Sony A6600 Review: A Small but Mighty Mirrorless for Wildlife Photography Enthusiasts
Sony A6600 pictured with the 16-55 G OSS F/2.8 Lens
Introduction
The Sony A6600 is a camera that surprised me in more ways than one. When I first bought mine, I must admit that I didn’t have the highest high expectations for it. Maybe it was the less than favorable initial reception that the camera received on blogs across the internet, or perhaps it was the overshadowing presence of Sony’s impressive full-frame offerings that never cease to grab the headlines.
I knew it had to at least be decent, because I’ve tried multiple Sony’s in the past (including the A6500 and A7RIV) and I was generally pleased with them, however I wasn’t sure how good the A6600 would be in comparison. At first, I was simply expecting it would be a good performing, relatively small and lightweight B-camera that I would be using primarily for stabilized video shooting on a gimbal. I didn’t realize that it would become the camera that I reach for on a regular basis.
Disclaimer: My review focuses on real world use as opposed to specs. Those searching for a technical breakdown of specifications and deep-dive comparisons may wish to look elsewhere. Please note: I am not compensated, sponsored, or otherwise paid by Sony Imaging in any way, these remarks are my unbiased impressions based on personal experience.
Snowy Egret, Sony A6600 with 70-350 F/4.5-6.3
1:1 of the previous image
Autofocus Performance
So much for saving the best for last. Autofocus performance is, in my opinion, the best part about the A6600.
The autofocus performance of the camera is remarkable, next-level, amazing, whatever superlative you want to use. I would go far as to say that it seems to exceed the performance of the full-frame A7RIV that I tried on short term loan. This may not be terribly surprising, given that the A6600 shares the same autofocus engine as the A9, and the A7RIV is first and foremost focused on being a high resolution powerhouse. The A6600 simply has one of the best autofocus systems in any camera I have used to date regardless of format.
For the highest amount of focusing accuracy, I like to use the flexible spot, A.K.A. center point focus mode. If I have a fast moving subject, a small subject in a cluttered environment, or any other situation where fine critical focus is important, this is the mode I choose.
For subjects like birds in flight against a low contrast background like a sky, I prefer to use zone focus. This mode, also known as group focus on other cameras, isolates the available focus points to the center cluster of focus points, and the camera auto selects areas of highest contrast. The camera does an admirable job with birds in flight, with automatic focusing modes responding instantly to fast moving subjects and making intelligent decisions about where to focus. It is one of the few APS-C cameras I have tried that is as sure-footed as the formidable Nikon D500 DSLR for this task - and that is saying a lot, the D500 is an autofocusing beast.
Coyote, Sony A6600 with 70-350 F/4.5-6.3
My favorite focus mode by far is Tracking Flexible Spot. The real-time tracking technology in the latest Sony cameras is really good. It’s as easy as placing the focus square on the the subject, recomposing the shot, and taking the shot. In my experience, it is not quite as accurate as Flexible Spot (probably in part because the tracking square is larger) but it reliably gets you in the ballpark every time, and sticks there like glue. Yes, you can initiate tracking with just about any modern mirrorless camera, but it’s the actual implementation of the technology and tenacity of the tracking on the Sony which is so superb.
I want to pause to emphasize something here: in my humble opinion, the tracking mode is probably the single feature that impresses me the most about the A6600. It works so well, that it completely transforms the way I like to take pictures - to the point where I find it hard to imagine shooting without it. It is one of those features that takes this camera from being good, to actually being something quite special. Once you try it, you may never want to go back to single point focus, or to another camera for that matter - that is, until it can meet or beat Sony’s performance in this area. I can almost forgive the camera for not having a focus point joystick because the tracking performance is that good. Simply put the focus square on your target, half press the shutter and have it follow the subject around seamlessly throughout the frame, and then the focus square snaps back to the center after you release the shutter.
In practice, what this mode helps me do is to spend less time fiddling with focus and more time focusing on subject matter, framing, and composition. While Nikon and Canon have had similar “3D” and “AI” tracking modes for some time, this Sony implementation is nearly flawless - it’s a really quite a remarkable achievement.
But enough on that for now. You get the point.
Osprey, Sony A6600 with 70-350 F/4.5-6.3
Build
The A6600 generally feels like a solid and well-built camera. I would say it is probably on par with Sony Gen. 3 A series cameras like the A7III, but not quite to the level as the latest A9II and A7RIV.
Sony advertises that the camera has some moisture and dust resistance, but I don’t think Sony has taken weather sealing of this camera to the same level that Nikon, Canon, Olympus have (or even Sony has with their latest full-frame mirrorless bodies). Weather sealing of this camera appears primarily focused on tight fitting seam tolerances as opposed to rubberized gaskets, which appear missing on the commonly found places such as the battery cover and connectivity flap. Time will tell if the camera stands up to rigors and abuse of the great outdoors. I don’t know if I would trust it in the same grueling environments as some of the more rugged bodies out there, but I don’t really have the data points to back it up.
