I'm a big fan of the A6700, I also have the R7, I tend to recommend the A6700 because of the greater lens options at lower prices. You can get a SmallRig plate that perfectly extends the grip of the camera, making it much nicer to use with the bigger lenses. With the extension the grip feels very similar to the R7.
Hey! Could you make an a6700 video on your channel? Would love to hear your views on this camera! I really want to buy this one but have been confused between this and the Fuji XS20 or even the XT5.
I have the Sony A1 and 600 GM as my main wildlife gear, and bought the A6700 with 70-350 G lens as a lightweight walk around/travel setup. I have been very impressed, have had no problems with misfocus and have had good results even comparing to my top of the line gear. The main attraction to me is the A6700 with 70-350 only weighs 1.1kg so I can take with me virtually everywhere, when I am out with the family or travelling on business. For me it was money very well spent,and I will be taking the A6700 this time matched with the 18-55 G F2.8 lens when I go to Africa next week on safari as my wide angle setup - don’t want to be changing lenses out in the dusty bush on safari. My conclusion is the A6700 with the Sony 70-350 G lens (which is wonderfully sharp and has fast AF) is the ideal combination for those that want a really lightweight wildlife photography setup.
Very much my set up for wildlife. A1 with 600mm and A6700 with Sony 100-400mm. Great walk about camera. Makes sense as a second body for Sony full frame owners.
Amazing video and review, as always! Canon has a crop factor of 1.6x, instead of the usual 1.5x, so that's part of the reason for the subject appearing larger.
I got mine a few weeks ago and for me it's the perfect camera for bird photography. I have the R7 and other cameras that I could use but since I got the a6700 it is the only camera I have used for bird photography. With all this camera has to offer there is nothing that comes close for my shooting. I use the 200-600 Sony lens and that pairs really well with the a6700. The AF on this is crazy good! Also the full time DMF is a great feature you can manually focus to get close then use AF. I haven't had any issues with the AF r focus in general. I do see motion blur from time to time if I don't keep my shutter speed up. Thanks for the video cheers.
Great to hear and I am glad to hear it is working well for you, I think the A6700 - 200-600 Combo is a wonderful birding kit and I can see why you are enjoying it. Cheers, Duade
Thanks for another high-quality video. I especially appreciate that you show the names of the species along with the camera settings when displaying your shots. It's nice to see both parts of wildlife photography - the photography and the wildlife.
Quick fix for the smaller body is to buy either the Smallrig baseplate or the Smallrig cage. I have both and they make the camera feel so much better in the hand, especially their cage as it add a little bit of thickness to the grip.
I was also about to suggest the Smallrig baseplate. The A6600 was more comfortable, but the front dial makes you move your hand down, crowding out the pinky. The baseplate fixed that.
I have the a6700 and Tamron 150-500 combo. I got an used Tamron which was in almost brand new condition at $850. I paid $1400 for a new a6700. So all together ~$2300. Such a great deal and value. I considered R7 but didn't appreciate the Canon RF lens' prices. I love the setup and enjoy it everyday.
Got same combo, also very satisfied, good enough reach on crop, and really nice macro capabilities, especially when set for 180-190mm. For 10 trips I took 9 times tamron 150-500 instead of my sony 200-600, because weight, size and macro advantage.
I'm thinking about the same combo... Was looking for some decent backup/2nd camera with focus on wildlife and already have the 150-500. The a6700 seems perfect for that!
Great video Duade. I purchased the A6700 & 70-350mm for photographing the Deer Rut here in the UK . Mainly for portability. Great features on the APS-C . A/F Amazing with Animal Eye detect . I will be reviewing my last months performance awesome for the Sony
Hi Duade & thanks for another excellent comparison. One thing that shows through all your videos is that it's not just the camera/lens that gets results, it's the technique, which you have in abundance Duade. Getting out & enjoying the experience is the most valuable tip I've got from you. Cheers mate.
Thank you sir, you answered all my questions and confirmed my decision. I sold my R6m2 for the Sony a 6700, size and cost of glass was the reason. I have the R7 which I am keeping for wildlife. I love the lens selection with Sony. I think canon crippled its sales by not allowing third party glass. The Sony will be my travel, street, walk around, but it is great to know I can still get some birds. I got the Sony 70-350 to pair with it to start. I managed to get a Sony kit with the same reach as I had with the R6m2, for half the cost and a third of the weight.
I think the C1button is placed there for vloggers. Hold the camera facing you with your left hand and maybe then you can reach the C1 button more easily, and bind it to something you find useful in that situation.
Amazing! If your pinky get's lost: I always use Smallrig cages/bottoms for my 6000/a7 series ... works magic. There is a brand new 6700 one for 30€ i believe... recommended. Thanks Duade!
Great honest review Duade! Could you do a comparison across all crop sensor cameras you've used? You're one of the few people on YT who do wildlife photography reviews across various brands, and that gives me a lot of confidence in your opinion. Cheers Duade!
Excellent review Duade! I love the side by side APS-c shoot out. Surprising reach results between the Sony and Canon combos! Now that there is another comparable APSC wildlife body out there, we can confirm that sensor read out speeds affect keeper rates and have more realistic expectations for these bargain priced bodies (compared to their FF offerings)! I can't wait to see your Fuji review to complete the competive offerings in the field for us birders!
No, you can wait for the review of the Z500. I jumped ship from Nikon to Canon with the R7, the Dark Side of the Force, and now I fear the Return of the Jedi, with Nikon and its wonderful light saber PF lens...😱
@@DuadeI would love to see you review the X-H2S as well. It has a super fast readout speed, but I often get soft photos or slightly missed focus with it and the 150-600, very similar to the issues you've experienced with the A6700 and R7. Honestly, it's a bit of a relief to see other manufacturers and models perform similarly. It's easy to get unrealistic expectations and gear envy/buyer's remorse, but I'm starting to get the sense that all these current APSC cameras still have some autofocus limitations for some reason and will take a bit longer to catch up to full frame performance.
@@Duade I shoot street photography in addition to bird photography and I love my XH2S because of its versatility and improved AF. However, I'm barely hobbling on and the lens selection is killing me! I cannot carry heavy zooms and need to be able to hand hold (no tripod). I don't really want to invest in micro four thirds so right now, the XH2S, something from Sony (but so far even with the smaller body, I'm not sure if there's a lighter weight lens that would serve for bird photography) or the R7 (been there, done that before they made changes to the system). I have several Fuji lenses (mostly for street) and a few Nikon F mount/DX mount lenses. The Fuji 150-600mm may be the ticket for most, but I am holding out hope that something with a farther reach than the Fuji 100-400 or the new Sigma version. The likelihood of quality glass though at something less than 3lbs is unlikely and may ultimately push me over to M4/3. Thank you again for all you do!
Thanks, yes, weight can be tough that is for sure. I would love to try the Xh2S at some stage. Lets hope Fuji release a nice light lens for you. Cheers, Duade@@juliette-mansour
I'm jealous of the viewfinder location on this camera. I've always thought it a bit silly that I'm rubbing my nose all over the back LCD when looking through a viewfinder. In (D)SLRs it was because of the physical optical path, but this is no longer required on mirrorless camears.
The man advantage of viewfinders being in the middle is they are easier to use with either eye, with the viewfinder over to the left this favours using your right eye, which doesn’t suit everyone. I shoot with my left eye and much prefer a central viewfinder.
You did a great job as always, Duade! One thing I really like about the a6700 over the R7 is it has virtually no jello wobbles when using electronic shutter. The R7 has a pretty bad wobble problem as you know. I have had similar BIF misses with the a6700. I read somewhere that the a6700 has a 26ms readout speed but, other than less wobbles, I agree, it seems to be a littler slower than the R7 in the real world.
