Sony A6600 Review
The Sony A6600 is a very good camera but it could have been so much better. That's the consensus from reviewers who thought Sony didn't go far enough with this "flagship" model in its popular A6000-series APS-C mirrorless camera line. Sure, Sony adds some key upgrades to the A6600, including an excellent autofocus system that features fast and accurate real-time tracking to help lock in on moving subjects, such as people, for sharper photos. The A6600 also adds the reliable 5-axis in-body image stabilization for keeping things steady, and the powerful Z-series battery (also used on Sony's full frame mirrorless cameras), which offers a class-leading 810-shot charge. At the same time though, the A6600 feels strangely dated, particularly in its camera design, which has poor ergonomics and cramped and fiddly buttons and controls. The camera's 24.2MP sensor and Bionz X sensor also don't break any new ground and Sony's choice to just include just one SD cards slot for the slower UHS-1 classification is disappointing. As mentioned, the Sony A6600 is still a solid mirrorless camera that's worthy of a recommendation, it's just not what most reviewers had hoped, causing one tech site to even dub it "a rare misfire" from Sony.
"The Sony a6600 has an industry-leading autofocus system, is capable of excellent images and video, comes with very useful in-body image stabilization and has the best battery life of any mirrorless camera on the market at this time. However, its sensor is getting a bit long-in-the-tooth, and competitors have caught up or surpassed it regarding video quality and features, resolution and handling." - DPReview, read the full review here.
"The Sony a6600 looks an excellent camera for video and vlogging, and its stunning AF, in-body image stabilization and large battery make it suitable for demanding stills photography. However, its still image quality is good rather than class-leading, which is a significant shortcoming given the a6600 is up against some terrific and more keenly-priced rival cameras, and while its video performance is broadly good, its marred by pronounced rolling shutter effect and pretty ordinary video specifications by today's standards." - Digital Camera World, read the full review here.
"Sony brings its class-leading autofocus tech and big Z battery to its a6600 APS-C camera, but we wish there were improvements in other areas too." - PCMag, read the full review here.
"The A6600 does have some nice features like real-time AF tracking, in-body stabilization and improved battery life. However, it’s held back by poor handling, an old sensor with bad rolling shutter and 4K video capabilities that are behind rivals. A rare camera misfire for Sony." - Engadget, read the full review here.
"On paper, the a6600 should be the APS-C camera to beat, with a top-performing sensor and a range of features that will appeal to a broad swath of photographers. However, Sony has resolutely stuck with a form factor that’s not as comfortable as rival cameras, with a convoluted menu system, and options that don’t always work as you’d expect them to." - Tech Radar, read the full review here.
"It's an evolutionary update, but the A6600 is still top dog thanks to better battery life and best-in-class autofocus." - Digital Trends, read the full review here.
"The new flagship A6600 begs, borrows and steals features from further down Sony's extensive range of APS-C models and also further up from the A7 full-frame cameras, but it doesn't quite get the balance right between old and new. All of which leaves the new Sony Alpha A6600 in a rather odd position, priced as a flagship camera but lacking enough improvements or differences to either the other, cheaper Sony models or to its main rivals to quite justify its range-topping billing." - Photography Blog, read the full review here.
"The A6600 is a great little camera if you don't mind having no built-in flash — which I do. As a still shooter I wouldn't buy the A6600 because I'd have to haul an external flash with me, eliminating the whole point of a small camera. For video, the A6600 offers some new features, but I'm not a video shooter." - Ken Rockwell, read the full review here.
"If what you're after is as much power as you can get in a small package, Sony's A6600 is a very tempting offering." - Pocket Lint, read the full review here.
"The A6600 becomes Sony’s most powerful APSC mirrorless camera to date, sporting a 24 Megapixel sensor with confident autofocus across almost the entire frame, 11fps shooting, unlimited video recording, 4k up to 30p, 1080 up to 120p, a screen that angles all the way up to face you, built-in stabilisation, mic and headphone jacks and the longest battery life of any camera in its class. It all adds up to an attractive package, but there’s some key downsides to consider, including a lack of twin SD card slots or even one that exploits the speed of modern UHS-II cards, a fairly average viewfinder resolution for the price, no AF joystick, no touch functionality beyond the basics, and no 4k above 30p or in 10 bit, revealingly all available on the Fujifilm X-T3 at a similar price. " - Cameralabs, read the full review here.
"Whilst there are numerous things we'd like to see improved with the Sony Alpha A6600, we can't ignore the excellent photo and video quality, as well as the impressive battery life, thanks to the use of the Z series battery." - ePHOTOzine, read the full review here.
"Brilliant technology trapped inside an awkward and uninspiring camera body." - Amateur Photographer, read the full review here.