Sony a6400 review (2024)

Dougbm_2

Huge improvement on the 6400.

Apr 21, 2022permalink

3V AudioVideo

probably simply because it cost a lot less so it is a better value. And at a similar high cost of the A6600, there are probably better options.

Mar 9, 2021permalink

otto k

It's lower because it's evaluated at a different time. If a reviewed camera had the same features in 2016 and 2019 it would have received different scores.

Dec 12, 2019permalink

skanter

“The main story here is that, in a nutshell, image quality is identical to the older a6300 in Raw mode. We can first see this in terms of detail capture throughout the scene. “

This does not sound like a “quantum leap”.

Jun 28, 2019permalink

ravi pratap

sony 6400 bagged both EISA and tips awards

Feb 1, 2020permalink

BIOGONS

I have read in the DXO test of the A6600:

"The A6600’s nearest competitor in terms of sensor size is the one it replaces, the Sony A6500. It’s intriguing that that older model with a similar 24 MP sensor and on-chip phase detection autofocus has slightly better dynamic range and has significantly better color sensitivity throughout the sensitivity range".

https://www.dxomark.com/sony-a6600-sensor-review/

Apr 22, 2020permalink

pecheurs6

Well, I can't see the detail on the fig leaf. Not as sharp as touted, at least the one I bought and the same kit lens. Even using support and hands off. Wish I had bought the full frame now.

Aug 19, 2019permalink

lxtazz

Respect, Sony managed to get worse than Canon in Exposure Latitude ...
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/image-comparison/fullscreen?attr144_0=sony_a6400&attr144_1=canon_eosm50&attr144_2=fujifilm_xt30&attr144_3=fujifilm_xt30&attr146_0=100_6&attr146_1=100_6&attr146_2=160_6&attr146_3=160_7&attr177_0=off&attr177_1=off&attr177_2=off&attr177_3=off&normalization=compare&widget=665&x=-0.07750481008931405&y=-0.9625850265790026

May 17, 2019permalink

visualbrother

Shot about 5 hours non-stop with it in 4K and it got a bit warm, no issues otherwise.

Jun 6, 2019permalink

captura

Perhaps you are forgetting that this is only an intermediate range camera.

May 12, 2019permalink

dpfan32

Consumer camera needs a good consumer lens. 18-105 is too big. 18-135 is maybe what you can get at the first place after selling the 16-50 for 100$ on eBay.
There are very good Sigma prime lenses. But who wants to fiddle around with exchangeable lenses....

May 10, 2019permalink

cosmaracoare

@dpfan32 not sure if you knew but you can get the Sony 6400 as a kit with the 18-135 zoom instead of the the 16-50. The 18-135 kit also comes with a 100$ lower price than buying the camera and lens separately.

I still use the Sony 6000, perfectly decent camera, but think will move up at some point to the 6400. I am happy with the Sony 20mm 2.8 and the only lenses I vaguely want are the 24mm 1.8, 35mm 1.8 and the 18-135; I don’t feel much limited in the lenses options as I don’t really need to have 20 of them.

May 10, 2019permalink

dpfan32

Want a decent telephoto? You have to buy a very expensive full frame lenses. Or adapt less expensive Canon lenses which are big as well. The 55-210 I tested was absolute garbage compared to a Canon 55-250mm IS STM.
I read somewhere about black corners of the 18-135mm which can not be corrected in older Lightroom versions like 6. Black corners looks like the same problem on the 16-50, no resolution at all + too much noise from heavy vignette correction when you need to light it up a few stops.

May 11, 2019permalink

CleverOreo

yes, i have read up this particular lens....sorry to say, plenty of negative remarks , although there are a lower portion that gave thumbs up: only for pricing and lightweighted. sigh!

May 12, 2019permalink

myotisone

"Sony is still the biggest sponsor of dpreview I see."

Where is this information published? It would be interesting to see exactly how much the different companies sponsor DPReview.

May 12, 2019permalink

gfrensen

razorfish: I find it funny, as I just came from the Canon watch site, people were praising the EOS-M camera for being a great camera and they were accepting the small amount of native lenses... When a system has the lenses you need it is enough.
Sony has about 15 APS-C lenses Canon has for their APS-C DSLR line 19 APS-C lenses.That is 4 more, but there are 5 upgrades for the kit zoom lens only, so effective there are only 14 APS-C lenses for their system....
Still Canon is praised for their great lens collection, even for APS-C....
And indeed, just like the Sony E-mount you can use all your Canon FF lenses unadapted on your APS-C cameras, nobody ever complained that there was no 400mm APS-C lens from Canon....
FF E-mount leses are native lenses for the APS-C E-mount cameras, so there is a lot to choose from...

May 13, 2019permalink

cosmaracoare

I don’t have 1.4 lenses (not a bokeh/one subject in a blurry background type of person) so I don’t really struggle with sunny days; nevertheless I usually take a circular polarizer and a 3x ND filter so shutter speed is not an issue even in the brightest of days (The 3x ND allows you to shot at 1/4000 what you would have needed 1/16000 and the 1/4000 is enough to freeze any moving subject outside particle physics labs)

May 10, 2019permalink

havanna60

I don't think so. I bought an A5100 vs NEX 7 since I wanted tilting touch screen and 50Mbps 1080p XAVC-S video along with the brilliant touch AF-C of A5100. The A6400 is absolutely a beast in this direction; but, if you don't need stellar AF, no (unlimited) 4K video, NEX 7 is absolutely a brilliant camera.

