Will the new superfast hybrid AF replace sooner or later replace the SLT tech ?

February 12, 2014
news
227 Comments

The Sony A6000 main selling point is the world’s fastest AF (0,06 sec) that covers an area of 92% of the whole sensor (with 179 Af points!). That spec alone makes it the best autofocusing camera to date and not even a $7000 DSLR can beat that! Just watch the video on top or the video made or the first testing video made by It’s DanK and the Sony presentation video. For the first time you can use a mirrorless camera just like (and better than) a pro DSLR. And the A6000 price/features will make it very appealing for the mass that takes sports and family shots (you will no more miss to shot a sharp pic of your kid).

UPDATE: Somone raised questions about Sony’s AF performance claims: Just to be clear, at Sony UK they write the A6000 has a “Quicker autofocus than a DSLR“. And as a note:

“Among interchangeable-lens digital cameras equipped with an APS-C image sensor as of 12 February 2014. Measured using CIPA internal measurement method with E PZ 16-50 mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens mounted, Pre-AF off and viewfinder in use.”

But this raises an important question. Does SLT tech still have a future? My answer is no. There may be still one -two SLT A-mount cameras to come but I think it’s save to say the Hybrid AF of the A6000 is going to be improved quickly and it will be used by future E and A-mount cameras. And you will no more have that 1/3 stop light loss because of the semitransparent mirror.

obviously the A-mount still has at least one big advantage over E-mount cameras, the on sensor stabilization. If Sony would have used on sensor stabilization on E-mount cameras right from the start I think the A-mount cameras would have really little reason to be developed further.

In about one month Sony will announce the A77 successor. And it will certainly have an AF system that is at leats as good (if not better) as the A6000!

Sony really released a great camera (with a couple of let downs like the “reduced” EVF resolution although Sony explains in the video above that the numbers don’t tell the truth). Well done Sony! But I confess I am a bit angry at them because my Sony A7r doesn’t have that superfast hybrid AF :)

Preorders:
Sony A6000 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama, BHphoto (Click here), SonyStore (Click here), WexUK (Click here). In Europe at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, AT, NL, BE, CH, FI, SE, PT
Silver A6000 at WexUK (Click here).
Sony A6000 with lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama, BHphoto (Click here), SonyStore (Click here), WexUK (Click here).
Silver A6000 with lens at WexUK (Click here).
Sony 70-200mm FE at Amazon (CLick here), BHphoto (Click here), SonyStore (Click here). In Europe at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, AT, NL, BE, CH, FI, SE, PT

DSC-H300 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-H400 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-HX400 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-WX350 Black at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-WX350 White at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-W800 Black at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-W800 Silver at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).