Opinion Poll: Sony A6300 / A6500

[mercer]

If you’re okay sticking with 1080p, you could always look into Olympus... the E-M5 Mark II has nice all-i 1080p and way better IBIS than the Sony.

And then there’s always Fuji as well. The X-T20 is in your budget... pair it with the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS lens and you will have a nice one lens set up, with great Fuji color.

[webrunner5]

4 hours ago, IronFilm said:

I've done countless weddings without either of those.

 

So have I. Does it mean in 2018 I am going to go buy a Nikon F and do manual focus, and take the film down to the local drugstore. I really doubt it.

I am probably going to buy a Canon 1DX mk II and shoot DPAF till the Cows come home, and charge 5000 bucks to do it. ?

[IronFilm]

6 minutes ago, webrunner5 said:

So have I. Does it mean in 2018 I am going to go buy a Nikon F and do manual focus, and take the film down to the local drugstore. I really doubt it.

Do it, shooting with film is the indie hipster thing to do, the brides will flock to you. 

[webrunner5]

3 hours ago, Mark Romero 2 said:

Good catch.

The thing about that is you would need to use a "smart" adapter to communicate the EXIF to the a6500 body, otherwise, you will have to go into the menu system and set the focal length in the menu system for the IBIS to function correctly. Might be a pain if you switch lenses.

Here's the thing about Sony (and I shoot about 10 to 15 photo gigs a week, so I do have a bit of experience): The lenses are good (generally) but pricey, and a few real expensive ones seem to have quality control issues.

There is no native 16-50 f/2.8 E Mount lens, for example.

Minolta made some nice prime lenses with lots of... um... "character" and they sell somewhere between $15 to $100. You could put them on an LA-EA4 adapter and have autofocus with them (not great autofocus, but better than nothing I guess), or you could put them on an LA-EA3 and use them as a manual focus lens. I am about 90% sure that they would then transmit EXIF to the camera and that would give you IBIS for them, whether you used the LA-EA4 (autofocus) route, or if you use the LA-EA3 (no autorfocus) route. But double check this first.

Some sony users swear by their Minolta lenses, some swear AT them.

If you are going to use Nikon lenses and want the IBIS to determine the focal length automatically, you are going to have to use a smart adapter. However, the smart adapters are more expensive and the autofocus is pretty spotty. So you would be PAYING for autofocus but probably still end up using manual focus.

 

Newestguy on DPR wrote this and I think it holds true.

"It works like this

a6500 + stabilized lens = 3 axis in body and 2 axis in lens

a6500 + lens with electronic communication but unstabilized = 5 axis in body

a6500 + lens with no electronic communication = 3 axis in body

The camera needs to know the focus distance in order to get the last 2 axis of stabilization.  So a unstabilized MF lens with electronic communication with the camera like a Zeiss Loxia will still get 5 axis in body stabilization, but a completely manual lens like a Rokinon will only get 3 axis in body."

[mercer]

Just make sure you get paid before you start flocking the brides...

[webrunner5]

1 minute ago, mercer said:

Just make sure you get paid before you start flocking the brides...

Out of Likes. Yikes!

[Dustin]

So what if I only shoot with one lens? Would I have to do that every time the camera powers on? 

[mercer]

No it remembers it.

[webrunner5]

3 minutes ago, Dustin said:

So what if I only shoot with one lens? Would I have to do that every time the camera powers on? 

Hmm good question. I think you might have too? Since there is no communication I don't think the camera knows what is up. I am too poor to afford all these new fan dangled cameras you youngsters have, so I will trust you young people have a clue, Gulp!! ?

[mercer]

It just remembers the last setting so if you don’t change the lens, the last setting is still active. 

[Dustin]

2 minutes ago, mercer said:

No it remembers it.

Cool cool. Man it's tough with so many options. I'm back to square one...A6500 or G85. G85 has superior stabilization, A6500 superior AF (with right lens). After mainly coming across HORRIBLE G85 demos apparently I wasn't searching through the right options. Quite a few good ones to be had. Kind of looks to be a mini-gh5. Focus-peaking accurate enough? I've never owned a camera that used it but if it was accurate that might be a good compromise.

On the other hand, it seems like some A6500 demo videos have crispier 120fps than others. Maybe it's the lighting/sharpness?

Guess I just have to once again - narrow down my focus. I probably sound a bit scatter brained.

[webrunner5]

This is how you set it up.

https://www.slrlounge.com/how-to-use-sony-steadyshot-with-old-manual-and-adapted-lenses/

[webrunner5]

32 minutes ago, Dustin said:

Cool cool. Man it's tough with so many options. I'm back to square one...A6500 or G85. G85 has superior stabilization, A6500 superior AF (with right lens). After mainly coming across HORRIBLE G85 demos apparently I wasn't searching through the right options. Quite a few good ones to be had. Kind of looks to be a mini-gh5. Focus-peaking accurate enough? I've never owned a camera that used it but if it was accurate that might be a good compromise.

On the other hand, it seems like some A6500 demo videos have crispier 120fps than others. Maybe it's the lighting/sharpness?

Guess I just have to once again - narrow down my focus. I probably sound a bit scatter brained.

I really don't think I would give up APSC, Face Focus, Eye Focus, Clear Zoom, the best 4K out there, SLog 2, SLog 3, on and on for a Panny G85. Not me. But it is cheaper. Easy to spend your money.

All you have to do is go to Jason Lanier's web site. He started out with the Sony A6300, A6500 after he quit using Nikon gear. Made him famous. He uses those and the A7 series cameras now. He is probably the most recognized model, wedding photographer in the world now. And probably one of the most highly paid ones.

http://www.jasonlanier.com/

[Dustin]

Sony a6500 footage (with a gimbal) here. Looks pretty good IMO.