May 10, 2019permalink

captura

I still use the NEX-7 with it's wonderful Tri-Navi controls. A great pleasure to use if you don't need connectivity, fast subject tracking or animal eye-focus.

May 12, 2019*permalink

jande9

Thanks for your answers. The Rokinon primes have opened my eyes to the quality that my NEX is capable of with a sharp lens and I think I will get more bang for my buck getting better lenses than I would getting a newer body.

May 13, 2019permalink

captura

The original NEX primes, 50/1,8 OSS and 35/1.8 OSS are very good, AF and stabilized.

May 13, 2019permalink

Richard Butler

I'll correct that mistake immediately. Thanks for pointing it out.

May 7, 2019permalink

BIOGONS

May be because the Nikon Z6 is a FF big and expensive system, very few original lenses available and no compatible with screw AF old Nikon lenses using the adapter?

Jun 25, 2019permalink

jonby

The CIPA rating is 410 shots for the A6400 compared to 400 for the A6300, so I would expect the battery life to be more or less the same.

May 6, 2019permalink

AlNikon

Thanks for the reply but I actually meant "in the real world".. I mean, I was told to expect approx 300 shots per charge with the A6000. In the real world I was scratching to get 100 shots, and even then only if I rattled them off literally one straight after the other. Messing around in the menu system could see from 100% to as low as 55-60% in less than half to 3/4 of an hour. You might ask what the heck was I doing in the menu for so long, but hey, times flies when you're having fun - well in most case it does...
Anyway, that's enough about this from me. I don't want to start anything that causes arguments. I'd love to try the A6400.. Thanks..!!!
Al

May 6, 2019permalink

gfrensen

I don't know what it is that you can only take about 100 pictures on one charge with your A6000. There are a lot of possibilities that battery drainage is high.
It can be that you keep your camera switched on all the time while hanging on your neck, the eye sensor will keep telling the camera that you are using it and won't switch it to sleep mode. It can be that you are looking at the screen more then normal (I take a picture, look at the screen just to see if it is right and I switch of the camera). It is also possible that your camera or battery is not well. Did you ever tried an other battery?
I manage to get over 500 shots on one charge most of the time, but I switch off camera after the pictures have been taken, and I do not examine the pictures on the screen to much...

May 6, 2019permalink

telefunk

There have been many complaints about battery drainage when the A6000 is in storage. The question is: has this issue been addressed now?

May 6, 2019permalink

zackiedawg

Not just with these Sony bodies, but with ALL mirrorless cameras, battery life is more dependent on the total time the camera is powered on and displaying with the EVF or LCD...not the number of shots you take. If you're seeing less than CIPA-reported battery life, that means you have various functions in the camera left on such as wifi, apps, and/or high sleep limits on the EVF or LCD keeping them on a long time...or you are doing a lot of viewing/playback, or taking long to line up and take shots. Battery life has improved from the A6000 to the A6300 and now to the A6400. In real life, on vacation I can see 400-500 shots per charge on my A6300 with walkaround general photography, or up to 1,400 shots per battery when doing heavy burst shooting while out birding or wildlife shooting. I can't recall ever getting less than 400 on any battery.

May 6, 2019permalink

cosmaracoare

For me 2 batteries is usually enough for a day outside and many times one is enough. I tend to turn off the power between shots and mercifully the switch continues to work and the camera (A6000) turns on reasonably fast to take almost any picture I want.

Btw does anybody know, is the 6400 faster to power on than the 6000?

May 10, 2019permalink

gfrensen

Telefunk, The A6000 has no big drainage of battery when switched off. Yes some drainage might occure, but it is not that your battery is empty after say a week of doing nothing, it might have dropped from 100 to say 98%

May 11, 2019permalink

captura

Here's a couple of tips which may help to conserve battery life in some Sony cameras.
1 - Take the Finder/Monitor setting off Auto.
2 - Use the Airplane Mode ON setting.

May 12, 2019permalink

AlNikon

I tried all the tricks I could but nothing helped that much. I turned the EVF off, time-out was 2 mins. If I waited any longer til my next shot, I'd switch the camera off.
With all the battery woes aside though, I still recognise the potential that the A6000 crop series has, and I am sure that all the later versions are fantastic. If they truly addressed the battery issue in the A6400, this would be a great camera to buy if you aren't into "full frame". Personally, I think the camera world owes a lot to the A6000's appearance, because until then the direction of mirrorless cameras was a path that might never have been fully explored. It may have remained a side stream range, not to be taken too seriously. The A6000 gave the mirrorless camera world a jolt of electricity right up the butt, just what it needed to become a mainstream line-up, full of potential. The A7-lll & A9 has done the same for FF mirrorless world. I love my A7-lll, and woww, NO battery problems.. Go Sony..!!

May 25, 2019permalink

captura

Anyone still have a NEX-3? A trailblazer.

May 25, 2019permalink

Paul_B Midlands UK

Have you tried after powering the camera off, to pop out the battery and then pop it back in again. I read somewhere once the camera when you just turn it off with the switch some how is still connected on the battery, the extraction process really shuts it down. I never actually tested the performance, but you can try!

Aug 5, 2019permalink

captura

Same lens on Olympus EM-10, no problems there. Much better bokeh, too.

