Earlier this year, I invested in my first mirrorless camera, the Sony a6300. Not knowing anything about Sony lenses or accessories, I should get to accompany my new purchase. After a few weeks of shooting mirrorless, I came up with a list of the best lenses and accessories for Sony a6000 and a6300 cameras that enhanced my shooting experience.
Curious about why the Sony a6000 is a best-selling camera and what makes the a6300 a worthy successor? Check out my Sony a6300 product review to hear my thoughts and see some sample images.
Best Lens for Sony a6000, a6300, a6500
In order to take advantage of the superior image quality and autofocus system on the a6000 and a6300, you’ll need to pair the camera with a good lens. Of all of the mirrorless camera options on the market, Sony leads the way in terms of lens options.
Sony 16-50 f/3.5-5.6 kit lens
This is the optional kit lens that can come bundled with your new a6000 or a6300. A power zoom lens, this lens is about the same size as Sony’s 20mm pancake lens. While it doesn’t produce ultra sharp, top-quality images, the price and size of this lens make it a pretty good deal.
Sony 20mm f/2.8 pancake lens
To counter the lack of sharpness in my kit lens, I also invested in Sony’a 20mm pancake prime lens. On the a6300’s crop sensor, this lens offers a 35mm equivalent (approximate) shooting experience. Image quality is quite a bit sharper and higher quality than the power zoom lens. And these two lenses keep my camera kit ultra compact and travel-friendly.
Sony 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 lens
I don’t own this lens, but I’ve heard decent reviews about it from photographer friends. This lens has a significantly higher price of $849.99, but it may be worth it for the insane focal length.
Sony 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 lens
Confession: I purchased this lens as an early Christmas gift to myself. My event photographer colleague who shoots with mirrorless cameras professionally swears by this lens, as does a fellow reader. After scouring Black Friday sales and used camera gear ads, I finally found a swell deal for this lens on Craigslist. I have yet to use this lens extensively, but so far am very impressed with its flexible range and the fact that it is smaller than my Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.
Sony Macro Lenses
Both the Sony a6000 and a6300 have great macro capabilities for shooting extra close to objects. All of the lenses mentioned above are not bonafide macro lenses, so you’ll want to invest in a dedicated lens for the best macro photography results. While the Sony 30mm macro lens is compact and affordable, the Sony 90mm macro lens offers a much better focal length for macro photography. A telephoto lens helps keep your distance from your photo subject so that your shadow doesn’t interfere.
Sony-Canon Lens Adapter
If you’re like me and have DSLR lenses, you can also pick up an adapter to use your DSLR lenses with your Sony mirrorless camera. I’ve used Sony-Canon lens converters by both Metabones and Neewer and have had great success using my Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 and prime lenses on my Sony a6300. Yes, your lens will probably dwarf your camera, but it’s totally functional!
Some lens adapters cause a loss of lens autofocus, which is not the case with these aforementioned products. But be sure to read the fine print to ensure compatibility.
Best Accessories for Sony a6000, a6300, a6500
Out of the box, Sony doesn’t include a ton of extra accessories. As a result, it’s best to stock up on several other mirrorless camera essentials before you start shooting away.
Extra batteries
Mirrorless camera batteries have notoriously short life spans. It’s a good idea to have at least one or even two spare batteries on you at all times. Also note that the Sony a6000, a6300, and a6500 do not come with battery chargers. Instead, you’re expected to plug the camera in to charge it. If you wish to remove batteries and charge them separately, you must buy a separate external battery charger. I recommend the Wasabi Power battery pack that comes with two spare batteries and a dual-wall charger. Again, be sure to check compatibility to make sure the batteries you buy work with your camera.
Screen Protector
If there is one thing I can’t stand about camera screens, it’s the build up of fingerprints and scratches over time. The Sony a6000, a63000 and a6500 do not come with screen protectors, so you’ll need to buy one separately. This thin polycarbonate screen protector is cheap and will keep your screen in top quality.
Memory Cards
The Sony a6000, a6300 and a6500 all take SDHC memory cards, so stock up on a few. Remember that full resolution images are 24-megapixels apiece, so memory cards with 16GB or more are better. SanDisk is among the leading providers of SDHC cards.
If you get several memory cards, consider getting a memory card wallet to keep them safe. Also, make sure you have a high-speed memory card reader so you can easily plug the cards into your computer to transfer photos.
Camera Strap
The standard Sony a6000 camera strap that is included in your purchase is sturdy but can be a bit flimsy and uncomfortable. If you want added support and comfort, consider investing in a Black Rapid R-Strap.
Black Rapid camera straps are ultra durable and help you carry your camera more ergonomically. There are a variety of models, including double straps to carry two cameras at once. You can also add accessories such as an extra pocket to hold memory cards, cell phones, and other important camera gear.
Camera Bag
It’s no secret that I have an obsession with camera bags. For DSLRs, I love my Think Tank ShapeShifter camera backpack. When it comes to a Sony a6000 camera bag, however, it’s best to think smaller. Think Tank’s Mirrorless Mover series is the best for mirrorless cameras. I’m a fan of the mid-size Mirrorless Mover 10 bag, which fits my Sony a6300, 16-50 kit lens, 20mm pancake lens, two extra batteries, several lens filters, my wallet, and cell phone. It’s a tight squeeze, but all of my essentials fit in this relatively compact camera bag.
In Summary
There you have it! A full list of the best lens and accessories for Sony a6000 and a6300 mirrorless cameras. Would you add any other products to the list? Let me know in the comments below.
I’m glad you mentioned the wallet. Between my Sony, my back up Canon bridge and my Drone, the Wallet is a life saver!
I love my wallet too! Been using the same one for years and it’s still in great shape after taken many beatings.