To test the NEX-6 I fitted it with a freshly formatted 16GB Sandisk Extreme Pro UHS-1 SD card. In continuous shooting mode with the quality set to fine JPEGs, the NEX-6 continued to shoot for over 100 frames and probably would have continued until the card filled, had I not stopped shooting. The first ten frames were shot at a rate of just under 3.5fps and the average for the hundred frames was just over 3fps. That is it for now and sorry I have been so busy the past week or so. Work and day to day chores this time of year are taking up more time than normal 😉 Please feel free to ask questions and share your thoughts below in the comments area 😉 The NEX-6 and NEX-5R are the first NEX models to provide combined phase detect and contrast detect AF systems. A similar system is used in the Nikon 1 mirrorless compact system cameras, but where the Nikon system switches between phase and contrast detect systems depending on the lighting conditions, the NEX-6 uses both together. 99 phase detect AF points on the sensor detect the subject’s distance and direction, then the 25-point contrast detect AF system fine tunes the focus. The NEX-6 is the latest model to grace Sony’s compact system camera range and neatly slots in between the flagship NEX-7 and the more consumer focused NEX-5R. Taking elements from both models, the NEX-6 shares the high-resolution electronic viewfinder of its more expensive sibling and combines it with the Wi-Fi functionality of the NEX-5R to produce a mid-range compact system camera that looks to have plenty to offer. This tripod-mounted video shows outdoor sound quality (with wind filter on) and some artifacting on the water. You'll also see the focus system 'hunting' momentarily, for no apparent reason.

Smart remote works in the PASM modes and with the mode dial in the SCN and Intelligent Auto positions, but you can’t use Superior Auto or, for obvious reasons, sweep panorama. Neither can you run two apps at once, so you can’t, for example, remotely monitor a time-lapse sequence. Full resolution images are saved to the camera’s card in the usual way, and a downsampled version is saved to the device, in the case of the iPhone to the camera roll. Below are our standardised ISO test shots, starting with the Sony NEX-6”s lowest standard setting of ISO 100 and rising incrementally to the top setting of ISO 25,600. Like earlier NEX models the NEX-6 takes the Sony NP-FW50 Info-Lithium battery which provides enough power on a full charge for 360 shots if using the LCD screen, dropping to 270 if you exclusively use the EVF. That’s down considerably from the 430/350 shots quoted for the NEX-7, doubtless mainly due to the power zoom. As it’s an Info Lithium battery as well as the four-segment graphic power remaining indicator you also get a percentage readout. The battery is charged in the camera, an approach which has its pros and cons. The pros are that you can charge the battery in the camera either by connecting it the supplied USB mains charger, or simply by connecting it to the USB port of your computer, so if you’re travelling with a laptop you don’t need a separate charger. The downside is you can’t use the camera and charge a spare battery a the same time. You can however buy an optional mains recharger for the battery if preferred.

As far as it goes it’s a useful and practical remote, but it would be nice to have some additional control, at least over exposure and ISO settings. It makes little sense to have a remote app that you can use in manual and semi-auto modes that provides no way to change exposure settings.

Thanks to the NEX's hybrid AF system, the camera will attempt to keep your subject in focus, even when shooting in speed priority mode. However, should your subject wander out of the Phase Detect area, you'll lose that benefit, and the NEX-6 reverts to contrast-detection.I wish you the best in your photo ventures. I look forward to my “early Christmas present”. Hope to get some tips from you about my forthcoming a6000 as I’m sure I’ll need them.

Wide: horizontal 12,416 x 1,856 (23M), vertical 5,536 x 2,160 (12M), Standard: horizontal 8,192 x 1,856 (15M), vertical 3,872 x 2,160 (8.4M) Like the NEX-7, the NEX-6 has a small built-in flash unit and shares the same guide number of 6 in Metres at 100 ISO. That gives it an effective range of under 2 metres at 100 ISO – around five and a half feet, which sounds a bit weedy, but is comparable with other CSC flash units. The PEN flash accessory is a little more powerful with a GN of 7 and the Lumix G5’s built-in flash is slightly more powerful again with a GN of 8 metres at 100 ISO. In practice, it’s fine for close subjects and fill in, but stuggles in even a moderatley sized room. In addition to manual controls, you can also throw the camera into either of the Auto modes and take advantage of the same Creative Styles or Picture Effects that are available for still shooting. Speaking of stills, you cannot take a photo while simultaneously recording a video, as you can with some of the NEX-6's competitors. Sony's wholesale switch to the use of D-rings for camera straps is unfortunate thanks to their tendency to rattle in video recordings, but someone apparently decided it was necessary. We should also note that we found the gap between the lens and grip a little tight.

Introduction

The supplied Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS power zoom lens has a tendency for vignetting, particularly at the extremes of its focal range; but that aside its performance is better than expected. The NEX-6's pop-up flash might be weak, with a rather meagre guide number of 6 at ISO 100/21°; but as long as the subject is within range it tends to produce spot-on exposures with no noticeable red-eye. The in-camera HDR exposure blending feature works very well in contrasty light. It only works for JPEGs and for still subjects, but does produce some very effective results. x 1080(50p, 28M, PS), 1920 x 1080(50i, 24M FX), 1920 x 1080(50i, 17M FH), 1920 x 1080(24p, 24M, FX), 1920 x 1080(24p, 17M, FH), 1440 x 1080 (25fps), 640 x 480 (25fps) E-mount lenses have tended to be on the large side compared with Micro Four Thirds equivalents, but Sony has redressed the balance with the launch of a new collapsing 16-50mm f3.6-5.6 powered zoom which is substantially smaller and lighter than the 18-55mm kit zoom of the earlier NEX models and similar in size and weight to Panasonic’s 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 power zoom. With the new lens attached the NEX-6 has a much more compact profile and the power zoom is better suited to video shooting. Here, we're showing two pictures taken at the wide (16mm) and telephoto (50mm) ends of the kit lens. Equivalent to a focal length range of 24-75mm, this is a useful lens for everyday photography with the NEX-6. The PlayMemories App Store can be browsed directly on the camera over Wi-Fi (shown at left) or from your desktop computer.