May 25, 2019permalink

MILC man

"the only thing that matters... is IS"

yeah, who cares if your x-h1 photos are blurry because the af is weak sauce.

all you gonna do is post selfies anyway.

May 5, 2019*permalink

alffastar

Right, because all pictures taken with cameras other than A6400 and A9 are blurry :))))

May 10, 2019*permalink

havanna60

Hmm, X-H1 vs A6400, X-H1 seems to be an abandoned line by Fuji, Very disappointing that Fuji didn't add IBIS to X-T3, totally confusing what Fuji is doing. To be honest it's equally disappointing that Sony didn't give IBIS to a $1000 camera, A6400 is not a cheap camera at all.

May 10, 2019permalink

captura

XH1 is way over the $1000 category, so why even bring it up here?
The A6500 is in the same price range as the XH1, and it is the Sony camera with IBIS.

May 12, 2019*permalink

captura

Not the best IBIS, blown away by M43, especially Olympus.

May 25, 2019permalink

BIOGONS

The FUJI X-H1 is a nice retro and big camera than can not shoot 4k video longer than 15 minutes, the AF has a limited area and lower performance than SONY, disappointing battery life and no ergonomic retro dial control mainly shooting video. I think that an APS-C system should be compact as main advantage over FF.

Jun 25, 2019permalink

(unknown member)

(continued)

One can only guess what rigid, spaghetti code produced by Sony coders resides in the Sony FW... But, from the look of things, even the worst guesses might be true. I had some hopes for the new Imaging Edge app... But nope, same old horrendous Play Memories Mobile, just re-branded. Only few things work at all, and nothing works well.

FW updates must be OTA (WLAN), available with a single press of a button. What Sony makes me go through instead is mind-boggling. And so on, and so forth.

I'm speaking about Sony here, but that's just because it's what I (currently) use and thus know well. I'm not aware of any camera manufacturers that do SW any better.

(TBC)

May 4, 2019*permalink

(unknown member)

(concluded)

I write about this utterly cr@ppy state of camera FW/SW every now and then, and one response that I get most of the time is "but these are cameras, their primary function is taking images!" Well, guess what, "primary function of mobile phones" used to be phone calls, until Apple showed everyone how it's done.

So I can only hope that some manufacturer does wake up, smells the coffee, fires their entire SW development dept, and buys a *software* company that knows its stuff. Or maybe it will the other way round -- now that the market is in quite some turmoil... Until then, we'll just keep seeing that constant stream of bad market news, and constant moaning of how mobile phones eat everyone's cake.

May 4, 2019permalink

quiquae

As someone who wasted way too much of his youth writing config files by hand for his Unix desktop environment, I feel somewhat qualified in claiming that the last thing we need in a camera is a user-editable config file.

May 7, 2019permalink

(unknown member)

@quiquae

> the last thing we need in a camera is a user-editable config file.

As someone using Linux desktop, I agree!

However, I never said "user-editable" [XML/JSON]. It should be editable (implicitly!) by the Sony Imaging Edge mobile app, using some nice UI.

The point is that camera menus should not be further cluttered by all these customization options. Besides, it'd be way easier to do all customization on a [much] bigger tablet screen, with multi-touch and all other goodies.

May 7, 2019permalink

quiquae

@vadims
It’s still a bad idea: good UI means you have sensible defaults to begin with, so that little or no configuration is required for most users. If you need an external app to configure a camera to your liking, you’ve already lost the battle.

Just to make myself clear, I am a Canon user and think its UI is, at best, only slightly less horrific than Sony’s.

May 7, 2019permalink

(unknown member)

@quiquae

> good UI means you have sensible defaults to begin with

Completely agree.

> If you need an external app to configure a camera
> to your liking, you’ve already lost the battle

I beg to differ.

External app is better in two respects: a) would not further clutter already busy camera menu, b) would be simply more convenient: my phone has 7.2" inch screen with multi-touch support, polished UI primitives etc.; we won't have comparable capabilities in cameras for decades, if ever.

Now, the "already lost the battle" part.

I heavily customize every mobile I get: I consider stock UI barely usable at best. And I'm talking about usability, not fancy wallpapers and such: I replace default keyboard, change soft keys etc. Most importantly, I remove lots of pre-installed apps, and heavily rearrange the rest. Last time I had to create "Huawei crap" folder and move there non-removable apps ("out of sight"). W/o all that, the bloat would be unbearable.

And voila: I "won the battle".

May 7, 2019permalink

(unknown member)

> External app is better in two respects <...>

BTW, I do agree with you that if we have to battle with the UI at all, something's definitely wrong. No question about that.

My point is that great UIs are few and far between... And more often than not, we just *have* to use customization features. If the UI is sub-par *and* we cannot customize it to our liking, *then* it's a lost battle.

To ask a company like Sony to produce perfect UI might be too much. But they definitely could open up APIs for third parties; instead, they went with their half-asked custom apps, and then shot down even them. They were smart enough to open up E mount protocol, but their wisdom ended there, alas.

May 7, 2019permalink

mgreenfield

Back button focus. Set customizable button to “AF on” and focus mode to AF-C. Press and hold button for tracking. Press and release to focus then recompose.

May 7, 2019permalink

Carey Rose

In my experience, the AF worked so well that I never really needed to focus-and-recompose. With the tracking, you're focusing-while-recomposing. But as mgreenfield has suggested, you could always swap to back-button focus, but I find that AF button a bit fiddly myself.

