Sony Alpha 6000 vs Olympus PEN E-PL6

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Sony Alpha 6000 and the Olympus PEN E-PL6, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Sony Alpha 6000 was introduced in April 2014 and Olympus PEN E-PL6 was introduced in August 2014. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Sony Alpha 6000 Highlights

      • 24.3 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 179 Focus Points (179 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 922k dot Tilting Screen
      • 0.39" 1,440k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 11.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Built-In Wi-Fi

      Olympus PEN E-PL6 Highlights

      • 16 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 35 Focus Points
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 460k dot Tilting Screen
      • 8.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Sony Alpha 6000 and Olympus PEN E-PL6.

      PROS

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   179 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Light - 344 g (0.76 lb / 12.13 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   0 EV Min AF Detection
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 82
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps

      Advantage of Sony Alpha 6000

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha 6000 over Olympus PEN E-PL6.

      Sony Alpha 6000 vs Olympus PEN E-PL6
      Larger Sensor APS-C vs Micro Four Thirds
      Higher Sensor Resolution 24.3 Megapixel vs 16 Megapixel
      Max Image Resolution 6000 x 4000 vs 4608 x 3456
      More Focus Points 179 vs 35
      Center Autofocus vs
      Phase Detection for Autofocus vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 922k dot vs 460k dot
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 11.0 fps vs 8.0 fps
      Built-in Flash vs
      Built-In Wi-Fi vs Eye-Fi connection possible

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sony Alpha 6000.

      Advantage of Olympus PEN E-PL6

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus PEN E-PL6 over Sony Alpha 6000.

      Sony Alpha 6000 vs Olympus PEN E-PL6
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Image Stabilization vs Sensor Shift
      Touch Screen vs
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 60 sec
      Lighter 344 g (0.76 lb / 12.13 oz) vs 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus PEN E-PL6.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Sony Alpha 6000 Olympus PEN E-PL6
        Video Capture
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        HDMI Output Micro Mini type C
        Light344 g (0.76 lb / 12.13 oz)325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz)
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Sony Alpha 6000 Olympus PEN E-PL6
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        Low Video Recording Limit30 min30 min
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing
        Short Battery Life360 shots360 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Sony Alpha 6000 and Olympus PEN E-PL6 have 3.0" Tilting screens with 922k dot and 460k dot resolutions respectively. Tilting screen makes cameras very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Olympus PEN E-PL6 also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Olympus PEN E-PL6) allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

      Image cannot be displayed Image cannot be displayed

      Sony Alpha 6000 and Olympus PEN E-PL6 with Tilting screen


      Viewfinder

      Sony Alpha 6000 has a built-in 0.39" Electronic viewfinder with 1,440k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 1.05x (0.70x 35mm equivalent) magnification.Olympus PEN E-PL6 does not have a built-in viewfinder but an optional electronic viewfinder can be attached.

      Sensor

      Sony Alpha 6000 features a 24.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 366.6 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600 and expands to 100 - 51,200 in boosted mode. Olympus PEN E-PL6 features a 16 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Sony Alpha 6000 is equipped with BIONZ X processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 6000 x 3376, 4240 x 2832, 4240 x 2400, 3008 x 2000, 3008 x 1688 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Olympus PEN E-PL6 is equipped with TruePic VI processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2560 x 1920, 1024 x 768 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Sony Alpha 6000 has Sony E lens mount and Olympus PEN E-PL6 has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor in Sony Alpha 6000 its crop factor is equal to 1.5x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Olympus PEN E-PL6 its crop factor is equal to 2x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN E-PL6 has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in Wi-Fi on Sony Alpha 6000

      Sony Alpha 6000 has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
        Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.


      NFC on Sony Alpha 6000

      Sony Alpha 6000 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Sony Alpha 6000 has a Micro HDMI and Olympus PEN E-PL6 has a Mini type C HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Sony Alpha 6000 comes with NP-FW50 battery pack with battery life of 360 shots and Olympus PEN E-PL6 comes with BLS-5 battery pack with battery life of 360 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Sony Alpha 6000 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo Hybrid (UHS-I) card slot. Olympus PEN E-PL6 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Sony Alpha 6000 has Electronic shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Sony Alpha 6000, and up to 1/4000 sec on Olympus PEN E-PL6. Sony Alpha 6000 can shoot continuously up to 11.0 fps. Olympus PEN E-PL6 can shoot continuously up to 8.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Sony Alpha 6000 has Fast Hybrid AF (Phase-detection / Contrast-detection) system with 179 focusing points and Olympus PEN E-PL6 has 35 focusing points. Sony Alpha 6000 has detection range from 0 to +20 EV.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Sony Alpha 6000 ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Sony Alpha 6000 and ±3 EV range on Olympus PEN E-PL6. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Sony Alpha 6000 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Olympus PEN E-PL6.


      Flash

      Sony Alpha 6000 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 6.00 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or Wireless connection. Olympus PEN E-PL6 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on Sony Alpha 6000.

      Physical Parameters

      Sony Alpha 6000 body has dimensions of 120 x 67 x 45 mm (4.72 x 2.64 x 1.77") and Olympus PEN E-PL6 body has dimensions of 111 x 64 x 38 mm (4.37 x 2.52 x 1.5"). Sony Alpha 6000 weighs 344 g (0.76 lb / 12.13 oz) and Olympus PEN E-PL6 weighs 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz).

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      120 mm

      67 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      111 mm

      64 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      67 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      64 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      45 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      38 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Sony Alpha 6000 and Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Sony Alpha 6000 and Olympus PEN E-PL6 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      GOOD
      72
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   179 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      78
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      AVERAGE
      62
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   179 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      71
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      GOOD
      79
      •   179 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   Small Sensor
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      GOOD
      83
      •   179 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 344 g (0.76 lb / 12.13 oz)
      EXCELLENT
      88
      •   Small Sensor
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      GOOD
      82
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 344 g (0.76 lb / 12.13 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Sony Alpha 6000 and Olympus PEN E-PL6 and give both of them the score of 67 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      OVERALL
      67
      OVERALL
      67

      Sensor

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      GOOD
      70
      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 82
      AVERAGE
      59
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      GOOD
      76
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps

      Video

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      GOOD
      83
      •   0 EV Min AF Detection
      •   179 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      78
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      GOOD
      75
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot

      Connectivity

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      GOOD
      79
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Sony Alpha 6000

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 344 g (0.76 lb / 12.13 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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