With more than five years on its shoulders, the Sony Alpha A6000 remains in production, a testament to the stability, compatibility, and excellent price-performance relationship of this mirrorless series. Naturally, today that camera has older and superior siblings in the form of the A6300, A6400, and A6500, but the Japanese giant decided to add one more model, the Sony A6100. Positioned from a technical standpoint between the A6000 and the A6400, this new unit aims at the classic "best of both worlds", optimizing previous weak points, and of course, receiving some cuts.
So why? Why launch an additional camera within an already robust line? One of the first reasons cited by our colleagues is cost, but this benefit is not immediate, and the Sony A6100 carries a premium that puts it in conflict with its own sisters. For example, anyone wanting to save every last euro can get the A6000 body for 350 euros, while the A6400 costs 950 euros, the same pre-order price as the Sony A6100.
Does that make us lose interest in the new mirrorless? Quite the opposite. Cameras inevitably lose a bit of their value in the market, and availability varies by region. With patience, the Sony A6100 should become a very competitive option, even against other choices from the same company. What changes in this new model? Let's see:
Sony A6100: Surpassing a Classic
Announced at the end of August, the Sony A6100 features a 24.2-megapixel effective CMOS sensor paired with the Bionz X image processor. Its ISO sensitivity extends from 100 to 32,000 with a boost up to 51,200, while shutter speed ranges from 1/4000 to 30 seconds. Its three-inch screen is touch-enabled and tilts up to 180 degrees (selfie mode) with a resolution of 921,600 dots. On the viewfinder side, nothing strange: the A6400's OLED module reaches 2.36 million dots, but the Sony A6100 has 1.44 million, same as the A6000. Coverage remains unchanged at 100 percent.
One of the most positive aspects of the 6000 series is its autofocus system, and the good news is that the Sony A6100 is on par with its older sisters, with a hybrid configuration based on 425 phase-detection and contrast-detection points, including real-time tracking and animal eye detection. The coverage of these points extends to 84 percent of the sensor, and if we compare these values with the A6000's autofocus, the leap in quality is impossible to ignore. Sony reports that acquisition time is just 0.02 seconds. I imagine the final value will vary depending on lighting conditions, but it's still impressive. A blemish on its record? The options are still a bit awkward.
What didn't change relative to the A6000 is the burst speed. The Sony A6100 reaches a maximum of 11 FPS, with alternative parameters of 8 (live view), 6, and 3 FPS. The novelty here is that Sony optimized the buffer size. With the A6100 you can shoot 76-77 JPEG images, or 31 combining JPEG and RAW. The JPEG images look fabulous, and I admit the RAW results aren't left behind... but they aren't lossless.
Naturally, the Sony A6100 follows a familiar design in terms of interface. Physical customization options are limited to two buttons, C1 and C2, identical to the A6300 and A6400, but ease of use is guaranteed. The A6100 body is a bit lighter compared to its sisters, a detail probably associated with the adoption of plastic (instead of magnesium alloy), and the lack of weather sealing. Plus: The Sony A6100 adds an external microphone port.
The mode dial of the Sony A6100 is a replica of the dial on the A6400: Full Auto, Programmable Auto "P", Aperture Priority "A", Shutter Priority "S", Manual "M", Memory Recall "MR", Movie mode, Slow and Quick "S&Q", Panoramic mode, and Scene Selection "SCN". For more details, Sony offers an online help guide and a PDF with its reduced version.
When it comes to video, the Sony A6100 supports 4Kp30 at 100 megabits per second with crop, or you can take advantage of oversampling below p25. Either way, we must be willing to accept a bit of rolling shutter in scenes with a lot of movement, but that doesn't change the fact that the final quality remains at levels other mirrorless cameras envy. It also includes 1080p120 and 1080p100 modes for slow motion, and so far no one has reported limits on recording time.
Accessories for the Sony A6100
Same family, same accessories. Well... maybe not in the case of higher-end models, but almost nothing has changed with the Sony A6100 when it comes to expanding its overall capability. With a more than reasonable investment, you can ensure its portability, storage, power requirements, and lighting, among other things.
Batteries and Power
A reasonable way to avoid driving up the cost is to keep the battery format intact, and that's exactly what the manufacturer did with the Sony A6100. Any compatible NP-FW50 module should work well, including the Gloxy batteries available for 25 euros on average. At the same time, the Gloxy 2-in-1 charger for home and car will help you keep batteries charged and ready to use anywhere. 420 shots per charge sound pretty good, but why take chances? Don't run out of power! Look for compatible accessories under the code DI884,VDTS-4604-CH-VDTS-145.
Tripods and Supports
The Sony A6100 body stays below 400 grams, which tells us its support requirements aren't very high. A good starting point in the search for a tripod for Sony A6100 is the Gloxy GX-T6662A, with a maximum height of 1.6 meters, 10 kilograms of load, non-slip legs, and a very attractive price. Need something more compact? The Clampod Takeway T2 comes to the rescue. 40 kilograms, more stable tripod mode, impressive grip, and at just 200 grams, it'll go anywhere with you.
Backpacks and Bags
The plastic body and lack of weather sealing don't necessarily make the Sony A6100 weaker, but we can't neglect aspects like storage and transport. Our first recommendation is the Delta 400a Fancier bag, with a comfortable and robust design, padded interior, adjustable dividers to customize its space, and available in three different colors. Look for the product code Fancier400a,0714199153. Our second option today is the Vanguard Discover 22 bag. A bit more neutral in appearance, but you can carry the camera, two lenses, a flash, and even a tablet if you wish. It's also water-resistant. For 15 euros more, I think it's worth the upgrade.
Flashes
One casual and one professional, all courtesy of Godox, which has maintained a spectacular price-performance ratio in its products. For under 120 euros, you can get a Godox TT685, with high sync speed, extensive controls, and modest power consumption (four AA batteries). A bit higher, we discover the fabulous Godox V1, which we studied closely a couple of months ago, and which we recommend over alternatives like the Profoto A1.
Special Kits
To finish, an option for maintaining your Sony A6100, and another that might help you extract extra value. Protecting this mirrorless from dust and liquids is a fundamental step for its longevity, and with 15 euros you'll access a very complete Gloxy 6-in-1 cleaning kit, which includes even a blower to remove the most annoying particles. The second kit is a portable photography studio measuring 40 x 40 x 40 centimeters, equipped with interchangeable backgrounds, a small tripod for the camera, and two lights that will serve you well in product photography.
A great camera, no doubt. But what is the real problem with the Sony A6100? In one word: Europe. With an estimated pre-order price of 940 euros, that number puts it on par with the Sony A6400, a definitely superior option. Therefore, my recommendation at the time of writing these lines is to wait. The A6100's main goal is to replace the A6000, but it will have to adjust its price accordingly. Good luck!
