VLOGGING GUIDE | SONY ZV-E10

Vlogging Guide | A look at the Sony ZV-E10 vlogging camera

Thinking of starting a YouTube channel, or sharing videos of your exploits on Facebook, Instagram or another social media platform? Then you’ll want to pick up one of the best cameras for vloggers.

Welcome back to our vlogging kit series, where we run through some of the best cameras and other equipment that’s out there for prospective vloggers right now.

You may or may not have been tempted by the idea of vlogging before, but even if you’ve never considered it, we’d definitely recommend giving it some thought. Vlogging tends to demand less production value than other types of video, and as a professional working in stills or video, you already have a wealth of material to vlog about with a built-in audience. What kind of kit are you using for your shoots – what do you like about it, what do you wish were better? How do you approach different kinds of shoots and subjects? People are interested in this stuff, and being able to connect with them through vlogs is a great way to open up new opportunities and even potential revenue streams.

Previously in this series we’ve covered the Nikon D7500Fujifilm X-T2 and the Sony A6500.

Today we’re taking a look at the Sony ZV-E10. Designed for creative vloggers who aspire to an artistic look, without the hassle. The ZV-E10 shoots 4K video at up to 30fps, unfortunately it doesn’t offer a 4K/60p mode for those creative vloggers who like to slow down their footage for cut-scenes. Still, you do get some of Sony’s latest autofocus smarts, including Real-time Tracking and Real-time Eye AF. These allow it to track a person around the frame and automatically keep them in focus.

The ZV-E10 is an interchangeable-lens vlog camera with over 60 lenses to inspire self-expression. Wide-angle lens options allow you to capture more of the locations or the natural backdrop, and bring your viewers along with you in a shared experience whilst creating dynamic footage. A fixed focal length lens will allow you to create a smooth, natural background blur that lets the subject stand out. It’s also useful when you want a brighter image in a dimly lit setting. Whilst a macro lens can get you closer to your subject, allowing you to capture the small details at a bigger size than with normal lenses and show off every glorious detail. Use a telephoto lens, to shoot far-off objects, scenery or action with clear detail, whether you’re vlogging while travelling or just shooting everyday life. Zooming in and out can also add an extra dynamic element to your story.

 

Let’s dig into its feature-set and find out why it’s designed for vlogging…

You can choose the lens that matches your style

Sony’s has an extensive range of E-mount lenses to help bring your vlog to the next level with stunning and unique imagery. Incorporate background scenery into your script with a wide-angle lens, or make the subject grab the viewer’s attention by using a fixed focal length lens with an artfully blurred background. Move in closer with a macro lens or pull in distant scenes with a telephoto lens.

A large-format image sensor for professional-quality images

The ZV-E10’s impressive images are the result of the camera’s large APS-C sized image sensor. Compared to a smartphone camera, the image sensor of the ZV-E10 is bigger, allowing for beautiful, professional-looking images with high resolution and intricate detail.

Designed for easy selfie and vlog shoots

Weighing in at just 364 grams the ZV-E10 is ready to hit the road with you whenever you’re ready to vlog. The side-opening vari-angle LCD screen makes it easy to take selfies and check your framing, even when you’re shooting from high or low positions, and the ergonomic grip is designed for a safe and stable hold.

4K video

The camera’s internal 4K video recordings are made using a full-pixel readout from the sensor. This means that the recorded footage has more visual data condensed into every frame, resulting in remarkably detailed video imagery.

Real-time tracking can do the focusing work for you

The ZV-E10’s AI-driven13 Real-time Tracking is intuitive to use. Simply touch the monitor to indicate the subject you want to focus on and Real-time Tracking will take it from there, keeping a steady hold on the subject.

Background blur control

There’s no need for complicated manual adjustments – just press a single button to turn background blurring (bokeh) on and off. The button switches between a blurred, bokeh-rich background and a clearly focused one, skipping all the complex setting.

Designed for clear voice recording even outdoors

Equipped with a built-in Directional 3-Capsule Mic, the ZV-E10 records voices clearly even in crowded settings. It’s optimised to capture voices in front of the camera with fewer distracting ambient sounds, perfect for vlogging use. The ZV-E10 comes with a wind screen, allowing worry-free recording when shooting outside. The supplied wind screen can be easily attached to the Multi Interface to reduce noise in windy conditions.

