Sony Alpha A6100 Mirrorless Camera with 16-50mm Zoom Lens, Black (ILCE6100L/B)

A great camera, but Sony still struggles with their software. I’ve had this camera all of 3 days and so far, there is a LOT to like about it. I got the a6100 with the 16-50 kit lens, and also picked up the Sigma 30/f1.4 lens.I have a lot to learn, but so far, I am impressed with the number of features and customization options available. I decided on this model for a few reasons:- Fit it my budget (barely)- Excellent autofocus system- External mic port- Battery can charge inside the camera, so I can use external battery packs as needed- Very manageable size- Since the Alpha line is so popular, there’s tons of online tutorials and guides for using this camera- Bluetooth and WiFi connectivitySo, why only 4 stars? In short, the Imaging Edge Mobile app for the iPhone is incredibly frustrating. Sony makes great hardware, but they fall flat on their face when it comes to creating usable software and apps. Imaging Edge Mobile is a text book example of Sony’s inability to consider user experience when designing an app. Clearly, this was made by hardware engineers and not UI/UX designers. Which would be acceptable, if the app actually worked as intended. The setup for WiFi to transfer photos is really confusing and poorly documented, but at least that works. The Bluetooth connection for geo-tagging photos (using my iPhone XR as the source of location information) is a complete failure. I can pair the a6100 camera to my phone once, and it works for a while, but the next time I use my camera, the app loses the Bluetooth connection and can’t reconnect. No amount of playing with settings in the app or camera seem to help. My only option is to uninstall the app, re-install the app and set it up again from the beginning. And now I need to find a new way to geo-tag my photos because the Sony Imaging Edge Mobile app has failed at its job.As a result, the very first review of the a6100 on Amazon is a bit of a negative review. In my opinion, this is a 5-star camera with a 1-star mobile app. If geo-tagging and mobile apps are not a priority for you, you’re in for a treat with this camera. But, if you want to geo-tag your photos, you’ll need to find another option.

A6100 Horrible EVF. The electronic view finder is complete garbage. I you intend to use it to save battery life or compose shots look elsewhere, and only buy this if you intend to chimp over the larger screen all the time. The Cannon M6 Mark ii, Sony A6400, or Fujifilm XT-30 all have better viewfinders for a very small price difference. The auto-focus is amazing and if you are just a casual user who will stick with the kit lens this is a good deal. But the auto-focus on most modern cameras are very good as well and I’ve rarely had to complain about them. Sony has committed themselves much more to their full frame offerings than the APS-C format. Its true that Sigma and others have tried to step in to fill the gaps in Sony’s line up, but you have to ask yourself if this company doesn’t have a complete line up of lenses for APS-C how do they treat the APS-C cameras for firmware updates, software updates, and camera bodies? Their priority is clearly with full frame. Remember you’re buying into a system of lenses as the camera body is meant to be updated as technology advances. If you have ten Sony lenses you’ll have a strong incentive to stay with their products so do yourself a favor and make certain the company you choose has a track record of continuous improvement and development. I got this as a gift from a well meaning relative, and to be honest I prefer Sony’s color science in JPEG. That said I wont be keeping it because I can’t live with the EVF. I recommend you look for what you need and want in a camera and then do your homework as to which system will meet that need best. I’m primarily a stills shooter and image quality is my priority. Because of this I’ll be going over to Fuji because I believe the XT-30 will better meet the needs I have with a huge line of affordable quality lenses and the XF18-55 kit lens is the absolute best on the market. If you are primarily a video shooter and can live with the limitations of the A6100’s viewfinder this may be a good deal for you. But if you plan to stay with Sony for a small price you can update to the A6400 get a metal body, a much better EVF, and a few other perks. With all that said this is a good camera. It takes great shots out of the camera with little to no input from the user. The menus are a little convoluted but adapting isn’t that difficult once you get the hang of it. Low light shooting is ok with minimal artifacts and noise. The A6100 at the time of this review is about ~$750 which means it technically isn’t trying to compete with the other cameras I mentioned above. Some of its direct competitors are the Fuji X-A7 and Cannon m200 neither of which offer a viewfinder, so in fairness I can’t dock it star for having a crap viewfinder and while I would like to knock one off for the lens situation it wouldn’t do this camera justice. For a price sensitive buyer this is a great deal and easily 5 stars. With a little more cash and a desire to stick with the Sony system the A6400 or A6600 make a better value proposition.

Great Entry Level Camera with Room to Grow. I’m by no means a professional photographer, I’ve always been interested in it, and have always wanted a digital camera to get to that next level after smart phone photography. The A6100 is a great entry into that space. You can start off by using it like a point and shoot, and as you learn more about the manual controls, you can use the camera in a way that gives you practice for something even better.I’ve only been using the kit lens so far, and will note that it is somewhat fragile. One small 1 ft drop, caused the auto-zoom to make a grinding sound. While still fully functional, it does make me a bit nervous using it.The digital viewfinder works well in bright conditions, the larger screen is a bit hard to see in daylight. Also, the menu system is a little painful to navigate, but luckily it lets you favorite certain settings to be accessible easier.While the photo quality is good with the kit lens, the video quality is absolutely superior to what I can shoot with an iPhone 11 Pro. I’m looking forward to trying out different lenses, and can absolutely recommend this camera to someone who is interested in taking the next step to further their photography hobby. Not sure how it stacks up against other cameras!Oh also, the AI-assisted autofocus works great for people and pets alike.

A6100 vs D3500. After a couple of years ownership, my A6100 shows little use. I find the my older Nikon D3500 takes better pictures and easier to use. The only up side to the A6100 is that it is definitely smaller than the D3500 and it is convenient to take.

Great Learning Tool. Lightweight and beautiful quality pictures! Great way for ab intermediate photographer to learn manual and dealing with different lighting.