May 10, 2019permalink

Charrick1

I might not be able to help now, but I'll ask some more questions to get a better idea of what you're looking for. About what focal length? And would a full frame lens be okay? Is there a price range you're thinking of? I love my 85mm f/1.8 on full frame, but it might be too long to be a useful focal length for you.

May 4, 2019permalink

FlyinDoc

The Sigma trio of 16mm, 30mm and 56mm f/1.4 lenses are stupid sharp and affordable. None are stabilised though. Pick the focal length you need.

May 4, 2019permalink

CleverOreo

Me too. greetings. After reading about how inexpensive some compatible lenses are, and the common phrase: "IT'S A GOOD BUY or VALUE FOR MONEY"" I've to boil down to this; getting a cheap lens to suit some wallets isn't really about photography. correct me if I'm incorrect or blunt. The A6400 is indeed a very good camera by it's class. However when i bought the 55-210 OSS lens (which is indeed cheap by that price rate) it is quite a let down. the results are not that crispy when zooming to the max to catch that bird under tree shades. now i hope to get one better telephoto E-lens to replace it to restore my peace. thank you.

May 10, 2019permalink

cosmaracoare

What focal length are you looking for? The Sony Zeus’s APC 24 f1.8 is plenty fast and very sharp.

May 10, 2019permalink

CleverOreo

Thank you for responding. I always like nature shooting.,birds, insects.,crawlies etc. Not so much for crowded situations. I wish to have a fast or lowlights telephoto lens, perhaps, not exceeding 300mm , otherwise it could be heavy for my slightly handicapped shoulders. Do you have any advise on this? Thanks again Cosmar.

May 11, 2019permalink

captura

@FlyinDoc,
Rolling shutter reported with those lenses on the A6500. Will it be the same with the A6400?

May 25, 2019permalink

FlyinDoc

Rolling shutter is a function of the read speed of the camera - nothing to do with the lens. Rolling shutter is a weakness of the A6400 too in 4K.

May 25, 2019permalink

(unknown member)

@Paul_B Midlands UK

> As a former A6000 fan, I'm so bored with the form factor of the A6X00 series

As a current a6x00 fan, I have a6000, a6300 (bought for my son), and a6500.

With 18-135 (bought two of these, for myself and my son), any of these bodies represent perfect walk-around combos, reminiscent of F717, with which I had love/hate relationship (great concept, but ISO100-only and no AF to speak of).

Rangefinder-ish body is great for compact primes (of which I have... plenty), too.

> If I was to be tempted I would want the all-in bells n whistles version

What would make me buy another Sony APS-C is a6400 (AF) with IBIS, GPS, Z battery (2x the juice), and great mobile integration -- current Imaging Edge is just as horrendously lame as Play Memories Mobile before it.

May 4, 2019permalink

gfrensen

As a enthusiast A6000 user I like the way Sony keeps the new cameras have the same form factor, it makes switching so much easier!
Think what many people will tell when the form factor changed, not the small "rangefinder" style any more.... many people love the small and good design of this little camera just for what it is, small and good...

May 6, 2019permalink

Nikita66

Yes, great options. Now for a 10mm 2.8.

May 4, 2019permalink

(unknown member)

@4sofnature

> Sigma 16-30-56 trio is the best affordable compact prime combo

Sigma 16/1.4 is anything but compact -- think about it: it is almost exactly the size/weight of the Sony 24/1.4 (FF!). Length and filter thread are *exactly* the same.

I bought 30mm and 56mm Sigmas (great lenses!), but passed on the 16mm behemoth.

May 4, 2019permalink

4sofnature

There can be no perfect camera, from both the financial and physical stand point. It is financially unfavorable for camera manufacturers to give you one single camera that lasts 5 years, and so is it physically impossible to implement M43 IBIS in a full-frame body.

May 3, 2019permalink

sirkhann

Yes, Marketing departments do whatever they can to obstruct engineering to introduce the perfect camera to the market - this will hurt sales for decades as nobody will be upgrading.

Better sell under-engineered stuff that you will want to replace in couple of months.

May 3, 2019permalink

4sofnature

This is the same reason why A7siii and A7000 could be the best camera but Sony continues to postpone their release, not because like they say "the engineering is not ready" or they want to "over-accomplish user expectation", but because people will stop buying the already best-selling, market-dominating A7iii and A6400.

May 3, 2019permalink

Revenant

If every camera model had everything they would all be equally expensive. The manufacturers need multiple models at different price points to attract as many customers as possible, and that's why every model has its own unique mix of features and capabilities. Sure, they could make the perfect camera, but it would be expensive. That said, I'm sure the a6500 successor will get the faster processor that's required for the improved AF.

May 3, 2019permalink

ekaton

For this reason I'm still hanging on to the a6300 as neither the 6500 nor the 6400 offer enough to upgrade. The next generation with IBIS and best in class AF (and maybe a 36MP sensor?) will get my money.

May 4, 2019permalink

Paul_B Midlands UK

they cripple something, they want you to desire the massively improved 'sidegrade' (maybe not upgrade) as it has some 'I absolutely must have' features but with a new cripple somewhere else that will irk and irritate real-world. Meaning you will be on the upgrade path once again, oh 9 months later. Welcome to the Sony merry-go-round.

