I’m a deserter | Sony α6300

Yes, I said it. I’ve already per-ordered a Sony α6300 two weeks ago and I’m not looking back. Last weekend I took my trusty old Canon T2i for a spin and I wonder what it would be like to leave it behind. Well, it’s not so dramatic,  I was waiting for something with those specs and price range to come to the market for quite a while. I was blown away by the A7R II specs and performance, yet I could only afford such a nice piece of technology if I had a valid reason for it – other than being a great camera, when you’re not a professional photographer, you need an economic reason to justify it.

Lets not forget for a moment that any expense should be justified in some way (this is good advice for professionals and hobbyist alike). Like with a car, as soon as you step out of the dealership, you know that your ‘new’ old car would be worth much less. With cameras is very much the same; a new model with better and faster technology will creep out of the shadows just weeks after your acquisition (Sony has been a mood killer lately in this matter 😢)

System adoption

Yes, you know that in order to take advantage of the new exciting features of the E-mount family you need to go native (If only the conquistadors would have gone native! 💑) Doesn’t matter how you want to sugar quoted, you can put the Sony LA-EA3 and Sony LA-EA4  to use A-mount and legacy lenses, but no without sacrifices (light loss and not as good AF functionality) I’d love to test my future-to-be camera with some A-mount lenses, but the truth of the matter is: Why invest money in lenses not compatible with the new mount plus the increased weight of the adapter ? If you want to shoot 4k with a 3-axis gymbal, why would you waste money on the adapter (unless you’re so attached to your glass that cannot (I’ll not! 🙍) get a mount compatible one. Yes, a lot of us have invested money, time and tears with Canon lenses. They are great, beautiful and a way to tell everyone that you’re a pro. As far as I remember, what it’s still most important are the pictures and not the gear (although gear does help) It’s the Indian and not the arrow ➹.
The A6300 is an APS-C system, thus system adoption can be somewhat tricky. I’ve decided to split the investment in several bets. As I did with Canon, I’m preparing myself for the long haul. I have had my T2i for about 6 years. It traveled to China and back, literally. It’s still in pristine condition and produces amazing images.

I’ve purchased a used Sony 28mm f/2 – SEL28F20 – lens which is a full frame lens and I’m planning to get an APS-C Sony 50 mm f/1.8 – SEL50F18/B. I like primes, but I realized that some diversity is needed to both photo and video work.
Transitioning from one system to the other makes you think, it put things into perspective. I know the type of work I currently do, and I do the type of projects I’d like to do in the future, so I’m planning my equipment purchases accordingly.
We will reach a time, where full frame sensors will be the norm. Their prices will eventually fall and I think it’s important to plan ahead with your glass selections.

APS-C compatible is great, probably sharper than some full frame glass as Mr. Northup explains, but you still have to ask yourself what type of game investment are you playing.

Negative field

Oh yes, I’d like that the A6300 could produce espresso and foamy beverages but it’s only a prosumer photo/video hybrid from Sony. I truly think it’s going to do wonders for the brand and for the aspiring filmmaker – 4k for less than 1k and S-log profiles! Of course this camera cannot have Ibis( I actually prefer that it doesn’t. Less heat, moving parts and a lower price) Of course there’s only 8 bit recording, all the other cameras in the ‘professional’ Sony lineup still record to an 8 bit codec. Forget about Atomos vengeance, since no full HDMI – HDMI micro only – perhaps a cropped sensor signal, will see.