Another totally honest and informative review from you Duade. From my perspective the size of the A6700 body was surprising in its compactness and I too prefer larger body sizes especially with the bigger lenses (fascinating how you compared to the R7 and 100-500mm lens). Having said that for those who want a compact, lighter package but yet with impressive autofocus/eye detection and other expected features/capabilities all at a good price, then this is an impressive APS-C package. I enjoyed the way you tested across wildlife, landscape, macro as folk like me do want to know not just wildlife capabilities. Highlights for me the beautiful Black-fronted Dotterel (few are seen in NZ), Wangaratta sunrise, absolutely delightful Antechinus shots, macro moth features, superb moonscape. Finally I appreciate the way you always show RAW and processed images and how you are upfront with AI (not a fan personally but maybe too much a traditionalist). Always enjoy viewing Duade so thanks again mate.
Duane, thanks for the review of the Sony A6700 camera and Tamron lens. I consider the information a great value, as I either wait for the Canon R7 mk 2 or go for the current Sony A6700. ❤😅
Hey Duade! I would like to see a comparison between the Tamron 150-500 and Sigma 150-600 lenses, especially considering autofocus. Keep up the great work!
As a "long time" A7RIV shooter I'd love to see a comparison between the A6700 and the RIV/RV in crop mode, same MP but FF vs APS-C sensor. Focus might be better but who knows about IQ and noise?
Appreciate the comparison of the lens/body combinations, especially for eespecting that not everyone can afford the most costly options - thanks Duade.
Wow great review. Like the way you are Canon fanboy, but are willing to give other brands a once over and an honest opinion. I have the 70-350 and in process of upgrading to the Tamron for a bit of extra reach , but still maintaining a relatively compact size. The A6700 has a deeper grip than previous models, however the front dial doze dig into finger real estate - hence the Pinky syndrome. The bottom plate helps in that respect. So easily resolved. My big gripe withy Sony is they seem to pack all there cameras with features for filming makers and vloggers in mind. I wish they did a more stripped down version of the A6700 with photography as it's main priority. They could rename it & call it the A6200. 📸
Agreed, I’m fed up of paying for features I’ll never use, I have zero interest in videography yet still have to pay for those features, I miss the days of cameras being for photographers.
Consistently great photos. Not sure I see the argument for getting a difficult to handle APSC body and then having to use full frame lenses. The A7iv still had lower noise in crop mode and I'm sure the % difference in weight is very small as the lens would make up the bulk of it.
Good review. I got the a6700 and had the same impression about the AF. During my trip it felt snappy and spot on, but when I checked on my computer, I found I had a ton of soft images (I felt it was more than with my former a6500.) I'm not sure if it's user mistakes (I'm just a beginner, new to this camera and was probably not using the best settings) or a camera issue... I'll have to do more tests. Thanks for the review. Very interesting.
Hello, do you still have lot of soft image ? I'm currently in this situation, a6700 + 150-500, if the subjectif is a bit far away, even if there is eye af, I got a lot of soft shot
Superlative review as usual. Regarding the low number of sharp keepers in bursts of shooting, that’s exactly my experience with my R7 and the 100-500mm, and you’ve commented on that issue for the R7 in the past, presumably due to the low readout speed. In your experience, can you comment on a comparison of the keeper rate between the R7 at 15 fps and the A6700 with 11 fps?
I have the X-H2S with the 150-600 and I have the same experience in terms of soft shots and missed focus. It has a super fast readout speed due to the stacked sensor, and the tracking performance itself seems great while in the field. So, while I'm sure a slow readout speed doesn't help anything, I'm starting to get the sense that all these current APS-C cameras still have some autofocus limitations for whatever reason and will take a bit longer to catch up to full frame performance.
Excellent review and I am very happy to hear and see the results. Me, I am interested in the Sony 70-200mm F2.8 G II and A6700 +TCs. I do travel a lot and I find this combo more versatile then with 200-600mm. I own an A1 and 200-600mm and was looking for second camera, somewhat compact and light-waight. What do you think about that? I shoot birds 70% of the time.
G'day mate! I've been wrestling around about which 'wildlife' lens to purchase. Your vid has definitely narrowed my search. Much appreciated. I live about 20 minutes away from Merritt Island Wildlife Reserve in FLA. So, the birding photography is extraordinary! I also get to see a rocket launch once in awhile. Anyway, thank you for the well thought out video. BTW, the Sony gets the nod.
Excellent review! I have the a6400, just upgraded to a6700. I have the 200-600G (note it is G not GM probably why it actually goes only to 550) and 2x converter. I have been buying only FE lenses in anticipation of buying a full frame Sony in the future. You don't mention two things. The articulated LCD and the focus bracketing. I have issues with both. Video performance and water resistance are two other problems with the a6700. Unlike the a6400 LCD, the a6700 LCD does NOT tilt up or down directly at the body. It must be flipped out/extended before it can be tilted. This flips out the LCD into an awkward offset from the lens. I use the camera held at near waist level (1/2 the ceiling height) especially when framing an indoor room. The a7RV has BOTH flip out AND tilt capability. Why this wasn't used is a mystery; a6900? The focus bracketing for image stacking works wonderfully, but will only work with auto-focus lenses, so for extreme macro, a mechanical motor driven slide is still needed, but for larger items and landscapes it is excellent. A picture of a bowl of fruit, for example, came out as good as the mechanical slide images I had done using the a6400 (using Helcon Focus to stack the images). Note the cameras increment the MECHANICAL shutter counter, so you might want to take the images using electronic and NOT mechanical. With still images, there won't be any rolling shutter, so the mechanical shutter is not needed. Ironically, one of the first test I did with my 200-600 was take a series of the Moon...turned out great with excellent detail. I also did some test with the video. At 1080p no problem and records forever (using V30 uSD cards[in adapter]), but higher resolutions shut down after ten minutes from heat. However, there are a couple of aftermarket cooling units that attach where the LCD is (LCD must be extended) that fix the heat problem. Note the sensor on the a6700 is the same as in the FX30 (26MP APS-C Exmor R CMOS sensor and BIONZ XR ). The FX30 has a built in cooling fan. One last issue is water resistance. Sony claims the a6400, a6600, and a6700 are water resistant, but only some of the Sony lenses are water resistant. All the FE e-mount lenses are water resistant. The problem with the a6xxx cameras though is the e-mount flange is about 2mm SMALLER in diameter than on the FE cameras. The gasket on the FE GM lenses FAILS to engage the smaller a6xxx flange which compromises the water resistance. Bottom line is water infiltration is possible at the flange! Oops!
This is a great review because you were very objective in pointing out pros and cons of the camera, even many cons that other reviewers have not noted. I'm a traveler and so am willing to deal with the weaknesses of this camera body because it is so small, and I need something super light. So, you raise another point---what are the ethics of such heavy manipulation of photo images? I'm actually bothered by what is going on in photo editing at this time. AI is just making it worse. The art of photography was originally that with a manual camera the only photo editing that could be done was manipulation of a minor sort in the development lab. Your skill in composition and setting light ranges was everything. Now, our cameras do so much more than the basic manual cameras of the past, and with the advent of editing software, there is very little of the original actual PHOTOGRAPHIC subject that remains. In my opinion, the more heavily the original subject is edited, the less the "photo" is a photo, and the more it is an AI-generated composition. If you heavily edit "the real world," it is no longer a photo, it is an electronic painting. Photo journalism has important rules about photo manipulation. Thanks for raising this important issue.
Great info as usual thanks Duade! Which would you say is the better all round camera between the A6700 and the older FF A7iii? Up to ISO12800? Which would you take from the A7iii and A6700 for similar price?
Hi Duade, great review. I think ai will stick with my R7 however. Have you done a review on the RF100-500 with the 1.4 adaptor? I can’t seem to get really sharp pics and wanted some tips…the lens works great by itself but sometimes you just need to get closer in the smaller birds..I was a bit disappointed by the results of this combination actually. What are your views?
