Sony A6400 Mirrorless Camera Review
The premium APS-C and full-frame mirrorless camera world are clashing. Canon has just recently budgeted its budget EOS RP full-frame mirrorless camera approximately Rs. 1,10,000.Which keeps it in the same segment as other remarkable crooped sensor mirrorless cameras like Sony A6500 and Fujifilm X-T3.
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| The Sony A6400 starts at a price of Rs. 75,990, for just the body |
Table Of Content
With full-frame cameras at the expense of crooped sensor cameras, premium APS-C mirrorless cameras are counted?
We have a lot of doubt about this. In the Mirrorless segment, APS-C cameras still have a share of Lion, when compared to full-frame or medium-format cameras. Sony's latest A6400 croped sensor mirrorless camera is also proof that this segment is live and kicking.
The A6400 joins the popular APS-C lineup of Sony, and as the name suggests, it sits between A6300 and A6500. The new A6400 has many features with the other two models, but also introduces many firsts, which makes it almost Rs. 75,990 Read our review to see if it's worth seeing.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Sony A6400 features 425 PDAF and contrast detection AF points
- Tracking and Eye AF is very good but 4K video has visible rolling shutter
- The Sony A6400 starts at a price of Rs. 75,990, for just the body
Sony A6400 design and ergonomics
The body's design is highly unchanged when you compare it to models that sit on top of it and below, except for a couple, fewer than two. The Sony A6400 has the same height and width of the A6500, but the depth is slightly lower due to the slightly rounded hand grip. |
| There's a good selection of ports but we would have liked a USB Type-C instead of Micro-USB |
If you used the old A6300, the layout of the button and port should also be familiar. On the left side, there is a slide-out flap that covers a micro-USB port, micro-HDMI port and a 3.5mm microphone input.
Battery and single sd card slot (up to UHS-I speed) is at the bottom of the hand grip. At the top, we have a hot shoe mount, pop-up xenon flash, mode dial and command dial. The shutter button is placed in front of the edge of the hand grip.
The Sony A6400's back has pre-assigned function buttons, but most of them can be remapped to do other tasks. There is a command dial which is also doubled as a four-way navigation pad.
Read More: Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 Review
The A6400 has a 3-inch LCD screen of the new addition. It's still a touch panel with 921K dot resolution, but it can flip up to 180 degrees instead of being able to tilt up or down just like the previous model.
Taking it selfie is quite simple. A small part of the lower part of the display is blocked when it flips, but it is not a problem.
When you try and fit an external microphone on hot shoes, a big issue arises, which completely blocks the performance. This is not ideal if you want to pledge professionally.
As many people have said on the Internet, one solution would be to use a smart cage and mount the microphone on the edge of the camera.
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| Sony A6400 Mirrorless Camera Review |
This lens has switch, zoom ring and focus ring to toggle between built-in stabilization, aperture range of f / 3.5 to f / 5.6, manual and auto focus.
This particular lens adds a proper bit to the camera as well. The other material of the box is a shoulder strap, power adapter, micro-USB cable and NP-FW 50 batteries.
Sony A6400 features and specifications
The Sony A6400 uses the 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, the same as the A2500 and A6500 with 425 PDAF points. Contrary to those two models, the contrast detection of A6400 is also the same number of autofocus points, which is capable of achieving the estimated autofocus speed of 0.02 seconds only.
Focus point covers approximately 84 percent of the sensor area, making it easy to track your subject. In fact, it has been claimed that it is difficult to measure the speed of the air force, but we will take the word of Sony here because it is unaware of focusing and monitoring the moving topics - in the next part it is more.
Focus point covers approximately 84 percent of the sensor area, making it easy to track your subject. In fact, it has been claimed that it is difficult to measure the speed of the air force, but we will take the word of Sony here because it is unaware of focusing and monitoring the moving topics - in the next part it is more.