Aug 5, 2019permalink

raminm

And by repeating this ergonomics myth they have given an excuse to brand bashers to base their attack on it.

Same for Color.

May 3, 2019*permalink

Wildabobalore

"Brand bashers" lmao give me a break.

Ergonomics and SOOC colors are important to some people even if they aren't important to you.

May 3, 2019permalink

007peter

I feel the same way as M43 users. M43 forum ♥ to brag about Olympus IBIS, while never addressing Olympus weakness in (1) poor lowlight (2) poor dynamic range (3) poor Continuous AF (4) inferior video specs. I don't want to abanon M43, but so far M43 has DONE NOTHING to address its core weaknesses. Sony + Fuji has show us that mirrorless can do Continuous AF without excuse in 2019. Gone are the days when poor C-AF is acceptable in any mirrorless camera. I wish M43 can catchup & add similar Real Time Eye Tracking AF. Continuous Video Tracking is now becoming the benchmark of any camera, and those won't can't do C-AF reliably will died.

May 3, 2019*permalink

onlyfreeman

The a6500 has been out for ages, so why just consider Sony now?

May 3, 2019permalink

inlawbiker

For the amazing focus tracking, for the first time in an APS-C camera. I am happy with Olympus for most things. Dynamic range is only a stop or so difference, no big deal. But AF, especially AF-C needs a lot of improvement. Sony is leading the way.

May 3, 2019permalink

David Mantripp

Er, 007Peter, surely IBIS is exactly what “M43” has done to address a major part of its “core weaknesses” ?

May 13, 2019permalink

liyufx

Only used A6300 so I may be completely off track, but maybe setting up back button focusing so that half-press shutter would not change focus?

May 3, 2019permalink

LookintotheMirrorlessoften

You simple want back button focusing, don’t you? The camera doesn’t seem to be the limitation here...

May 3, 2019permalink

mgreenfield

Unless I'm misunderstanding your complaint or how the camera works, won't back button focus, as mentioned by LookintotheMirrorlessoften suggested, work? Assign "AF on" to a customizable button and set the camera to AF-C. Then, when you hold the customized button down the focus will track and when you release the button it will stop.

May 3, 2019permalink

Nikita66

thanks mgreen, I started with back button focus and it seemed to complicate everything. I'll try it again, but it seems the only way to lock focus (and recompose) while avoiding it automatically changing to tracking (not only people but moving leaves, anything moving) is to toggle back and forth between Single Focus mode and Continuous which is an extra step.

May 4, 2019permalink

mgreenfield

I just checked, and it works as I described. To ensure no mistake, I used a shallow DOF, initially focusing on a subject 5 feet away at 135mm/f5.6. I pressed the back button customized to be "AF on," let go, and recomposed. The recomposed shot (across a large room) was completely out of focus. I then pointed the camera back to the subject I originally had focused on, and it was in focus.

May 6, 2019permalink

T3

Most people getting the A6400 will get the Sony 18-135/3.5-5,6 OSS ($500) or the Sony 18-105/4 OSS ($550) as their kit zoom. Both are perfectly good kit zooms. The 18-105 is the better lens: very sharp, constant f/4 aperture, non-telescoping. But the 18-135 has more zoom range and is more compact. Both are affordable, and most people would be perfectly happy with either one. I own the 18-135, but I have used the 18-105. I really like the 18-105, but I just wish it wasn't a powered zoom.

I also shoot Fuji and I have the XF 18-55/2.8-4. That's a great lens: compact, fast, sharp. But it has very limited zoom range. Fuji also has an 18-135, but it's pricier at $800 ($300 more than Sony's).

As for m4/3, well, it's m4/3 format. Not everyone wants 4/3 format.

May 2, 2019permalink

tedolf

Lots of zoom range is not appealing to most amateurs. If you want lots of zoom look at a Sony r100 or LX1000, etc.

As for format, 4:3 can be very attractive to people who print. It is a perfect match for 5x7", 8x10", 8.5 x 11" 11 x 14" and 16 x 20" with no cropping. To fit those prints, you have to crop a 3:2 format APS to the point where the sensor is the same size as the 4:3 sensor cameras so all the sensor size advantage goes away.

TEdolph

May 2, 2019permalink

T3

@tedolf - "Lots of zoom range is not appealing to most amateurs."

I don't know what you mean by "lost of zoom range", but I do know that the 18-135 zoom range is quite popular, which is why practically every manufacturer makes that zoom range now. Sony (for their APS-C mirrorless), Fuji (for their APS-C mirrorless), Canon (for their APS-C DSLR), Nikon (for their APS-C DSLR) all have 18-135 APS-C zooms. Canon introduced an 18-150 zoom for their EOS M system a couple years ago. Why the ubiquity of this 18-135/18-150 zoom range? Because zoom range is appealing to most amateurs.

May 2, 2019*permalink

2eyesee

@tedolf
I tend to agree with you. That Sony 16-50mm is a disgrace. Sure, the 18-135mm and 18-105mm are better options, but with M43 you get the very decent 12-60mm cheap as part of a kit. Not quite as much reach, but I prefer the wider angle (24mm vs 27mm equivalent).

The other thing with M43 is you get cheap, fast primes that are stabilised with IBIS on bodies like the G80/85 and G90/95. That more than makes up for a slightly smaller sensor and makes it better for video. Unfortunately though tracking AF can't compete with the A6400.

