Sony has lengthy been pushing the boundaries of what you’ll be able to anticipate from compact mirrorless cameras. Whether or not they have interchangeable lenses or not, the sheer technical capabilities on provide are staggering, significantly in the case of real-time focus and topic recognition.
There has at all times been one thing of a caveat in the case of the smaller fashions just like the APS-C sensor-equipped A6000-series fashions. Whether or not that is lack of some ports, lack of the upper frame-rate 4K video recording ranges or lack of a correct flip-out touchscreen.
For the A6700, these compromises aren’t any extra. With its newest (admittedly fairly costly) A6700, the digicam delivers in all of the methods you may need and does so with a digicam physique that is extremely compact and light-weight.
Really useful
Sony delivers the whole lot you’d anticipate within the A6700: a small, snug digicam with nice images and video abilities boosted by spectacular autofocus and real-time monitoring skills.
Design
122 x 69 x 75.1mm, 493g (with battery and SD card) Rotating flip-out touchscreen USB-C port, micro HDMI out, SD and three.5mm mic enter Digital Multi Interface Shoe
When the A6600 launched again in 2019, I completely cherished the digicam for its compact, nimble design. Paired with the best lens it delivered unbelievable picture and video outcomes, all in a tool that was very easy to hold round and – crucially – a lot lighter than full body cameras.
Its greatest subject – to my thoughts – was the shortage of a correct flip-out display. The monitor on the again articulated, however solely a lot. It rotated and flipped upwards to face the entrance, however that meant it was blocked off considerably by the highest of the digicam and could be utterly obscured when you mounted something to the shoe.
That drawback is not any extra with A6700. Sony removed the restricted motion and changed it with a completely articulating show that may swing out and be rotated, so you’ll be able to have it at nearly any angle. Whether or not you need it going through forwards, otherwise you’re behind the digicam and getting tough low or excessive photographs. It is much more versatile.
Taking onboard some classes from current ZV-series vlogger cameras, the A6700 additionally has a touchscreen that can be utilized for just about something. You possibly can faucet to focus or faucet to trace an object/topic, and you may alter vital settings like altering the topic recognition mode to match what you are trying to shoot.
In any other case, plenty of its design ideas stay. The buttons and dials alongside the highest are designed to be fairly flat to the floor and do not protrude. Due to the compact dimension, they’re simple to succeed in with a thumb from the again, so it is quite simple to modify taking pictures modes or alter publicity. There’s one other easy-to-reach dial on the entrance of the digicam’s grip too.
Regardless of being small, Sony has given us a decent-sized grip to carry on to. Once more, that is a kind of understated joys of utilizing the flagship A6000-series. With a small, mild digicam and a good-sized, grippy deal with, it is snug to carry for lengthy intervals and by no means feels cumbersome. You possibly can connect a shoulder strap if you’d like, however I did not personally ever really feel the necessity to.
It is an incredible little digicam that is simple to shoot handheld with and – after all – does not take up a large quantity of house in your bag, or weigh it down.
Its choice of ports makes it a sensible alternative for every type of customers, however most of them are pretty commonplace now within the digicam world. These embrace two 3.5mm ports – one for mic enter, one for headphone out – plus the micro HDMI for video out and a USB-C port for quick charging and information switch. These are all constructed into the left aspect of the digicam, together with the only SD card slot – there isn’t any twin card motion right here, sadly.
Video and Stills
4K recording as much as 120fps – 10-bit 4:2:0 (cropped) 4K recording as much as 60fps – 10-bit 4:2:2 (full sensor) 26MP CMOS APS-C sensor – Bionz XR processor
One other precedence enchancment over the A6600 is the video recording capabilities. Particularly, that final mannequin – launched practically 4 years sooner than this – may shoot at 4K decision, however solely to a most of 30 frames per second. Even at the moment, it wasn’t a formidable most body price. Sony went to city this time although, providing as much as 4K at 120 frames per second, and at 10-bit 4:2:0 and at 200Mbps.
Panorama – sea – mountains
What which means is you’ll be able to shoot excessive decision 4K content material, shoot at that tremendous excessive body price after which decelerate the footage to 1/2 and even 1/4 pace and nonetheless keep smoothness within the playback at 30 frames per second. It is an incredible software to have. It’s price noting, nonetheless, that ought to you interact the 120p taking pictures, you may be confronted with a 1.58x crop, so you are not utilizing the total sensor width.
If you’d like even increased bitrate footage – and need the total sensor width – you’ll be able to have that too, simply not all the best way as much as 120fps. Utilizing Sony’s XAVC S-I formatting you’ll be able to shoot 4K at 4:2:2 10-bit as much as 60 frames per second and with a 600Mbps recording bitrate.
Evidently, these information are large, so that you’d want a quick SDXC card with loads of cupboard space to take benefit except you are joyful to expire of room after little or no recording time.
