We have recently noticed more and more people reaching out for assistance with a number of issues with their Sony a6000. Due to the Sony Alpha range being so popular and the a6000 having an absolutely huge customer base, it really is not surprising that we see so many questions being asked about the camera body.
One of the more commonly asked questions is usually based around something like “Why are my Sony a6000 pictures blurry?” and we are seeing a steady increase in the number of people asking similar questions too. Due to this, we have decided to publish this article going over what we feel are the most common problems with the Sony a6000 that may cause your image quality to blur.
Thankfully though, the majority of common reasons are quick and easy fixes and you should be able to improve your image quality and be capturing nice, sharp photographs in no time. We would recommend that you go through our list of tricks to avoid blur with your Sony a6000 in the other we have them in the article. We have tried to arrange them in descending order of the most common problems to the least common problems to try and save our readers time.
Get Some Image Stabilization
Without a doubt, the most common problem that we see amongst photographers that can lead to your Sony a6000 capturing blurred photographs is a lack of available image stabilization. Although there are usually a number of different factors at play for this one, they all get compounded by a lack of image stabilization making the situation worse than it has to be.
So many people try to capture their photographs while holding their a6000 in their hands and although this can be fine for many photography niches, it can be a pain when it comes to some niches. In our opinion, the best way to fix this is to add a decent tripod to your collection of camera accessories as it offers you a solid base for your image stabilization and can correct the issue.
That said though, we know that a large number of our readers are beginner photographers and maybe on a tighter budget. If this is the case and you are yet to pick up a tripod then something like the Zomei Z699c can easily provide you with excellent image stabilization without breaking the bank.
Manually Set Your Shutter Speed
The second most popular problem that we see when it comes to the Sony a6000 producing blurred photographs is down to the shutter speed. Although the ideal shutter speed for your setup will depend on the camera accessories that you are using as well as the photography niche you are working in, we see so many people using a sub-optimal shutter speed for their photography sessions.
The problem is almost always due to people using a slow shutter speed so try something like 1/125 or even 1/500 to see if the fault persists in your image quality. There is a high chance that this can ensure you are getting sharp photographs from your Sony a6000 and stop the blur. If the blur on your photographs persists though, move to our next recommendation below.
Test Manual And Auto Focus
Our regular readers will know that we have ranted about this a few times now but more and more entry-level photographers are starting to rely on their autofocus systems without ever using their manual focus. This is a terrible habit to form and will definitely hold you back in the future so it is well worth building up your manual focus skillset.
When it comes to your Sony a6000 producing photographs that have blur, we would recommend that you test both focus methods to see if the fault is in both. If your photographs only have the blur when you are using your manual focus then it is likely that you simply have to work on your manual focus skillset and you may be able to get rid of the blur quickly.
If the blur only occurs when you are using the auto focus system then this could be down to a number of issues. Some can be easy to fix that we will cover below in the article but it can potentially be broken auto focus technology in your camera or lens depending on how you are using your auto focus for your setup.
Half Press The Capture Button
If you have noticed that you are only getting the blur in your photographs with your a6000 when you are using your autofocus then this is probably the most common cause. With the a6000, the capture button has a half-press system to kick the autofocus in to try and get it to focus on the primary subject of your photograph as best as possible. Once focused, you then fully press the capture button on your camera to actually capture the photograph.
Although this may sound basic, it is actually a very common problem with people new to using their a6000 who are just starting out with their photography journey. Simply set your a6000 up, half press the capture button to let the auto focus kick in, and then fully press it and see if the blur is still in your photograph. It is surprising how often this can correct the issue and it is such a quick, easy, and free thing so is well worth doing.
Be Careful With Intelligence Mode And Superior Mode
We can’t stress this one enough, especially if you are new to photography and using the Sony a6000. Although the camera is an excellent bit of kit and it is easy to see why it is such a popular camera body, we would highly recommend that you try to avoid using the intelligence and superior modes on the camera if possible as they can cause issues unless you know how to set them up correctly.
If all of our tips above have not stopped the blur in your photographs that you are capturing with your a6000, quickly check that you have both of these modes turned off. If they were turned on then do a quick check to see if your camera is still causing your photographs to blur or not.
Avoid Using Aperture Priority
This is another common mistake that we see as the aperture priority system on the Sony a6000 will allow the camera to set its shutter speed itself and unfortunately, it is often incorrect. Although the aperture priority system on the new cameras in the Sony Alpha lineup such as the Sony a6400 have a much better system, you have to remember that the A6000 is getting old and it shows.
As we touched on earlier in the article, a very common problem is that people will be using a shutter speed that is far too slow for what they are trying to do on their photography sessions. The older technology on the Sony a6000 means that the aperture priority system will often do this so many people new to using the camera think that the system is working to their benefit when it is usually working against them.
Check your camera settings and see if you have your aperture priority turned on or not, if you do, turn it off and take a quick test photograph. If the fault persists and the blur is still in your photographs then move on to the next step in our article.
Turn Long Exposure Noise Reduction Off
The Sony a6000 usually comes with its long exposure noise reduction system turned on by default in your camera settings. Although this can be a useful setting to use on your camera if the photography niche and situations are ideal, it can be a cause of blur in your photographs.
Most people feel that noise reduction in your photographs is best done in post production anyway so it is often recommended to just go into your camera settings and turn the long exposure noise reduction system off and leave it off. Check your camera settings and if it is turned on, turn it off and see if it improves your image quality and removes the blur.
Check Your JPEG Settings
Another common issue that we see is that people are saving their photographs in JPEG format and using a low image quality. Although this is not strictly a blur in your photographs, it definitely can make it look like they are blurred. Go into your camera settings, ideally switch over to using RAW format for your photographs but if you have to stick to JPEG, ensure you are using its highest image quality rate.
We know that there are a number of beginner tutorials out there that recommend that you use a lower image quality rate with JPEG when setting up your Sony a6000. The majority of these tutorials are very old and the prices of decent memory cards has plummeted over recent years meaning that you are able pick up a higher storage capacity memory card without breaking the bank.
Due to this, we would recommend that you use RAW Format when possible as it will offer the best possible image quality. If you do have to use JPEG, ensure that you have it set to its highest image quality as its compression algorithm can sometimes add a blur effect when reducing the storage size of your photograph making it look like your Sony a6000 or camera lens has a problem when it doesnt.
Potential Damage
If the fault is still persisting with your Sony a6000 and you are still getting blur on your photographs then your camera body or your camera lens may be damaged. We would recommend that you take your camera setup to your local photography store and ask them to take a look at it to see if they are able to see if the issue is due to damage and they should be able to offer you advice for moving forward.
