After a few weeks of deliberation, countless hours reading reviews,  and multiple trips to the camera store for hands on-experience (3 times in one weekend alone), I made a choice. I decided to purchase the Sony a6000 with it’s standard kit lens.

I went through a great deal of deliberation between the Olympus OM-D E-M10 and the Sony a6000. I debated the merits of a larger sensor size in the Sony vs. the extensive lens selection of the Micro Four Thirds lens format. I played with UI’s, judged ergonomics, and all around annoyed the heck out of my wife, friends and co-workers as I obsessed over little details like using a touchscreen to select focal point.

At the end of it all I decided that the Sony is the camera I wanted to purchase. It broke down into two main reason that tipped the scale for me.

• Ergonomics: The Sony is simply nicer to hold in my hand. The lack of a substantial grip on a camera as small and light as these mirrorless cameras meant that the Olympus had to sit weird in the palm of my right hand. Even when supporting the Olympus with my left I still felt like my grip didn’t feel right. Olympus makes a addon grip, which helped, but I’d rather not have to rely on another piece.
• Sensor size: After reading tons of articles on the pros and cons of sensor size, I decided that something larger, particularly with more depth of field range, was better for how I shoot.

Additionally, I’ve found the Sony UI to be very easy to use and intuitive. I unpacked the camera last evening and just started shooting. I was able to find all the relevant settings quickly and easily, without needing to resort to a manual. I know there are tons of settings that I still need to play with, but right out of the box I feel satisfied with my choice.

So enough with my tiresome deliberations, here’s a gallery of my first shots with the Sony a6000. Flickr link if you want to view these there.