The Sony a6000 is in 2024 still a solid choice for wedding photography. It’s not the best, but it’s definitely not bad.
Keep reading to learn which situations to avoid because it fails…
The technical basis
Its 24mp sensor is more than enough for weddings plus its autofocus is reasonably fast in good light and its burst mode of 11fps allows you to have more keepers.
Why is it good for shooting weddings?
![Is the Sony a6000 Good for Wedding Photography [2022]](https://emmalucyphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Is-the-Sony-a6000-Good-for-Wedding-Photography-2022-1024x683.jpg)
The camera is small but it has a good build quality and it doesn’t feel cheap. The controls are well laid out and easy to use, as is the tilting screen which allows you to shoot from different angles without having to get down on your knees or lie down.
Speaking of the controls, you can pretty much customize everything about the camera to your liking, from the function of its buttons to what information is displayed on its screen.
The menu system is easy to navigate and understand.
The Sony a6000’s AF system is pretty quick, and the AF tracking isn’t bad either, although it does struggle a bit in low light.
The camera has a reasonable battery life and can last for around 300 shots before needing to be recharged. Make sure to get additional batteries such as the official battery Sony NP-FW50 or the Powerextra 2 Pack Replacement Sony NP-FW50 Battery & Smart LCD Display Dual Channel Charger.
Wedding photography is a very demanding job. And as a photographer, you have to be able to work quickly and efficiently without compromising the quality of your shots.
Churches and reception venues have poor lighting conditions, and it can be difficult for the Sony a6000’s smaller APS-C sensor.
Having a speedlight or an external flash is a great way to get better lighting for the bride and the groom on their wedding day. In this case, I recommend that you use either a Sony HVLF32M MI External Flash or a Godox TT350S 2.4G HSS TTL Flash to capture the couple’s special day.
Wedding Photography Lenses for Sony a6000
As I’ve said earlier, shooting weddings is very demanding. Having the right lenses is very important for you to capture the best moments of this special day. Here are some lenses that I’ve used to capture weddings:
1. Sigma 56 F/1.4 DC DN
Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN for EF-M Mount (351971)
$404.00 in stock
24 used from $314.00
Features
- Stepper motor ensures progressive and quiet autofocus.
- Water and dust proof design
- A large lens hood as standard to eliminate side spokes.
- Designed to minimize flare and ghost images.
- "Made in Japan" with incredible craftsmanship.
This is my go-to portrait lens for shooting weddings. I love this lens because it’s fast, sharp, and has beautiful bokeh.
I usually use this lens for the bride & groom portraits before the wedding ceremony, during the reception, and basically throughout their whole special day. Its autofocus is fast enough for my needs and I use this lens is for shooting candids as well.
The image quality is superb and it makes our Sony a6000 do better in low-light situations. I also use this lens for shooting the bridal prep and getting ready shots.
This lens is perfect for close-up portraits where you want to isolate your subject from the background. It’s one of my favorite lenses to use when I’m shooting weddings because it makes every image look great.
2. Sigma 16 F/1.4 DC DN
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 Contemporary DC DN Prime Lens Canon EF-M Complete with All Standard Supplied Accessories Bundle with Memory Card, Lens Pouch, Cleaning and Accessory Kit, and Cleaning Pen (5 Items)
Features
- Bundle Includes: Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Canon EF-M, 64GB Extreme PRO 200MB/s SDXC UHS-I Memory Card, Lens Pouch for Lenses Up to 5.5 Inches (Medium), 5-Piece Digital Camera Cleaning and Accessory Kit, and Lens Cleaning Pen
- Compactness with Outstanding Optical Performance: The 16mm f/1.4 features Sigma’s inner focus technologies, while lighter lens elements in the focus lens group make possible a more compact actuator. Moreover, this lens offers outstanding stability whether the photographer is shooting handheld or has the camera placed on a surface
- Stepping Motor: The optical design and stepping motor deliver smooth autofocus during video shooting. The lens design fully accommodates the Fast Hybrid AF of Canon EF-M-mount cameras for super-fast autofocus functionality. Using face recognition AF results in consistent autofocusing on faces, even as the subjects move
- Compatibility: APS-C Canon Mirrorless Cameras (M mount), including M, M2, M3, M5, M6, M6 Mark II, M10, M50, M100 and M200
- Mount with Dust and Splash-Proof Construction: The mount features a special sealing to make the lens an excellent choice in a wide variety of conditions
It’s a great lens for group shots, establishing shots, and multi-layered documentary-style photos. I also use this lens during ceremonies and receptions.
This is a great lens for portraits as well because it has beautiful bokeh and gives you a very creamy look to your photos. If you have a Fujifilm camera, you should also consider a wide-angle lens like the Fujifilm 16 f/1.4.
As with all Sigma lenses, the image quality is superb and sharp. The skin tones it produces are pleasant as well. This is indeed a great lens for wedding photographers.
It’s lightweight, versatile, and produces excellent images. If you are looking to expand your arsenal of lenses, this one will not disappoint!