Vegetation – vast and closeup
Loads of this functionality is all the way down to the 26-megapixel APS-C sensor, however equally all the way down to the Bionz XR picture processing engine and the thermal design of the digicam.
This sensor, as we have seen on different Sony cameras lately – just like the Alpha 7R V – means it is able to quick, correct processing. It combines each phase-detection and contrast-detection autofocusing, giving it an edge over plenty of opponents. In truth, 93 per cent of the sensor is roofed in phase-detection factors – 759 of them in whole – making certain it does not even actually matter the place the topic you are specializing in is within the body.
Together with a number of the AI-enhanced capabilities – which I will go into in a second – it means you will get nice photographs with out an enormous quantity of effort. Nice video too. Whether or not you need to shoot in full-auto mode since you’re not assured sufficient to shoot handbook, or you already know what you are doing with ISO, shutter pace, aperture and the remainder of it, the digicam delivers, persistently.
Closeups and vast photographs if bugs – Insect detection enabled
With a great lens you may not solely get sharp picture with nice color, but in addition pretty depth and pure bokeh. The 26-megapixel sensor means particulars are pretty and crisp, and even when mild ranges drop somewhat, I did not see any extreme noise even within the shadows and problematic areas. Rolling shutter impact – the place the video judders a bit when panning the digicam – does not appear as a lot of a problem as on earlier APS-C cameras both.
AI smarts change the sport
Actual-time monitoring – Insect, animal, human, aircraft, practice recognition Hybrid phase-detection and contrast-detection AF Auto-framing video characteristic for vlogging
Whereas picture and video high quality is mostly excellent, and the taking pictures choices and modes are tremendous helpful, it is the AI-enhanced Bionz XR picture processor that actually elevates the expertise. It is one thing Sony’s carried out in various cameras, beginning with the A7R V launched in 2022 and since launched throughout various newer fashions.
The place plenty of different cameras – and older Sony fashions – had been nice for recognising animals’ faces and eyes, the A7600 can accomplish that way more than that. Setting it to ‘human’ means it not solely seems for the face and eyes, but in addition the place the top is in relation to the remainder of the physique. It is aware of the place your limbs are, can observe the second and – when you head goes out of view – makes use of that recognition to foretell (precisely) the place your head is, to maintain the related elements in focus.
What it means is I did not ever really feel like I ever needed to fear or assume an excessive amount of concerning the focus. I may shoot in autofocus just about on a regular basis, simply faucet on the particular person I used to be taking pictures and it’d preserve locked even when that particular person moved. Even once they moved off the sting of the body.
In addition to that, the digicam can now recognise bugs. I examined it a number of occasions taking pictures in autofocus in each stills and video, and located it was actually good at retaining locked on bugs, even comparatively small ones. I adopted a bumble bee munching on some marjoram flowers, taking pictures video of its hunt for nectar, and it persistently stored the main target tight. It was related whereas taking pictures stills of a hoverfly, and different bugs out within the wild resting on flowers.
It could additionally recognise planes and vehicles so – for these of you who like taking pictures fast-moving autos – it ought to sustain with these properly.
As well as, the A7600 takes some inspiration from current ZV cameras by including the auto-framing video characteristic. With this enabled you’ll be able to transfer anyplace within the body and the video will crop in and observe you round. In concept, it is somewhat just like the Middle Stage characteristic on iPad and Mac. It detects the place your face is within the body, then – when you’re somewhat distant – zooms in to get nearer, or – when you get nearer – it widens the shot. All of this accomplished routinely within the digicam.
It is surprisingly efficient in use. Whereas I personally are likely to shoot my elements to digicam sat in the identical stationary place, for individuals who transfer round lots, it might be very helpful.
Battery life is robust sufficient that you need to use it with plenty of freedom too. You get round 90 minutes of recording on a full battery – in keeping with Sony’s spec sheet. The truth is it could be robust to succeed in that determine when you’re taking pictures in 4K at excessive bitrates, however it is best to nonetheless comfortably get an hour’s use from it with out a lot hassle. Plus, even when it’s empty, the Energy Supply help via the USB-C port on the aspect means it tops up shortly once more while you plug it in.
Verdict
Ultimately, Sony delivers the whole lot you’d anticipate within the A6700: a small, snug digicam with nice images and video abilities boosted by spectacular autofocus and AI smarts.
With options like insect recognition, human physique and motion monitoring and the auto-framing in video, it is a digicam that is not simply able to the high-level bitrate and backbone seize, however one which’s extremely intelligent too. This makes it simple to only depart it in autofocus on a regular basis, realizing you may get nice picture high quality with focus in the best locations.
After all its handbook mode is prepared and obtainable any time you need to dive into the nitty gritty, however the A6700’s flexibility right here makes it extremely interesting to a spread of individuals.
Its exterior look could give the sense of being small and cute, however what Sony has really produced is a little bit of a monster – in the very best manner. It isn’t precisely low cost, however it’s unbelievable.
