SONY Cameras
Sony a6600 Review
Sony a6600 is a direct successor to the Sony a6500. It keeps the same sensor and the same EVF and LCD panels, but upgrades to a new faster version of the BIONZ X processor taken from the full-frame Sony A9, which leads to even better AF performance and improved color science. It has a larger more ergonomic body that now accepts larger batteries, it adds a tilting flip-up screen and increased the recording time limit from 30 minutes to 13 hours.
SONY E-Mount
Sony introduced the E-mount in 2010 alongside their first mirrorless cameras, giving them a huge head start. Over a decade later, there are over 100 native lenses and more than 200 if you include third-party options. Because the mount hasn’t changed, old lenses still work with newer cameras, creating a huge second-hand market. Compare that to Canon and Nikon, which only introduced new mounts in 2018, Sony users have had years to build and upgrade their kits without starting from scratch. For beginners entering the Sony system that means more options and much better prices.
SONY a6600 Price
Sony a6600 Specifications
General
Sony a6600 features a 24.2 MP APS-C sensor, exactly the same sensor that was already used in other a6000 series cameras such as the a6500. A huge upgrade is the new and improved processor taken from the full-frame Sony A9 (it’s still named BIONZ X, but it’s a newer generation). This led to better autofocus and improved color science.
At the time, a6500 and a6600 were Sony’s only APS-C cameras that featured in-body image stabilization (IBIS) or as Sony calls it ‘SteadyShot’.
The body is weather sealed, very compact, but still ergonomic, especially since the a6600 offers a larger grip than other a6000 series cameras.
The a6600 finally introduces a tilting flip-up LCD touch screen, while 1st generation a6000 cameras – a6000, a6300 and a6500 – only featured a less practical tilting screen. It also introduces a new menu system taken from the full-frame Sony A7 III, released one year earlier.
This was the first camera in the a6000 lineup to include a headphone jack, in addition to just the microphone jack found on older and less expensive models.
The camera has just one card slot and it still supports only older and slower UHS-I SD cards. This was the first camera in the a6000 series without the built-in pop-up flash.
Battery life is more than doubled compared to older a6000 series cameras, since the a6600 uses the larger NP-FZ100 batteries (the same batteries used in Sony’s full-frame cameras).
Autofocus
Sony a6600 features Sony’s ‘Fast Hybrid AF’ system, similar to the first generation of a6000 cameras, but improved thanks to a more powerful processor. It offers 425 phase-detection and contrast-detection AF points.
Face and eye detection are available for humans and autofocus tracking works well even with moving subjects (tracking is also improved over older models). Continuous autofocus is supported in video mode as well.
At the time of their release in 2019, the a6100, a6400 and a6600 featured one of the best AF systems in the industry and they still hold up today.
Photography
Image quality is great and color science is improved over the older models thanks to a more powerful processor.
Sony a6600 is capable of shooting at up to 11 fps in RAW with full autofocus tracking for up to around 4 seconds (around 45 shots) before the shooting speed drops to about 1 fps. After the buffer is full it can take the camera more than half a minute to clear the buffer. If you don’t mind shooting just JPEGs, then you can shoot for about 11 seconds continuously.
Live View is still available at up to about 8 fps.
Sony does not officially state weather you get 14-bit or 12-bit RAW photos in high-fps burst modes. Other Sony cameras like the a6100 or the a6400 (both also released in 2019) offer 14-bit RAW only in ‘low-speed’ drive modes such as 3-6 fps.
Shutter options include mechanical, electronic front-curtain (EFCS) and fully electronic (silent) shutter modes.
The use of the electronic shutter causes some rolling shutter distortion, low-light performance and dynamic range are reduced and banding may occur under certain lighting conditions, especially with flickering lights.
The older model (the a6500), only offers 12-bit RAW when using the electronic shutter. Information on whether this is also the case with the a6600 is hard to find, since Sony does not officially document this behavior for this model.
Video
Sony a6600 can record oversampled 4K video at up to 30 fps using full width of the sensor, producing detailed footage considering its APS-C sensor size, though rolling shutter is noticeable.
Full HD (1080p) recording is available at up to 120 fps without a crop.
Picture profiles include Sony’s S-Log 2 and S-Log 3. Recording is still limited to 8-bit.
The a6500 features built-in stabilization (IBIS) to help with handheld recording, but performance is very similar to the older a6500.