Smooth and stable images even while walking

The ZV-E10 will help keep things smooth and steady when you’re on the move. Active Mode electronic image stabilisation delivers stable video footage with minimal shake and blur during hand-held recording, and it’s available even when the Product Showcase Setting is on.

Add special effects in-camera

You can switch up your colours to create a variety of artistic effects. Just change the Creative Style setting, or choose from seven different visual effects using Picture Effect mode, without any additional post-production.

Handle long shooting sessions without battery worries

When you’re shooting outdoors or anywhere without a power supply, you can rely on the camera’s battery to power up to 125 minutes of continuous movie shooting or up to 440 still images. The camera also supports external power through a USB Type-C connector, allowing an external mobile battery to further extend your recording time.

An ideal vlogging setup with the Sony ZV-E10

If you want to maximise the production value you get out of the Sony ZV-E10, then it’s worth thinking about the best accessories to use. It doesn’t have to be a massive outlay of cash – a few well-chosen accessories can make a massive difference in the quality of your videos, not to mention the ease of producing them, and luckily for you, we’ve picked out a ready-made list of the best ones around right now. While this list isn’t exhaustive, it also isn’t compulsory – even just a few of these will really see your vlogging improve.

So here’s what we reckon you should get:

– A good all-encompassing lens. You ideally don’t want to be faffing about changing lenses too often. We’d say something like the Sony 16-70mm f/4 will cover a solid focal range that should give you all the coverage you need for the vast majority of your vlogging.

– A good shotgun microphone. A no-brainer here for improving the sound quality of your videos – there’s a reason we recommend it in all of our vlogging blogs. A RØDE VideoMic will suit your purposes fantastically. For more audio control you can use the Sony XLR-K3M XLR adaptor kit, pictured above, with your choice of XLR microphone from shotgun mics to radio lavalier kits ideal for interviews.

– A fast, large-capacity SD card. You might be able to save some money here, as the ZV-E10 isn’t able to take advantage of UHS-II cards, a UHS-I SD card will do fine. Something from the SanDisk Extreme Pro range will suit you fine – the higher its capacity, the better.

– A stable tripod, ideally one with a head geared for video. Manfrotto, Vanguard, Camlink and Velbon all make great dedicated video tripods with smooth panning heads.

Monitoring headphones to check your audio.

– A video light. Look at lights from Rotolight for a good self-contained system.

The Sony ZV-E10 isn’t perfect

The grip is way too small to use handheld with a big lens, as it’s too unwieldy to hold the lens while using the rear display to frame shots. We would recommend using a tripod, as well as for some long-exposure images. There’s no mode dial on the top; instead you’ll set the capture mode via the menu. You do get a shutter release at the top of the handgrip. The Sony ZV-E10 has a built-in electronic viewfinder for framing shots so if you need a camera with a viewfinder try the Sony A6100 or A6400. If you are looking for a run-and-gun video camera for quick pans then this might be the worst thing about the camera from a video point-of-view, and while it won’t affect many studio or static shooters, run-and-gun camera operators might not be ready for its jelly effect. The Sony ZV-E10’s 4K capture caps out at 25/30 fps, so if you want to slow down your footage without compromising on resolution, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Sony ZV-E10 Specifications…….

SpecificationsSony ZV-E10

Lens Mount

E-mount

Aspect Ratio

03:02

Number of Pixels (TOTAL)

Approx. 25.0 megapixels

Sensor Type

APS-C type (23.5 x 15.6 mm), Exmor CMOS sensor

Recording Format

XAVC S

Video Compression

XAVC S: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264

Audio Recording Format

XAVC S: LPCM 2ch

Memory Card Slot

Multi slot for Memory Stick Duo / SD memory card

Metering Sensor

Exmor CMOS sensor

Adjustable Angle

Opening Angle: Approx. 176 deg., Rotation Angle: Approx. 270 deg.

