editorsteve

The Fong flash card was noted. Here's a slightly different approach from FM, with three different tinted and smaller cards than the excellent Fong card: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&O=&Q=&ap=y&c3api=1876%2C%7Bcreative%7D%2C%7Bkeyword%7D&gclid=Cj0KCQiA9_LRBRDZARIsAAcLXjfoy3a87XnuyFkUsA7Je1i9Ejz2yU7hF3qMnRJ3fTsNjwMlhNegJqgaAgotEALw_wcB&is=REG&m=Y&sku=1140432

These cards bend the little A6000 popup upwards -- and the set is just $15. Works great in a normal home room. No bouncing off of very high ceilings because the flash is just too weak.

Aside from the kit lenses, we added a 20 mm when we found them on sale (badged Hasselblad!!!) for $150 awhile back, and then added a fisheye lens element that works only with the 20 for another $100. The whole lightweight kit and a few filters fit into two itty-bitty 6x6x2 soft cases.

The A6000 is a great camera. I use it as a walk-around (although my main walkaround is the long discontinued Fuji X30, which is MUCH easier to reset on the fly while on the street -- knobs rather than menu screens) and in the studio for food photography. Because it is mirrorless, the A6000 takes cheap adapters for our old Pentax, recent Canon and old, old Konica-Minolta lenses... cumbersome for carrying but trivially easy for studio work. The adapters (mine came through AliExpress for $12 each and tilt up to 8 degrees!) do not need a transfer lens inside so they preserve optical quality of the lenses.

GTWATKINS12

Thanks for letting me know that the a6000 was a good choice.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It's an extremely capable camera, with lots of settings possible. I have the standard lens - used most of the time. I also got a Tamron 18-200mm - very nice.

Look online for Gary Fong videos. I don't have the links here, but he sells a good video, and he did one for B&H which you can watch for free.

You'll be amazed at how much the camera can do.

HOT Texas Loc: From the Heart of Texas

Sony a6000 for Christmas? OMG lucky you, you will just love that camera, so easy to shoot, so easy to handle, pictures are fantastic, kit lens will work just fine on it, Later on I suggest a Sony FE 50mm or a used Sigma DN 30mm 2.8 prime, They don't make this lens any more but it is a awesome lens on the a6000.

Have fun!!!!

paul j svetlik Loc: Colorado

a6000 is a great compact mirror less camera - my choice for mountain climbing or general traveling when I can take several interchangeable lenses with me. Larger sensor and 24 megapixels will give you high quality prints. Gary Fong has an interesting free lecture on the Internet showing the capabilities of this cleverly designed camera.
Mirror less cameras allow using lenses of various manufacturers with adapters, so you don't have to buy the most expensive optics.
I am sure, you will love your Christmas present!
Show us your pictures soon.

BebuLamar

I checked out the A6000 at several stores as I considered buying it for my wife.
On the plus side. It delivers very good images, built quality is good, looks good. Lens choices are limited but sufficient for me.
On the minus side. It's an extremely complex camera and the manual isn't very good. I have downloaded the manual and spent quite sometime to study it. The complexity came from the fact that it has so many automation functions. It's much more difficult to use than a typical DSLR.

GibsonGuy Loc: Danbury, CT

Get David Busch's book for the A6000. He demystifies the arcane menu really well.

stevealters Loc: Boise, Idaho

Isn't the Sony NEX-7 the predecessor to the Sony a6000?

LEGALDR Loc: Southern California

[quote=GTWATKINS12]I'm getting a Sony a6000 for Christmas. Im just starting my photo adventures.
1. Need to know what you think about the a6000
2. What do i need to know as a beginner
3. The camera came with a f 15- 55 lens.
4. A 70- 200 telephoto are these ok for a beginner.

Thanks for any help you can give me[/quote

Hi, GT. Welcome to the Hog pasture!

You have a GREAT CAMERA! I bought one several months ago and every day is an exciting experience. Go slowly. Get and read Dave Busch's book. Buy it directly from Rocky Nook, the publisher. They are having a 40% off sale right now. Read the first couple of chapters and start shooting. When you run into a bump in the road, go to the book. Don't stop shooting. When you can't figure something out, hit the book or post your problem. Those of us in the A6000 family either have had the problem or will have the problem. Learning is forever. Your kit is perfect. Buy more stuff when you determine that what you have is inadequate for the task. We, (photographers who are hobbyists), tend to collect stuff. Your lenses are perfect for the task. Enjoy. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

awc657 Loc: Magnolia, Arkansas

I am a long time Sony user. In fact, I currently own 6 Sony bodies and numerous lenses. I never had any problem with the menu system and could not be happier with the Sony system. As others have advised seek help on YouTube. You will find a huge resource there. I think you will love the camera. I certainly do.

editorsteve

I don't have a huge problem with the menu system, either... except in bright sunlight and when I need to change an adjustment fast.