May 2, 2019permalink

tedolf

@2eyesee,

Yes, the Sony tracking AF is impressive. But, if you want that in m4/3 land there are always the Olympus PDAF/CDAF models.

As for me, I couldn't care less about tracking AF.

TEdolph

May 2, 2019permalink

photomedium

@tedolf
pfff! You own pentax and leica anything? Why didn't you say that rightaway?
It would have saved everybody the time to read through the rest of your nonsense and statements such as: " (I) have a hard time seeing who these Sony E mount cameras appeal to" and "I couldn't care less about tracking AF", etc.etc.

May 3, 2019permalink

captura

The full-frame e-mount lenses work beautifully on the A6400 and other APS-C bodies, and some are sufficiently small-sized. Including the FE 28-70 kit lens, which weighs only 295 gm. (DPR have failed to change that spec. although being notified of that several times.)

May 3, 2019permalink

LookintotheMirrorlessoften

You’re right that the emount doesn’t have 2,8 zooms for apsc, but a 2.8 zoom on apsc doesn’t makes sense to me, when you could use full frame anyway. Sonys apsc line is all about compactness for now, maybe it will change in the near future. But when people are complaining about the small 16-50 I can only laugh at them, because it’s tiny and totally inexpensive as kit. It may be not a pixelpeepers dream but it gets you going and you could still take great images with it.
The 18-135 is decent too and very compact, but in my opinion I would rather have the 16-70. I had both.
The tamron 28-75 works also very fine with it... as does every other ff lens

May 3, 2019permalink

2eyesee

@captura
The FE 28-70mm may be small enough, but on APS-C it becomes a 42-105mm, which is not a very useful range.

May 3, 2019permalink

twostep

I am using the a6400 as a second body to my A9 to get even more reach (1200 mm with 100-400 mm + 2x telconverter) So there's that. :)

May 3, 2019permalink

thoth22

I just bought the sigma dn 19mm f2.8 lens for $137, try finding a similar prime that cheap for x mount or fe mount. I plan to get the 16 f1.4 from sigma next, that costs less than half of the fuji 16mm prime. I went back to apsc, sony in particular because I want great value per dollar spent.

May 3, 2019permalink

tedolf

@photomedium:

Huh?

@toth:

Yes, the Sigma primes are great values and good lenses. Those same lenses are available in m4/3 mount too. I strongly suspect Sigma makes some of the m4/3 lenses, e.g. the Olympus 75mm f/1.8 (it looks like a Sigma cosmetically). It is the Sony lenses that are either cheap and nasty, or expensive and nice.

tEdolph

May 3, 2019permalink

captura

Yes the three Sigma DC DN lenses, 16, 30 and 56 mm are available with both e and M43 mounts. But their design was focused on Sony APS-C, and so the APSC version is much sharper than the M43 version.

May 3, 2019*permalink

tedolf

@captura

The m4/3 and the APS sigma 16mm, 30mm and 60mm f/2.8 lenses are the exact same lenses, they just have different mounts.

TEdolph

May 3, 2019permalink

captura

Of course I know that. But the effect is quite different. I actually purchased the M43 version 30/ 1.4 for my Olympus, for the spectacular bokeh. Which is not so good with the Sony.

May 3, 2019*permalink

Jefftan

if no need 4k, no need sport shooting
i bet stills IQ almost same as A6000

May 2, 2019permalink

LookintotheMirrorlessoften

You loose about 1/3 of light through the mirror and the bsi sensors are a bit better at high iso anyway. The real question is what lenses you want to use on emount

May 3, 2019permalink

(unknown member)

@ LookintotheMirrorlessoften. 1/3 stop of light loss is not visible when you compare real world work, not even at ery high ISO (yes, tested, with large prints).

Many use auto exposure. Then the light meter will mostly be fooled much more than 1/3 stop, compared to perfect raw file exposure.

May 3, 2019permalink

Carey Rose

It will continue to track the face once it moves outside that spot, yes. That spot simply indicates the starting point for the tracking.

May 10, 2019permalink

Jacques Cornell

Thanks for the clarification. This is very different behavior from that of the a7III/a7RIII with firmware 3.0.

May 11, 2019permalink

Jefftan

good IBIS, not like in a6500

May 2, 2019permalink

captura

My guess is, if continuing with the brick design, it will be called an A6700. If moving over to an A7 design style with central EVF, it will be named an A7000.

May 3, 2019*permalink

BrentSchumer

What is lacking in IQ for this camera as opposed to it's peers? Your comment makes no sense.

May 2, 2019permalink

raminm

I bet you don't know nothing about IQ otherwise, you wouldn't say that.

May 3, 2019permalink

BrentSchumer

Yes the AF/MF button overrides whatever your lens switch is set to. I never use my 18-135mm switch and just hit the body button.

May 2, 2019permalink

pecheurs6

Perfect! Thanks. One step further tho..what damage, if any, would I provoke if i were to manually adjust the focus ring in AF mode? Some cameras will simply switch to M focus for one shot. Maybe that is this lens?

May 2, 2019permalink

BrentSchumer

To the best of my recollection nothing happens when you move the MF wheel in AF. You should be able to check whether the manual focusing on this lens is focus-by-wire or direct mechanical focusing. I believe this is a focus-by-wire lens.

