Sony and Canon both picked today to introduce new lower-end cameras. While Panasonic made the big splash with the 4K GH4, and Blackmagic is lowering the price of their 4K offering, the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K, the Canon T5 and Sony A6000 aren't really answers to either of them. They are both designed to be cheap entry-level models, but the differences in specs and features show just how far apart the two Japanese companies are in terms of their product lines.
Here are the specs for the Sony A6000:
- 24.3MP APS-C Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor
- Tru-Finder 0.39" 1,440k-Dot OLED EVF
- 3.0" 921k-Dot Xtra Fine Tilting LCD
- 1920 x 1080p / 60 fps (28Mbps)
- 1920 x 1080p / 24 fps (24Mbps)
- ISO 100-25600
- Built-In Wi-Fi Connectivity with NFC
- Fast Hybrid AF & 179 Phase-Detect Points
- Up to 11 fps Shooting
- Multi-Interface Shoe and Built-In Flash
- Auto Object Framing and Multi Frame NR
- Clean HDMI
- Zebras
- Availability: April
- Price: $650 Body Only, $800 with 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Zoom Lens
And the Canon T5:
- 18MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
- EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens Included
- DIGIC 4 Image Processor
- 1080p 30/25/24 fps
- 720p 60/50 fps
- ISO 100-6400
- 3" LCD Screen
- 9-Point Autofocus System
- 3 fps Continuous Shooting
- Scene Intelligent Auto Mode
- Compatible with Canon EF and EF-S Lenses
- Availability: March
- Price: $550 with 18-55mm Lens
The A6000 is obviously a bit higher in price than the T5, and while they aren't directly comparable, it's simply stunning how much more tech Sony is fitting into their camera than Canon is in theirs. Not to harp on Canon (because Nikon isn't much better), but Canon has essentially released the same 18MP camera over and over again for the last 3-4 years. The only thing that has changed is the body and some features here and there. Still the same 30fps at 1080p, and they are still sticking with the mirror technology even though it's clear that it's on the way out, especially for lower-end cameras.
The new Sony camera has clean HDMI and crazy-fast autofocus (possibly the fastest in the industry), and while it's a little more money with the lens than the Canon, it's just miles and miles ahead. The T5 could have been released three years ago and most of us would have looked at it in the same way. I guess when you have a product that sells well, there might be some fear about changing it, but at some point won't they want to innovate in this space?
Canon's lens history might be keeping them from reinventing the wheel, but look at what Sony has done. The E-mount is fully compatible with the A-mount lenses with a Sony adapter, and at some point they may just get rid of the A-mount completely -- but people won't be stuck as long as they get an adapter. While Canon's mirrorless mount is also compatible with EF lenses, they don't seem as willing to push the mirrorless technology and really bring their entire line into the 21st century (and again Nikon is no better).
While I don't think video quality will be too drastically different between the two models (Sony's will probably have the edge), just on specs alone the A6000 is a far more interesting model than the T5 -- even if it is a little more expensive.
Links:
- Sony A6000 -- B&H
- Canon T5 -- B&H
