Need advise: buy a6K now or wait for LX100?!

C

crashwins

Active member
Loving Photokina, but it's put me flatly in camera indecision land..I was excited about the a5100, but then I saw it had no hotshoe - so, nope on that one. I really want the a6k, but I also need XAVC-S. Now I see the LX100 around the corner with its internal 4K and m43 sensor, which looks nice. Right now I'm camera-less having sold my stuff last month to finance something new. Ack!

So, do I buy an a6k now with the hopes that Sony upgrades the FW or hold out a month for the LX100? The bodies are pretty cheap used. I'd be using this primarily for video...nothing super fancy: shorts, simple corporate vids -- I'm not an amateur, but certainly no expert. I'd use either camera for stills, which is why I'm not a big fan of the FZ1000 or RXMK3 bodies because their sensors are a little small for my taste...My plan would be to grab an A7 body when they get cheaper on the used market.

Thanks for the help!
 
There's no guarantee the A6000 will get XAVX-S. Sony might save that for the 6100 or whatever next years probable replacement is called.
 
Why do you need xvac? What's your budget? Most importantly can you get by only shooting 24-70mm?

To me the LX100 looks like a great backup, carry with you everywhere cam, but it will have limitations if you want to go wider, longer, want shallow DOF or if you want more than 12mp on the stills side since it does not use the full sensor. I was getting ready too order the RX100m3 as my take everywhere cam when I don't want to mess with lens changes, but the LX has made me pause until I see reviews and samples. I wish it had a built in ND like the RX, I'm out in the sun a lot so I always have ND's. YMMV.

The A6000 is already a pretty awesome all around camera and you're not limited focal length wise. I think it'll get the xvac update like the RX10 did, but the video is already really good. The kit 16-50 will have roughly the same DOF as the LX and there are plenty of options to go faster, wider or get more reach and you have options for upgrading or adding other bodies down the road. The new hotshoe mic module Sony just announced will make audio a breeze.

I think deciding if a system camera or all in one is what you want.
 
Thanks for the help!

I don't "need" xvac, per se, but I have the Sony Action Cam and I'll say that the xvac footage is very noticeable better and that's great for editing. I considered the A7s, but that's out of my range and honestly more camera than I need or can justify.

You make some compelling points about the LX100. The reality is I don't need a "take everywhere" camera and the a6k or 5100 are plenty small for me..But agreed: the a6k footage is already really fantastic -- I'm just hoping for the FW update like the RX10 got. To me, it makes sense since the a6k is a pretty new camera (just Feb, right?). Also, the a6k is $100 or so more than the a5100 so it's basically $100 and you get a hotshoe and some dials. I guess I'm just at that intersection of "wait or go" with one of these bodies...I know one can wait forever, but my tendency is to buy used and work from there.

What's the new mic module?
 
Tricky one - really annoying that they updated the bottom-of-the-line camera with XAVCS before the A6000. I'd say there's no guarantee at all that a FW update is coming for the A6000. The RX10 update was very unusual for Sony.

I had a play with the A5100 in a camera store. The user interface is horrible. The biggest problem is that it doesn't have the quick menu (I think Sony call it the function menu or the FN menu on their other models), the one where you can see at a glance and change all of the key settings in an onscreen overlay. A good quick menu/ function menu is one of the most important aspects of a UI I think, as it's what you'll use the most. The idea that this is somehow a "pro" feature and needs to be taken out of the A5xxx series is ridiculous, as it's one of the most helpful features a camera can have, and would mitigate to an extent the lack of physical controls on the A5100. No mode dial either. Only 5 customizable buttons, and you probably want to keep one of them reserved for selecting the mode. They don't seem to make use of the touch screen at all for selecting options in the menus etc.

But as you say, video is intriguing, it's the only aps-c cam with xavcs. It's telling that the only A5100 video on vimeo is Johnnie Behiri's, I think the A5100 has flopped, sales-wise. To my eye his video looked a little oversharpened and saturated. He had sharpness and saturation on 0, I think -3 might be the way to go with this cam.

It would be so much simpler if there was an A6xxx with xavcs.
 
Samuel H said:
you get an evf, the hotshoe and dials are just icing on the cake
Click to expand...

This.

The EVF is easily worth the extra $100 and the shoe means you can use multi interface accessories like the new mic module, or any one cheaper options. The control dials and quick menu function improve the usability of the camera dramatically. I like the grip better too, but thats a personal thing.

Here's the new mic module I mentioned. Sony also has a cheaper XY module and a direct mount shotgun.

http://www.adorama.com/ISOXLRK2M.html

http://www.adorama.com/SOECMXYST1M.html
 
Ugh...Thanks a lot for all the thoughts here. I'm just so GD frustrated with the state of the market here. I'd grab the a6k in a minute, but I'd really like the better codec. And I agree with the above: the a5100 is probably a slouch in sales, as evidenced by the lack reviews on Amazon or elsewhere. And yes - where are the video samples outside of that one on Vimeo? I guess I'm stuck waiting a bit for the codec - if it comes. I figure, if it were to come, it would be within the next month.
 