3. Sony 35 F/1.8
Sony SEL35F18 35mm f/1.8 Prime Fixed Lens
$423.00 in stock
33 used from $305.00
Features
- Compact, lightweight fixed F1.8 lens.Angle of View (APS C) 44 °
- Minimum Focus Distance : 0.99 ft (0.3 m), Maximum Magnification ratio : 0.15x, Focal Length : 1.38 in
- New optical design for excellent peripheral sharpness and contrast, Built in image stabilization
- Silent and smooth high speed focusing ideal for shooting movies. Superb focusing operation
- Lens group or elements is 6/8. If auto focus cant lock on or focuses on the wrong subject, step in and take total control with direct manual focus.Image stabilization (SteadyShot):Optical SteadyShot
The Sony 35 F/1.8 is also a great lens for shooting weddings. It’s a standard lens (50mm) that is flexible for many different shooting situations.
It’s wide enough to capture not-so-big groups inside the church and has a good focal length for full-body portraits.
It also has some great bokeh and pleasing skin tones. The colors are accurate and the lens is very sharp. The a6000’s autofocus is a bit slower than the two sigmas above, but it’s very consistent.
It’s a great lens to have in your bag and you will use it often. If you want to add some flair to your images, this lens is perfect for that.
4. Sony SEL1655G Alpha 16-55mm F2.8 G Standard Zoom APS-C Lens
Sony SEL1655G Alpha 16-55mm F2.8 G Standard Zoom APS-C Lens
$1,298.00 in stock
20 used from $940.00
Features
- Standard zooms with outstanding corner-to-corner G lens resolution
- Constant F2.8 Max aperture maintains exposure and depth of field
- Two advanced aspherical plus two aspherical elements suppress aberration
- Xd linear motor for fast, precise, quiet AF and tracking
- 9-Blade circular aperture contributes to gorgeous book
This is the best zoom lens for the Sony a6000 in my opinion. Its zoom range is very flexible and covers a lot of ground. The autofocus is accurate and fast enough for most situations.
Its corner-to-corner sharpness is outstanding throughout the zoom range and with its constant f/2.8 aperture, you can get some beautiful bokeh and low light shots. It’s not cheap, but it’s an excellent lens for your Sony a6000.
Check out our other articles for Sony a6000:
Alternative for Sony a6000 for shooting weddings
The Sony a7III for me is the best alternative, companion, or upgrade for the Sony a6000. Its autofocus is much faster even in low-light, it has better video features and most importantly, its bigger full-frame sensor gives you more details, amazing colors, and outstanding low-light performance.
The camera body is also more ergonomic than the Sony a6000. The Sony a7III is one of the best cameras I have ever used, especially when it comes to shooting weddings.
It’s incredibly fast and responsive, even in low-light conditions.
If you’re earning enough money shooting weddings and planning to upgrade in the foreseeable future, the Sony A7III is the perfect next camera to buy.
How to take great wedding photos with your Sony a6000
Wedding photography can be tough and if you want to be a good wedding photographer, you need to be able to take pictures in low light and even in the rain.
It is also important that you know how to pose the bride and groom so that they look their best on camera, as well as being able to spot the important shots from afar so that you can get them before anyone else does.
Next up is lighting! Lighting can make or break a photograph so make sure that there’s plenty of natural light or artificial light coming into the room where people are getting ready so they look their best!
The same goes for any other rooms where guests might gather before heading out for the ceremony or reception; make sure there’s enough light to take good pictures.
Don’t forget to take photos of small details such as the wedding rings, the wedding cake bouquet of flowers, the setting, chairs, food, and other important stuff.
The couple spent a lot of money on those, so it’s very important to include them.
You’ll want to try and get pictures of both parents walking down the aisle, as well as some shots of them with the couple’s children if there are any. It’s also important to get some shots of grandparents with their grandkids—especially if they’re not going to be around for long.
Lastly, you’ll want to make sure that you have a backup camera ready just in case something goes wrong with your main one. Having additional memory cards, batteries and lenses will make your job so much easier.
Sony a6000 settings for weddings
Settings can be varied depending on the situation and your shooting style but here are some good starting points that will help you get started.
- Set to Aperture priority mode
- Shoot in RAW format
- Auto white balance
- ISO can be set to auto, 200-400 (outdoors), 800-1600 (indoors)
- Fastest aperture if shooting portraits, then around f/2.8 – f/4 for group photos.
- Shutter speed set to 1/125th of a second or faster
- Burst rate of 6-11 FPS
- Continuous AF for moving subjects, else single point focus
Don’t be afraid to play around with settings that suit you the most and remember, there is no perfect set of settings for every situation. Just be ready and learn how to change your settings quickly.
Conclusion
Even by today’s standards, the Sony a6000 is still a great little machine for shooting weddings. You should note that It is weak in low light so you have to invest in lighting and faster lenses.
Nevertheless, it is great for people who are looking to get into the challenging world of wedding photography.
Emma Lucy is the Founder & CEO of Emma Lucy Photography. She has over a decade of experience shooting weddings and other intimate events. She also tests the latest digital camera bodies, lenses, analog cameras, and other gear from Canon, Nikon, Sony, and other camera brands. She is From London and currently lives in the United States of America, where she spends most of her time as a self-employed professional photographer and writer.