 

 

[IronFilm]

On 6/20/2018 at 1:44 PM, Dustin said:

I thought about the g85..I know it has focus peaking and Caleb Pike seemed to get decent auto focus. Also GH4's can be had for a bargain now. But...Idk. 

Unless you are going to use the GH4 with an external recorder (but why? Would be cheaper to skip the external recorder and buy a GH5) then I'd go for the G85 (wellllll.. the GH4's 96fps is another reason, but you get a heavy hit in quality when going from 60fps to 96fps)

3 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

The camera needs to know the focus distance in order to get the last 2 axis of stabilization.  So a unstabilized MF lens with electronic communication with the camera like a Zeiss Loxia will still get 5 axis in body stabilization, but a completely manual lens like a Rokinon will only get 3 axis in body."

Can't you by hand enter in the focal length into the Sony camera? Like you can with Panasonics
 

2 hours ago, Dustin said:

After mainly coming across HORRIBLE G85 demos apparently I wasn't searching through the right options. Quite a few good ones to be had. Kind of looks to be a mini-gh5.

A problem with cheaper cameras is often they don't get as much talent applied to them (as the top notch guys buy more expensive cameras), thus very often in demos of cheap cameras you don't see their full capabilities displayed. 

 

[Deadcode]

18 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

You want to give up IBIS and a Touchscreen doing weddings?? WoW you have some great big Cahonies LoL. ?

I read "vacation videos" and "1000 eur price range" in the posts. Noone mentioned weddings. Of course i would choose A7 III with Zeiss primes if price is not a problem..

For cheap solution i would choose one more lens with the a6300 instead of a6500 with one less. And there is no benefit of IBIS using OSS lenses. Yes i read the sony marketing bullshit about 5 stop stab, bit IRL the difference is barely visible.

[canonlyme]

6 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Unless you are going to use the GH4 with an external recorder (but why? Would be cheaper to skip the external recorder and buy a GH5) then I'd go for the G85 (wellllll.. the GH4's 96fps is another reason, but you get a heavy hit in quality when going from 60fps to 96fps)

Can't you by hand enter in the focal length into the Sony camera? Like you can with Panasonics
 

A problem with cheaper cameras is often they don't get as much talent applied to them (as the top notch guys buy more expensive cameras), thus very often in demos of cheap cameras you don't see their full capabilities displayed. 

 

Agree with IronFilms points, but the gh4's 60p is much better than the g85 60 p. Unless you are investing in a recorder, the g85 25mbit 60p fhd won't be good enough for you if you want slow motion with high enough IQ for grading. (you will end up with something like 10mbit/s) vs the 4k 100mbit.

Long story short, if you just need the crisp 24/30p 4k, the g85 will be fine, if you want to record sound externally the gx85 will even be a catch, but it also depends on your lenses. 

Sony 6300 is only 1,5 crop, whereas with the g85' 2 times crop you should add:
1. 120 euro for a lens turbo speedbooster with manual lenses,
2   200 euro/dollars for an electronic viltrox 2 that supports some lenses or
3.  600 for the metabones speedbooster, still loosing the sonys autofocus. 

On the other hand you have the sony colors which in my opinion are not nice enough out of camera and you don't want to grade color too much with an 8 bit codec. 

Also you should think about if all of these cameras deliver a picture that looks actually too sharp and digital, as a6300/6500 and g85 will deliver you crisp image, but it with modern lenses it will easily look "digital". Look into tiffen contrast filters for example. 

If you are a run and gun type of shooter, buying the gh4 you would have to heaviliy consider buying a gimbal or you will loose time in post stabilizing every clip with warp stabilizer. 

And finally, if you start turning in circles because every camera is missing one thing that the others don't (which I think is not a coincidence for panasonic with 2*crop, sony with overheating and color,  canon with nice skin colors but heavy prices), I would advise you to not loose too much time. 

Fix your final budget (like 1400dollars), and write down the exact combinations you can get with different cameras including lenses and rigging. 

[Dustin]

@canonlyme I’m out of likes for today but well put sir! I’m currently trying to figure out my lens setup.

I have a 28 and 50mm Nikon e series I would like to adapt. Any recommended adapters/focal reducers on the cheap? Also I ran a 17-50 but I’m thinking about just picking up a sigma 30mm 1.4 e mount to take advantage of Sony af. 

[webrunner5]

4 hours ago, Deadcode said:

I read "vacation videos" and "1000 eur price range" in the posts. Noone mentioned weddings. Of course i would choose A7 III with Zeiss primes if price is not a problem..

For cheap solution i would choose one more lens with the a6300 instead of a6500 with one less. And there is no benefit of IBIS using OSS lenses. Yes i read the sony marketing bullshit about 5 stop stab, bit IRL the difference is barely visible.

It Only works with certain lenses, just like the Olympus, Panasonic cameras do. Not every lens will add to make the 5, or on Olympus cameras 6 1/2 stops. And they are unfortunately the newest, most expensive lenses.

8 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Can't you by hand enter in the focal length into the Sony camera? Like you can with Panasonics

 

 

Yea you can enter them.

[jonpais]

33 minutes ago, Dustin said:

@canonlyme I’m out of likes for today but well put sir! I’m currently trying to figure out my lens setup.

I have a 28 and 50mm Nikon e series I would like to adapt. Any recommended adapters/focal reducers on the cheap? Also I ran a 17-50 but I’m thinking about just picking up a sigma 30mm 1.4 e mount to take advantage of Sony af. 

First, let me say, I've got zero experience with either the a6300 or a6500, but my guess is if you're going to be using adapted lenses or shooting with the Sigma, you're going to lose much of the af-c advantage, particularly in video mode.