Focus Magnifier

Yes, Focus Magnifier (5.9x / 11.7x)

Clear Image Zoom

[Still images] Approx. 2x, [Movies] Approx. 1.5x (4K), Approx. 2x (HD)

Face Detection

Face/Eye Priority in AF, Face Priority in Multi Metering, Regist. Faces Priority

Flash Sync. Speed

1/160 s1

Control

Pre-flash TTL

Flash Compensation

+/- 3.0 EV (switchable between 1/3 and 1/2 EV steps)

Self-Timer

10 s delay / 5 s delay / 2 s delay / Continuous self-time / Bracketing self-timer

Bluetooth

Yes (Bluetooth Standard Ver. 4.1 (2.4 GHz band))

Functions

View on Smartphone, Remote control via Smartphone, PC Remote, BRAVIA Sync (Control for HDMI), PhotoTV HD

Microphone

Built-in, stereo

Speaker

Built-in, monaural

Compatible Standards

Exif Print, Print Image Matching III, DPOF setting

Type

Custom key settings, Programmable Setting (Body 1 set /memory card 4 sets), My Menu

Setting

Peripheral Shading, Chromatic Aberration, Distortion

Supplied Battery

One rechargeable battery pack NP-FW50

Operating Temperature

0 – 40 ℃ / 32 – 104 °F

Weight (with battery and memory card included)

Approx. 343 g, Approx. 12.1 oz

 

That’s all for the Sony ZV-E10! We’ll see you next time.

SONY A1 Camera

Sony A1

The Sony A1 is a high resolution, high speed, mirrorless camera body with some impressive headline specifications and some remarkable technology under the bonnet. Built for professional photographers and videographers the A1 has something to suit photographers covering everything from weddings to wildlife via sports, portraits and news. Whether used for stills, video or both, there are features that will appeal to everyone.

Sony A1 Features

The Sony A1 specification exceeds any expectation of what a flagship camera body can offer. Sony has thrown out the notion of a trade off between shooting speed and resolution by combining a 50 megapixel sensor and a burst rate of 30 frames per second.

50.1 Megapixel Sensor

The high resolution sensor allows photographers to crop into their images without sacrificing detail. The sensor feeds in to an upgraded BIONZ XR image processor with eight times the processing power of the BIONZ X engines in previous Sony bodies. The 50.1 megapixel sensor exceeds the requirement for 8k video recording (which is 33.1 megapixels in photography-talk).

30 frames per second blackout-free continuous shooting

The impressive processing power of the camera is able to record 50 megapixel images at 30 frames per second while delivering a constant feed of image information to the electronic viewfinder so that you can view your composition throughout shooting. With the capacity to record high resolution still images at 30fps the Sony A1 can also record 8K 30p video and lower resolution 4K 120p for slow-motion.

Fast sensor readout for high speed AF and AE

The new sensor and processor enables 120 AF/AE calculations per second even while recording images at 30 frames per second. This means the Sony A1 will continuously track subjects and can adjust for flickering artificial lighting steadily, while taking a burst of photographs. To put this in context this is twice as responsive as the Sony A9 II camera body, the high speed camera lunched by Sony at the end of 2019. The Real-time Eye AF for humans and animals is improved, and a new Realtime Eye AF for birds has been added to the AF system.

High speed electronic and mechanical shutter

Sony have improved features in both their mechanical and electronic shutter systems. The electronic shutter provides silent and vibration-free shooting. Both the electronic and mechanical shutter offer anti-flicker shooting. For the first time in the Sony Alpha series the electronic shutter is compatible with flash synchronisation up to a sync speed of 1/200th sec. The mechanical shutter synchronises up to 1/400th sec, faster than any other full-frame digital camera.

Connectivity: Wi Fi, Ethernet and SuperSpeed USB

Filing your images, or transmitting footage is fast with a variety of connection options. Sports photographers working in press centres can file images via 1000BASE-T Ethernet LAN connection direct from camera. If you are on the move you can use built-in WiFi to send files from the camera. High Speed USB Type-C connection allows tethered shooting to a PC for smooth transfer of large files.

VLOGGING GUIDE | SONY A6500

Vlogging Guide | Best Cameras For Vloggers

Thinking of starting a YouTube channel, or sharing videos of your exploits on Facebook, Instagram or another social media platform? Then you’ll want to pick up one of the best cameras for vloggers.