G'day Gareth, the 1.4 can impact IQ for sure, and you really do need good light to make it shine. You could try shooting at f/11 to see if that helps. I personally don't use it very much. Cheers, Duade
Hello Duade how was that camera with the offset view finder is that something that is distracting or is that something you can get used to , As always Duade you do great reviews .
Hoi Duade, Thank you for your review. I use the Sony a 6400 with a MEIKE Battery grip, which works well for Wildlife. Hope so that I can buy the a 6700 in 2024 ? And a Smallrig cage, The 200-600 mm is my lens in the Field. Hope a review from you to look with Sony 70-200 mm f2.8 mk ii and TC 1.4. Special for Butterflies and other insects. Your Bird pics are stunning. Thank you Duade 👍
Great review, I have had the 6700 with Tamron 150 500 for a month or so now and have experienced the same issue of EVF focus looking spot on but when viewing later it has missed it. Everything else though is great! Also you didn't mention the fact that the Tamron has a very short .6mtr focus distance, whereas the Sony is 2.4.
I dont shoot wildlife, but I enjoyed this video, everything you said is spot on, The AF ending up wrong happens to me too. The focus box tells u it’s in focus, you take the shot and it realise later it wasn’t focused on what it said it did. And I have to use spot most times. Asides that I’m happy with everything else because of my use case, taking stationary talking head videos and photographing cars and family, hence no sudden movements, as for the size, I’m ok with it, as it’s meant to be a compact body, also a buttom plate by smallrig increases the grip height, giving your pinkie finger a place to rest. Anyways, wonderful video, ride on!
This is the review I've been looking for since I got my A6700 ! I was wondering if a telephoto lens on an APSC would be good. Now it's time to save money to buy one 😅 Thank you !
I use a6700 with Sigma 150-600 and Sony 70-350, mostly for dragonflies, and may be it is only impression, but the second is a bit sharper. But even with Sigma I don't see much soft images And the eye af and tracking are just great, both for dragonflies and for birds
Perhaps if that was your usual camera, then the larger camera would feel strange. 😅 Always great to see your shots and those colourful and varied Aussie birds. Cheers, from NZ.
I think you’ll find that the rolling shutter is a lot better if you shoot in lossy compressed raw. It looks like your test was done with uncompressed raw.
I am having the exact same problems with misfocus. AF is locking in the EVF, showing me a solid track, then I get home and bleh... I am thinking of returning it. It's quite disappointing.
I’ve had issues with the crop sensor Sony bodies and that Tamron 150-500 - both moving subject and static subjects I was dumbfounded by some of the misses and soft shots. My Sony 200-600 on all those bodies is a completely different experience, with next to no soft shots.
Hi , I love your TH-cam channel really good been following it now for quite some time, I see you use monitors quite a bit have you done any reviews on monitors as I'm thinking about purchasing one for my Cannon r7 with a rf100-500 lens etc .. would appreciate if you can do a post for this . Kind regards D in the the Uk ... 🇬🇧
Duane, hope you can give me some advice here :) I'm trying to decide how to upgrade my gear (at the moment i have a Sony Zv E-10 and Sony 70-350), unfortunately I can only buy one object in the next 12 months and the choice is between the Sony a6700 and the Sony 200-600. What would you say is the "right" choice: to have more reach with a long lens, or a viewfinder and better video options? I shoot mammals and birds in swamps and in the mountains.
Another great video mate it handles alot better with a smallrig baseplate to give you some grip for your pinky .I wish sony would make a specific base grip for it for people with bigger hands like me.
Great Video! Myself still waiting on Z500, Nikon has no logical choice to not release it some time. :) Bird Eye AF will be a real step up for me, still rocking D500.
Hello again ,now I have tested a6700 with fe 200-600. It was a sunny autumn day and I feeded and phographed european nutcrackers. Birds came very near and I was blown away with the feather details this combo gave. My other camera was Canon R8 and RF 100-400mm f5,6-8. Sony combo gave little more detail but thats natural because I had crop R8 pics and so the Sony combo had lot of more mpix. A6700 viewfinder is very bright and better than in R8. But now the dark winter is coming to Finland and I decided to return crop sensor a6700 and took the new full frame a7Cll which is now on stores -and dont have a7IV anymore. Maybe You can review this a7Cll also...
15:40 my exact experience with the Sony A7R IV, once I was using animal eye AF and it tracked the animal coming towards me perfectly, box around the eye and I was excited to go home thinking all the shots were in focus but once I viewed on the computer they all missed and were on the neck or tail of the animal. I think the slow readout limits the AF calculations per second and it just couldn't keep up, now using the Sony A1 I don't have this problem.
@@HokKan It's just animal eye AF and it's not meant to work on birds, unlike canons animal eye AF on the R5 that picks up birds. I just always left animals eye AF on and on rare occasions it would pick up a birds eye, the latest Sony camera now have seperate bird eye AF option and I think canon may have seperated it as well.
I have tried both the Sony a6700 and the canon r7. Both have their pros and cons, but if I had to choose between the two aps-c cameras, I would pick the canon r7. The A7iv is a great camera, and I will be buying a canon as well, I love using different brands, and I think the r7 would be a great second camera.
1:44 - Hi Duade, but you do realize the a6xxx series have touchscreen feature that allows for moving the focus area wherever you want on the screen. Granted, it may be a little fiddly but it gets the job done, faster than pressing the 'arrow' keys.
About ISO/noise performance: Sony (in general) tends to be a bit brighter than other brands at the same ISO, so you can get the same shot at 1/3-2/3 stops lower ISO.
Thx for that review, Duade. I already have the A7R III and the 200-600mm lens and generally love that combination. However, the autofocus on the A7R III is a bit dated which doesn't give the image yield for BIF that you get with newer bodies. For that reason I was considering the A6700 as a dedicated BIF camera. But the fact that your BIF images from the A6700 were a bit soft does deter me. So I guess I'll stick with the camera that I have until I stumble over a good deal with the A7 IV (or even the A7R IV), maybe at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
I too would like to know if the occasional soft images - mainly BIF - is user error or anything wrong with the gear (a6700 + Tamron 150-500)? What technique can be used to get sharp shots. Thanks
You have the best apsc hybrid camera in your hands. The autofocus alone takes out Nikons whole Mirrorless line up. 😅 Sony definitely has come back to having the best AF.
Just got 1 yesterday 1 June 2024 this thing is amazing and if you hit the Arrow next to the detection type say animal there is a sub menu on how to lock on and track and stickiness of that subject itself it is great The only thing I do not like? the power switch on and off is at a weird angle for your finger!
The Nikon Z30 or Zfc with the Nikkor Z 24-200 f4-6.3 is a pretty good alternative to the A6700. You always take awesome photos regardless of the gear you use. The look of that mouse behind the rock is priceless Looking forward to your next review.
8:34 your shutter speed 1/250, did you use electronic or mechanical shutter, and is electronic shutter and advantage with perched birds because of less vibration? I also thought lossless compressed was an advantage over shooting compressed? Thank you for your helpful and informative video.
Thanks a lot for this excellent review, and for the wonderful pictures. Considering that there isn't a single APS-C wildlife lens, I would question the sanity of purchasing an APS-C camera for wildlife. First, a used a7 iv is only $600 more than a A6700. Then putting an expensive wildlife lens on an APS-C body means literally throwing away more than 50% of the value of the lens (more than half the light falls outside the APS-C sensor). If these $600 are that critical, then a used canon 5d iv ($1000) with a used tamron ($800) will be a lot cheaper and deliver much better image quality.
Ive used the a6700 + tamron 150-500 for a couple of months now. in my experience with wildlife, the issue Ive personally had with it not catching focus properly is high shutter speeds, anything over 1/2000 seems to have a hard time. I also use the Sony 70-350 G lens as a casual lens. and the shutter speed doesnt seem to have as much of an effect, so it may be because of Sony's limiting of non native lenses. Ive only had to deal with that once in a blue moon though so the sony + tamron combo is fine for most people.
