The Sony a6700 ($1,399.99, physique solely) maintains the comparatively compact design of the previously greatest E-mount APS-C mirrorless digital camera, the a6600, however provides a number of key refinements. On the skin, the a6700 provides a swing-out show and an in-grip management dial. And on the within, the digital camera will get an up to date 26MP BSI CMOS chip that helps 10-bit video and the AI-powered focus system from the high-end a7R V. These enhancements make it a worthwhile improve over the getting older crop-sensor our bodies on this sequence (particularly if you have already got appropriate lenses), nevertheless it would not do sufficient to displace the quicker, better-handling Canon EOS R7 as our Editors’ Selection winner on this section.
Sony Sticks With a Rangefinder-Model Physique
Maybe the largest shock concerning the a6700 is simply how related it’s to the a6600. Though most mid-tier mirrorless cameras comply with SLRs in physique type with a central viewfinder that traces up with the lens, all of Sony’s APS-C E-mount cameras, besides the one-and-done a3000, place them within the nook.
The a6700 would not buck the pattern; its viewfinder sits snugly within the high left nook. This physique type is an effective match for smaller lenses, and lots of photographers would possibly benefit from the stage of situational consciousness this viewfinder place provides. Then again, this design is much less fascinating for giant, heavy telephoto lenses, that are simpler to carry regular if you’re working from a middle viewfinder.
A nook viewfinder makes for a smaller general physique. The highest of the a6700 is flat (there isn’t any want for a viewfinder hump like with the Fujifilm X-T5), so it extra simply suits into smaller digital camera baggage than rivals. By the numbers, the Sony is available in at 2.7 by 4.8 by 2.5 inches (HWD) and 1.1 kilos, in contrast with 3.6 by 5.1 by 2.5 inches and 1.2 kilos for the X-T5.
Regardless of conserving issues mainly the identical as its predecessors, the a6700 does make a few ergonomic enhancements. As an example, it is the primary entry within the sequence to incorporate a front-facing show for self-recorded video and a command dial within the grip for simpler handbook publicity.
Like most cameras on this value class, the a6700 makes use of a full magnesium alloy chassis and might face up to some roughshod dealing with. Sony would not record an IP score, however touts mud and moisture resistance as a function, assuming you employ a sealed lens. Lots of Sony’s APS-C lenses omit climate safety, so be certain that to succeed in for a G sequence lens (or FE full-frame lens) in tough climate.
Sony has been making E-mount cameras and lenses for almost 15 years, so there isn’t any scarcity of choices (full-frame FE optics work simply fantastic). Most of Sony’s newer lenses are incredible, however a couple of duds are nonetheless on sale, so be certain that to learn our evaluations earlier than you decide up early catalog entries just like the E 16mm F2.8. Additionally be aware that some high quality older lenses, such because the Zeiss Sonnar 24mm F1.8, ship wonderful picture high quality however aren’t weather-sealed.
E-Mount additionally has the good thing about third-party producers which have stepped in to fill a couple of gaps within the lineup. In the meantime, rival Fuji has a fully-formed APS-C lens system, whereas Canon and Nikon lag behind. Nikon would not have a digital camera that matches up with the a6700, and Canon’s method up to now has been to steer R7 clients to modestly priced full-frame lenses.
Photogs with a stash of Sony lenses can decide up the a6700 physique by itself, but when you do not have an acceptable lens, you may get a package that features both the E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-F5.6 OSS ($1,499.99) or the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS ($1,799.99). I strongly advocate in opposition to beginning with the 16-50mm as a result of it is an underwhelming lens that does a disservice to this digital camera. Then again, the 18-135mm is an excellent starter lens because of its compact dimension, helpful zoom vary, and sharp optics.
Dealing with and Controls
The a6700’s design feels effectively thought-out. Its barely outsized grip improves dealing with with greater lenses and would not really feel like overkill for smaller ones. Sony places the On/Off change on the high, in a collar across the shutter launch. The entrance command dial, a brand new addition, is somewhat bit too near the indented center finger relaxation, however I am nonetheless comfortable to have it. Other than that, the grip is snug and feels safe because of its textured leatherette end.
The highest plate is pretty clear, with simply two buttons, Report and C2. C2 units the main target space by default, however its operate (like many of the different buttons) is customizable. The Mode dial turns freely with no central publish lock and covers the fundamentals (PASM, Auto, and three customized modes). A second dial under it swaps between three modes: photograph, films with sound, and silent slow-and-quick pace (S&Q) video.
If you happen to’re extra severe about video and need to preserve your shutter speeds at a correct angle relative to the body fee, you may configure the a6700 to make use of completely different publicity settings for image and video modes. I’ve ruined loads of wildlife photograph ops by mistakenly not readjusting my shutter pace after switching from a film mode (and vice versa), so it is worthwhile to make the change.
