Sony α6500 - A camera for all occasions
18.2.2017
Translation: machine translated
I'm not a photographer, but I like beautiful pictures. But I want to be well equipped for my holiday in Iceland. That's why my camera in the far north is called the Sony α6500. But a camera alone is not enough: I received valuable photography tips from our product managers.
I have no idea about photography. I either do event photography or mood pictures. I certainly don't know anything about video. Because I'm a newspaper journalist and newspapers and video don't mix very well. Back then at the newspaper, I learnt the following three things that make every snapshot look at least tolerable
.
- Never use the flash
- Never crop the subject's head and feet. You can do all this in Photoshop afterwards if you have to.
- Take pictures of a subject in both portrait and landscape format
Later on, I learnt a few other little pieces of wisdom from the photographers, such as "morning light makes beautiful lighting". All in all, I've taken some really nice snapshots so far.
"My God, you really have no idea about anything," Ovidiu Oprea tells me. I quickly realise: Oprea is on the job with fire, passion and a healthy volume. Photography is important to him. More important than I assumed, to be honest.
I explain to him that I want a camera that even I can take great pictures with. Because anyone who has ever seen a picture from Iceland knows: there's something to see. Ovidiu Oprea looks at me a little dumbfounded, then asks, "You do realise that as a photographer you can't rely on the camera alone?" Yes, I do, but I need an all-round camera that takes good photos at night as well as during the day and also makes some video.
Why do I need a camera? Because I'm going on holiday to Iceland and the landscape there impresses with its visual power.
Crash course in photography
Oprea doesn't just want people to buy cameras in his job, he also wants them to take good pictures. He sets himself high standards and hopes that others will not simply be satisfied with mobile snapshots in their lives. "A photo is so much more than just a snapshot. Many people have almost forgotten that," he says almost wistfully.
In Iceland, however, I never needed all the monochrome and sepia effects. Because the Sony Alpha 6500 simply delivers good shots, even if you only have a tenth of a second at most. The following shot was taken in S mode, which is designed for shutter speed.
The Strokkur geyser erupts every six to ten minutesWith little effort and even fewer adjustments, the Sony Alpha 6500 delivers beautiful portraits with depth and warmth in P mode, i.e. a preset with focus on exposure. Even when it's cold outside.
Joëlle Berger at the small but beautiful waterfall ÖxarafossAs I was encouraged to try out all the modes, I was tempted to take one or two panoramic shots. Because let's be honest, how can I resist such a panoramic view?
Conclusion of the photography experience: Even with little photographic sensitivity, I can take great pictures with the Sony Alpha 6500 that I will enjoy for a long time to come.
A camera for tough people
It's clear that a camera needs to be splash-proof and most photographers take this for granted. Because sometimes beautiful pictures can only be taken with water. One example: a few years ago, vlogger Nanalew recorded a music video for the Awolnation song "Sail", which essentially consists of her colleague spraying her with a garden hose. She filmed it with a Canon 60D, which certainly didn't stay dry.
Me and my Polish colleague Adam climbed back into the super jeep with 42-inch tyres, dripping wet. The camera: also soaking wet. But it survived well. Neither wetness nor cold can harm the device. Cold is mainly a factor because batteries often fail more quickly at low temperatures than in moderate weather.
Northern lights: beautiful to see, difficult to photograph
Taking a photo of them is difficult, however.
So that night along the Garðabraut road, I switched to M mode, i.e. all manual. Our tour guide recommended the following settings:
- Iris, i.e. the F value, opened as wide as possible
- ISO value between 1600 and 3200
- Exposure time between 15 and 30 seconds
Add a tripod. The recommendation from Ovidiu Oprea:
After some trial and error, the Sony Alpha 6500 took the following picture.
Not perfect, but still beautifulThe settings for this image:
- F-Stop: f/5
- Exposure time: 10 seconds
- ISO: 1600
- Focal length: 16mm
- Aperture: 4
I'm gripped by curiosity. At 22:43, I turn the ISO up to the maximum, i.e. 51200, just to see what the camera can do.
Okay, totally useless as an image, but certainly exciting as a tech demoThe conclusion from amateurs and experts
My conclusion, from a photographer who knows nothing about cameras, to you: You are well to very well served with the Sony Alpha 6500. It has never disappointed me, has held out with ironclad determination and has become a loyal companion. So if you're looking for a reliable camera, then I can only recommend it to you.
"Yes, something like that," says video blogger Stephanie Tresch as she walks past my desk and sees the camera's packaging. "I added it to my camera range a few weeks ago," she adds. And she has provided me with the following lines for my review:
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