Thanks Duane, very interesting video again on another brand than Canon which is the only one I know and own. Important details you mentioned about the spot focus and joystick - I would love you to come back a bit on Canon and elaborate on the autofocus capabilities and management while in the field; having now a new R6 MII I'm struggling still to be completely comfortable on this topic. Is this something you could teach us about ? thank you !!
Did you have any issues with the A7IV and the 200-600? I have the a6600 and 200-600. I'll be looking to upgrade in a year or two and i can't pick a camera
I have the a6400 and Sony 200-600mm lens. Would it be worth it to upgrade to this camera? The 6400 is poor in low light , which is what I am looking to improve
Let's not forget that canon has bigger crop of 1.6x. It translates to 800mm equiv. on FF. Sony has 1.5x but with focus breathing it gives just around 800mm equiv.
Had similar experience with A7iv and A6700 for sports with the 70 200 GM2 : excellent tracking in the EVF but many actually misfocused shots. I would say that the A6700 is a slight improvement though. Considering that the A7iv repeatedly fails on blond faces (light skin, light eyes, blond eyebrows) and succeeds on faces with light skin and dark eyebrows, my theory is that focusing uses subject contrast to make precise adjustments. Reducing the burst rate helps a lot too. I stopped using Hi-S , going down to 6 FPS with the A7iv and Hi with the A6700.
I do consider A7IV to my 200-600 or actually changing gear to OM1 and 300 mm F4 Pro, from what I actually saw, the 50 fps burst from OM1 is like 90% of hitrate or even more. Considering how much of photo you can shoot in 3 seconds (150) thats a fucking lot.. LOL..
I've had very good experience with birds, even tracking them while flying. I was using either the 70-200 or the 200-600 Sony lens. I find it hard to track flying birds when hand holding the lens. I shake too much due to movement and weight. I believe pros will use a tripod or some device to aid in photographing flying birds. Through experience and looking at my failures, I see where I went wrong. It's not the camera, it may be me shaking or the shutter speed is too low. Now I pay attention to that. Also, the Tamron lens may not lock on as good as the Sony lens. Then you may want to see if the firmware on the Tamron is up to date. So many factors to consider, unlike the days of Nikon F2 and Canon F1 cameras. Most of the time it is user error, wrong settings, etc. So, keep experimenting and one day you will find the right formula. I find using these new cameras easier, yet harder.
I think the image difference between the 2 (sony 600mm vs canon 500mm) is because the crop factor, Canon is 1.6X and Sony is 1.5X. That's is equal to sony 900 and canon at 800mm . and the 32mp Vs 36mp. thanks for such a detail review.
Yet another excellent video Duade. I am now holding my breath for a review of the Canon 200-800. I love the 100-500 and could this be the same but on steroids?
Lets hope so, I will likely have to buy the lens and wait like everyonw else as I don't have a contact at Canon Australia to get the lens early unfortunately. Cheers, Duade
Here's a out of the context question. As a7r3 or a7r4 can't shoot 4k120fps,is it still possible to use a ninja atmos v +(which can shoot upto 4k120fps) to get that job done?
Hello Duane again ,thank you very much of review ' I just bought a6700 ,and I am eager to test it with fe 200-600. I would like to compare it against R10 and EF 500mm IS ll which I also have.
Hi Duade! Since I'm thinking about switching from canon, I did a research, and with lossy raw, the rolling shutter is 25 ms. Which is not great, but better than the r10-7 combo. :)
I think Canon has a 1.6 crop factor and Sony a 1.5 factor. Isn’t that the reason for the Canon subject to a little bigger side by side? Thank you for the good test.
Small bodies mean no front buttons I expect. And Sony's ergos have always been ordinary. I get more pleasure out of using an aging D500 for its feel in the hand than my bank-busting A1. The Tamron 150-500mm is now up to Mk III. Buying 2nd hand it pays to go for a II rather than a I. It's a plus being able to set your focus limit brackets in software - though to be frank, how many of us can accurately estimate distances like 2.7m in the field.
I was hoping you would review this camera. When compared with the Canon I liked the Sony color science better. Curious what you think. Since you like the Sony A7IV a review of the newer A7 CII would be interesting since it has the same sensor as the IV but if I’m not mistaken a more advanced autofocus (that irks some owners of the IV since as per usual Sony doesn’t upgrade with firmware). I’ll be in the market for my first mirrorless camera soon. My main focus has been landscape photography but your channel has really gotten me interested in wildlife.
Hi Duade, great reviews of the Panasonic G9ii and now this a6700 ! This Sony does seem to be very capable in some corners, but the rolling shutter and mostly the body experience (EVF location, button, grip) would turn me off. As for your comparison with the R7 and 100-500: when factoring in the mp differences as well as the 1.6 vs 1.5 crop factor, then the Canon combo would yield relative to the Sony sensor an equivalent 3pixels on the bird of 596mm (500mm*SQRT(32.5/26)*1.6/1.5) which is indeed nearly the same 600mm as the Sony lens .. if only it were a true 600mm ;-) btw: I'm looking forward to the 200-800, as rumored by Jan, which might be announced in a few weeks ..
I wonder there are several lenses that can't take the teleconverters or work bad with them like canons 100-500 but there is no solution for this? I remember in DSLR days the option was the Kenko teleconverter ( I have one myself) and it fit every lens I use it with old ef 70-300 is usm mark 1 :) We dont have anything like that now for mirrorless systems? :) Kenko no longer do new teleconverters?
I had only one problems with canon (R7). Details in shadow. Their raw files are so soft and when printed, even older Sony like A6400, Sony IMHO is few steps better.
Great video! Sadly this body is not for me!😒 However, if Sony could put this sensor/tech into an Alpha 7/9 body (and name it A7000 😉) - i would get one + the 200-600mm....
I know a budget is very important however the main thing for me is image quality and performance. I hear the rf glass is amazing, better than Sony glass. I also heard it’s not the camera body that matters as much as the lens attached to the camera.
I'm a big fan of the A6700, I also have the R7, I tend to recommend the A6700 because of the greater lens options at lower prices. You can get a SmallRig plate that perfectly extends the grip of the camera, making it much nicer to use with the bigger lenses. With the extension the grip feels very similar to the R7.
Hey! Could you make an a6700 video on your channel? Would love to hear your views on this camera! I really want to buy this one but have been confused between this and the Fuji XS20 or even the XT5.
Would you recommend the A6700 and a Sony 70-350mm over a canon r7 and rf 100-400mm?
Or a third party lens like the tamron 150-500mm with the Sony a6700
I have the Sony A1 and 600 GM as my main wildlife gear, and bought the A6700 with 70-350 G lens as a lightweight walk around/travel setup. I have been very impressed, have had no problems with misfocus and have had good results even comparing to my top of the line gear. The main attraction to me is the A6700 with 70-350 only weighs 1.1kg so I can take with me virtually everywhere, when I am out with the family or travelling on business. For me it was money very well spent,and I will be taking the A6700 this time matched with the 18-55 G F2.8 lens when I go to Africa next week on safari as my wide angle setup - don’t want to be changing lenses out in the dusty bush on safari. My conclusion is the A6700 with the Sony 70-350 G lens (which is wonderfully sharp and has fast AF) is the ideal combination for those that want a really lightweight wildlife photography setup.
I love the A6700 and 70-300 combo. For me, there's something special about that lenses.
Very much my set up for wildlife. A1 with 600mm and A6700 with Sony 100-400mm. Great walk about camera. Makes sense as a second body for Sony full frame owners.
Any EVF Blackout?
My set up and I love it. The a6700 + 70-350 is a killer combo
Agreed!@@imranpatel4612
Amazing video and review, as always! Canon has a crop factor of 1.6x, instead of the usual 1.5x, so that's part of the reason for the subject appearing larger.
