Upgrade Guide
Sony NEX-6→Sony A7
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Strong upgrade
The A7 improves across 3 key areas at a reasonable price gap. Most NEX-6 owners will notice the difference.
What's new in the A7
-
Resolution24MP vs 16MP (+8MP)
-
Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
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Generation1 year newer (2013 vs 2012)
Unchanged or similar
-
StabilisationIBIS not present in new body
Suitability by genre
Base scores — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. The Upgrade Checker adjusts them for your skill level.
| Genre | NEX-6 | A7 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +0.5 | ||
| Street | -1.4 | ||
| Travel | -0.4 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +1.0 | ||
| Documentary | +1.6 | ||
| Sports & Action | +1.0 | ||
| Landscape | +1.5 | ||
| Wildlife | +0.8 | ||
| Casual | -0.5 | ||
| Food | +0.4 | ||
| Macro | +0.2 | ||
| Architecture | +0.9 | ||
| Astrophotography | +0.8 |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | NEX-6 | A7 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £125 used | £151 used | |
| Released | 2012 | 2013 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 16.1MP APS-C sensor | 24.3MP Full-Frame CMOS | |
| Resolution | 16MP | 24MP | ↑ |
| Video | Full HD 1080p/60 | 1080p/60p | |
| Autofocus | Fast Hybrid AF: 99-point phase-detect + 25-point contrast, face detection | 117 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points | |
| Stabilisation | No IBIS (lens OSS) | No stabilisation | |
| Burst Rate | 10fps (3fps with AF) | 5fps | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~360 shots (CIPA) | ~340 shots (CIPA) | ↓ |
| Weight | 345g (with battery and card) | 474g (with battery and card) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | OLED EVF, 2.36M dots, 100%, 1.09x | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification | |
| Screen | 3.0" LCD, 921k dots, tilts 90° up / 45° down | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) | |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD / Memory Stick slot | Single SD UHS-I slot |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See NEX-6 and A7 next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
Get a personalised upgrade score
Run the upgrade checker →
Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the A7 against your specific genres — not just specs.
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