Is there a reason why im not happy with a Sony a 6000?

[Jae Tee]

Growing up i always had an interest in photography but never took it seriously. In part because i never had any gear, but also because it didn't serve me a purpose. But about 8 months ago I got my Galaxy S9, and was shooting the best shots from anyone i knew.

 

  Anyway after quite some phone practice I decided it was time to step up my game. Fortunately, I work for an online electronic retail and wholesale company, so when my boss picked up a couple of "Pro" cameras (the a6000) I was happy to take it off his hands for about $325 new.

 

  But as i got hands on with it, my pics were not only not improving but seemed to be getting worse. A few observations i made myself were:

#1 I'm a very visual based shooter. Going from a top of the line Qhd oled display, to a clunky mess of whatever they use was nothing short of unbearable. 

#2 The cameras UI is so clunky compared to my phone that i just cant seem to get anything done. There is no talk of a software update and the phone connectivity is nothing short of useless. 

 

  Am I wrong in thinking that cameras may be losing to smartphones? Can someone recommend a better camera at a slightly higher price range? Also has anyone ever seen an ND filter for A Galaxy S9?

[harryk]

Seems to me like the a6000 is not the right camera for you or you need to learn more or both. A good photographer IMO should know their gear inside and out and be able to adjust things on the fly without hassle. For me that means a DSLR with lots of buttons and knobs some of which I can preprogram to do specific things that I use most. Other people prefer a large touchscreen with a digital UI. I suggest going to a camera store and trying out as many different cameras as you can. Find the one that suits you and your shooting needs and style.

 

Furthermore, it takes time to learn a new camera. I'm primarily a Nikon shooter but I remember the first time I used a Canon. It felt so clunky and awkward and I struggled to do what I intended. If I had a Nikon available at the time I would've immediately dropped the Canon and switched. But after some time I figured out the Canon and was shooting just as effectively as I do with Nikon.

[emosun]

That a6000 is about 5 years old now and was more of an entry level camera at the time and with only the stock lens it's going to have a pretty basic range.

42 minutes ago, Jae Tee said:

The cameras UI is so clunky compared to my phone

well a phone is made to be more user friendly so that EVERYONE can understand and use it. Where it lacks in features... it makes up for in simplicity.

The cameras UI may very well be worse , but the camera overall will still have more settings and options and take better pictures than a phone. However if you are just setting the camera on automatic settings and not really diving deep into what the camera can do then the images could very well be worse.

 

45 minutes ago, Jae Tee said:

Am I wrong in thinking that cameras may be losing to smartphones?

for a basic user? yes. For a photographer? absolutely not.

 

theres simply no replacement in the phone market for a proper large lens that a camera uses. good glass is more or less what makes a camera.

[Jae Tee]

1 hour ago, harryk said:

Seems to me like the a6000 is not the right camera for you or you need to learn more or both. A good photographer IMO should know their gear inside and out and be able to adjust things on the fly without hassle. For me that means a DSLR with lots of buttons and knobs some of which I can preprogram to do specific things that I use most. Other people prefer a large touchscreen with a digital UI. I suggest going to a camera store and trying out as many different cameras as you can. Find the one that suits you and your shooting needs and style.

 

Furthermore, it takes time to learn a new camera. I'm primarily a Nikon shooter but I remember the first time I used a Canon. It felt so clunky and awkward and I struggled to do what I intended. If I had a Nikon available at the time I would've immediately dropped the Canon and switched. But after some time I figured out the Canon and was shooting just as effectively as I do with Nikon.

I agree, I simply needed to jump on it bec. of the price. When i have the time I"ll venture to the out side world to GET a camera, and not just with one.

1 hour ago, emosun said:

That a6000 is about 5 years old now and was more of an entry level camera at the time and with only the stock lens it's going to have a pretty basic range.

well a phone is made to be more user friendly so that EVERYONE can understand and use it. Where it lacks in features... it makes up for in simplicity.

The cameras UI may very well be worse , but the camera overall will still have more settings and options and take better pictures than a phone. However if you are just setting the camera on automatic settings and not really diving deep into what the camera can do then the images could very well be worse.

 

for a basic user? yes. For a photographer? absolutely not.

 

theres simply no replacement in the phone market for a proper large lens that a camera uses. good glass is more or less what makes a camera.

I really wish there was a way to properly combine the UI with pro level gear. Of course there is no way for phones to compete at a pro level, the problem is that they are so COMPARATIVELY OP that it makes it difficult to adjust to something more complex. I guess i have some proper shopping to do.