I got mine a few weeks ago and for me it's the perfect camera for bird photography. I have the R7 and other cameras that I could use but since I got the a6700 it is the only camera I have used for bird photography. With all this camera has to offer there is nothing that comes close for my shooting. I use the 200-600 Sony lens and that pairs really well with the a6700. The AF on this is crazy good! Also the full time DMF is a great feature you can manually focus to get close then use AF. I haven't had any issues with the AF r focus in general. I do see motion blur from time to time if I don't keep my shutter speed up. Thanks for the video cheers.
Great to hear and I am glad to hear it is working well for you, I think the A6700 - 200-600 Combo is a wonderful birding kit and I can see why you are enjoying it. Cheers, Duade
Hi! Would you still recommend a6700 over R7? I am confused between the two.
Thanks for another high-quality video. I especially appreciate that you show the names of the species along with the camera settings when displaying your shots. It's nice to see both parts of wildlife photography - the photography and the wildlife.
My pleasure!
Quick fix for the smaller body is to buy either the Smallrig baseplate or the Smallrig cage. I have both and they make the camera feel so much better in the hand, especially their cage as it add a little bit of thickness to the grip.
I was also about to suggest the Smallrig baseplate. The A6600 was more comfortable, but the front dial makes you move your hand down, crowding out the pinky. The baseplate fixed that.
I have the a6700 and Tamron 150-500 combo. I got an used Tamron which was in almost brand new condition at $850. I paid $1400 for a new a6700. So all together ~$2300. Such a great deal and value. I considered R7 but didn't appreciate the Canon RF lens' prices. I love the setup and enjoy it everyday.
don't forget the closed RF mount too...
Got same combo, also very satisfied, good enough reach on crop, and really nice macro capabilities, especially when set for 180-190mm.
For 10 trips I took 9 times tamron 150-500 instead of my sony 200-600, because weight, size and macro advantage.
I'm thinking about the same combo... Was looking for some decent backup/2nd camera with focus on wildlife and already have the 150-500. The a6700 seems perfect for that!
Great video Duade. I purchased the A6700 & 70-350mm for photographing the Deer Rut here in the UK . Mainly for portability. Great features on the APS-C . A/F Amazing with Animal Eye detect . I will be reviewing my last months performance awesome for the Sony
Yes . would like to see
Hi Duade & thanks for another excellent comparison. One thing that shows through all your videos is that it's not just the camera/lens that gets results, it's the technique, which you have in abundance Duade.
Getting out & enjoying the experience is the most valuable tip I've got from you.
Cheers mate.
Thanks George, I appreciate it and very true, Cheers, Duade
Thank you sir, you answered all my questions and confirmed my decision. I sold my R6m2 for the Sony a 6700, size and cost of glass was the reason. I have the R7 which I am keeping for wildlife. I love the lens selection with Sony. I think canon crippled its sales by not allowing third party glass. The Sony will be my travel, street, walk around, but it is great to know I can still get some birds. I got the Sony 70-350 to pair with it to start. I managed to get a Sony kit with the same reach as I had with the R6m2, for half the cost and a third of the weight.
I think the C1button is placed there for vloggers. Hold the camera facing you with your left hand and maybe then you can reach the C1 button more easily, and bind it to something you find useful in that situation.
Amazing! If your pinky get's lost: I always use Smallrig cages/bottoms for my 6000/a7 series ... works magic. There is a brand new 6700 one for 30€ i believe... recommended. Thanks Duade!
Great honest review Duade! Could you do a comparison across all crop sensor cameras you've used? You're one of the few people on YT who do wildlife photography reviews across various brands, and that gives me a lot of confidence in your opinion. Cheers Duade!
Excellent review Duade! I love the side by side APS-c shoot out. Surprising reach results between the Sony and Canon combos! Now that there is another comparable APSC wildlife body out there, we can confirm that sensor read out speeds affect keeper rates and have more realistic expectations for these bargain priced bodies (compared to their FF offerings)! I can't wait to see your Fuji review to complete the competive offerings in the field for us birders!
No, you can wait for the review of the Z500. I jumped ship from Nikon to Canon with the R7, the Dark Side of the Force, and now I fear the Return of the Jedi, with Nikon and its wonderful light saber PF lens...😱
Thanks, yes, very interesting, I can't wait to see what Nikon come out with and I would love to try the XH2S at some stage. Cheers, Duade
@@DuadeI would love to see you review the X-H2S as well. It has a super fast readout speed, but I often get soft photos or slightly missed focus with it and the 150-600, very similar to the issues you've experienced with the A6700 and R7.
Honestly, it's a bit of a relief to see other manufacturers and models perform similarly. It's easy to get unrealistic expectations and gear envy/buyer's remorse, but I'm starting to get the sense that all these current APSC cameras still have some autofocus limitations for some reason and will take a bit longer to catch up to full frame performance.
@@Duade I shoot street photography in addition to bird photography and I love my XH2S because of its versatility and improved AF. However, I'm barely hobbling on and the lens selection is killing me! I cannot carry heavy zooms and need to be able to hand hold (no tripod). I don't really want to invest in micro four thirds so right now, the XH2S, something from Sony (but so far even with the smaller body, I'm not sure if there's a lighter weight lens that would serve for bird photography) or the R7 (been there, done that before they made changes to the system). I have several Fuji lenses (mostly for street) and a few Nikon F mount/DX mount lenses.
The Fuji 150-600mm may be the ticket for most, but I am holding out hope that something with a farther reach than the Fuji 100-400 or the new Sigma version. The likelihood of quality glass though at something less than 3lbs is unlikely and may ultimately push me over to M4/3. Thank you again for all you do!
Thanks, yes, weight can be tough that is for sure. I would love to try the Xh2S at some stage. Lets hope Fuji release a nice light lens for you. Cheers, Duade@@juliette-mansour
Just wanted to say that I really enjoy watching your videos!
I'm jealous of the viewfinder location on this camera. I've always thought it a bit silly that I'm rubbing my nose all over the back LCD when looking through a viewfinder. In (D)SLRs it was because of the physical optical path, but this is no longer required on mirrorless camears.
The man advantage of viewfinders being in the middle is they are easier to use with either eye, with the viewfinder over to the left this favours using your right eye, which doesn’t suit everyone. I shoot with my left eye and much prefer a central viewfinder.
You did a great job as always, Duade! One thing I really like about the a6700 over the R7 is it has virtually no jello wobbles when using electronic shutter. The R7 has a pretty bad wobble problem as you know. I have had similar BIF misses with the a6700. I read somewhere that the a6700 has a 26ms readout speed but, other than less wobbles, I agree, it seems to be a littler slower than the R7 in the real world.
How the Sony set compares with the OM-1 set (paired with the Leica or Olympus 100-400mm)? Which option would you choose for personal use?
Antechinus popping its head out sooooo cute ☺
Thanks, beautiful species. Cheers, Duade
Another totally honest and informative review from you Duade. From my perspective the size of the A6700 body was surprising in its compactness and I too prefer larger body sizes especially with the bigger lenses (fascinating how you compared to the R7 and 100-500mm lens). Having said that for those who want a compact, lighter package but yet with impressive autofocus/eye detection and other expected features/capabilities all at a good price, then this is an impressive APS-C package. I enjoyed the way you tested across wildlife, landscape, macro as folk like me do want to know not just wildlife capabilities. Highlights for me the beautiful Black-fronted Dotterel (few are seen in NZ), Wangaratta sunrise, absolutely delightful Antechinus shots, macro moth features, superb moonscape. Finally I appreciate the way you always show RAW and processed images and how you are upfront with AI (not a fan personally but maybe too much a traditionalist). Always enjoy viewing Duade so thanks again mate.
Thanks Mike, my pleasure, it was great to get a range of shots, a great camera for the price, we sure are lucky these days, Cheers, Duade
As always: great job! Very helpful and informative review. I think that a6700 has mechanical shutter with no rolling effect.