Welcome back to our vlogging kit series, where we run through some of the best cameras and other equipment that’s out there for prospective vloggers right now.

You may or may not have been tempted by the idea of vlogging before, but even if you’ve never considered it, we’d definitely recommend giving it some thought. Vlogging tends to demand less production value than other types of video, and as a professional working in stills or video, you already have a wealth of material to vlog about with a built-in audience. What kind of kit are you using for your shoots – what do you like about it, what do you wish were better? How do you approach different kinds of shoots and subjects? People are interested in this stuff, and being able to connect with them through vlogs is a great way to open up new opportunities and even potential revenue streams.

Previously in this series we’ve covered the Nikon D7500 and the Fujifilm X-T2. Today in the hot seat is the Sony A6500, part of the tech giant’s APS-C camera range. Confusingly, it is not the newest of these – the A6400 was released a little later. Why? We don’t know. No one knows.

Cameras in this series are principally known for being super-fast and relatively affordable do-it-all cameras, with snappy burst speeds and autofocus systems to match. So what makes this one such a good choice for vlogging?

Let’s dig into its feature-set and find out.

Why the Sony A6500 is perfect for vloggers

The street-style, lightweight Sony A6500 fits perfectly with the others in the series that have come before it. That means that one of its big concerns is a fast, comprehensive autofocus – and it doesn’t disappoint, with an autofocus system that uses a combination of 425 phase-detect points and 169 contrast-detect points. This absolutely massive focus-point density means it’s able to acquire and keep its subjects near-instantly, and stands you in good stead for any and all vlogging you might want to do – minimal awkward moments were the camera hunts for focus after a sudden change in viewpoint.

The guts of the camera consist of a 24.2MP Exmor APS-C CMOS sensor paired with a front-end LSI and Sony’s Bionz X processor, all of which ensures the camera provides superior fast operation. While previous models in the series didn’t carry the capacity to produce 4K video, the A6500 happily shoots 4K UHD, and can also capture Full HD at up to 120fps for super-slow motion footage. While many vlogs are uploaded and watched in Full HD, being future-proofed is no bad thing, and the fact that the A6500’s 4K footage is oversampled, with no pixel binning – it’s captured at the equivalent of 6K – is another feather in its cap.

The A6500 is the first APS-C Sony camera to come packing 5-axis image stabilisation, which works with or without Sony’s stabilised lenses. Video recording is also made easier with Touch Focus, and serious video users can make use of the S-Gamut/S-Log modes to produce footage with a wide dynamic range, perfect for colour-grading in the edit. A Gamma Display Assist mode also makes it easier to ensure you’re getting a correct exposure while shooting in these modes.

The A6500 isn’t perfect. Frustratingly, its screen does not flip all the way around, making it difficult to monitor your shots if you’re filming yourself. It is also still quite a pricey camera, and you may find smaller and tidier options to be more to your liking from Canon, Fujifilm or Nikon. It only has one card slot, not two, and while it’s certainly more affordable than the full-frame Alpha 7 models, it’s still not exactly a cheap camera. These factors are worth bearing in mind before making any decisions.

Sony A6500 rigged for video

An ideal vlogging setup with the Sony A6500

If you want to maximise the production value you get out of the Sony A6500, then it’s worth thinking about the best accessories to use. It doesn’t have to be a massive outlay of cash – a few well-chosen accessories can make a massive difference in the quality of your videos, not to mention the ease of producing them, and luckily for you, we’ve picked out a ready-made list of the best ones around right now. While this list isn’t exhaustive, it also isn’t compulsory – even just a few of these will really see your vlogging improve.

So here’s what we reckon you should get:

– A good all-encompassing lens. You ideally don’t want to be faffing about changing lenses too often. We’d say something like the Sony 16-70mm f/4 will cover a solid focal range that should give you all the coverage you need for the vast majority of your vlogging.

– A good shotgun microphone. A no-brainer here for improving the sound quality of your videos – there’s a reason we recommend it in all of our vlogging blogs. A RØDE VideoMic will suit your purposes fantastically. For more audio control you can use the Sony XLR-K3M XLR adaptor kit, pictured above, with your choice of XLR microphone from shotgun mics to radio lavalier kits ideal for interviews.