The grip design feels very good in my medium-ish sized hands, while accepting that this is still a relatively small camera. It doesn’t reach the ergonomic comfort level of cameras like the Nikon Z or Olympus E-M1X, but I find it more than adequate when you take into account the compact size. Ergonomics are obviously a very personal thing.
They work for me.
Great egret, Sony A6600 with 70-350 F/4.5-6.3
Performance
Performance of the A6600 is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the camera has incredibly fast autofocus tracking, 11 FPS mechanical burst rate, and 120hz refresh rate EVF. On the other hand, it takes roughly 40 seconds for the camera to unload the buffer onto the UHS-I SD card after only shooting about 46 RAWs. Why Sony cheaped out on their latest flagship APS-C model by offering only a single UHS-I slot is a mystery to me.
Similarly, I always find it annoying when a mirrorless camera has perceptible delay when changing settings, and the A6600 does hesitate in some instances. For example, when you change the shutter and aperture, there is small but noticeable lag for the new settings to register. I’ve experienced this same phenomena on multiple Sony cameras in the past, and I wonder if it boils down to processor or GUI performance. It’s not a dealbreaker, and in practice it doesn’t affect shooting much, but it’s there, and it bugs me a little. There’s also some random times when the EVF or LCD slightly lag/hiccup for no good reason. This jumpy behavior is particularly noticeable when half-pressing the shutter and panning. If you are a DSLR-user moving to mirrorless for the first time, you may have to prepare yourself for some of these minor annoyances.
*Update 8/7/20: If you change the setting “Finder Frame Rate under Camera 2, Menu 6” to high, it drastically improves the performance of the viewfinder - no more jumpy lag when pushing the shutter button down!
In real-world use, the camera is still overall quite a responsive and nimble companion. The combination of the incredible AF Tracking and good burst modes means that it works quite well for flighty subjects like wildlife - just know that you may be disappointed with the buffer performance if you are accustomed to taking long bursts in RAW - something that is all too commonly done in wildlife photography.
High sierras, Sony A6600 with 16-55 G OSS F/2.8
EVF and LCD
The EVF and LCD on this camera are good, but are not class leading. I appreciate that the EVF is 120HZ and suitable for fast pans, and I have no trouble tracking moving subjects. The optics are clear and crisp, but it lacks the immersive feel of a larger and higher resolution EVFs (e.g., something like the Panasonic G9 offers). While the rear LCD is fine, it would be nice if it were a bit brighter for use in bright sunlight, and a bit less pixelated. I do appreciate that the LCD articulates freely, but I personally prefer a side mounted LCD like the one on the Olympus E-M1 series and many Canon/Panasonic cameras.
Controls
While overall I find the controls adequate on the A6600, I feel the camera and the several APS-C models that preceded it are in desperate need of a front command dial. One can get by with setting the rear rotary dial to control aperture or shutter speed, but I’m not a huge fan of this. I hope that future models employ a front dial.
The controls are otherwise good. There is a respectable number of custom controls, and yes, the camera is very highly customizable.
Pika, Sony A6600 with 70-350 F/4.5-6.3
One remarkable customization feature that I enjoy the most is the Recall Custom Hold setting. This setting allows you to recall a suite of camera settings, such aperture, shutter speed, aperture, focus mode, focus area selection, etc., by simply pressing and holding a preset function button. It allows you to quickly change between shooting styles, for example, shooting a stationary bird on a branch versus the same bird when it inevitably takes flight. This feature helps you to be more nimble and responsive to changing situations. Sure, you can use custom modes on many other cameras, but it is typically not as easy as pressing and releasing a custom button to toggle the custom modes.
I also enjoy that, like all Sony E-Mount cameras, the A6600 is set up with single handed operation in mind. For instance, all of the controls are on the right side of the camera, and that includes the On/Off switch and lens release button. I never liked having the On/Off switch on the left side of the camera like it is on Olympus and Canon cameras.
With the A6600 and 70-350, you may not have the longest reach nor the best possible image quality, but the small size of this combination makes it easy to take with you just about anywhere. That’s not something you can say about a full-frame setup, except maybe the Nikon PF lenses.
I like that I can walk around with the camera in one hand and be read to shoot in an instant, even if the camera is off. I also like being able to push the lens release button with my right hand while unscrewing the lens with my left. I am a big fan of add-on battery grips, especially when shooting with larger telephoto lenses. Sadly, Sony does not offer one that is compatible with the A6600.