I used a 5100 yesterday as a B cam to an A7S. The only thing I really missed was the hot shoe. I got them matching almost perfectly. It is a nice little camera even with the missing EVF, Audio in and hot shoe. The codec makes up for it.
 
I was also thinking of the A5100, A6000 and A7s. If the A6000 had had XAVC-S, I would probably have gone for that one. Instead I choose the A7s.
I have a NEX-3N and the A5100 reminded me a bit too much about that one. Too little control.
 
The reality is I don't do a lot of audio so the hot shoe isn't a big deal. Also, for stills, I'm not a big external light guy either. But - what concerns me more is the lack on control. Can anyone speak to this more? Seems like the touchscreen is a bust. Is it easy to adjust shutter speed, f-stop, etc?

Thanks!
 
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The LX100 looks like a real winner to me. I use the GH4 every day and had an LX7 for about 6 months (loved that little cam, especially the slightly wider field of view and better aliasing than GH3/4 at 1080p), and this new cam looks like a perfect mix of those two.

Also, remember, the lens is 24-75 ish, but if it's like the FZ1000 the intelligent zoom will help with longer shots. Works quite well on the FZ.

I'm moments away from preordering the LX100.

EDIT: I MEAN GX7 not LX7
 
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crashwins said:
The reality is I don't do a lot of audio so the hot shoe isn't a big deal. Also, for stills, I'm not a big external light guy either. But - what concerns me more is the lack on control. Can anyone speak to this more? Seems like the touchscreen is a bust. Is it easy to adjust shutter speed, f-stop, etc?
Click to expand...
well, I have only used the NEX-3N, and on that one it's a pain changing things, because of the lack of dedicated buttons. The A5100 seems quite similar in that regard. The A7s seems good for a small camera and the A6000 seems to be a workable middle ground.

The only thing the A5100 has over the A6000 is the XAVC-S. But if you get it mainly for video, it's quite a major thing. If only the A6000 had XAVC-S as well...
 
crashwins said:
The reality is I don't do a lot of audio so the hot shoe isn't a big deal. Also, for stills, I'm not a big external light guy either. But - what concerns me more is the lack on control. Can anyone speak to this more? Seems like the touchscreen is a bust. Is it easy to adjust shutter speed, f-stop, etc?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

You only have one dial, so in M mode, you press the down key to toggle that dial back and forth between shutter and iris.

If you use a lens with an aperture ring you can mitigate this somewhat. Put the camera into S mode (in order to force the back dial to switch to shutter) and you have the equivalent of a 2 dial system (ie even though camera is set to S, it's in effect M, as you still control the aperture with the ring on the lens. You just put it to S to stop the back dial uselessly trying to change the aperture. Also on earlier models you couldn't get Auto ISO in M mode, only in S or A mode. They've fixed this now though, Auto ISO is available in M mode). Plus you can remap the down key to act as a focus-check punch-in. If you're using manual lenses though you don't get autofocus, EXIF, or optical stabilisation. (I should also say that the A6000 is not a "proper" 2 dial system, in that when in S or A mode, the 2 dials do the same thing. FAIL!! on most other cameras, the secondary dial switches to exposure compensation in S or A mode. Evidently Sony consider the concept of exposure compensation to be a pro feature beyond the capabilities of people with $700 to spend on a camera)

So on the A5100, with the central button used for mode selection, down used for focus enlargement (manual lenses) or f-stop/ shutter toggle (in M mode), that leaves you with 3 custom buttons. I would set them to ISO, white balance, and picture style selection. The other setting I like to be able to easily change is focus mode, but we've run out of buttons. This is why we need the function menu. The A6000 has 7 customisable buttons (I think?), plus you don't lose one to mode selection, as it has a mode dial. And the function menu.

I think you'd have to really want XAVCS to choose the A5100 over the A6000.

I've written to Sony to ask them whether an XAVCS fw update is coming to the A6000. Perhaps others should do the same. You never know, perhaps if there appears to be demand for it....
 
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Just got this reply from Sony Japan:

Your inquiry questioning the availability of firmware update that can provide the function of XAVCS for α6000 (ILCE-6000) was greatly appreciated at our customer support department. Let us kindly answer for this issue as
below.


We are sorry, however, there is no any plan for releasing firmware update program regardless of the content of firmware that can be applied for α6000 (ILCE-6000) at present.


With our sincere apology for not being able to provide reasonable answers that can meet your request, adding
the codec of XAVCS on α6000 (ILCE-6000) through firmware update, your kind acceptance to our latest product
plan would be highly appreciated for us.
Click to expand...

I think they're basically saying: cameras are sold as is, suck it up.
 
Sony has never been forthcoming about firmware updates, they just pop up. Eventually the a6000 will get one to address some of the issues and update lens compatibility, whether xvac is included isn't known to anyone on the outside. I haven't seen anything, not one video, that makes me want the 5100 over the 6000. I bought after the 5100 was released with no regrets, but I shoot in the sun a lot so I have no interest in a camera without an EVF or using one of those goofy add on pieces. YMMV
 
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