I stumbled upon this video after getting into a film camera kick. I actually own an NEX-6. For me photography is a hobby, not something professional, and I can not say enough about how I love this camera. For me, it was the perfect intro into budget manual photography using cheap Chinese manual prime lenses. It made me fall in love with photography, and some of my most favorite photos have come from it. The RAW output from this sensor is very forgiving of harsh or poor lighting and the noise from the camera actually looks quite nice and film-like. Also, if you're experiencing autofocus issues, try updating its firmware. Many owners of these cameras just don't know that the firmware can even be updated. It's worth giving it a shot as I recall the firmware also unlocks compatibility with newer Sony lenses.
I've owned the NEX-5, 6 and 7. Of the 3, the NEX-7 is the more solidly built, having an all metal body (the other 2 are plastic). A couple of years ago I decided I'd buy a used NEX body to convert to full-spectrum for shooting IR & UV. The choice was simple - had to be the NEX-6 as the 5 has no EVF and the 7 has issues when using old manual lenses, couldn't be charged via USB and has a non-standard hot-shoe. The NEX-6 is also better in low-light. Removing the hot-mirror filter from the NEX-6's sensor is trivial, but disassembling the camera to gain access to the sensor was quite fiddly (I converted my old Canon APS-C DSLR and that was actually simpler despite having more mechanical parts). During conversion, the clip that secures the articulating screen's ribbon-cable to the main board became detached and, despite owning a microscope and fine tools for smd work, I was unable to get it going again. In the end I removed the screen altogether and now use the EVF exclusively. The camera operates fine without a screen, the reduction in weight is quite astounding and the battery lasts longer.
I bought this camera as well as the Nex5r specifically to use with vintage Russian M39 lenses. They pair nicely with the body. The Industar 69 28mm F2.8 and the Jupiter 50mm F2 are auoerb with this camera.
Just bought a NEX-6 for 180€ with the pancake lens hope it’s worth it . Thanks for this video it made clear to me that the nex-6 is probably the best NEX .. since the 7 is always too expensive and doesn’t have a hot shoe
@@evernam993m8 You're missing the point, I'm not discussing which is better, plastic or metal. The author of the video said the NEX-7 feels plasticky. It doesn't. It's fully made of metal.
@@vinkel906 What do you want to use it for? From what I gather (I've never used it), the nex 7 was a bit of an over-reach (at 24mp), struggling to not overheat when shooting video. I've never managed to get the nex-6 to overheat. On the other hand the nex 7 has a mic input (nex 6 doesn't). For photos, the difference between 16 and 24mp is pretty marginal IMO. Both have a better viewfinder than the A6000. Nex 6 (probably) has better autofocus - but if that is very important to you go for a later model (A6300 and above). Don't think you'd go wrong with either. I use the nex 6, A6300 (and A7) to shoot with film era lenses. In a lot of ways I prefer using the nex 6 not least because it is smaller and lighter than the others.
I wanted a 2nd Sony body to compliment my A6000 for vacation shooting, so I didn't have to change lenses in a windy, sand + saltwater environment. I found an NEX-6 on KEH, and I love it. The EV is a nice bonus.
Thanks for the info. I have an old Leica M3 inherited from my dad that I love, but dealing with film is a pain especially without space, time, and money for a darkroom, so I thought this would work for me. $300 for the camera with the 18-55 zoom lens seemed reasonable, and I may try out an adaptor for attaching my 50mm and my 135mm lenses from the Leica.
i’ll be honest the Nex 6, every time i’m taking a photo, i do macro, the image looks shite in the display but in the view finder, it looks miles better, and i always feel terrible abt my photography on the display, haha
I had the Nex 5r for several years and i'm still surprised when i see pictures i took with it, the quality was really good. if it was good back then, there is actually no reason not to be good in 2023, it's just not the top anymore compared to the newest products but it's ok.
Cool! I'll keep my eye on NEX-6 and other later sony apc-s cameras with viewfinders. I'm still doubtful are the sony viewfinders good enough, since i've had not-so-amazing experiences with Panasonic m4/3 cameras (regarding viewfinders), maybe GX8 being an exception (out of the cheaper and more smaller bodies). But, i had the NEX-5N with the optional hotshoe viewfinder, and that was AMAZING! I doubt the NEX-6 can match that, but if it gets even close enough, i'm a happy camper! Had my gear stolen, so i'll start again. Luckily i still have my vintage manual lenses, and truth be told, i much much more often use the vintage lenses anyways, so that's good! NEX-5N + hotshoe viewfinder + vintage lens = good times for me. I haven't quite clicked with full Manual mode, instead i still use Apeture priority and like it that way. Thanks for the good video!
