Big test
be taken. By managing the buffer, very long sequences are possible. A full buffer took under ten seconds to clear with the ProGrade card. While several cameras can shoot more quickly with their electronic shutters, the Sony’s 11fps is still pretty rapid, and you get that with AE/AF tracking. For comparison, the Fujifilm X-S20 has 20fps with its electronic shutter but 8fps with its mechanical – and it has pre-shot mode too, which the Sony lacks. The A6700 has potential as a hybrid camera; you have the option of shooting 4K at various frame rates, including 60p and 120p with a significant crop. At 4K/60p, the camera did warm up quite quickly, so that is something to watch out for, but it didn’t overheat or shut down. Video image quality is excellent, with no rolling shutter issues, and subject detection/tracking worked well. There’s also an auto-framing feature that will suit vloggers. And five-axis SteadyShot, with its modest 5EV benefit, helped avoid too much jittering in handheld footage. PN
before the camera started slowing up, 77 Raws with the electronic front curtain shutter and 60 shots with electronic shutter, all at 11fps. Using lossless compressed Raws, the number of frames in the sequence dropped considerably: 27 at 11fps with the mechanical shutter/ electronic front shutter and 31 at 8fps with the electronic shutter. With fine JPEGs, you can shoot continuously for huge runs of frames. In extra-fine JPEG mode, I hit 100 frames before the camera stuttered. In each case, the buffer quickly cleared when the camera paused to take a breath, so more shots could “IN EXTRA-FINE JPEG MODE, I HIT 100 CONTINUOUS FRAMES BEFORE
PERFORMANCE: ISO
THE CAMERA STUTTERED”
200
800
1600
Final word
Verdict Good things come to those who wait, and if a top-end APS-C format mirrorless has been top of your shopping list for a while, the Sony A6700 could be the camera for you. It has ample potential for stills and video shooters, it’s compact – so ideal for street and travel shooting – and it delivers a very fine all-round performance. Its price is attractive, too. Worth the wait? Yes, very probably. 23 /25 FEATURES The A6700 is blessed with a long feature list and is especially strong in the autofocus department. There is much to admire from both photo and video standpoints
3200
6400
12,800
25,600
51,200
102,400
21 /25 HANDLING
Generally positive, but its extensive menu is a challenge. The shallow body means getting a comfortable grip can be a little awkward, and balance is less good when used with high-spec full-frame lenses Image quality is first rate, and high-ISO performance is sound, too. AF performance is class-leading and the subject detection system is generally impressive
I put the ISO 3200, 6400 and 12,800 Raws through Lightroom’s AI denoise at levels of 50 and 100 and the results were excellent, although they looked slightly over-processed at the higher level. I would expect that the optimum level would be around 75-80. In conclusion, the A6700’s 26-megapixel BSI sensor is very capable, and it delivered a solid ISO performance, comparable to rival cameras from Canon and Fujifilm.
although digital noise was visible when viewed at 200%, it was very acceptable. Another stop further on to ISO 1600 and noise showed more obviously, although fine detail still looked nicely resolved. However, that wasn’t the case at ISO 3200 and the higher noise levels smudged detail; results lacked the crispness seen at lower settings. Quality continued to fall away and grain was coarse from ISO 6400 onwards.
The A6700 has a native ISO range of 100 up to 32,000, with expansion to ISO 50 and 102,400. Our test scene was the Natural History Museum’s Hintze Hall, shot with the A6700 fitted with the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. In-camera ISO noise reduction was turned off and the scene was shot at every ISO with Raws processed through Adobe Lightroom on default settings. Images were very clean, with really crisp detail up to ISO 800 –
23 /25 PERFORMANCE
23 /25 VALUE FOR MONEY
The A6700’s £1449 body-only price is great value for a really capable imaging performance
90 /100 OVERALL
With the portability and crop factor benefits of APS-C format, the Sony A6700 is a compelling proposition and well worth checking out
THERE’S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO MAKE GOOD USE
PROS Image quality, impressive AF skills, articulating monitor, 11fps shooting with deep buffer, wide choice of lenses from Sony and third parties, 1.5x crop factor benefits nature and action photographers CONS No AF joystick, single SD card slot, no pre-shot mode, navigating the menu and vast selection of custom functions is not fun
Where will your kit go next? Inspire others, earn some extra cash and make a difference. Sell your used kit and let someone else love it as much as you have. Make good use of your used gear. Sell yours today at mpb.com/sell
Issue 111 | Photography News 27
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