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| Sony A6400 Mirrorless Camera Review |
The camera has a native ISO range of 100-32,000, which can be extended to ISO 1,02,400. Burst tops at 11fps in shooting 'Hi +' mode, but without a live view of your subject. If you want the latter, then you need to throw the burst speed down in mode Hi 'mode which still gives you a decent 8fps.
With the latter, you can track the subject's situation in real time, which works when shooting anything in motion. You can also burst up to 8fps silently, and the camera is capable of shooting 14-bit RAW files.
Another new feature is an AI-based algorithm for eye and subject tracking. If you press the shutter button halfway, the A6400 will detect the face and eyes of a subject and if it is visible it will track it. You can manually choose which eye to track or leave on Auto
Tracking performance is powerful, and the A6400 either locks on the eye, even if your subject is not directly visible in the camera. To enable IF for animals, a future update is also called, which is good news for wildlife photographers.
A6400 can shoot 4K video without any pixel bins. This means that the video is captured at a higher resolution and then 4K oversmapped, which in theory, should capture more details. The camera can shoot at 30fps (if you have chosen NTSC) or 120fps at 1080p resolution at this resolution.
You can also shoot for HDR workflows by using professional grade profiles such as Cine, S-Log and HLG. Mode Dial has a dedicated S & Q (Slow and Quick) mode, which lets you capture ready-to-go slow motion video. The selectable frame rates range from 1fps to 120fps.
Navigating through the menu system is easy, all the settings grouped under the color-coded tabs. You can not use touch input here, but it is easy to jump in with the navigation pad and wheel wherever it is required.
With the latter, you can track the subject's situation in real time, which works when shooting anything in motion. You can also burst up to 8fps silently, and the camera is capable of shooting 14-bit RAW files.
Another new feature is an AI-based algorithm for eye and subject tracking. If you press the shutter button halfway, the A6400 will detect the face and eyes of a subject and if it is visible it will track it. You can manually choose which eye to track or leave on Auto
Tracking performance is powerful, and the A6400 either locks on the eye, even if your subject is not directly visible in the camera. To enable IF for animals, a future update is also called, which is good news for wildlife photographers.
A6400 can shoot 4K video without any pixel bins. This means that the video is captured at a higher resolution and then 4K oversmapped, which in theory, should capture more details. The camera can shoot at 30fps (if you have chosen NTSC) or 120fps at 1080p resolution at this resolution.
You can also shoot for HDR workflows by using professional grade profiles such as Cine, S-Log and HLG. Mode Dial has a dedicated S & Q (Slow and Quick) mode, which lets you capture ready-to-go slow motion video. The selectable frame rates range from 1fps to 120fps.
Navigating through the menu system is easy, all the settings grouped under the color-coded tabs. You can not use touch input here, but it is easy to jump in with the navigation pad and wheel wherever it is required.
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| The button layout is very similar to the previous Sony A6300 model |
You can sync the camera with iOS or Android device using Sony's Play Memory Apps to transfer files, but the experience is not as intuitive as the implementation of Nikon or Canon.
Sony A6400 also has Bluetooth, but as soon as you take them, you can not automatically transfer photos to your phone. In addition, whenever you want to transfer the images, the camera connects via Wi-Fi. It has NFC, which accelerates the process of pairing with compatible Android phones.
Sony A6400 also has Bluetooth, but as soon as you take them, you can not automatically transfer photos to your phone. In addition, whenever you want to transfer the images, the camera connects via Wi-Fi. It has NFC, which accelerates the process of pairing with compatible Android phones.
Sony A6400 performance and battery life
In our first test, we examined the camera's ISO display so that it can be found to be so good in low light. A6400 maintains sharp details and good colors with no noticeable noise about ISO 1,600.
In ISO 6,400, we saw a slight drop in finer details in the Mundial areas of pencil but there was no reason to worry. While jumping over full stop at ISO 12,800, we looked at the slight grain in colors but there was not too much chrome noise.
