it a shot before you start investing in expensive glass.

Meike 28mm f/2.8 Manual Focus Fixed Lens for Sony E Mount Digital Cameras (NEX3, 3N, 5, 5T, 5R, 6, 7, A9,A5000, A5100, A6000, A6100 A6300 A6500 etc) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFI33ZX/

Amazon has 20% off their amazon warehouse right now.

There's a good deal on used/like new Sony A6000 at Amazon warehouse!:

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Mirrorless-Digital-16-50mm-55-210mm/dp/B00NO1T55I/

Sony A6000 body + 16-50mm + 55-210mm : $585.44 -20% = $468.35

Sony A6000 body only: $385 - 20% = $308

Thanks, is this the one you're referring to https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-SELP18105G-Mount-APS-C-18-105/dp/B00ENZRQH8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/Mirrorless-Camera-16-50mm-55-210mm-Lenses/dp/B013GQCW5U/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1524461157&sr=8-5&keywords=a6000

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Mirrorless-Digital-16-50mm-55-210mm/dp/B00NO1T55I/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1524461157&sr=8-6&keywords=a6000

Both $698, but the first comes with a bunch of accessories too.