Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Interchangeable-lens Camera w/ 16-50mm lens - Silver

I upgraded from a point and shoot compact as I have been wanting extra control and speed mainly to take photos of kids/pets. Little did I know when I bought this, that I was getting so much more. Have learnt so much more about photography since I got it. You can check out the specs sheets and good reviews, but I thought I'd just list a few cool things I love that I wasn't expecting: - The autofocus: OK perhaps I was expecting this considering the hype, but I had to mention here that it does live up to the hype. It is amazingly quick! Perfect when taking photos of moving kids/pets. - The controls: Can access every button/function using the right hand. Small and light enough to hold in one hand. Buttons can be customised to match your perfect set up. - The tilt-able flash: Bounce the light off the ceiling to reduce harsh results of direct flash light. - NFC/Wifi: Can control the camera remotely across wifi using the PlayMemories app. I found I can easily compose the shot on my phone and shoot! NFC - Photos can be transferred easily be tapping my NFC phone to the camera. - Apps: Yes this camera can download 'apps' from a Sony app store. There are around 20ish apps, and new ones in beta pop up occasionally. My faves are the app that auto upload to flickr, and one that can auto sync to smart phone when the camera is switched off. This is the happiest I've been with a purchase for a long time. Even in such a small package, I don't feel like I've traded off on picture quality/features. One thing I would suggest to anyone who takes lots of photos in one go, is that the battery life could be better so throw a spare battery in your camera bag so you don't have to worry about running out, and just have fun using all the features. Other than that, it's really hard to fault.

This compares favourably to any APS-C camera on the market, but it does so in a lot less space. It is a fully fledged camera in a body that makes it look more like a slightly overgrown compact camera. The genuinely useful extras, such as the NFC "tap-to-connect" via WiFi for remote control, have been noticed by the "old guard" manufacturers and they are playing catchup. But they couldn't hope to lose enough weight and size to ever compete with this little beauty... Use a serious camera all day, and don't wake up with a sore back the next day, is what I tell people ;-)