👍👍
Duane, thanks for the review of the Sony A6700 camera and Tamron lens. I consider the information a great value, as I either wait for the Canon R7 mk 2 or go for the current Sony A6700. ❤😅
My pleasure Stuart, Cheers, Duade
Hey Duade! I would like to see a comparison between the Tamron 150-500 and Sigma 150-600 lenses, especially considering autofocus. Keep up the great work!
As a "long time" A7RIV shooter I'd love to see a comparison between the A6700 and the RIV/RV in crop mode, same MP but FF vs APS-C sensor. Focus might be better but who knows about IQ and noise?
The canon also has a 1.6x crop factor vs the 1.5x crop on the Sony. So that gives you a bit more reach due to the slightly smaller sensor.
Tbh my main gripe with Sony cameras is their ergonomics. I prefer the larger grip on DSLRs. But the a6700 seems like a great alternative to the R7.
Sony's ergonomics are terrible.
Add a smallRig cage to the a6700 and it's 100x better.
Appreciate the comparison of the lens/body combinations, especially for eespecting that not everyone can afford the most costly options - thanks Duade.
Wow great review. Like the way you are Canon fanboy, but are willing to give other brands a once over and an honest opinion. I have the 70-350 and in process of upgrading to the Tamron for a bit of extra reach , but still maintaining a relatively compact size. The A6700 has a deeper grip than previous models, however the front dial doze dig into finger real estate - hence the Pinky syndrome. The bottom plate helps in that respect. So easily resolved. My big gripe withy Sony is they seem to pack all there cameras with features for filming makers and vloggers in mind. I wish they did a more stripped down version of the A6700 with photography as it's main priority. They could rename it & call it the A6200. 📸
Agreed, I’m fed up of paying for features I’ll never use, I have zero interest in videography yet still have to pay for those features, I miss the days of cameras being for photographers.
Consistently great photos. Not sure I see the argument for getting a difficult to handle APSC body and then having to use full frame lenses. The A7iv still had lower noise in crop mode and I'm sure the % difference in weight is very small as the lens would make up the bulk of it.
Good review.
I got the a6700 and had the same impression about the AF. During my trip it felt snappy and spot on, but when I checked on my computer, I found I had a ton of soft images (I felt it was more than with my former a6500.) I'm not sure if it's user mistakes (I'm just a beginner, new to this camera and was probably not using the best settings) or a camera issue... I'll have to do more tests.
Thanks for the review. Very interesting.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Cheers, Duade
Hello, do you still have lot of soft image ? I'm currently in this situation, a6700 + 150-500, if the subjectif is a bit far away, even if there is eye af, I got a lot of soft shot
Superlative review as usual. Regarding the low number of sharp keepers in bursts of shooting, that’s exactly my experience with my R7 and the 100-500mm, and you’ve commented on that issue for the R7 in the past, presumably due to the low readout speed. In your experience, can you comment on a comparison of the keeper rate between the R7 at 15 fps and the A6700 with 11 fps?
I have the X-H2S with the 150-600 and I have the same experience in terms of soft shots and missed focus. It has a super fast readout speed due to the stacked sensor, and the tracking performance itself seems great while in the field. So, while I'm sure a slow readout speed doesn't help anything, I'm starting to get the sense that all these current APS-C cameras still have some autofocus limitations for whatever reason and will take a bit longer to catch up to full frame performance.
Noisy Miner. I love the names of birds in Australia. Thanks, Duade.
Excellent review and I am very happy to hear and see the results. Me, I am interested in the Sony 70-200mm F2.8 G II and A6700 +TCs. I do travel a lot and I find this combo more versatile then with 200-600mm. I own an A1 and 200-600mm and was looking for second camera, somewhat compact and light-waight. What do you think about that? I shoot birds 70% of the time.
I appreciate the offset viewfinder because it's offset enough that my nose doesn't bonk into the display as much with it, using my right eye.
G'day mate! I've been wrestling around about which 'wildlife' lens to purchase. Your vid has definitely narrowed my search. Much appreciated. I live about 20 minutes away from Merritt Island Wildlife Reserve in FLA. So, the birding photography is extraordinary! I also get to see a rocket launch once in awhile. Anyway, thank you for the well thought out video. BTW, the Sony gets the nod.
Excellent review!
I have the a6400, just upgraded to a6700. I have the 200-600G (note it is G not GM probably why it actually goes only to 550) and 2x converter. I have been buying only FE lenses in anticipation of buying a full frame Sony in the future.
You don't mention two things. The articulated LCD and the focus bracketing. I have issues with both. Video performance and water resistance are two other problems with the a6700.
Unlike the a6400 LCD, the a6700 LCD does NOT tilt up or down directly at the body. It must be flipped out/extended before it can be tilted. This flips out the LCD into an awkward offset from the lens. I use the camera held at near waist level (1/2 the ceiling height) especially when framing an indoor room. The a7RV has BOTH flip out AND tilt capability. Why this wasn't used is a mystery; a6900?
The focus bracketing for image stacking works wonderfully, but will only work with auto-focus lenses, so for extreme macro, a mechanical motor driven slide is still needed, but for larger items and landscapes it is excellent. A picture of a bowl of fruit, for example, came out as good as the mechanical slide images I had done using the a6400 (using Helcon Focus to stack the images). Note the cameras increment the MECHANICAL shutter counter, so you might want to take the images using electronic and NOT mechanical. With still images, there won't be any rolling shutter, so the mechanical shutter is not needed.
Ironically, one of the first test I did with my 200-600 was take a series of the Moon...turned out great with excellent detail.
I also did some test with the video. At 1080p no problem and records forever (using V30 uSD cards[in adapter]), but higher resolutions shut down after ten minutes from heat. However, there are a couple of aftermarket cooling units that attach where the LCD is (LCD must be extended) that fix the heat problem. Note the sensor on the a6700 is the same as in the FX30 (26MP APS-C Exmor R CMOS sensor and BIONZ XR ). The FX30 has a built in cooling fan.
One last issue is water resistance. Sony claims the a6400, a6600, and a6700 are water resistant, but only some of the Sony lenses are water resistant. All the FE e-mount lenses are water resistant. The problem with the a6xxx cameras though is the e-mount flange is about 2mm SMALLER in diameter than on the FE cameras. The gasket on the FE GM lenses FAILS to engage the smaller a6xxx flange which compromises the water resistance. Bottom line is water infiltration is possible at the flange! Oops!
This is a great review because you were very objective in pointing out pros and cons of the camera, even many cons that other reviewers have not noted. I'm a traveler and so am willing to deal with the weaknesses of this camera body because it is so small, and I need something super light. So, you raise another point---what are the ethics of such heavy manipulation of photo images? I'm actually bothered by what is going on in photo editing at this time. AI is just making it worse. The art of photography was originally that with a manual camera the only photo editing that could be done was manipulation of a minor sort in the development lab. Your skill in composition and setting light ranges was everything. Now, our cameras do so much more than the basic manual cameras of the past, and with the advent of editing software, there is very little of the original actual PHOTOGRAPHIC subject that remains. In my opinion, the more heavily the original subject is edited, the less the "photo" is a photo, and the more it is an AI-generated composition. If you heavily edit "the real world," it is no longer a photo, it is an electronic painting. Photo journalism has important rules about photo manipulation. Thanks for raising this important issue.
Great info as usual thanks Duade! Which would you say is the better all round camera between the A6700 and the older FF A7iii? Up to ISO12800? Which would you take from the A7iii and A6700 for similar price?
Hi Duade, great review. I think ai will stick with my R7 however. Have you done a review on the RF100-500 with the 1.4 adaptor? I can’t seem to get really sharp pics and wanted some tips…the lens works great by itself but sometimes you just need to get closer in the smaller birds..I was a bit disappointed by the results of this combination actually. What are your views?
G'day Gareth, the 1.4 can impact IQ for sure, and you really do need good light to make it shine. You could try shooting at f/11 to see if that helps. I personally don't use it very much. Cheers, Duade
Even though I'm pretty settled with my Canon gear (R5...and hopefully R5-2), I always enjoy and get alot out of your product reviews Duade.