The a6700 has two rear dials, one on the highest plate on the proper nook, and a flat one on the rear to the best of the LCD. The latter helps 4 directional presses (Show, ISO, EV, and Drive/Self-Timer), and its central button works as OK/Set for many capabilities. You additionally get Menu, AF-ON, Fn, Play, and Delete/C3 buttons on the rear. It is easy to overlook, however C1 (White Steadiness by default) can also be on the best facet as a part of the rear thumb relaxation.
The Rear controls really feel considerably tight, and I managed to bump the Delete/C3 button with my palm a couple of occasions throughout testing—by default, that button toggles the touch-screen operate while you’re taking pictures, so it did not do any hurt.
The compact body leaves no room for a spotlight joystick, a helpful innovation that is accessible on almost each different digital camera on this class. As such, you must use the rear d-pad or the touch-sensitive LCD to set the main target level. In any other case, you may let the main target system decide for you. The d-pad is somewhat clunky for this function; it lacks the diagonal motion an eight-way stick supplies and should require you to faucet the middle button first, relying on how you’ve got arrange the digital camera. The touchpad operate is a bit more fluid—if you’re utilizing the EVF, sliding your finger throughout the rear LCD strikes the main target level. After all, this technique is just not as exact as a joystick, and also you run the danger of your nostril by accident altering the main target level, at the very least if you’re left-eye-dominant like me.
Sony’s AI-assisted topic recognition helps sidestep the clumsy focus choice course of—the a6700 readily finds the proper goal by itself in lots of conditions. However should you sometimes sort out demanding topics like workforce sports activities and wildlife, you must take a look at the EOS R7, the Fuji X-T5, or the same mannequin with a joystick as an alternative.
The a6700 makes use of Sony’s newest menu system. Tabs at the moment are on the facet, slightly than the highest, and use colour coding that will help you rapidly navigate. The menu is absolutely navigable by contact and contains a few fast management panel screens to alter widespread settings on the high. It additionally helps a My Menu operate, so you may arrange the settings you employ probably the most right into a format that is smart.
Sony additionally contains an overlay menu, accessible through the Fn button. This fast financial institution of a dozen configurable settings is the place you must put choices you need to change on the fly. You’ll be able to arrange completely different Fn menus for video and photograph too, a plus for hybrid creators.
The a6700 swaps out the a6600’s fundamental up/down-tilt display for a vari-angle one which flips out to the facet of the digital camera and might face ahead for selfies. The three-inch show sports activities a 1.03-million-dot pixel depend and helps an extra-bright Sunny Climate mode, too. The display decision is enough however is not as ultimate for handbook focus or macro work because the panels on the Fuji X-S20 (1.8 million dots) or Canon R7 (1.6 million dots). Sony may, and will, have performed higher right here.
The viewfinder can also be disappointing for a digital camera marketed towards photograph hobbyists and professionals. Its 0.71x magnification and a pair of.36-million-dot decision are underwhelming. Even so, the a6700’s EVF is pretty much as good because the Canon EOS R7’s, so it isn’t completely out of step. The Fuji X-T5 provides the most effective viewfinder expertise on this class with a bigger (0.80x), sharper (3.69 million) OLED. At the least Sony’s refreshes at a clean 120fps fee always.
Energy and Connectivity
The a6700 makes use of the FP-Z100 battery, which Sony launched to the sequence with the a6600 and makes use of for its professional cameras. I haven’t got a CIPA score for the digital camera—a consultant from Sony didn’t reply to that inquiry as of this writing—however I by no means needed to fear about operating out of battery throughout brief photograph outings with the digital camera throughout my overview interval. The Z battery is among the many best-performing in mirrorless, and I anticipate it’s ok for all-day classes. That mentioned, it is by no means a foul concept to hold a spare or an influence financial institution to cost on the go. For video, I acquired about 100 minutes of 4K60 report time from a full battery.
You do not get a battery charger with the digital camera, only a USB cable and energy adapter for in-camera charging, so plugging in to high off the juice ought to grow to be second nature. Along with the USB-C port, the a6700 has a 3.5mm microphone enter, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro HDMI video out, and a single UHS-II SDXC card slot. Video professionals who depend on exterior recorders ought to be cautious of the notoriously fragile micro HDMI port, nevertheless it’s not problematic should you simply use a reminiscence card to report. The only card slot could also be a deal breaker for weddings or different occasion work, through which commonplace observe is to make use of dual-slot cameras for redundant recording.