In ISO 6,400, we saw a slight drop in finer details in the Mundial areas of pencil but there was no reason to worry. While jumping over full stop at ISO 12,800, we looked at the slight grain in colors but there was not too much chrome noise.
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| The Sony A6400 is a compact camera but fitting a large lens does make it a bit heavy |
In the maximum ISO 32,000, the edges around the pencil were slightly blurred and faced with the details, but there was still not much croma noise, which is an improvement over the A30000. We also tested extended ISO settings, and as you can see, the photos in ISO 1,02,400 were completely useless.
If you used Sony's APS-C mirrorless cameras in the past, the A6400 should be very familiar. With 18-135 mm lens, even after a whole day of shooting the camera does not seem too heavy. LCD is fast and helps in applying shots.
It ished out under direct sunlight, but it can be easily fixed by switching to the sunny weather mode. EVF helps here, but we also had to shine its brightness in sunlight.
IAF works very well, even in dim light conditions. The A6400 just locks the face of a subject and refuses to go. Even because of the wrong way about our subjects, the camera was able to maintain its eyes and eyes. There is another feather in the cap of the subject tracking camera.
You can simply tap on the object that you want to track while shooting a video, and the camera just sticks in the same way until the frame turns around. You can adjust the tracking and autofocus responsiveness in the settings.
With constant tracking, the camera focuses on the shooting of the burst. We had a theme in a jig-zag fashion, and the A6400 easily focused on every single shot, which was impressive.
There is also a big buffer. Before running slow, we managed to shoot an average of about 111 frames in shutter priority and in high-mode mode.
As soon as autofocus occurs, the A6400 hunted for focus several times in low light and using the full range of 18-135 mm zoom lens, probably due to the narrower f / 5.6 aperture at the end of telephoto While using EVF, you can still use the LCD as a touchpad to move the focus point.
However, we had to face a small bug where it stopped working many times. To fix this, we have to go back to the LCD display, move the point around, and then go back to the EVF, after which the touchpad will start working.
The 4K and 1080p video quality was very good when recorded in good light. The colors were vivid without appearing artificial and the camera's focus tracking is a real gem. While vlogging, the A6400 is locked in your face and always keeps it in focus.
Because there was no electronic or in-body stabilization, the videos were slightly shaky. The dynamic range was quite impressive and was particularly apparent during shooting against direct sunlight.
If you used Sony's APS-C mirrorless cameras in the past, the A6400 should be very familiar. With 18-135 mm lens, even after a whole day of shooting the camera does not seem too heavy. LCD is fast and helps in applying shots.
It ished out under direct sunlight, but it can be easily fixed by switching to the sunny weather mode. EVF helps here, but we also had to shine its brightness in sunlight.
IAF works very well, even in dim light conditions. The A6400 just locks the face of a subject and refuses to go. Even because of the wrong way about our subjects, the camera was able to maintain its eyes and eyes. There is another feather in the cap of the subject tracking camera.
You can simply tap on the object that you want to track while shooting a video, and the camera just sticks in the same way until the frame turns around. You can adjust the tracking and autofocus responsiveness in the settings.
With constant tracking, the camera focuses on the shooting of the burst. We had a theme in a jig-zag fashion, and the A6400 easily focused on every single shot, which was impressive.
There is also a big buffer. Before running slow, we managed to shoot an average of about 111 frames in shutter priority and in high-mode mode.
As soon as autofocus occurs, the A6400 hunted for focus several times in low light and using the full range of 18-135 mm zoom lens, probably due to the narrower f / 5.6 aperture at the end of telephoto While using EVF, you can still use the LCD as a touchpad to move the focus point.
However, we had to face a small bug where it stopped working many times. To fix this, we have to go back to the LCD display, move the point around, and then go back to the EVF, after which the touchpad will start working.
The 4K and 1080p video quality was very good when recorded in good light. The colors were vivid without appearing artificial and the camera's focus tracking is a real gem. While vlogging, the A6400 is locked in your face and always keeps it in focus.
