Sony A6000 vs Canon T6I

Introduction

Mirrorless and DSLR cameras have been a popular option for photography enthusiasts for years, however, both are well-known for their superb image quality and performance, however, they do come at more expensive prices.

Maybe you’ve been using such cameras before, but if you’re just starting out, then maybe this article will be helpful to you. Take in mind that before purchasing a camera, you should know exactly what kind of features are you after for, because the price doesn’t necessarily mean that one camera is better than the other.

If you’re confused already, don’t worry because I’m going to explain everything in details, and as for the “price doesn’t matter” that I just mentioned, personally, I find the Sony Alpha A6000 to be better than the Canon T6i even though it comes at a more affordable price, but you’re about to find out this yourself later in this review.

Starting from ISO range to the autofocus system, the Sony Alpha A6000 outperforms the Canon T6i in most aspects, but let’s not spoil everything at the beginning.

Just to point out some interesting facts about both products, let’s start with the first.

The Sony A6000 is a very portable camera just as we mentioned, because it boasts a compact construction, while it is most known for its Fast Hybrid AF that combines the strengths and functionalities of both phase- and contrast-detection autofocus. It is better than any other competitor in this price range and some of the above, with its 179 phase-detection points along with the high-speed contrast-detection function.

Okay, but what about the Canon T6i?

This particular camera offers high-quality photos and videos, while everything is easy to share with this camera, due to the built-in Wi-FI and NFC which allows for easy pairing with compatible android devices and Canon’s Connect Station CS100 device. It has a pretty impressive light-metering system which is able to deliver well-exposed images.

By now, I believe that you already know for what kind of cameras we’re talking about, so let’s get straight into the topic and see what else are these cameras capable of.

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Head To Head Comparison

Sony A6000

The Sony A6000 is a uniquely designed compact mirrorless camera that has been popular among photography enthusiasts, hobbyists, and professionals for many years now. If you already have a good camera, that’s great, but if you’re looking for a second camera for your tasks, then the Sony A6000 would be the ideal choice.

Let’s start off with the camera’s design, shall we?

This particular model boasts a metal body that feels pretty solid, while it also has an ideal weight for a camera of this size, meaning that it can be taken anywhere and everywhere due to its portability. What I also like about the design is the rubber grip which can accommodate your hands to get a firm and comfortable hold, while your thumb is still going to rest in a natural position for the possibility to change the settings even one-handed.

What got my attention was the 16:9 ratio LCD screen which was exceptionally good for video playback, however, when I tried to view 3:2 stills, it would show black bars on either side of the frame. Nonetheless, the screen can tilt 90-degrees upward and 45-degrees down, which allows for pretty satisfying and creative shooting angles.

Okay, now, let’s get more into the specifics and see how this camera can truly perform.

One of the main selling points of this camera is the autofocus system. Basically, there are 179 phase-detect AF points which are spread within the entire frame, so in other words, the A6000 can track your subject across the scene, while it has an impressive burst mode shooting in continuous rate of 11 frames per second, which translates to 22 frames in RAW format, and 49 frames in JPEG Fine format.

For those people who like to select the AF points manually, you will be happy to know that the focus point selection of this camera is pretty intuitive and accurate. Other than that, we still haven’t mentioned the 24MP Exmor HD CMOS sensor armed with the Bionz X processor that makes sure of delivering sharp, vivid and contrasty JPEGs.

But that’s not all. Sony also has a feature called Dynamic Range Optimization which basically helps to deliver a well-balanced image that ensures to make the camera be fully used with its impressive abilities to handle highlights and shadows.

As for ISO performance, this camera has an ISO range of 100 – 25000, however, from my experience, I found the best image quality to be under ISO400.

When it comes to video quality, this camera can record at Full HD 1920×1080 video in cinematic 24p, or capture fast action at incredible 60p and 60i frame-rates. Also, for professional videographers, uncompressed clean-screen video files to other external devices are possible using the HDMI connection method. In other terms, this camera won’t disappoint you in any way.

Before we end, let’s also mention the connections and how can they be manifested. Sharing is pretty easy with the Sony A6000, due to the Wi-Fi connectivity that allows you to control the camera with a smartphone device and the Playmemories Camera Apps, while on the other hand, there’s also NFC.

Simply put, the Sony A6000 is an affordable camera with a plethora of premium features and an impressive performance. It is a camera that offers the best value for money, and you simply can’t go wrong with it.

