With the invention of smart phones capable of taking photos and videos, the use of a traditional camera has declined. However, there is still a large demand for affordable point-and-shoot cameras for the amateur photographer. Are you an amateur photographer? Are you currently using your Smartphone to take photos for publishing?
STOP! Take a look at these two great options by Sony before you take another shot with that iPhone of yours!
The Alpha a6000 and the RX100 iii, both made by Sony, have a number of great qualities for any photographer to consider in their arsenal of tools. Judging by the following subtopics (ISO range for low light pictures, video capabilities, instant sharing and selfie capabilities, and in-box products with purchase) I’ll give you and recommendation of the best model to get yourself started with.
ISO Range for Low Light Photography Shots
Sometimes you can’t help the light. Ok… so you can never really help what type of light you’ll have when taking snap shots, but you can rely on your camera to have good quality ISO to help make the difference.
The Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Interchangeable-lens camera has an ISO range of 100 to 25600. This range is a great for a beginning photographer. The camera has the ability to auto select the higher ISO amount, or you can set it to the desired ISO you would like in 1/3 EV steps.
The RX100 iii cyber-shot digital camera has a more narrow ISO range of 125 to 12800. It is automatically corrected to the lighting, but has the ability to select between an upper and lower range.
Video Capabilities
Most of the time people use cameras to take still pictures. There is the occasional event that requires the ability to record a short video. You want to make sure you’re ready when it’s needed!
The Alpha a6000 has the ability to record in full HD greatness! The audio is format is Dolby Digital and the video format is AVCHD version 2.0. The videos can be viewed in Adobe RGB Movie with regular xvYCC standard color. If you are viewing the video through a HDMI cable then the video will be viewed with Adobe RGB movie in x.v. Color.
The RX100 iii also has the ability to record videos in HD format. It can also shoot in AVCHD, MP4 and XAVC S formats. This model features HDMI clear outputs. This allows for videos to be recorded as uncompressed. The featured audio formats for video recording are: Dolby Digital (AC-3 and 2 ch Stereo Creator), MP4, LPCM, and XAVC s.
Selfie Capabilities and Instant Sharing
This is the fun category! What is the point of having a camera if you cannot take the occasional selfie and share it instantly with the world? Both of these cameras have that capability. Let’s break it down in an easy-to-read list:
Alpha a6000
- Image data converter
- In-camera app
- Wi-Fi capable
- Accessory shoe with a multi-pin configuration
- USB port sharing
RX100 iii
- Face detection and registration up to 8 faces
- Smile shutter technology
- In-Camera apps to playfully alter images
- Wi-Fi capable
- 3” LCD display with multi-angle capabilities
- ND filter for broad-range photographic expression
In-the-Box Items upon Purchase
Everyone loves to see what “free stuff” comes with their purchase. Sometimes it is software, sometimes its accessories. Here’s what comes with each camera when purchased new.
The Sony Alpha a6000 comes with: rechargeable battery, AC adaptor, shoulder strap, body cap, eyepiece cap and a miro USB cable.
The Sony RX100 iii comes with: rechargeable battery, AC adapter, wrist strap, shoulder strap, Micro USB cable and an instruction manual.
Recommendation
These two cameras are SUPER CLOSE to each other, functionality wise. The two winning factors that puts the RX100 iii above the Alpha a6000 is:
- The ability to detect and register faces is pretty awesome. That means you don’t have to try and focus the camera on the person you are aiming to take the photo of.
- The 3” LCD display with multi-angle capabilities is a must! This is a great feature to take the best selfie possible with. (It could also be used in the bizarre instance that you have the opportunity to take a picture of a wild animal WHILE you are hiding behind the corner. You can tilt the screen to see where the camera’s pointing!)
All in all, the recommendation here is that the RX100 iii provides more useful applications for your money than the Alpha a6000. I recommend checking it out at the nearest store and see what crazy selfie pictures you can take using the two winning factors before a sales associate can see. Have fun!