By Jeff Insel
A year or so ago I decided I’d like a good “point and shoot” camera for just all purpose photography but also wanted one good with low light, primarily to photograph concerts I work at the MIM Music Theater when artists allow me to photograph. It had to have good zoom capability as well. After a lot of research I settled on the Sony – I have to admit I’ve been using Sony DSLR’s and Mirrorless cameras for several years now so a little bias and familiarity also played a factor.
In addition to the many extra features all cameras seem to have today I particularly liked these primary features:
20.1 MP
24-600 Optical Zoom lens (Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* @ 72mm)
Rugged construction/weatherproof aspects
Good in low light, higher ISO’s
Fast focus
Silent shutter (good at concerts)
Feels like the DSLR’s in size & weight
Fits in a small camera bag with extra batteries, memory cards and lens cloth
The drawbacks for me, but minor:
2.4-16 aperture ring
No Bulb function (for long exposures): I still have my A7ii and A65 for those if needed.
I’ve really come to love this versatile camera, especially with the concert photography, but it is so convenient and easy to use, the zoom is really handy. It’s not cheap, about $1600, but I hadn’t found a comparable camera at the time I purchased this one.
Jeff Insel is a Volunteer Photo Guide with Arizona Highways PhotoScapes
