Direct Upload
The app that a lot of people will be able to use is Direct
Upload - Direct Upload. At this point, it is only set up to transfer the images
to Facebook or the PlayMemories Online service from Sony, although Sony
representatives have informed us that more options will appear soon.
After you have
selected a photo, you are able to add the notes
Here is a list of
photos waiting to be uploaded.
In addition to the initial setup, sharing the images with
Direct Upload is relatively simple. You can choose the images which you want to
share via a small interface, and then move on to the next screen, where you may
add a note line. Once you have opted for all of the images you expect to
upload, you simply select the destination album (at least for Facebook), press
the upload button, and thus you have completed all tasks.
Time Lapse
The Time Lapse app gives us a feature that was not found on
former-generation Alpha SLT or NEX models. As soon as you load up the app, you
will be displayed with several things that are similar to scene modes - presets
for capturing clouds, night scenes, stars, sunrises and sunsets. A miniature
effect option is available as well.
In the Time Lapse
app, you are able to adjust the file format, interval between images, the
number of images and whether the self-timer is used or not.
Once you have selected your scene, you are able to use the
default settings, or customize them according to your favorite. You can choose
the output format (24p or 30p video or the stills), the interval between
images, the total number of photos taken, and whether the self-timer function
can be used or not.
It is worth indicating that the camera locks the exposure on
the first photo, so if the light in your scene changes significantly (such as
the shift from day to night), you won’t probably get the results as desired. We
spent a lot of time on time lapse sequences of sunset and once the sun went
down, the scene was getting too dark. It would have been great if there had
been the option to switch on or off exposure.
Send to Computer
While it is not an app per se, the NEX-6's Send to Computer
option is also worth mentioning. To make this option operate, you will first
need to install PlayMemories Home on your Windows PC or Wireless Auto Import on
your Mac. A quick sync via USB will enable the computer and camera to stay on
the same page.
Then, with the camera and computer are connected to the same
wireless network; simply select 'Send to Computer' from the playback menu of
the NEX, and all of your images will be sent to your computer, the only options
you may choose on the computer side are 1) where the images will be saved and
2) whether AVCHD videos can be converted to MPEG-4 (for Mac only) or not. It
should be noted that unlike the Send to Smartphone app, you are unable to send
the images separately using the 'Send to Computer' option. You have no choice
but to send everything you've captured.
What's missing?
One surprise missing thing of the NEX's connected feature
setup is the ability to e-mail pictures. Of course, you can drag the images
onto your smartphone and do it from there, but it appears to be like a fairly
easy feature to throw in the camera itself; that is nearly common in the cameras
having the similar connections.
Another thing that would have been better is the ability to
send one (or a selected group) of the images to your Mac or PC, using the 'Send
to Computer' function instead of sending all of them. Lastly, as you've read
above, we really wish that the NEX-6 would have a touch screen - it would make
a few things work - especially working with connectivity options and the apps -
so much easier. Hopefully Sony will combine this feature into whatever replaces
the NEX-6.
In general, when talking about adding apps to the NEX-6,
some people may be a bit elusive because of having to pay extra money for the
obvious features of the camera, especially after spending up to $750 for the
hardware. Even without them, the NEX-6 is still a great quality product, but
the whole effort of these apps are like an experiment on the part of Sony, and
one that we cannot help having doubts about. Some people will never use a
feature like multi-frame NR, and the same applies to focus and flash
bracketing, but getting extra cost - even if it's just a sign of the amount -
for these features, we do not agree. Time will tell Sony how customers give
feedback.
