Sony stuns with hybrid A6700

APS-C model offers impressive stills and video features as it arrives alongside a fresh telezoom and hotshoe mic

Electronics leviathan sony is hotting up this summer, releasing an all-new APS-C mirrorless in the guise of the A6700, plus a compact shotgun mic, the ECM-M1. Both are available as you read this. Coming in September, meanwhile, is Sony’s 50th full-frame E-mount lens, the FE 70-200mm f/4 Macro G OSS II.

The A6700 incorporates the latest cutting-edge stills and video capabilities from its full-frame Alpha and Cinema Line cameras, enabling the company to lay claim to its most advanced APS-C mirrorless camera to date. Boasting a 26.1-megapixel effective resolution and a Bionz XR processor, it supports 4K-resolution video up to 120fps and a wide exposure latitude equivalent to 14+ stops. The model also features the S-Cinetone picture profile found in the brand’s professional cinema cameras, said to provide refined movie imagery that doesn’t require colour grading, as well as stunning skin tones. Weighing around 493g, the portable camera features a touchscreen vari-angle LCD and customisable front dial. A five-axis IBIS system provides five stops of compensation, plus there’s support for Sony’s Creators’ Cloud platform.

Described as compact and lightweight for its telephoto zoom class, at 149mm in length and 794g, the FE 70-200mm f/4 Macro G OSS II is claimed to be the world’s first zoom to offer half-macro capability throughout its zoom range, with a maximum magnification of 0.5x. Using a 2x teleconverter, both a super-telephoto focal length of 400mm and life-size 1:1 magnification macro shooting are possible across all focal lengths. 

The manufacturer suggests that the XD (extreme dynamic) linear motor has increased autofocus speed by up to 20%, while the tracking of moving objects is twice as efficient in terms of accuracy. Also improved is focus-tracking performance when zooming, with high-speed bursts of up to 30fps possible when paired with Sony’s flagship A1. A ‘Mode3’ SteadyShot setting has been added to provide stability when shooting subjects in motion, and a detachable tripod mount is included to boost this further, while the lens has a dust- and moisture-resistant design and fluorine-coated front element to combat fingerprints and grime.

Finally, the compact, lightweight ECM-M1 is pitched as the world’s first shotgun mic with eight dial-selectable recording modes. An ultra-directional setting captures sound from the front while effectively suppressing other noise, perfect for recording interviews and selfie videos. Various filters to minimise background noise, vibration and low-frequency signals also make an appearance. When connected to the Multi Interface Shoe of a compatible camera with a built-in digital audio interface, the audio signal is directly transferred to the camera in digital form, so no degradation occurs.

The A6700 retails for around £1450 body only and the ECM-M1 mic for £349, while the FE 70-200mm f/4 Macro G OSS II will be about £1750 once it goes on sale in September.

sony.co.uk

Originally published in Issue 110 of Photography News.