The camera has a 13 hour recording limit, but in practice it’s limited by storage, camera settings and potential overheating (in case you use the camera in a hot environment or direct sunlight).
| Feature | Sony a6600 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | August 2019 |
| Megapixels | 24.2 MP |
| Image Resolution | 6000 × 4000 |
| Sensor Size | APS-C |
| Sensor Type | CMOS |
| Image Processor | BIONZ X |
| IBIS | 5-axis, 5 stops |
| Weather Sealing | Yes |
| Lens Mount | Sony E |
| Body Type | Mirrorless |
| PHOTO | |
| Native ISO | 100 – 32,000 |
| Expandable ISO | 50 – 102,400 |
| Shutter Speed | 1/4000 – 30s |
| Burst Rate (Mechanical) | 11 fps RAW |
| Burst Rate (Electronic) | 8 fps RAW |
| Buffer | 50 RAW |
| Shutter Types | Mechanical, Electronic, EFCS |
| Silent Shooting | Yes (Electronic Shutter) |
| Exposure Compensation | ±5 EV |
| High-Res (Sensor Shift) | No |
| Pre-Capture Mode | No |
| VIDEO | |
| 4K Video | 4K 30fps (oversampled from 6K) |
| Max Frame Rate | 4K 30fps / 1080p 120fps |
| Bit Depth | 8-bit |
| Recording Limit | 13 hours |
| Timelapse Recording | Yes |
| AUTOFOCUS | |
| AF System | 'Fast Hybrid AF' |
| AF Points | 425 |
| AF Coverage | ~ 90% Frame Coverage |
| AF Joystick | No |
| DISPLAY / VIEWFINDER | |
| Articulated Screen | Tilting, Flip-Up |
| Touch Screen | Yes |
| LCD Size | 3.0" |
| LCD Resolution | 921,600 |
| EVF Resolution | 2,359,296 |
| EVF Refresh Rate | 120 fps |
| EVF Coverage | 100% |
| EVF Magnification | 1.07× |
| MORE INFO | |
| Card Slot 1 | SD (UHS-I) |
| Card Slot 2 | / |
| Sensor Protection System | No |
| USB | Micro USB |
| USB Charging | Yes |
| HDMI | Type D (Micro HDMI) |
| Microphone Port | 3.5 mm |
| Headphone Port | 3.5 mm |
| Built-in Flash | No |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Battery | NP-FZ100 |
| Battery Life | ~ 800 frames |
| Wi-Fi / Bluetooth | Yes |
| Dimensions | 120 × 67 × 69 mm |
| Weight | 503 g |
Understanding Sony's APS-C Camera Lineup
Sony’s modern APS-C camera lineup, commonly referred to as the a6000 series, includes some of the most popular beginner and hobbyist cameras on the market. They’re compact, lightweight and offer fast autofocus, great image quality and excellent value. They benefit from Sony’s long-standing E-mount ecosystem and there are plenty of affordable used options available since they are very popular and has been around for quite a while.
Sony a6000
2014
Sony a6300
2016
Sony a6500
2016
Sony a6100
2019
Sony a6400
2019
Sony a6600
2019
Sony a6000 was released in 2014. The mid-range Sony a6300 and the high-end Sony a6500 were released in 2016. Most notable improvements over the original model are the slightly upgraded sensor design, an even better AF system, higher-quality video recording options, the addition of 4K video recording and a weather-resistant body. The high-end a6500 also added IBIS, an improved buffer, a touch screen and a more rugged weather-sealed camera body.
Sony a6000, a6300 and a6500 are considered the 1st generation of a6000-series cameras. They are no longer in production, but can be found at an affordable price on the used market.
Sony a6100, a6400 and a6600, released in 2019, are the 2nd generation of a6000-series cameras. They basically serve as updated successors to their respective 1st generation models: the entry-level a6000 was replaced by the a6100, the mid-range a6300 was replaced by the a6400 and the high-end a6500 was replaced by a6600.
All 2nd generation models still keep the same 24 MP APS-C sensor, but they upgrade to a much better processor taken from the Full-Frame Sony A9 (a new version of the BIONZ X processor). This led to even better autofocus performance, noticeably better color science and more natural-looking skin tones. They all also gained a tilting flip-up screen (instead of a basic tilting screen), improved eye autofocus, a new menu system, a 13 hour video recording limit (instead of 30 minutes) and more.
