Sony Just got nex 6 :-)

Wolf

Veteran
Only did some very quick testing , since I didn't have much time yet.
Built quality is nice, feels like nex 7. Viewfinder is ofc equal to the nex 7.
Oh sony learned a great thing, you can turn off the video button, though it didn't bother me yet :)
AF seems a tad faster with the new kit lens, but not by much.
The new kit lens takes some getting used too, time will tell if i'll keep it... Though i'll mostly use the 35mm f1.8 lens once it's out and the 50mm + sigma 19
55/210 for when i need some rage

But very good news (at least here in belgium)
From tomorrow on till end of december there is a 75 euro cashback on nex 6 and 100 euro on nex 7 !

2 quick shots, evening was falling
iso 200

DSC00008_zps6eb59f7a.jpg


DSC00006_zpsbbd7760c.jpg
 
Can't wait till friday, doing a concert then in a local club
i'll be taking the nex 6 with the 50mm :)
and this weekend i'll try to get some halloween shots from around town

one "annoying" little thing though... you have to charge the camera using an usb connector while the battery is in the camera :(
 
Thanks for sharing feedback and images, Wolf!

I am also interested in the 35/1.8... do they say when it will be shipping in Belgium? I am very curious how it will perform on the NEX-7.
 
one "annoying" little thing though... you have to charge the camera using an usb connector while the battery is in the camera :(

I've noticed that with the RX1 too - there (stupidly in my opinion) is no charger cradle in the box, at least according to pre-release specifications. The cradle is... Optional.

Maddening.
 
I've noticed that with the RX1 too - there (stupidly in my opinion) is no charger cradle in the box, at least according to pre-release specifications. The cradle is... Optional.

Maddening.

I was put off by this at first with my RX100, but now I love it. I just plug in the camera, and I travel much lighter. BUT I haven't hit a point yet where I shot so much I ran out of battery. Additionally, I did purchase a 2nd battery, but I've not even recharged it one yet, because of this "keep in camera" approach. I'll need to start using it, just to keep it alive, so I can have 2 batteries when I really need them.
 
I was put off by this at first with my RX100, but now I love it. I just plug in the camera, and I travel much lighter. BUT I haven't hit a point yet where I shot so much I ran out of battery.

I regularly run down at least one battery when shooting such that I always carry at least a second charged pack (and another SDHC) card with me even when travelling light one camera one lens. With any luck that won't be necessary too often but I'll keep the habit going.

Additionally, I did purchase a 2nd battery, but I've not even recharged it one yet, because of this "keep in camera" approach. I'll need to start using it, just to keep it alive, so I can have 2 batteries when I really need them.

Guess what... you don't need to keep a lithium ion pack fully charged to "keep it alive".

Quite the opposite in fact -- keeping cells at or close to fully charged all the time is the surest way possible to shorten their life span. Cell / pack makers ship cells / packs partially charged for good reason - they don't want them to age prematurely while sitting on shelves and warehouses.

Another fact worth knowing - don't buy too many packs, more than you can reasonably use. I find I need to cycle three packs with my GXR - I number them 1, 2, 3 and use them in order and when I'm not travelling usually always have one charged in camera and in my bag. The other might remain partially charged for "storage" at home.

Li-ion cells have a finite lifespan whether they are used or not. Age is measured in how many years and/or cycles a cell/pack can hold a charge of at least 80% of original. As the cell technology has improved we've seen good quality packs easily last three or more years if they are treated well; five years is not out of the question. How long a pack lasts before it is time to dispose of them depends also on how heavily they are used, which really means how many charge-discharge cycles a pack goes through.

A pack that gets depleted and then fully charged again, used, fully charged again and so on might for arguments sake have a cycle life of 250 to 350 cycles. That's a lot of photos for many photographers.

However a pack that isn't stored at full charge all the time in between shooting sessions may well last 300 - 500 cycles or more.

For maximum pack life it is better to avoid the temptation to plug in the camera for a charge session every time you finish using it. Allow the pack to deplete not so much as to "exercise" the pack but to give the pack more time at voltages below full charge.

In short, if you have room to carry a spare pack safely[1], don't recharge the pack in-camera unless it really needs it. Swap packs and run down the other one. Charge as you need to in order to feel confident you aren't going to be left high and dry when you want to shoot.

[1]I keep my spare packs in small plastic cases about the same size as the pack itself, such that they can't short out against keys, coins and other items that might be in my pockets, camera bags, day packs and other places I carry cameras and packs.

Avoiding a short is very important. A lithium ion battery pack carries a huge amount of energy which is of course dangerous in the case of a short, and while all consumer oriented battery packs (like camera packs) should / must have thermal and electrical safeguards against a dead short, you don't want to take the chance.

