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A first look at Sony’s A6600 flagship APS-C mirrorless camera

And let's not forget about the cheaper A6100.

Canon isn't the only one introducing new cameras today. At an event in New York City, Sony has revealed its A6600 and A6100 shooters, the latest additions to its APS-C mirrorless lineup. Of the two, the flagship model is the A6600, which features a 24.2-megapixel APS-C sensor, an AI-powered Z-Bionz image processor, 425 phase-detection autofocus points and a ridiculously fast 0.02-second AF speed -- which Sony calls the "world's fastest." The A6100, meanwhile, comes with the same autofocus speed, 11-frames-per-second continuous shooting mode and 24.2-megapixel sensor as as the A6500, with the main differences being that it has a smaller battery and lacks a headphone port.

Sony says that, with these two new cameras, the goal was to bring the imaging quality of its full-frame mirrorless cameras to the more compact format that is APS-C. For videographers, in particular, the larger battery and the presence of an 3.5mm audio jack will likely gear them toward the higher-end A6600 -- as Sony says those are features the "creator" community has been long been waiting for. The A6500 from 2016, for instance, did not have have a headphone port. Both the A6600 and A6100 can shoot 4K/HDR video and have a 180-degree tilting touchscreen on the back, along with real-time tracking and Eye AF (thanks to that AI processor) and a built-in OLED viewfinder.

If you've ever held one of Sony's APS-C mirrorless shooters, the A6600 and A6100 will feel quite familiar. They're slightly lighter and less bulky than, say, the full-frame, 61-megapixel A7R IV, which is great for photographers or videographers who would rather carry around a more compact body -- and, most importantly perhaps, who aren't looking to spend a few thousand dollars on a camera. To complement the A6600 and A6100, Sony also announced two E-Mount lenses, the E 16-55mm F2.8 G and E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS. One of the A6600s that was at the event here in NYC was paired with the new super-telephoto zoom, and I do have to say it looked a bit odd on such a small body -- though that doesn't mean it won't take solid, crispy photos.

We'll have more on Sony's new APS-C mirrorless cameras soon, but for now you should know the A6600 will be $1,400 (body-only) when it hits stores in November, while the A6100 is set to arrive in October for $750 (body-only). The E 16-55mm F2.8 and E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS glass, on the other hands, are going to cost you $1,400 (October) and $1,000 (November), respectively. With these, Sony's now bringing the total number of native E-Mount lenses to 54, which gives it further advantage over competitors like Canon, Nikon and Panasonic.