May 2, 2019permalink

(unknown member)

This is a reasonable observation. Sony released the 16 MP EXMOR APSC sensor around 2010 as I recall. This pretty much pushed the quantum efficiency of Bayer sensors about as far as they could go.

Since then there have been improvements around the edges, like BSI, readout speed, OSPDAF, and so on, but relatively tiny improvements in IQ.

Unless you need better AF, better EVFs and faster operation, there isn't a whole lot of incentive to upgrade your camera. Hence the ILC market is suffering a downturn - the victim of its own success.

May 2, 2019permalink

Helmholz Watson

I’ve had my a6000 for three years now and I am continually finding that any shortcomings in the photos and videos it produces are due to the operator (me). True, the ergonomics could be better, but even then I know my settings and button layout so well that any changes I need to make are relatively fast. In short, the a6000 is still an amazing camera.

May 2, 2019permalink

Paul_B Midlands UK

I have 2 of them, I used to really love them but now I find them so boring I rarely bring them out. Once I bought the Leica Q I discovered how nice to use a camera can be and that minute, I ceased to like the 6000 at all (even though I know the 6000 can take great pics). I hate the noise it makes, I'm so sensitive to that since Q just whispers, or less. Form factor in the 6 series remains a big put-off for me. For some reason I didnt sell my 6000's they sit unused on the shelf, as I know occasionally I need something which is not 28 mm (Q focal).

Aug 5, 2019permalink

MikeRan

33 comments in 9 years... at least you only post a few times per year...

May 2, 2019permalink

fatdeeman

Still better than the Canon and Nikon mirrorless cams though.

Not so bad after all then, despite years of DSLR owner criticism.

May 2, 2019permalink

wheatfieldsoul

I guess if DP were being paid they'd have claimed auto focus was sub par too. Ergonomics and menu layouts on Sonys have been criticized by reviewers and users for years. It's not DP's fault.

May 2, 2019permalink

zxaar

Autofocus is not subjective thing though. It either works or it doesn't.

Ergo is subjective.

May 2, 2019permalink

Revenant

Just because you can get used to and learn to live with something, doesn't mean that you're comfortable eith it. The user experience of some cameras is a bit like having tinnitus, in that respect.

May 2, 2019permalink

Hautedawg

old school DSLR shooters are the most stubborn people on the planet.

May 2, 2019permalink

Sir 7

Because they were never comfortable, and still aren't.

May 2, 2019permalink

wheatfieldsoul

@zxaar,
Neither is layout, menus and ergonomics subjective either. There are many cameras out there to compare with and form an objective consensus.

May 3, 2019permalink

zxaar

@wheatfieldsoul

So why isn't a "objective" standard of menu, layouts etc for non-sony cameras. Are you claiming that its only you who gets it and everyone else in the business is just dumb. There is not any objective consensus in anything you said. Heck companies even can't decide on single mount size.

Ergonomics is quite subjective otherwise since i am good with sony's ergo everyone else has to be.

May 3, 2019permalink

LookintotheMirrorlessoften

At least it has a grip... can‘t say that about fujis

May 3, 2019permalink

pollup

Personally, I don't have a problem with the menus at all. I use custom Fn settings and reassign buttons too, and "My Menu" for the items that I sometimes use but not enough to put in Fn, and also for the items that are impossible to put in Fn, such as compressed/uncompressed raw.

May 3, 2019permalink

Adrian-Van

I guess dpreview would rather just shoot in Raw than use default colors on the Sony. Unless there is a way to change the default settings for jpeg. Canon and Nikon colors generally look good both in jpeg and raw conversion in latest models I think.

May 2, 2019permalink

Dantist

@Adrian-Van sony jpeg customisation is actually quite extensive through picture profiles each of which also has three adjustments + arbitrary shift in WB. I went for "Clear" jpeg setting, turning up the saturation +2 contrast +1 and sharpness -2 + WB shift of two steps to the right then one down on the auto WB. Close enough to Fuji's classic chrome :) Have seen settings to mimic portra/astria/velvia films via this route too. The problem with sony's jpegs is that the default profile is too neutral and others too funky so people get upset. Even simple tweaking of the default PP makes miracles though :)

May 2, 2019permalink

DeadOctopi

Yeah noticed when I got mine (first sony purchase, and VERY happy for family/kids photos with this thing) I noticed I didn't really like the skin compared to my Nikon, but yeah, lo and behold, a few clicks around on the profiles and yay, much better. I will say, that's a -deep- menu system they have, haha. My Nikon was pretty old, so I expected it to be a learning curve. I take this thing everywhere, it's got me shooting again, so that's something!

May 2, 2019permalink

flip 21

and unlike the crippled Fuji X30, it has an indispensable selfie LCD to shoot video... great Sony

May 1, 2019permalink

cosinaphile

are you condemning the fuji for not having a narcissism mode.... ? err screen ?

lets warn all the 12 year old girls out there of fujis selfie defect ! and never ever mention sonys ....ahem...... menus

May 2, 2019permalink

MikeRan

Bashing Sony menus is such old news.. If you can't figure out their latest menu/configuration implementation, there is something wrong with you... not the menus...

May 2, 2019permalink

Revenant

But if a menu system requires you to figure it out, then I'd say there *is* something wrong with it. A clearly and logically organized menu is always preferable.