Just yesterday, I took a shot with the Fuji X30, backlit against the sun. As I was taking it, I upped the EV to get more exposure of the person in the foreground. Quick twist for an extra 1/3 stop. Realized after the shot that I needed more. Twist, shoot. All over in a second or two.

Would not have gotten the best shot with the A6000. But obviously, most shots are not like that. Given a tad more time, the A6000 gets me an as-good or better image, usually. It is a 24 MP APS-C against a 12 MP sensor less than half that size.

I've been shooting SLR since I bought a Miranda in high school, summer of 1963, and used mainly M42 screw mount lenses with it. Went Pentax and 17 years ago and married a confirmed Canonite. We are not at all full-time photographers but do make real money from what we do in photography. Gawd we have a lot of stuff.

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

I have had my a6000 now about 9 months. I also have the a65 and the awesome a99ll. I have the kit lenses: 16-50 and 55-210. The camera w/16-55 slips into my jacket or photo vest pocket quite easily and the put the 55-210 in another pocket. I had no trouble at all using the menue or owners manual. Any questions I had, Sony customer service was very helpful. If you can attend, I recomend one of Sonys camera semenars. Here in Washington and Oregon, they are usually free and offered about every other month. If your camera came from a local photo store, the should ha a free class for you to attend. I would start out in the i green ,or I gold, then try the SCN, graduate to P and the others. Remember Green is good. You will always get a very useable photo if you shot it in the green. One thing to be careful about is the Red movie button right next to the camera strap lug. Sometimes the camera strap will hit the red button and start taking a movie without you knowing it. You will wonder why you can't take a photo. It's because it is shooting a movie. I have enjoyed mine and purchased $10 adapters to accommodate my old film lenses. Don't forget to look at Sony's APS you can get for the a6000 such as tripping the shutter by just moveing your hand past the viewfinder. It is great for long exposures where you don't want to shake the camera by touching it. Happy Shooting

a6k Loc: Detroit & Sanibel

The OP asked about the 70-200 lens. There are 2. One, for much less money, is the F4.0 and the other is a GM series F2.8. I have the F4.0. It is a fantastic lens although it is full frame and thus a bit heavy when compared to the camera. The F2.8 will be eve better, based on reviews, but would be even heavier and costs significantly more. While I am not a beginner, the 7-200/4 would give a beginner the chance to take outstanding pictures and has only a small gap between the 16-50 and the 70-200. That's an excellent setup IMHO.

I had the kit lens 55-210 and was not satisfied. But, the kit lens 16-50 is better than one would expect of a kit lens and I'm keeping it. The portrait of the cat demonstrates it with very difficult back-lighting. It has been tweaked a bit (from raw) with Luminar but not severely. This is a crop, too (3659 wide vs original 6000). Others may disagree but it looks to me to be quite sharp, good colors, no flare and no color fringing. I did not correct for either of those because they were not there. The camera corrects for lens distortion and embeds the corrections in the raw. I know this because RPP64 can show it uncorrected.

I liked the camera so much I just sold it so I could upgrade to the a6500 which allows me to get IS with legacy glass and AF with alpha mount Sony lenses (with adapter that I already have).

I agree with others that it can be used by a beginner quite well by starting with full Auto and then learning to use P and then S&A, the M.

a6k Loc: Detroit & Sanibel

I respectfully differ on the issue of quick exposure compensation. The knob on top on the right is configurable for that. Then it can be used without even taking your eye off the "live view" subject and meanwhile you are seeing the EV +/- scale in the VF.

Forgive me, please, if I'm mixing up the 6000 and the 6500 since I just switched. The 6000 may have the exposure comp. on the hat-switch/dial on the back and that is almost as easy and retains the ability to keep viewing while adjusting. I know that I never had any trouble making this adjustment while shooting. This is where mirrorless/live-view cameras excel.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Do not be put off by the skimpy printed manual in the box - it is really just a guide to their larger on-line manual which is free. It is cold, bare fact based. You may want to consult either Freidman's or Busch's books on the 6000. They are on-line as well. So a tablet or smartphone is needed. You are going to greatly appreciate your 6000 and once you get the hang on its features you are going to wonder why you could have them years ago. About battery life: when you are not Bluetoothing the camera to devices make sure Airplane Mode is turned ON. I did a battery life test on the Sony and a 3rd party test with Airplane Mode OFF and got the following. Notice the stair-step discharge of the Sony. This has repeated with similar tests on my a6300. Hope this helps.