Ooops... part of my other life snuck in there. Lecture off.
 
one "annoying" little thing though... you have to charge the camera using an usb connector while the battery is in the camera :(

Thanks for reminding me about that! I've been looking all over my house for the RX100 charger, and you jogged my memory :redface: :rolleyes:.

Congrats and enjoy the NEX-6!

Btw - I like that it uses a Micro USB charger - just like my phone and my favorite tablet :).
 
Adanac, as I understand it, you have to keep using a li-ion pack, though. You cant let it just trickle down dead, or its dead for good. Is that correct? Thats what I meant by I have a second battery, but Im not using it at all.
 
wt21,

It's a long story but once upon a time I had gather and gain a fair amount of knowledge about various rechargeable chemistries including lithium ion technology as well as analysis and specialized charging equipment for an industrial project. Studies have been done by the U.S. military and industry showing how cycle life is greatly extended by avoiding what is known as a 100% state of charge (SOC) and I can tell you from direct personal experience these studies are borne out in real life practical use. Many consumer products (cell phones being a good example) that include chargers very specifically avoid charging the pack to a 100% SOC in order to prolong pack life. In my experience I've found camera chargers usually *do* charge the pack to 100% state of charge. All of mine do at any rate, but I know how to measure for this. Instruction manuals do not contain this information.

Lithium ion chemistry is quite different than the chemistries some of us experienced in years gone by - for example the infamous NiCad cells which did have "memory". Many retail product sales people continue to misinform consumers about the memory effect in rechargeable technology sold today -- lithium ion packs used by most high end cameras do not suffer from memory effect. Even AA and AAA consumer rechargeable chemistry - Nickel Metal Hydride, available at your drug store or Wallmart - does not suffer from memory effect. Many flash photographers are familiar with Sanyo Eneloop and other high quality low self-discharge NiMH cells. No memory effect.

A lithium ion pack should not trickle down much at all on its own, certainly not very much over relatively short (month or two) periods of time. Good lithium-ion cells used in good battery packs should have very low self-discharge. I have lithium ion cells that I've charged to a 60% state of charge that have remained within 5% of this state of charge after being in storage for an entire year. This low self discharge rate is one of the very positive features of the chemistry and in this regard they are unlike the old NiCD cells (the ones with "memory") and are better than even the best low self-discharge NiMH cells (like Sanyo Eneloops).

What you or others might experience is that some devices are also never fully off. I know my cell phone is never fully off - there is always a small amount of current draw to support the on/off circuitry of the phone. Many devices are like this and it could be that some of our cameras actually do draw a minuscule amount of power even while "off". In such a device to avoid discharging the pack over a long period of time, pop the pack out of such a device and store seperately.

as I understand it, you have to keep using a li-ion pack

No, not really. The cells do not form a charge "memory" like NiCD cells did, and unlike NiMH cells which benefit from charge-discharge cycles as a form of exercise, li-ion cells do not recover lost capacity. The chemistries of each type of cell are much different and do not behave the same.

The best way of looking at lithium ion cells/packs is that they have a finite lifespan measured in years. You can use them once or twice or hundreds of times but they will eventually die no matter how much you baby them.

Since they will degrade over time whether you use them or not, so you may as well use them. The only thing you can do to prolong li-ion cell/pack life is to avoid abusing them, and the primary way such cells get abused is by being left fully charged all the time. The generally untold secret is that you can gain some cycle life (charge-discharge cycles) by avoiding leaving packs fully charged all the time.

Despite all the forgoing I don't actually do anything heroic to prolong my camera battery packs because despite all the battery analysis and charging equipment I have for other reasons, it is just too cumbersome to put my camera packs on the industrial analysis workstation just to achieve an 80% charge to eke out a little more cycle life.

The only thing I do is avoid slapping a partially discharged pack on the charger every day. Instead I run down the pack in the camera until it is ready to quit, and then I exchange that for another.

I do however take extreme measures to prolong the life of other lithium ion cells that I use. For example I have my laptop set to only charge the pack to 80%. This will roughly double the lifespan (in cycle life - charge-discharge cyles) of that pack. Why do it for the laptop and not for camera packs? The reason is convenience - the laptop (and pack) contain all the circuitry and smarts needed to set up a custom discharge and charge profile (its a Lenovo).
 
I'm starting to like the kit lens more (still doubting if i'd keep it)
IMO the focus IS faster then before in normal too good light
But don't get me wrong, the focus is never slow, with the 50mm it's quite fast too (tomorrow the real test)

The physical mode select button is great though, and the FN button is a welcome addition too.

The 35mm should be available in november, but the sony store didn't have much more info :-(

Oh does anybody know what official sony screen protector i need for the the nex 6 ?
the one that is made for the nex 5r or the nex 5/7 one ?

1 more quick "useless" shot :rolleyes:, with kit lens

DSC00041.jpg
 
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