[historicalpoultry]

1 hour ago, Jae Tee said:

I agree, I simply needed to jump on it bec. of the price. When i have the time I"ll venture to the out side world to GET a camera, and not just with one.

I really wish there was a way to properly combine the UI with pro level gear. Of course there is no way for phones to compete at a pro level, the problem is that they are so COMPARATIVELY OP that it makes it difficult to adjust to something more complex. I guess i have some proper shopping to do.

I am not sure if you'll be any happier with "better" gear. I'm just wondering if you're actually having trouble with the different process of using a camera instead of a smartphone.

I've had a couple of a6000s in my hands over time and there is a reason why it was only recently discontiued. Yes, it's menus are pretty cluttered but one can defnitely get used to it to a point where one isn't held back by it. No, it is absolutely not a pro level camera. However, exposure works exactly the same wether you have an a6000 or a Canon 1dx in your hand. I have friends who still use the a6000 and produce great results. Yes, the sensor isn't up to par anymore with what is out today but they know how their gear work and therefore know how to overcome potential challenges. 

 

Personally, I'd gladly use an a6000 over any of the current smartphones in any case for photography, simply because I have proper control over my exposure. Smartphones simply don't allow you to fully do that. Yes, there are apps that let you adjust ISO and shutter speed but it's normally not possible to adjust aperture properly on a smartphone lens (is the S9 the one which does have a stop-down feature in the lens?). 

 

Anyways, to come back to my first sentence, I'd suggest you learn to use the a6000 before you spend any money on a better system. Should you find that you just simply prefer the ease of use of a smartphone and cumbersome UIs hold you back in your photography, maybe you should stick to smartphones. Because as people above have stated also, every system has it's quirks and every system feels somewhat ancient compared to the UI of smartphone (with maybe Leica being the closest to a "modern" UI). 

 

Hope this helps

[Williamchan87]

The UI on sony has always been bad. maybe try another system

[ThePointblank]

8 hours ago, Jae Tee said:

I really wish there was a way to properly combine the UI with pro level gear. Of course there is no way for phones to compete at a pro level, the problem is that they are so COMPARATIVELY OP that it makes it difficult to adjust to something more complex. I guess i have some proper shopping to do.

There are two issues here.

 

1. Sony's camera UI is notoriously bad. I best describe it as being uncoordinated and illogical at the best of times, with Sony being more focused on technology and quantity, not on serving most relevant functions within each context. This results in a cluttered, poorly organized and unresponsive interface that you usually end up struggling with instead of it making things convenient. Even between the same family of cameras within Sony's system, the menu location of things can change on a whim, for no apparent reason.

 

Camera brands with extremely good UI systems are Canon, Fuji and Nikon, with most people acknowledging Canon in having the best laid out menus out of all the big camera manufacturers. But of course, it depends on the person, and how comfortable you are with a particular system, so you do need to spend time testing all of the various camera brands to find one that suits you.

 

But you of course need to learn the UI system of a particular vendor to maximize your camera's potential, and you should spend some time reading the manual, or watching videos from respected professionals on your camera system who can teach you.

 

2. As alluded to earlier, education is important; get the fundamental basics of photography right, and there are plenty of resources out there, from videos to books to learn from, and these skills are transferable to every camera out there.

[Tonberry]

On 12/28/2019 at 12:19 PM, ThePointblank said:

2. As alluded to earlier, education is important; get the fundamental basics of photography right, and there are plenty of resources out there, from videos to books to learn from, and these skills are transferable to every camera out there.

I agree with this.

 

 

I think this may help us to get to know our camera better and how to proper photography, I learn so many things from this site. I read a lot from this site and practice basic photography with my phone before I get my real camera.

 

https://expertphotography.com/a-beginners-guide-to-photography/

 

Recently I got a Sony A6000 with 35mm f1.8 lens plus bag, SD card, air duster, filter, and gorilla pod in the bundle for equivalent to $670 in my local pricing wich is a good deal.

 

I followed the suggestion from that site that we'd better buy a camera body and get a prime lens as it's more cost effective rather than buy camera with its lens kit then upgrade later. Since A6000 is a crop sensor, so I choose the 35mm over 50mm f1.8

[nazodayi]

Once you get used to it ui wont be a problem. All the necessary options are easily accesible also you have a few programmable buttons, thats enough in my book. 
 

 

UI wise, i will disagree with the replies, i hate fuji’s ui, its very far away from being intiutive. Everyone will have different opinions on these subjects.

 

I think you need proper education. a6000 will be more than enough to guide you on your education path.

 

good luck