Sony A6000 Sample Images:

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Canon T6I

For all those that are just starting out, and they’re on the search for a decent DSLR camera which is also affordable, the Canon T6i is the ideal entry-level DSLR. Just to spit it out, I’m not really that impressed with this camera, but it is still a camera to go with when it comes to entry-level DSLRs.

Design-wise, the Canon T6i feels substantial while it has a decent weight of 20 ounces, along with the battery card. It boasts a wider grip while it measures 5.2 x 4.0 x 3.1 inches, and personally, I find it comfortable to hold while it can also be operated and optimized one-handed. I also like the textured body, which does not only deliver comfort but also gives a great look to the overall aesthetics.

Unlike the Sony A6000’s tilting LCD screen, the Canon T6i has a flip-out LCD which helps for shooting from different viewing positions and angles. More specifically, it is a Vari-Angle Touch Screen 3.0-inch ClearView II LCD which delivers intuitive touch panel optimization, while two-finger touch gestures are also accepted for zooming purposes, but you can also use this to change images. Toggling through the menu is easy, and focus point and shutter release can be activated with the touch of a finger grip using Touch AF. In other words, the screen is perfect for composing or reviewing images, mostly thanks to the 1.04 million dots and the touch-sensitive screen.

However, now, let’s see what specs does this camera have, and how it can perform under different circumstances.

Let’s start off with the autofocus system first. Many people like to shoot through the viewfinder, in fact, everyone does, and for this, the T6i camera has a 19-point all cross-type AF system that has an improved tracking technology especially for moving subjects, since it captures everything with accuracy. However, do you remember what were the AF points of the Sony A6000? Exactly, the A6000 has 179 AF points, and that is a huge advantage over the Canon T6i, nonetheless, the Sony A6000 is a mirrorless camera, and as for the T6i, it is an entry-DSLR, and it is more than enough when you think about it.

Nonetheless, that’s not all, since Single Point AF will allow users to choose any of the 19 focus points for precise and accurate focus, while in Zone AF, the focus is locked within the area of the composition when one of the 5 zones is selected. These specs enable this camera to be perfect for shooting sports or other unpredictable motion.

Canon has also implemented fun creative filters in the T6i. More precisely, there are a number of different creative filters that can be previewed before shooting. These effects include Art Bold, Water Painting, Fisheye effect, soft focus, Toy Camera, Grainy Black, and White plus Miniature, while you can use them in both still photographs and movie mode. For those who want to enhance the effect of the scene, this optimization will do the job.

Similar to the Sony A6000, the Canon T6i delivers gorgeous photos and HD videos with its 24.2MP CMOS(APS-C) sensor which is able to finely detail the subject, while with the help of the advanced AF, it provides speedy and precise focus. Other than that, with an ISO range of 100-12800, it means that you can shoot flash-free in a variety of lighting situations.

Before we end, let’s also not forget to mention that there is built-in Wi-Fi available, as well as NFC, for which I think I don’t need to explain anything because you already know what they are used for.

All and all, for all those looking for a good entry-level DSLR, the T6i would be the ideal choice.

Canon T6I Sample Images:

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Sony A6000 vs Canon T6I Feature Comparison

	Sony A6000	Canon T6I
Camera Type	Mirrorless	DSLR
Megapixels	24.0	24.2
ISO Range	100-25000	100-12800
Flip-Out Screen	No	Yes
AF Points	179 phase-detect AF points	19 all cross-type AF
Viewfinder	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	No	Yes
Video Recording	Yes	Yes
Sensor Size	APS-C	APS-C

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Conclusion

Despite their differences in specs, they both are great cameras to go with, while on of them is more suitable for travelers, vloggers, and landscape shooting(the Sony A6000 in this case), the other is more suitable for action, sports, and portrait photography(the Canon T6i).

They also differ when it comes to their price, but if you ask me, I would recommend the Sony A6000 over the Canon T6i, because it simply offers more value for the money, while the T6i has a significantly high-price, it still makes up for a good entry-level DSLR camera.

If you noticed, they have their differences in specs, while the T6i has touchscreen capabilities, the A6000 doesn’t, which for some people, can be a very useful feature, while on the other hand, the Sony A6000 has a better autofocus system, as well as a better ISO range, so depending on what your requirements are, you’ll be able to choose the one that serves you the most.

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