– A fast, large-capacity SD card. You might be able to save some money here, as the A6500 isn’t able to take advantage of UHS-II cards, a UHS-I card will do fine. Something from the SanDisk Extreme Pro range will suit you fine – the higher its capacity, the better.

– A stable tripod, ideally one with a head geared for video. Manfrotto, Vanguard, Camlink and Velbon all make great dedicated video tripods with smooth panning heads.

Monitoring headphones to check your audio.

– A video light. Although the A6500 is great in low light, this is a good thing to have when you need it. Look at lights from Rotolight for a good self-contained system.


That’s all for the Sony A6500! We’ll see you next time.

A Guide to the Sony Alpha series (E-mount) image

A Guide to the Sony Alpha series (E-mount)

Sony’s Alpha stable has been going from strength to strength since the introduction of the first Alpha 7 cameras in 2013, with a generous stable of models in both the full-frame and APS-C ranges. It can be a little daunting to sort through all the models available to suss out which one is for you. Fortunately, we’ve got a comprehensive guide to every camera in the system for you right here.

Read on to see which is the Sony Alpha camera for you…

Full-frame

Sony α7 III

This is the most recent camera to join the Sony alpha family. It’s the third iteration in the a7 series that started it all, boasting a 24.2MP sensor just like the two that came before it. New to this sensor, however, is a backside-illuminated architecture that improves its ability to handle noise, making for better low-light performance and a higher extendable maximum ISO of 204,800.

The sensor’s upgraded architecture also improves its readout speed, making for all-around faster performance assisted by Sony’s Bionz X processor. This means up to 10fps shooting with autofocus, and a generous buffer of 189 JPEGs, 82 compressed Raws or 40 uncompressed Raws in a single burst. Elsewhere you’ve got sophisticated 5-axis optical image stabilisation, an autofocus system with 693 points, and sophisticated monitoring options thanks to the 2.3-million-dot EVF and tilting touch LCD screen.

The a7 series may be the most straightforward of Sony’s full-frame mirrorless range, but as the a7 III demonstrates, there’s nothing basic about it.

Key features

  • Sensor: 24.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor with back-illuminated design
  • ISO range: 100-51,200 (expandable to 50-204,800)
  • Burst speed: 10fps
  • Max video resolution: 4K 30p (HDR video available)

Sony α7 II

Though the a7 II used the same sensor as its predecessor the a7, it brought a number of ergonomic and internal improvements to the table. It was the first of Sony’s full-frame mirrorless range to feature in-body image stabilisation, the 5-axis SteadyShot system that allows for significantly slower shutter speeds to be used handheld. The body of the camera also got a redesign, with a more pronounced grip to evoke DSLR-style handling without compromising on the small and light build that makes the mirrorless range so attractive.

Key features

  • Sensor: 24.3MP full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-25,600 (expandable to 50)
  • Burst speed: 5fps
  • Max video resolution: Full HD 60p

Sony α7

It all began back in 2013 with a pair of true game-changers. This was one — the original Sony a7, a full-frame camera packing the power of a DSLR into the body of a CSC. A 24.3MP full-frame sensor working with the powerful Bionz X processor to ensure fast and high-quality shooting, the Sony a7 was an amazing camera for 2013, and to be honest it holds up pretty well today. It lacks the fancy features that would arrive on subsequent cameras, such as a touchscreen and the ability to shoot 4K video, but it was and is a superb step forward for mirrorless photography.

Key features

  • Sensor: 24.3MP full-frame Exmor CMOS Sensor
  • ISO range: 100-25,600 (expandable to 50)
  • Burst speed: 5fps
  • Max video resolution: Full HD 60p

Sony α7R III

The a7R cameras are the resolution beasts of the Sony stable, boasting massive megapixel counts on their full-frame sensors. They have earned the adulation and loyalty of plenty of landscape shooters ever since the first a7R.

The third iteration of this series keeps things mega-high-quality, with a 42MP full-frame Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor powered by the Bionz X processor. For a sensor like this you want the best-in-class in terms of monitoring, which the a7R III readily supplies in the form of a 3.69-million-dot Tru-Finder OLED electronic viewfinder, and a 3-inch 1.44-million-dot tilting touchscreen LCD. It inherits a few features from Sony’s speedster, the a9 (more on which anon), such as its dual card slots, its fast silent shooting (up to 10fps with nary a whisper) and its tough mechanical shutter. Built to last, the a7R III won’t let you down.