The a6700 skips an in-body flash, although this function is far more widespread for client cameras that value lower than $1,000—the Canon EOS R10 and Sony a6400 have in-body flashes, for instance. You’ll be able to add a flash or wi-fi set off to the recent shoe if you would like. The shoe additionally helps Sony’s line of digital microphones. Webcam performance is built-in, with driver-free 4K30 USB-C streaming assist through UVC/UAC. The usual wi-fi protocols work too—Bluetooth and a pair of.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi radios respectively allow distant management through a cellular app (accessible for Android and iOS) and distant viewing and file transfers.
If you happen to’re upgrading from an older mannequin, be aware that the a6700 makes use of a brand new companion app. The long-running Imaging Edge Cellular smartphone app would not work with newer cameras, so you’ll want to seize the free Sony Creators’ App as an alternative. It helps wi-fi file transfers and distant management, plus supplies 5GB of cloud storage should you join a Sony account. You do not want an account to make use of the app, nevertheless.
Strong Topic Recognition
The a6700 is the third digital camera to make use of Sony’s new AI Processing Unit, a devoted chip that takes some work away from the Bionz XR picture processor. Right here, the AI drives the clever topic recognition autofocus (like with the a7R V). The main target system has a number of topic modes: Airplanes, Animals, Animals/Birds (helpful for various wildlife topics), Birds, Automobiles/Trains, Bugs, and Individuals. You need to inform the a6700 which topic you are photographing, however Sony makes it fairly simple to swap between modes by tapping an on-screen icon. Some full-frame cameras do not make you decide a topic kind (the Nikon Z 9 is an effective instance), however most cameras nonetheless do.
Topic recognition is frighteningly good, particularly together with the Actual Time Monitoring focus system that is accessible with steady autofocus (AF-C). The digital camera reliably locks onto faces and eyes for portrait work, no matter whether or not you are snapping photographs of an individual or your pet. The main target system covers almost everything of the sensor with a mixture of part and distinction detection factors.
As talked about, I miss having a joystick to set the realm of curiosity for focus, however the autofocus is nearly ok by itself. If you happen to do not need to let it search all the body although, you may choose a smaller space of focus all the way down to a versatile spot.
The a6700 has a good 11fps burst fee with both its mechanical or digital shutter. The buffer is a limiting issue for motion photographs, nevertheless. In my checks, I netted 18 Lossless Uncooked, 36 Compressed Uncooked, or 36 JPG frames earlier than the burst fee slowed down and stuttered. It takes wherever between 5 and 10 seconds to put in writing all of these information to a Sony Powerful 299Mbps SDXC card, so you will not have to attend too lengthy between photograph ops. The rapid-fire taking pictures expertise is definitely a slight downgrade versus the a6600, which gave me round 100 JPGs and 45 Uncooked photographs per burst.
In years previous, the 11fps determine was a standout, however newer cameras leverage absolutely digital shutters for speedier monitoring. The EOS R7 does 15fps/30fps, for instance, and the Fuji X-T5 manages 15fps/20fps. For many makes use of, 11fps is a lot, however the quicker cameras have an edge for motion topics.
The e-shutter scans out rapidly sufficient for a lot of forms of motion, however you must use the mechanical shutter to seize fast-moving topics. The e-shutter exhibits some rolling shutter distortion after I tried to snap photos of topics shifting laterally throughout the body at pace and does some bizarre issues with hummingbird wings—you may see the wing each behind and in entrance of the chicken’s head within the image above. The mechanical shutter handles pictures like this with no drawback, and the e-shutter continues to be completely fantastic for extra typical scenes.
Stabilized BSI CMOS Sensor
The a6700’s 26MP BSI CMOS sensor supplies picture high quality that is proper in keeping with others within the class. I see a bit higher excessive ISO functionality from this one versus the a6600’s 24MP chip, together with a faster readout pace. Some rivals supply increased pixel counts—the EOS R7 has a 33MP sensor and the Fuji X-T5 has a 40MP chip. That further decision is useful for photogs who must crop in and nonetheless have a publishable photograph, however most ought to discover 26MP a lot.
The digital camera helps 4 picture codecs: JPG, HEIF, Compressed Uncooked, and Lossless Compressed Uncooked. The HEIF format is probably the most future-proof; it helps 10-bit colour and is extra editable than 8-bit JPGs, however would not take pleasure in almost as broad assist. If you happen to’re severe about enhancing pictures, you might be higher off utilizing one of many Uncooked decisions.
As for inventive JPG choices, the a6700 has a couple of past the usual colour profile, together with the anticipated vivid, black-and-white, and sepia appears. However Sony would not supply film-like profiles with grain, so should you’re after a extra filtered look in-camera, the Fuji X-S20 or X-T5 are worthwhile options as a result of they assist the complete vary of Fuji Movie Simulations.