Please make a comparison video of Canon R7 VS Sony A6700.
Hello Duade how was that camera with the offset view finder is that something that is distracting or is that something you can get used to , As always Duade you do great reviews .
Hoi Duade, Thank you for your review.
I use the Sony a 6400 with a MEIKE Battery grip, which works well for Wildlife.
Hope so that I can buy the a 6700 in 2024 ?
And a Smallrig cage, The 200-600 mm is my lens in the Field.
Hope a review from you to look with Sony 70-200 mm f2.8 mk ii and TC 1.4.
Special for Butterflies and other insects.
Your Bird pics are stunning.
Thank you Duade 👍
Great review, I have had the 6700 with Tamron 150 500 for a month or so now and have experienced the same issue of EVF focus looking spot on but when viewing later it has missed it. Everything else though is great! Also you didn't mention the fact that the Tamron has a very short .6mtr focus distance, whereas the Sony is 2.4.
I dont shoot wildlife, but I enjoyed this video, everything you said is spot on, The AF ending up wrong happens to me too. The focus box tells u it’s in focus, you take the shot and it realise later it wasn’t focused on what it said it did. And I have to use spot most times. Asides that I’m happy with everything else because of my use case, taking stationary talking head videos and photographing cars and family, hence no sudden movements, as for the size, I’m ok with it, as it’s meant to be a compact body, also a buttom plate by smallrig increases the grip height, giving your pinkie finger a place to rest. Anyways, wonderful video, ride on!
This is the review I've been looking for since I got my A6700 ! I was wondering if a telephoto lens on an APSC would be good. Now it's time to save money to buy one 😅 Thank you !
My pleasure, the Sony 200-600 is a wonderful lens, Cheers, Duade
Ran into a guy in the field using one of these. Said he loved it. He had a very compact 100-300 on it.
I use a6700 with Sigma 150-600 and Sony 70-350, mostly for dragonflies, and may be it is only impression, but the second is a bit sharper. But even with Sigma I don't see much soft images
And the eye af and tracking are just great, both for dragonflies and for birds
Thanks for sharing, yes, we are very lucky to have such advanced AF these days. Great to hear the lenses are working well for you. Cheers, Duade
Perhaps if that was your usual camera, then the larger camera would feel strange. 😅
Always great to see your shots and those colourful and varied Aussie birds. Cheers, from NZ.
What are your thoughts on video? Also is the video focus better than a7siii? Thanks!
Great video as usual Duade!
Brilliant review. I loved the comparison with the R7.
I think you’ll find that the rolling shutter is a lot better if you shoot in lossy compressed raw. It looks like your test was done with uncompressed raw.
I am having the exact same problems with misfocus. AF is locking in the EVF, showing me a solid track, then I get home and bleh... I am thinking of returning it. It's quite disappointing.
Boldly bringing out the flaws of big brands like focus breathing in the Sony 200-600. This is what I really like about your videos.
I’ve had issues with the crop sensor Sony bodies and that Tamron 150-500 - both moving subject and static subjects I was dumbfounded by some of the misses and soft shots. My Sony 200-600 on all those bodies is a completely different experience, with next to no soft shots.
Hi , I love your TH-cam channel really good been following it now for quite some time, I see you use monitors quite a bit have you done any reviews on monitors as I'm thinking about purchasing one for my Cannon r7 with a rf100-500 lens etc .. would appreciate if you can do a post for this . Kind regards D in the the Uk ... 🇬🇧
Duane, hope you can give me some advice here :) I'm trying to decide how to upgrade my gear (at the moment i have a Sony Zv E-10 and Sony 70-350), unfortunately I can only buy one object in the next 12 months and the choice is between the Sony a6700 and the Sony 200-600. What would you say is the "right" choice: to have more reach with a long lens, or a viewfinder and better video options? I shoot mammals and birds in swamps and in the mountains.
Another great video mate it handles alot better with a smallrig baseplate to give you some grip for your pinky .I wish sony would make a specific base grip for it for people with bigger hands like me.
What about the Tamron 50-400 lens? Seems like that will be a better fit for beginners. What do you think?
Beautiful review. I really love this camera, if only it didn't had EVF on the side
Great Video! Myself still waiting on Z500, Nikon has no logical choice to not release it some time. :)
Bird Eye AF will be a real step up for me, still rocking D500.
Hello again ,now I have tested a6700 with fe 200-600. It was a sunny autumn day and I feeded and phographed european nutcrackers. Birds came very near and I was blown away with the feather details this combo gave. My other camera was Canon R8 and RF 100-400mm f5,6-8. Sony combo gave little more detail but thats natural because I had crop R8 pics and so the Sony combo had lot of more mpix. A6700 viewfinder is very bright and better than in R8. But now the dark winter is coming to Finland and I decided to return crop sensor a6700 and took the new full frame a7Cll which is now on stores -and dont have a7IV anymore. Maybe You can review this a7Cll also...
15:40 my exact experience with the Sony A7R IV, once I was using animal eye AF and it tracked the animal coming towards me perfectly, box around the eye and I was excited to go home thinking all the shots were in focus but once I viewed on the computer they all missed and were on the neck or tail of the animal. I think the slow readout limits the AF calculations per second and it just couldn't keep up, now using the Sony A1 I don't have this problem.
A7r4 has animal eye AF?
@@HokKan It's just animal eye AF and it's not meant to work on birds, unlike canons animal eye AF on the R5 that picks up birds. I just always left animals eye AF on and on rare occasions it would pick up a birds eye, the latest Sony camera now have seperate bird eye AF option and I think canon may have seperated it as well.
@@KurtisPape oh I see, so it's nothing like the a7rv's
I have tried both the Sony a6700 and the canon r7. Both have their pros and cons, but if I had to choose between the two aps-c cameras, I would pick the canon r7. The A7iv is a great camera, and I will be buying a canon as well, I love using different brands, and I think the r7 would be a great second camera.
1:44 - Hi Duade, but you do realize the a6xxx series have touchscreen feature that allows for moving the focus area wherever you want on the screen. Granted, it may be a little fiddly but it gets the job done, faster than pressing the 'arrow' keys.
About ISO/noise performance: Sony (in general) tends to be a bit brighter than other brands at the same ISO, so you can get the same shot at 1/3-2/3 stops lower ISO.
Thanks for that, good to know, Cheers, Duade
Thx for that review, Duade. I already have the A7R III and the 200-600mm lens and generally love that combination. However, the autofocus on the A7R III is a bit dated which doesn't give the image yield for BIF that you get with newer bodies.
For that reason I was considering the A6700 as a dedicated BIF camera. But the fact that your BIF images from the A6700 were a bit soft does deter me. So I guess I'll stick with the camera that I have until I stumble over a good deal with the A7 IV (or even the A7R IV), maybe at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
I too would like to know if the occasional soft images - mainly BIF - is user error or anything wrong with the gear (a6700 + Tamron 150-500)? What technique can be used to get sharp shots. Thanks
Compared to traditional DSLRs Canon eos 90d and Nikon D500, would you recommend this for wildlife? Assume money is not a problem.
You have the best apsc hybrid camera in your hands. The autofocus alone takes out Nikons whole Mirrorless line up. 😅 Sony definitely has come back to having the best AF.
Just got 1 yesterday 1 June 2024 this thing is amazing and if you hit the Arrow next to the detection type say animal there is a sub menu on how to lock on and track and stickiness of that subject itself it is great The only thing I do not like? the power switch on and off is at a weird angle for your finger!
The Nikon Z30 or Zfc with the Nikkor Z 24-200 f4-6.3 is a pretty good alternative to the A6700. You always take awesome photos regardless of the gear you use. The look of that mouse behind the rock is priceless Looking forward to your next review.
8:34 your shutter speed 1/250, did you use electronic or mechanical shutter, and is electronic shutter and advantage with perched birds because of less vibration? I also thought lossless compressed was an advantage over shooting compressed? Thank you for your helpful and informative video.