Key features

  • Sensor: 42MP full-frame Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-32,000 (expandable to 50-102,400)
  • Burst speed: 10fps
  • Max video resolution: 4K 30p

Sony α7R II

This was the camera that bumped the a7R line up from 36MP to 42MP, with a backside-illuminated sensor that promised peerless image quality in another impressively small body. The a7R II also offered improved readout speed thanks to a worked-over sensor architecture, which used copper wiring instead of aluminium. This made for improved autofocus speed, as well as generally better performance in other areas.

Key features

  • Sensor: 42MP full-frame Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-25,600 (expandable to 50–102,400)
  • Burst speed: 5fps
  • Max video resolution: 4K 30p

Sony α7R

This was the other of the first Alpha 7 releases, debuting alongside the original Sony a7 in 2013. The key difference between the two was in the sensor, which on the a7R carried a resolution of 36.4MP, with no anti-aliasing filter in order to squeeze the maximum potential out of it. Other bonuses included a 2.4-million-dot EVF and an external microphone socket for video shooters, while trade-offs from the lower-resolution a7 included a less sophisticated autofocus system and slower burst shooting.

Key features

  • Sensor: 36.4MP full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-25,600 (expandable to 50)
  • Burst speed: 4fps
  • Max video resolution: Full HD 60p

Sony α7S II

The pro video world fell head over heels for the first a7S camera on its release back in 2014, and the a7S II builds on that success with a raft of improvements, as well as keeping what worked about the original.

The key to the a7S range lies in their sensors, which eschew the generous megapixel counts of the likes of the a7R for a resolution of just 12MP. This allows for much-improved low-light performance, and the a7S II is able to shoot at a whopping maximum ISO level of 409,600, and offers a wide dynamic range. Whereas the original a7S needed an external recorder to record 4K video, the a7S II does it internally, recording with full pixel readout without pixel binning, at a bit rate of up to 100Mbps. Advanced movie features such as the S-Log3 colour profile and 120fps Full HD recording make for a seriously comprehensive video package.

That’s not to say that stills shooters are forgotten about — as well as the aforementioned low-light prowess, the A7S II also provides a sophisticated, intelligent autofocus system with 169 points.

Key features

  • Sensor: 12.2MP full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-102,400 (expandable to ISO 50-409,600)
  • Burst speed: 5fps
  • Max video resolution: 4K 30p

Sony α7S

The original a7S, arriving a little after the a7 and the A7R. Using the same 12.2MP sensor as the camera that would follow it, the a7S wowed photographers and videographers alike with its incredible low-light capabilities, and began a small video revolution. It was the camera that caused video shooters to start jumping to Sony in earnest, and it still performs well four years down the line.

Key features

  • Sensor: 12.2 MP full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-102,400 (expandable to ISO 50-409,600)
  • Burst speed: 5fps
  • Max video resolution: 4K 30p (with external recorder)

Sony α9

Speed is the name of the game when it comes to Sony’s a9, which debuted in 2017. Its ability to shoot at up to 20fps with no viewfinder blackout is complemented by a 693-point AF system, which you can read more about in our autofocus guide [link]. Elsewhere, users can make use of the a9’s two SD card slots to ensure they don’t run out of space for all the files they’re creating, while the silent electronic shutter expands the a9’s usability for wedding work.

Using the electronic viewfinder, photographers can shoot at maximum shutter speeds of 1/32,000sec, while 5-axis SteadyShot image stabilisation and a maximum expandable ISO of 204,800 ensure that the a9 has serious low-light chops. Speedy and versatile, the a9 deserves the serious consideration of any pro photographer.

Key features

  • Sensor: 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor RS Stacked CMOS Sensor
  • ISO range: 100-51,200 (expandable to 50-204,800)
  • Burst speed: 20fps
  • Max video resolution: 4K 30p

 

APS-C

Sony α6500

The APS-C flagship of the Sony stable, the a6500 is a sophisticated camera that should certainly not be dismissed just because of its smaller sensor. It’s an action powerhouse, offering a 425-point 4D focus system and an 11fps burst rate with a generous buffer able to capture 307 full-size JPEGs or 107 Raws, which represents a considerable improvement over its predecessor the a6300, which would manage 44 JPEGs or 22 Raws.