As talked about, Uncooked information provide you with extra latitude for enhancing. These assist 14-bit colour (or 12-bit colour for these from bursts), so you may regulate the publicity or colour fairly freely, in addition to apply a inventive look.
I exploit Adobe Lightroom for evaluating Uncooked picture high quality throughout my evaluations, however that picture enhancing software program would not assist the a6700 but. As such, I am holding off on a full breakdown of picture high quality for now. I anticipate dynamic vary and ISO noise to be proper in keeping with the a7R V, as the 2 fashions use the identical picture processing platform and pixel dimension—the full-frame a7R V simply places extra pixels into its bodily bigger sensor.
The digital camera helps a large, native ISO vary of 100-32000, with an prolonged vary of ISO 50-102400. Customary JPGs present wonderful element and little or no noise up via ISO 3200, with somewhat little bit of misplaced distinction and smudged edges at ISO 6400 via 12800. Most fantastic element disappears at ISO 25600-51200, with ISO 102400 actually usable solely as an emergency possibility (image high quality falls off a cliff right here).
I examined the in-body picture stabilization (IBIS) system alongside the E 11mm F1.8 for some handheld pictures with longer publicity occasions. I had no issues getting sharp photos at 1/4-second and acquired a good hit fee after I prolonged the publicity to a 1/2-second. Past that, I like to recommend utilizing a tripod.
4K60 Recording With 10-bit Shade
The a6700 is a much more succesful video digital camera than its predecessor. It oversamples 4K60 and 4K24 video from a 6K seize, helps 10-bit 4:2:2 colour, provides XAVC S ALL-I encoding, and makes use of almost the complete width of the sensor. You’ll be able to push to 4K120 with a 1.3x crop for smoother movement or, in S&Q mode, slower-motion playback. In-camera time-lapses are an possibility too, a function lacking from the a6600.
The usual colour profiles for photos can be found for video, and editors who solely know the fundamentals ought to persist with them. The video engine additionally helps Sony’s S-Cinetone profile, a filmic look that does not require colour correction. Knowledgeable-level editors can use the flat S-Log3 profile for footage that may take a grade or HLG for working in a Rec.2020 HDR house.
I bumped into some overheating warnings at default settings after simply 10 minutes of 4K24 seize, however you may allow a excessive warmth possibility for longer report occasions should you want. When that is lively, the digital camera can roll about 40 minutes of 4K60 however will get sizzling to the contact. I measured the house between the eyecup and Menu button at 140°F when the digital camera shut down from warmth; the grip was round 110°F, heat however not burn-inducing. If you wish to report for longer in hotter environments, the FX30 ($1,799.99) is a greater possibility. It makes use of the identical stabilized sensor because the a6700 however has a extra video-friendly physique with a built-in fan for cooling.
The stabilized sensor and front-facing show ought to add some enchantment for vloggers who need a greater handheld resolution than the ZV-E10 however do not need to spend on the full-frame ZV-E1. The a6700 helps Lively Shot stabilization too, which crops within the view of your lens, however makes handheld footage steadier. It’s efficient for wider lenses, although I observed the a6700’s stabilization wasn’t pretty much as good for static telephoto scenes. For the latter conditions, you must nonetheless use a monopod or tripod for assist.
The in-camera mic is merely common, like most cameras, so you must get an add-on mic for high quality audio. There are exceptions—the aforementioned Sony ZV cameras embody high quality three-capsule mics in-body, as does the Nikon Z 30.
For comparability, the Fuji X-T5 helps 6K30 and 4K60 with 10-bit colour, nevertheless it incurs a crop to get there. You are able to do solely 4K30 on the full sensor width. I just like the X-S20 somewhat bit higher for video; its quicker, 26MP sensor handles shifting topics higher, plus provides as much as 6K30 and 4K60. Likewise, the Canon EOS R7 helps 4K60 with 10-bit colour.
Sony Colours Contained in the Traces
Sony’s a6000 digital camera sequence has been round for greater than a decade, and its core design components haven’t modified that a lot, so the a6700’s characteristically small physique comes as no shock. However that doesn’t imply it’s caught prior to now; the a6700 incorporates a ton of tech that Sony has developed through the years. Chief amongst these fashionable touches is a rugged, light-weight construct materials, a flexible swing-out LCD for video creators, and a extremely dependable topic recognition system. Between these advances and Sony’s full lineup of E-mount glass, there’s not a lot for small-camera followers to complain about; the a6700 is a powerhouse for each photos and video.
That mentioned, this physique type doesn’t work as effectively with greater lenses, and its ergonomics aren’t fairly pretty much as good for snapping motion as competing APS-C cameras just like the Fuji X-T5 and the Editors’ Selection-winning Canon EOS R7. Till Sony places an APS-C sensor in its extra crowd-pleasing a7 physique type, these stay higher workhorse choices.