Marmot, Sony A6600 with 70-350 F/4.5-6.3
Stabilization
The optical stabilization in the A6600 is a welcome addition to this product line. It’s rated for 5 stops of stabilization and generally works well in photographic situations. It also works well for video, albeit only when you are stationary . As soon as you start walking with the camera, the OIS performance falls apart, and it simply does not compare to the incredible stabilization offered by the latest micro-four thirds bodies. For photographic tasks, the stabilization is quite effective, but if you’ve used a micro-four thirds camera released in the past couple years, note that it does not reach quite that same level of performance.
Image quality
I don’t have a lot to say about the image quality other than it is as good as any other 24-ish megapixel camera out there. I could spend a long time reviewing dynamic range and other things, but I honestly find those comparisons quite boring when realistically it makes very little tangible difference unless you are really accustomed to under or overexposing your images on a regular basis, or “pixel peeping”. The image sensor is an 24.2 MP APS-C chip which is on par with a huge number of cameras on the market, and quite frankly it will provide similar results as those cameras when shot with similar lenses. From my experience you can expect good colors, good dynamic range, and great latitude with the raw files. The camera also has very good low-light performance that is comparable to even some older full-frame cameras.
One disappointment I have related to imaging performance is the amount of rolling shutter that is present when doing fast pans in silent shutter mode. The amount of distortion that is created by shooting in electronic shooting modes is to the point where I wouldn’t regularly choose to use electronic shutter. It’s a good thing that the mechanical shutter is very quiet. To say it plainly: this ain’t no A9. But it comes close in many ways.
Red-tailed hawk, Sony A6600 with 70-350 F/4.5-6.3
In Summary
Whenever I read a review for my own purposes, I’m trying to do the same thing most everyone else is doing: trying to decipher if a product is worth my time and investment. If I judged the A6600 on specs alone without ever trying it, I’d say that the A6600 is outshined in several key ways by cameras such as the Fuji X-T4, Canon M6 II, and multiple others. But sometimes spec sheets tell only a small part of the story - and I think that is definitely the case here.
You have probably already figured out by now that I am really impressed with the autofocus performance of this camera. That’s because I believe the heart and soul of this particular camera is in it’s A9-like autofocus tracking DNA. It is amazing to get this level of autofocus performance in such a lightweight and portable body. If I never tried the tracking modes, I probably would not be as impressed as I am with the device. The Recall Custom Hold function is also a feature I would find it hard to shoot without these days. These modes are implemented beautifully.
I also appreciate that Sony has taken strides to keep mirrorless “small” with the A6600. For example, the A6600 paired with my G OSS 16-55 F/2.8 is almost identical in weight and size to the Olympus E-M1 II/III with the M.Zuiko 12-40 F/2.8. This is quite an amazing feat, when one considers that the Sony lens’s image circle covers a significantly larger APS-C sensor format (versus the smaller MFT sensor).
Like any camera, this one isn’t perfect. It has some drawbacks compared to the competition, like the shallow buffer and long clearing times, the odd choice of no UHS-II slot in a flagship APS-C camera, and lack of a front dial and joystick.
It’s also hard to ignore the harsh truth that the micro-four thirds and Fuji APS-C systems offer far more native glass designed for their respective cameras. The two lenses that I have, the G OSS 16-55 F/2.8 and the 70-350 F/5.6-6.3 are quite good (the 16-55 is the true standout), but it’d like to see more weather-sealed lenses of this caliber. Of course, one can always opt to buy Sony full frame glass, but that comes with added weight penalty which seems unbalanced on a camera of this size, particularly without a battery grip being offered.
Tule elk, Sony A6600 with 70-350 F/4.5-6.3
I do believe Sony needs to better flesh out their APS-C lens lineup. For example, I would love to see a full F/2.8 lens trinity at the same level of quality as the 16-55 F/2.8. Will it happen? I’m not sure, given that the lions-share of attention is being paid to full-frame mirrorless, but one could always hope. I wrote an article last year about how micro-four thirds sensors are still relevant in a market that is shifting towards Full-Frame, and that same line of thinking applies to APS-C. It’s tiny and sharp lenses like the 16-55 F/2.8 which prove to me the value of the smaller format.
Is the A6600 the no holds barred flagship APS-C mirrorless that we know Sony is capable of making? No, I don’t think so. Sony is clearly holding some of their cards back with this camera. We know that this is true, because we’ve seen what Sony is capable of in full-frame land with the A7RIV and A9II. We must remember though that we are dealing with a camera that is around 1/4 the price of an A9 II.
With all that said, I appreciate Sony’s effort to adapt the autofocus functionality and high levels of customization offered in their full-frame models. The A6600 has become a camera that I actively find excuses to use. It is not perfect, but it’s size to performance ratio makes it the kind of camera that I’d happily take anywhere and everywhere. If you can accept some of the shortcomings I’ve mentioned, I think the value proposition is better than one might expect. This is especially true if you are looking to keep your camera setup small without diving into the larger full-frame mirrorless kit.
American goldfinch, Sony A6600 with 70-350 F/4.5-6.3