The a6500 is also the first of Sony’s APS-C range to gain in-body image stabilisation, while new algorithms improve noise reduction. When you add on 4K video and slow-motion video at 120fps, the a6500 really does start to look like a complete package. Definitely not one to count out.

Key features

  • Sensor: 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-25,600 (expandable to 51,200)
  • Burst speed: 11fps
  • Max video resolution: 4K 30p

Sony α6300

The a6300 preceded the a6500 by only half a year, so there’s a lot of similarity, making for a potential bargain if you’re unfussed about some of the a6500’s flashier features. You still get that lightning-fast and sophisticated autofocus system, as well as 4K video and the generous ISO sensitivity range. The a6300 is still a very good buy.

Key features

  • Sensor: 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-25,600 (expandable to 51,200)
  • Burst speed: 11fps
  • Max video resolution: 4K 30p

Sony α6000

The Sony a6000 was sold with the tagline “quicker autofocus than a DSLR”, though really its key USP was quicker everything. Thanks to the inclusion of the Bionz X processor, the Sony a6000 not only focuses fast, it also shoots fast and starts up fast. Its hybrid AF system of contrast- and phase-detection points isn’t much on its successors, but still works at an impressive clip.

Key features

  • Sensor: 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-25,600
  • Burst speed: 11fps
  • Max video resolution: Full HD 60p

Sony α5100

The a5100 debuted to nestle comfortably between the a5000 and a6000 in the APS-C lineup, borrowing the sensor and hybrid AF system from the latter. While it lacks a viewfinder, the tilting touchscreen is a useful addition for monitoring, and five customisable buttons on the rear allow the a5100’s controls to be tuned to taste.

Key features

  • Sensor: 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-25,600
  • Burst speed: 6fps
  • Max video resolution: Full HD 60p

Sony α5000

The a5000 refreshed the stale CSCs of the former NEX line, setting the stage for the sleek, compact-esque look of the APS-C models that would continue through to the a6500. It also added now-standard features such as Wi-Fi connectivity.

Key features

  • Sensor: 20.1MP Exmor APS-C CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-16,000
  • Burst speed: 3.5fps
  • Max video resolution: Full HD 60i

Sony α3000

The first camera to arrive bearing the Alpha branding, the a3000 sticks out from the rest of the range thanks to its SLR-esque styling, which is more visually reminiscent of A-mount cameras like the A99.

Key features

  • Sensor: 20.1MP Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-16,000
  • Burst speed: 3.5fps
  • Max video resolution: Full HD 60i
Sony releases the A7R III image

Sony releases the A7R III

The new Sony A7R III, announced recently, takes the high-resolution 42.4MP Exmor R CMOS image sensor and gives it a speed boost. A new front-end LSI effectively doubles the readout speed of the image sensor, while an updated Bionz X processing engine promises speeds 1.8 times as fast as the A7R II.

Given that it’s also capable of shooting at 10fps with AF tracking, carries an ISO range of 100-32,000 (expandable to 50-102,400) and offers a 15-stop dynamic range at low sensitivity settings, the A7R III should be useful in all situations and in all shooting conditions. If you’re in live view mode, the camera can still manage an impressive 8fps.

The focusing system has been overhauled from the A7R II, with 399 focal-plane phase-detection AF points covering approximately 68% of the image area, complemented by 400 contrast AF points. This advanced system is expected to deliver AF acquisition that’s twice as fast as it was on the A7R II in low-light conditions, and with tracking that’s twice as accurate.

Video hasn’t been neglected – the A7R III shoots 4K (3840×2160 pixels) video recording across the full width of the image sensor, and uses full pixel readout without pixel binning in Super 35mm format to produce oversampled 4K footage. There’s a new Hybrid Log-Gamma supporting instant HDR footage, and S-Log2 and S-Log3 have been added. The camera also records super-slow-motion at 120fps.

For more information on the A7R III, contact sales@fixationuk.com or call 020 7582 3294

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