May 2, 2019permalink

cosinaphile

umm it was dpr in the latest comparison between fuji and sony midsize models where we were reminded of sonyys weaks poorly orginized menu

ok??? flips flippant remark calling fuji"crippled" prompted my remark... reading the whole thread is your friend

since i dont own any sony cameras , i dont need to master their awful menus ,, the ones dpr have been mentioning since the sony Nex 7
many years ago
DPR in 2011:

"The NEX-7's menus are based on the original NEX-5's, just adding more options on top. Which is another way of saying that they haven't had the best start in life, and haven't really got any better. The overall result is a rather confusing mashup of options, with little appreciable semblance of
organization."

8 yrs later, dprs STILL mentioning menu issues in the 6400

so there s that.............

May 2, 2019*permalink

(unknown member)

I believe that a year or 5 ago (or longer) the old NEX GUI was replaced for the same kind of GUI as can be found in the A-mount camera's. Should work just fine after a small period of get used to. But I have never used them.

May 2, 2019permalink

MikeRan

I picked up a Canon 7D MkII and I had to figure out where stuff was.. there is no magic... and honestly the menus looked paged in quite similar fashion to my A9.. (and the a6400 is basically the same).. so.. yeah. I guess Canon menus suck too...

May 2, 2019permalink

T3

@cosinaphile - "are you condemning the fuji for not having a narcissism mode.... ? err screen ?"

Seriously? You have issues with people wanting to capture memories of themselves in photos? Without this desire to capture oneself in photos, the photo industry would have probably died a long time ago. It would probably be some very small niche hobby, like landscape painting! So don't belittle people's desire to capture themselves in photos. And don't belittle cameras that make this task a little easier, because smartphones have made it easier and smartphones have been able to kill off a lot of the camera market!

The flip-up screen is also desirable for anyone who wants to capture themselves in video, like for vlogging. There are plenty of people out there capturing themselves in video, whether it be for personal use or for creating your own Youtube channel.

The more these cameras appeal to a wide range of users, the more these cameras have a chance of surviving in the market.

May 2, 2019permalink

cosinaphile

in a different better world genuine cameras would not judged for their prowess as selfie cameras.ever, an articulated screen is used by serious people for other reasons ..cellphones already work great for this
so i could care less, yet since you ask if i ever get a hankering to do a sellfie, i would sensibly use my fujis camera remote to frame and fire, and while connected could instantly transfer said selfie to post to instaface or selfbook

to your second point about not having selfies would have relegated photography to a hobby?
umm no , for portraiture [ real] for documentary use , for reporting for
legal for creative aesthetic, for art itself,..... photography has had, and will have a genuine use

selfies make cameras more relevant for current trends , but better to have instant connections to ones phone and a clearly accessable library as convenient as ones own cellphone album for social media use ... a mush more important and blatently missing feature in cameras

May 2, 2019*permalink

otto k

FWIW I don't own either Sony or Fuji. I do have cameras with "selfie" screen (both fully articulated and top-flip). I rarely use them for actual selfies, but I do use them very often when filming (especially talking heads / interviews) as the talent prefers seeing themselves while filming. Alternative would be a cage with external screen or view ona an app on a smartphone, but this is so much easier in real life.

YMMV.

May 2, 2019permalink

flip 21

Cosinaphile, I hate narcisitic people, I hate this "Genaration Me", but I need a fully articulated LCD to make my own videos, to frame myself in picture, to watch the exposure, etc, and also to protect the LCD from scratches, for instances...

All professional video cameras for video have a fully articulated LCD. Can you explain me why? Is this a professional feature, this so called narcisitic feature? Or are professional videographers more narcisistic than consumers? Camcorders have fully articulated LCD since 2000s... my old handycam has it... and it shoots SD video, on a tape... this is stupid??!!?

May 2, 2019permalink

T3

@cosinaphile - "i would sensibly use my fujis camera remote to frame and fire, and while connected could instantly transfer said selfie to post to instaface or selfbook"

Sure, the Fuji smartphone camera remote app is great. But can you look at your smartphone while looking directly at the camera, and not have the smartphone in the frame? That's where a fully articulating "selfie" screen is so helpful. Besides, LCD screens are already articulating. What's wrong with having them articulate a little bit more so they can rotate 180 degrees?

May 2, 2019permalink

cosinaphile

i hearby give up , i concede that for blogging etc , such a feature is important ...if a cameras gonnas do good video which many a camera can do now then such a feature is useful and yes , in a professional sense

consider me convinced and converted .. ive seen , so to speak , the light [ of a screen that can do a 180]

May 3, 2019permalink

flip 21

It is good when one sees the light of things :) You see, it is handy, and brands are just making a great deal out of it... It is like the 3.5 mic input, which they take away, and adamantly refused to include in their cameras for some time...now at least they went back on this, thankfully... it is a marketing strategy so you buy an more expensive models... The other day I try doing a home video, a birthday cake celebration, with all family in picture... everything was set... when I look at the footage, I don't know why, but the camera lock focus on a wall behind us... everything was out of focus...everyone got frustrated :(

May 3, 2019permalink

T3

Get this fix for the mic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C37Y6C4AImI

https://www.smallrig.com/smallrig-cold-shoe-relocation-plate-for-sony-a6300-a6400-buc2317.html

May 1, 2019*permalink

DarnGoodPhotos

It’s a valid concern for anyone who wants to use an external microphone while recording themselves. Reduces the usefulness of the flip up screen in that situation.

May 2, 2019permalink