All 6 models can shoot at 11 fps with the mechanical shutter. Video recording is always limited to 8-bit and all cameras (except the original a6000) can record high-quality 4K video at up to 30 fps oversampled from 6K. Image quality is comparable across the entire lineup since all six cameras use a very similar 24 MP APS-C CMOS sensor.
A few key differences worth noting:
– a6000 and a6100 are entry-level models with a cheaper body without weather sealing and IBIS.
– a6300 and a6400 both have a weather-sealed body, neither has IBIS.
– a6500 and a6600 both have IBIS and a durable weather-sealed body, a6600 also adds a larger battery.
Sony a6100 and a6400 are still in production and serve as entry-level and mid-range APS-C models. Sony a6600 replaced the a6500 in 2019 and it served as the most advanced APS-C model until the release of the new a6700 which completely replaced the a6600 by introducing a new sensor and processor.
Alternatives to the a6600
Sony a6100
Sony a6400
Sony a6700
Sony a6100 (2019) is Sony’s modern entry-level APS-C model. It has a 24 MP sensor, it offers excellent autofocus performance, it can shoot at 11 fps with the mechanical shutter and it can record oversampled 4K video at 25 fps and at 30 fps with a 1.2x crop. Video recording is limited to 8-bit and the maximum clip length is set to 13 hours. The a6100 is not weather-sealed.
Sony a6400 (2019) is Sony’s modern mid-range APS-C model also featuring the same 24 MP sensor. Most specifications are similar to the a6100, but the a6400 uses a weather-sealed body and doesn’t apply a crop in 4K 30 fps recording. Video recording is still limited to 8-bit, but the a6400 includes Sony’s higher-quality S-Log 2 and S-Log 3 picture profiles.
Sony a6700 (2023) is Sony’s most advanced APS-C model featuring a new 26 MP BSI sensor paired with Sony’s new BIONZ XR processor and Sony’s AI processing unit. It features several notable upgrades like a fully articulating screen and an even more advanced AF system with an AI-based deep-learning engine for enhanced subject recognition and tracking. It offers continuous shooting at up to 11 fps, it can record 4K video at 120 fps and oversampled 4K video at up to 60 fps in 10-bit. It has IBIS and a weather sealed body.
Nikon Z50 II
Nikon Z50 II (2024) could be considered a competitor to the mid-range a6400. It has a 21 MP BSI sensor and uses a new version of Nikon’s hybrid AF system. It can record 4K video at up to 30 fps and at 60 fps with a 1.5x crop in 10-bit, but the footage is not oversampled. It can shoot at up to 11 fps in RAW with the mechanical shutter and up to 15 fps in RAW with the electronic shutter (30 fps in JPEG). The body is weather resistant.
Canon R10
Canon EOS R10 (2022) is a mid-range APS-C camera. It has a 24 MP sensor. It offers continuous shooting at up to 15 fps with the mechanical shutter and 23 fps with the electronic shutter in 12-bit RAW. It can record 4K video at 60 fps with a 1.6x crop and oversampled 4K video at up to 30 fps without a crop, but video recording is limited to 8-bit. It has no IBIS and no weather-sealing.
SONY a6600 Price
Final Verdict
Sony a6600 replaced the a6500 in 2019 as the most advanced APS-C model in the lineup and the only model to offer IBIS. It introduced a newer processor, resulting in improved autofocus performance, better color science and more natural-looking skin tones. It was the only model in the lineup to accept bigger batteries, normally used only in Sony’s full-frame cameras.
Today, the a6600 has effectively been replaced by the a6700, which now sits at the top of Sony’s APS-C lineup. In addition to being the only current model with IBIS, it introduces a new 26 MP BSI sensor, Sony’s BIONZ XR processor and a dedicated AI processing unit that further improves subject recognition and tracking. Other major upgrades include a fully articulating screen, 10-bit video recording, 4K 120 fps recording and oversampled 4K 60 fps video.
The a6700 is the most advanced APS-C camera in Sony’s lineup, but it is also the most expensive. For buyers on a tighter budget, the entry-level a6100 and mid-range a6400 remain compelling alternatives and are widely available on the used market at attractive prices. Both offer a similar feature set to the a6600, although they lack IBIS, its more robust body design and the bigger battery slot.