Sony Alpha NEX-6 First Impressions Review

Modes Overview

The new physical mode dial is the star of the show, and we love the convenience, as well as the simplified selection. You'll only find stops for the PASM modes, plus dedicated positions for panorama and scene modes, and finally the automatic modes.

Auto Mode

In addition to the usual Intelligent Auto mode, Sony has also included their Superior Auto mode in the NEX-6, a feature you won't find on the NEX-7. This is a scene recognizing, multi-exposure mode that will not only attempt to determine what kind of shot you're taking (macro, landscape, etc.) and adjust shooting variables accordingly, but overlap a short bracket of shots into one sharp, hopefully noise-free image.

Movie Mode

Video shooting has no dedicated mode, but it's always accessible via a shortcut key to the right of the rear thumb rest. The NEX-6 will record AVCHD movies in 60i, 50p, or 24p, and a new feature over the NEX-7 will be support for automatic slow shutter capture.

Drive/Burst Mode

Shot to shot performance hasn't been finalized yet, but it looks like the NEX-6 will be just as fast as the NEX-7: 10 frames per second in Speed Priority Continuous mode. Notably, the NEX-6 will be capable of focus tracking between shots.

Playback Mode

Other Modes