Sony A7 is getting quite close to the price of these, heck it's barely more expensive than A6000 now. It's just Sony A7s are mostly workhorse camera so they are often in worse condition than hobbyist camera like NEX6/A6000.
wow thanks for the video before watching it I did not even consider the possibility that nex-6 had 1024x768 viewfinder and that sony has downgraded it for a6000
my favorite nex is the 5r, I also had the 6 and I appreciate the really fantastic viewfinder. but in terms of ergonomics I prefer the 5, which inherits a functional wheel from the 7, a very comfortable fully reclining screen. same image quality and a negligible weight. the a6000 inherits part of the body of the nex 7.
Hey! I just bought one please make the video on how to shoot manual I will share it like crazy I really need a video that can explain me how to use my nex-6 ;(
Bought one for about $180, still waiting to arrive, my mainly focus is photography and i shoot with vintage lenses, so viewfinder was a dealbreaker, i kinda want to keep my 5n but i'll see if i will still used it
The NEX-7 wasn’t plasticky, a good portion of it was metal unlike the NEX-6. What made the NEX-6 feel robust was the matte textured finish. Both the NEX-5N and NEX-7 had substantially more metal in their construction whereas the NEX-6 was almost entirely engineering plastic, a precursor to the polycarbonate shells of the A6xx cameras.
Thanks for the review. I had bought this in 2013 and used it a few times before the kit lens broke. Since, I have not used it but wanted to ask 1) should I invest in a lens for this camera, and if yes, 2) what lens would you recommend for it, especially for taking kids photos and portraits?
The 16-50 kit lens is pretty cheap ($100 ish second hand) and it's really all I use. If you're taking photos of friends and family it's really as sharp as you'll ever need, loses some sharpness around the edge but Im not printing my photos out to put on a bilboard so it doesn't matter. The biggest draw is the size, with pretty much any other E mount lens it's too big and clunky to put in my pocket so the kit lens gets the most use. The sigma 30mm f1.4 or the viltrox 27mm are good if you have a bigger budget and are really serious about image quality but again not pocketable
Just picked up one of these on Ebay tonight for $185, which was cheaper than most the 5r options for some reason. Great condition with 11k on the shutter. I really liked the 5r I had briefly last year. Looking forward to getting this, the larger body, grip and an EVF is a nice upgrade. Also picked up a Sigma 30 f/1.4 that I had used with the 5r with some great results. There is just something about the colors with the 5r/6 that Sony got right, similar to the 6400 which I liked. FAR better than the colors from the a7 and a7II and IMO, better than the colors from the newer A series. I got rid of the a7IV because I didnt like the colors much. Great video, which lens are you using here?
@@kraigpruett By the way, how do I turn off the pre focus? The way it continually hunts for focus when not pressing the shutter is annoying AF. I dont remember the 5r doing this. Thanks
Can you please share the link for any good NEX camera with lens - i would like to get it for as little as possible and upgrade later if i really feel like I am making use of it fully. I keep watching your videos hoping i could find one of these at the price point you mention but no luck so far.
Hey! I got my nex 6 from my dad, but it hasn't got any lenses. I've got something like 100-300 bucks to buy them. But dad says not to buy any kit lenses, cuz they re too fragile. What should i get then?
As a previous owner of an A5100 and now a proud owner of an A6000 and a ZV-E10 I’d say it entirely depends on what you are using the camera for. If photography is your main goal then the A6000 is the one to go for due to the mode dial and viewfinder. If video is the main priority then the ZV-E10 is the one to get thanks to the S&Q mode and 4k video capabilities. If you are looking for a decent all round hybrid shooter that can do everything well and comes at a cheaper price then the other two then it’s the A5100 all the way. All 3 cameras have the same sensor so it really is all down to personal preference and which features are most important to you as the end user. I hope this helps!
@@TheFightQueen Wow, thank you so much for that comprehensive response! I really appreciate it! After reading this and watching a few reviews I think I'm going to go with the A5100. I'm mainly going to use it for taking photos of some of my own work and maybe film a few clips of my processes. Thanks again, I really do appreciate it.
I would set it to creative style "Portrait". Minus your contrast by 3, leave your saturation as is, and minus sharpening by 1-2. Then I would shoot in 1080P and 24p (or 60p for slow motion), and shoot in manual video exposure. You would want your shutter speed to be 1/50, ISO as low as possible, and aperture as low as possible.
I have been using Nex6 and SEL1670Z since 2013, after 10 years I would like to upgrade Body. I use it for family and portrait photography (up to 1k images per year). I'm thinking of upgrading to an A6300 or A6100, I need fast autofocus and eye tracking, I mostly shoot on "Auto". Which upgrade do you recommend?
@@stampydragon2739 the nex 7 has no phase AF and only has 25 focus point, the nex 6 has 99 with Phase AF, the nex 7 is 2 years older than the nex 6 the Software is better, but the 7 has 24mp, and greater battery life, for me they are almost the same camera, i didn't found any nex 7 under $200 but i bought a nex 6 for $180 so i think for money wise go with the cheaper (if you don't mind lower mp, 1 dial and no mic jack)
@@kraigpruettthanks for reply i got nex 6 and better lens, not disapointed with iq and low light performance isnt so big of a problem with wider aperture lens
