NEX 6 versus Sony a6500

I was interested to see how the sensors compared in the two cameras. Was it indeed possible to cram all those extra pixels into the a6500 sensor without losing quality?

I set up a simple test. Both camera were configured for ISO1600, with no exposure compensation, and I fitted a Zuiko 50mm f1.8 lens. I know from previous testing that this lens will blow the standard Sony zoom out of the water, as far as the resolution of detail is concerned. The camera was mounted on a sturdy Manfrotto tripod and a 2 second delay selected. I focused with the lens wide open and at maximum viewfinder magnification, but the shooting took place at f8. Two shots were taken with each camera and the best selected for comparison - actually that was the difficult part as each of the two images taken by each camera looked to be pretty much identical.

I let the camera decide the exposure, choosing aperture priority.

The view is one within my untidy garage, and the lighting supplied by overhead fluorescent tubes. The door was open so there was also a touch of ambient light, but the predominant illumination came from the fluorescent tubes.

The a6500 chose to use 1/25th sec and the NEX 6 1/40th sec.  The histograms were quite different, with the NEX underexposing slightly and the a6500 getting it spot on.

I processed the RAW files using LR and the default setup without any further adjustment, creating 16 bit TIFFs in PS. Again no adjustments were made in producing JPGs from the TIFF files.

This is the overall view (not pretty)

and here are a couple of crops, first the NEX 6

then the a6500

Click on any image for an enlarged view, the crops are 100% pixels.

The a6500 is recording more detail without, in my view, incurring a greater noise penalty. Look in particular at the detail in the cloth, although that may be a result of the longer a6500 exposure.

To get a better idea of the noise performance of the two cameras I have selected a couple of crops showing less detailed areas of plain tone.

First the NEX 6

Then the a6500

The a6500 image looks cleaner to me.

Something else I should perhaps mention, the contrast detect feature on the a6500 was usable at maximum viewfinder magnification whereas it was not on the NEX 6.

You can't read too much into this simple comparison, but, for what it's worth, the a6500 sensor does appear to come out the stronger, you get both more detail and less noise. (Oh, and before you ask, the Acetone is used to make repairs to the ABS components of my caravan, ABS is dissolved in Acetone, so you can make up a repair solution using, for example, Lego bricks.)

23-5-2017

Sigma lens - Dodgy Contacts

I've had trouble with my Sigma 19 mm lens not responding when attached to my Sony mirrorless cameras. I was concerned that this was a warning of imminent failure, but, to date, cleaning the contacts has cured the problem.

I've tried cotton buds and that appeared to do the trick for a while, but after the latest episode of non response, this was not enough.

As a measure of last resort, I used the buds in conjunction with some Eclipse E2 sensor cleaning fluid. This worked, and saved me the cost of a new lens - I believe that Sigma regards these budget lenses as being disposable, and don't offer a repair service ( please correct me if that is wrong!).

Coal Train day on the Tanfield Railway

On the coal train day they run a demonstration coal train in addition to the normal passenger service.

Photo used by the Times newspaper 29th Feb

Sony NEX 6 Samsung 35 mm f2

New Bridge over the river Wear at Sunderland

Work has started on the new road bridge over the river Wear at Sunderland.

Sony NEX 6

Roker seafront

My wife and I love to walk or cycle along the north east coast and we recently visited Roker in Sunderland

Sparkling sea, you can see a multitude of colours in the original large file, I guess some kind of rainbow effect. I never tire of seeing the sun sparkle on the sea.

They have recently installed a new surface on the pier, so you now see a white arc above the blue sea. You might be able to spot the group of surfers waiting for waves next to the pier.

Environmental improvements include pieces of driftwood and plantings of bulbs etc.

A closer view of a surfer riding the wave that builds up alongside the pier.

Sony NEX 6 Various manual focus lenses.

Gasometers - Hendon, Sunderland

Gasometers, or gas storage tanks, are a rapidly disappearing feature of the landscape.  I noticed that they are currently dismantling the tank at Wallsend, long a Tyneside landmark, and decided that I should photograph the Sunderland gasometers before they also go.

There are three surviving tanks on the Hendon site and they represent an evolution of the technology from early to late Victorian, and then 20th century. The oldest tank has ornate cast iron columns, the late Victorian tank has a riveted steel framework, while the most recent is self supporting.

The last time I looked at the tanks a few years ago, they were still in use, but today they look  sadly neglected and I suspect that their days are numbered.

I'd like to see the oldest of the three preserved, if at all possible.

The three tanks seen from the south, newest nearest to camera

The oldest tank with ornate cast iron columns

The riveted steel (or wrought iron?) framework of the middle tank dating back to 1895

Sony NEX 6

Fatfield, Washington last of Autumn Colour?

Went for a local walk yesterday. The morning started rather gloomily, but then the sun came out and there was still some colour in the leaves.

Reflections in Mount Pleasant Lake

Woods above the Wear valley on the south, or Penshaw, side

South View Fatfield - Perfect reflection in the river Wear

Sony NEX 6 Pentax 28 and 35 mm lenses

North Yorkshire

With the prospect of fine weather south of Tyneside we drove down to Grosmont in the North Yorkshire Moors and had a ride on the North York Moors Railway. 