Thanks a lot for this excellent review, and for the wonderful pictures. Considering that there isn't a single APS-C wildlife lens, I would question the sanity of purchasing an APS-C camera for wildlife. First, a used a7 iv is only $600 more than a A6700. Then putting an expensive wildlife lens on an APS-C body means literally throwing away more than 50% of the value of the lens (more than half the light falls outside the APS-C sensor). If these $600 are that critical, then a used canon 5d iv ($1000) with a used tamron ($800) will be a lot cheaper and deliver much better image quality.
Ive used the a6700 + tamron 150-500 for a couple of months now. in my experience with wildlife, the issue Ive personally had with it not catching focus properly is high shutter speeds, anything over 1/2000 seems to have a hard time. I also use the Sony 70-350 G lens as a casual lens. and the shutter speed doesnt seem to have as much of an effect, so it may be because of Sony's limiting of non native lenses. Ive only had to deal with that once in a blue moon though so the sony + tamron combo is fine for most people.
Thanks Duane, very interesting video again on another brand than Canon which is the only one I know and own. Important details you mentioned about the spot focus and joystick - I would love you to come back a bit on Canon and elaborate on the autofocus capabilities and management while in the field; having now a new R6 MII I'm struggling still to be completely comfortable on this topic. Is this something you could teach us about ? thank you !!
Great video!! Thank you🙏..Any idea how it works on Sigma 150-600 mm C lens?
Did you have any issues with the A7IV and the 200-600? I have the a6600 and 200-600. I'll be looking to upgrade in a year or two and i can't pick a camera
I have the a6400 and Sony 200-600mm lens. Would it be worth it to upgrade to this camera? The 6400 is poor in low light , which is what I am looking to improve
Let's not forget that canon has bigger crop of 1.6x. It translates to 800mm equiv. on FF. Sony has 1.5x but with focus breathing it gives just around 800mm equiv.
Very true, Cheers, Duade
Had similar experience with A7iv and A6700 for sports with the 70 200 GM2 : excellent tracking in the EVF but many actually misfocused shots. I would say that the A6700 is a slight improvement though.
Considering that the A7iv repeatedly fails on blond faces (light skin, light eyes, blond eyebrows) and succeeds on faces with light skin and dark eyebrows, my theory is that focusing uses subject contrast to make precise adjustments.
Reducing the burst rate helps a lot too. I stopped using Hi-S , going down to 6 FPS with the A7iv and Hi with the A6700.
I do consider A7IV to my 200-600 or actually changing gear to OM1 and 300 mm F4 Pro, from what I actually saw, the 50 fps burst from OM1 is like 90% of hitrate or even more. Considering how much of photo you can shoot in 3 seconds (150) thats a fucking lot.. LOL..
Thanks for sharing, good idea lowering the FPS, it seems to increase the hit rate. Cheers, Duade
I've had very good experience with birds, even tracking them while flying. I was using either the 70-200 or the 200-600 Sony lens. I find it hard to track flying birds when hand holding the lens. I shake too much due to movement and weight. I believe pros will use a tripod or some device to aid in photographing flying birds. Through experience and looking at my failures, I see where I went wrong. It's not the camera, it may be me shaking or the shutter speed is too low. Now I pay attention to that. Also, the Tamron lens may not lock on as good as the Sony lens. Then you may want to see if the firmware on the Tamron is up to date. So many factors to consider, unlike the days of Nikon F2 and Canon F1 cameras. Most of the time it is user error, wrong settings, etc. So, keep experimenting and one day you will find the right formula. I find using these new cameras easier, yet harder.
I think the image difference between the 2 (sony 600mm vs canon 500mm) is because the crop factor, Canon is 1.6X and Sony is 1.5X. That's is equal to sony 900 and canon at 800mm . and the 32mp Vs 36mp.
thanks for such a detail review.
Thanks for this a6000 model review Daude! Can you please make a review on the older a6000 models? :]
Yet another excellent video Duade. I am now holding my breath for a review of the Canon 200-800. I love the 100-500 and could this be the same but on steroids?
Lets hope so, I will likely have to buy the lens and wait like everyonw else as I don't have a contact at Canon Australia to get the lens early unfortunately. Cheers, Duade
Here's a out of the context question. As a7r3 or a7r4 can't shoot 4k120fps,is it still possible to use a ninja atmos v +(which can shoot upto 4k120fps) to get that job done?
Hello Duane again ,thank you very much of review ' I just bought a6700 ,and I am eager to test it with fe 200-600. I would like to compare it against R10 and EF 500mm IS ll which I also have.
Hi Duade! Since I'm thinking about switching from canon, I did a research, and with lossy raw, the rolling shutter is 25 ms. Which is not great, but better than the r10-7 combo. :)
I think Canon has a 1.6 crop factor and Sony a 1.5 factor. Isn’t that the reason for the Canon subject to a little bigger side by side? Thank you for the good test.
I saw something about using extension tubes to solve the Sony 600 .. close up mm reduction problem , have you tried it ??
Small bodies mean no front buttons I expect. And Sony's ergos have always been ordinary. I get more pleasure out of using an aging D500 for its feel in the hand than my bank-busting A1.
The Tamron 150-500mm is now up to Mk III. Buying 2nd hand it pays to go for a II rather than a I. It's a plus being able to set your focus limit brackets in software - though to be frank, how many of us can accurately estimate distances like 2.7m in the field.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Cheers, Duade
Recently Acquired a 5DSR , What CF Card would you go for if you never filmed video and only did single shot captures
I was hoping you would review this camera. When compared with the Canon I liked the Sony color science better. Curious what you think.
Since you like the Sony A7IV a review of the newer A7 CII would be interesting since it has the same sensor as the IV but if I’m not mistaken a more advanced autofocus (that irks some owners of the IV since as per usual Sony doesn’t upgrade with firmware).
I’ll be in the market for my first mirrorless camera soon. My main focus has been landscape photography but your channel has really gotten me interested in wildlife.
Hi Duade, great reviews of the Panasonic G9ii and now this a6700 !
This Sony does seem to be very capable in some corners, but the rolling shutter and mostly the body experience (EVF location, button, grip) would turn me off.
As for your comparison with the R7 and 100-500: when factoring in the mp differences as well as the 1.6 vs 1.5 crop factor, then the Canon combo would yield relative to the Sony sensor an equivalent 3pixels on the bird of 596mm (500mm*SQRT(32.5/26)*1.6/1.5) which is indeed nearly the same 600mm as the Sony lens .. if only it were a true 600mm ;-)
btw: I'm looking forward to the 200-800, as rumored by Jan, which might be announced in a few weeks ..
I agree 100%🪶
Thanks for that and makes sense, yes, I too would love to see the 200-800, Cheers, Duade
@@Duade When Canon is smart, you and Jan are already playing with the preproduction version 😛
I wonder there are several lenses that can't take the teleconverters or work bad with them like canons 100-500 but there is no solution for this? I remember in DSLR days the option was the Kenko teleconverter ( I have one myself) and it fit every lens I use it with old ef 70-300 is usm mark 1 :) We dont have anything like that now for mirrorless systems? :) Kenko no longer do new teleconverters?
I had only one problems with canon (R7). Details in shadow. Their raw files are so soft and when printed, even older Sony like A6400, Sony IMHO is few steps better.
Great video! Sadly this body is not for me!😒
However, if Sony could put this sensor/tech into an Alpha 7/9 body (and name it A7000 😉) - i would get one + the 200-600mm....
Nice vid thanks! Subbed.
Awesome, thank you!
I know a budget is very important however the main thing for me is image quality and performance. I hear the rf glass is amazing, better than Sony glass. I also heard it’s not the camera body that matters as much as the lens attached to the camera.
The buffer is unlimited in my testing as long as you have a V90 card. That's in lossless RAW mode at the highest resolution in HI burst mode.