Two ex LNER steam loco designs, a B1 4-6-0 passes the loco shed while A4 pacific Sir Nigel Gresley stands beneath the coaling tower.

Driving back up the coast we called in to Staithes, a small ex fishing village with a sandy beach. It's rare, in my experience, to see the North Sea looking so attractive, but that's how it was on Sunday.

Sony NEX 6

Wallington, Northumberland

We try to get to the National Trust property at Wallington once a year, primarily to see the fabulous walled garden. Click on any photo to enlarge.

A NT gardener told us that the pink flowers are lobelia, but they don't look like lobelia to me

He might have been referring to these small pink flowers?

Fuchsia in the greenhouse

Butterfly on Buddleia - infinite patience required for this shot!

The water lily lake, seen on the walk to the garden.

See also Wallington Hall and Gardens

Sony NEX 6 Manual focus lenses

Redcar and Saltburn

We drove to the outskirts of Redcar and cycled through that town and on to Saltburn. A warm day, but overcast, with the sun occasionally peeking through the clouds

Fishermen launching boat with offshore wind farm in the background

Not sure if you would see this scene anywhere else. A large wooden boat being towed by an aged tractor stops at a garage to buy fuel while a Rolls Royce car is being repaired on the forecourt.

Redcar lemon top ice cream with the steelworks in the background.

The funicular railway control cabin at Saltburn

Wavy shadows

Sony NEX 6 various lenses

Seaton Deleval Hall - Northumberland

A relatively recently acquired National Trust property, now undergoing restoration.

The hall gets a face lift, clad in scaffold, but you can still go in

Work is in progress to provide cathodic protection to the corroding iron supports of the statues around the hall.

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The garden looks better each time we visit.

 Bees enjoying the fragant lavender

I took this photo a few years ago, I'm not sure if the architectural plans are still on display.

Sony NEX 6

Cragside Rothbury

We try to get to the National Trust property Cragside at Rothbury every year at this time in order to see the rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom.

There was something new to see this time, an Archimedes screw used as a water powered turbine to generate electricity. It was not working, but the installation looks to be complete.

I assume that the blue thing in the cabinet is a speed increasing gearbox, driving 

a generator mounted above the axis of the rotor. (Pentax 50mm f1.7)

They are also installing one of these machines in the river Wear 

as it passes through Durham City. (Pentax 28mm K f3.5)

Now for some flowers. Ideally you should use a tripod and a reflector to get good crisp and contrasty flower shots, but Cragside was very busy on Bank Holiday Monday and some of the paths quite narrow, so I made do with hand holding the camera. Samsung 35mm f2 (rebadged  Pentax) at f11.

View across Tumbleton Lake looking towards the Visitor Centre.

View from the Iron Bridge towards Tumbleton Lake

For more Cragside photos see here and here.

Sony NEX 6 manual focus lenses.

Step This Way at Darlington 2014

Appalachian dance team Step This Way with musicians from the Bones Creek Band performed within the market place as a part of Darlington Arts Showcase.

Audience participation is always popular!

50 mm lenses on Sony Nex 6

Over time I have compared the performance of the Sony 16-50  kit lens supplied with the NEX 6 to that of old manual focus prime lenses that I have in my collection.

Is this a fair comparison, an image stabilised zoom against a manual focus prime? Well the zoom was designed and manufactured in the 21st century and the old primes in the 1960s. Possibly 50 years between them.

Judge for yourself.

The overall view taken at a focal length of 50mm 

Below are 100% crops of the sign to the right of the lion.

Sony 16-50 at  f5.6

Zuiko 50mm f1.8 at  f5.6

Sony 16-50

Zuiko 50mm

Further testing - to investigate the influence of auto focus error on the results of the tests I conducted further experiments with the following parameters. Manual exposure, camera on tripod with 2 sec shutter delay. 3 shots for each situation, best chosen for comparison.

1) Sony at f8 autofocus 

2) Sony at f8 manual focus at f5.6 ( wide open)

3) Zuiko at f8 manual focus at f5.6 ( to match Sony)

Default processing in LR and PS. No adjustments made. Actual pixel crops from top left hand corner of image.

Sony f8 - manual focus (137kb)

Sony f8 Autofocus (137 kb)

Zuiko f8 (196 kb)

The manually focused Sony result is slightly better than that achieved by autofocus, but the Zuiko is clearly superior, both in terms of the JPG size, but also visually. Actually you don't need to do any of this testing as the Zuiko looks far better in the EVF!

More comparisons, Sony 16-50, Canon 24-105 and Pentax 50mm f1.7. Default conversions in LR and PS, no adjustments. Forget the colour temperatures, they can be adjusted easily enough, this is a test of sharpness and contrast.

Overall view ( Canon 24-105 on 5DII)

Actual pixel crops of top left corner. (Click for full size)

Pentax 50mm on NEX  (JPG size 187 KB)

Sony 16-50 on NEX (JPG size 142 KB)

Canon 24-105 on 5DII (JPG size 179 KB)

My pecking order would be Pentax 50mm f1,7, followed by Canon 24-105 with the Sony a poor third, but judge for yourself.

This test demonstrates quite nicely why I prefer to carry a lightweight Sony NEX 6 rather than have the Albatross of a Canon 5D11 around my neck!