Because there was no electronic or in-body stabilization, the videos were slightly shaky. The dynamic range was quite impressive and was particularly apparent during shooting against direct sunlight.
In low light, the A6400 did a commendable job keeping noise in the probe. 4K footage began to get noise after the ISO 6,400, but at this point noise was also manageable. There is no problem with rolling shutter during shooting 1080p, but at 4K, it clearly shows whenever you move the camera.
Once again, this is not very clear when you are shooting a video of yourself, because your face will normally pick up most frames, but otherwise, when you surround the camera, you can add a 'jelly' 'Will see the effect. A6400 gets hot after a few minutes of shooting the video, but we do not have any overheating problem.
In daylight scenario, Sony A6400 captured a very good expanse. The dynamic range was once again impressive, and distant objects had good sharpness and definition around the edges. We did not notice any color aberration, although this lens had added a very slight word on the corners of some samples taken by us.
Macros were equally detailed, with good edges and colors. Despite being a narrow aperture, the 18-135mm lens portrait can produce a pleasant bowel while shooting.
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| Sony A6400 Mirrorless Camera Review |
In low light, the in-built noise reduction system of the camera did a good job in suppressing noise at high ISO levels, while still maintaining enough expansion. The lens stabilization works well in compensating for the hand shake, even when shooting with shutter speed is less as 1/5 of a second.
The A6400 is rated to give approximately 410 shots per charge while under the ideal display and using the LCD display. This is an improvement over the battery life of the A6500, which is rated at 350 shots per charge. In our experience, we have managed to go a little bit ahead of the rated battery life while shooting a mix of still and video.
While not showing a live view at the camera and LCD set in airplane mode, we took approximately 420 shots and still have about 40 million remaining The A6400 can be charged by a powerbank, and you can also use the camera to power and continue your shoot.
The A6400 is rated to give approximately 410 shots per charge while under the ideal display and using the LCD display. This is an improvement over the battery life of the A6500, which is rated at 350 shots per charge. In our experience, we have managed to go a little bit ahead of the rated battery life while shooting a mix of still and video.
While not showing a live view at the camera and LCD set in airplane mode, we took approximately 420 shots and still have about 40 million remaining The A6400 can be charged by a powerbank, and you can also use the camera to power and continue your shoot.
Verdict
There is no denying that the A6400 Sony has another solid reason for the APS-C lineup. It has the facility of flip-up touchscreen for class-leading autofocus system, good battery life and selfie. It shoots high-quality images as well as videos. In-body stabilization will have completed the package well, but where the A6500 arrives
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| Sony A6400 Mirrorless Camera Review |
Side-effects of a screen that flip instead of fliping in the sideways, is that hot shoes accessories will be found on the way. When shooting at 4K, there is a noticeable rolling shutter if you or your subject quickly moves to the frame, which can be annoying.
This new model has some remarkable improvements on the A6300, which was a great camera to start. However, we do not think these improvements are enough to do business in your A6300 for the A6400.
If you need stabilization of the body, then always have A6500. This model is in the market from 2016 and you can currently get huge discounts online. In fact, while writing this review, the A6500 with 18-135 mm kit lens is just going for Rs. A400 is equal to 4,000 more
Along with the A6500, you get hardware-level stabilization, but at the same time, you have to lose some of the new features of the A6400, such as better air force, better battery life, and even larger native ISO ranges.
Then Canon is EOS RP, which is a full-frame camera with flip-out screen and has a relatively small, light body at the same cost as our A6400 kit. Although we have not tested the EOS RP yet, you can expect good image quality due to its large sensor.
However, keep in mind that you will be able to get the body of EOS RP only at this price, because Canon's RF lens will be an additional cost, and not even a small one on it. Also, in terms of features, video capabilities and selection of lenses, the A6400 still has an edge.
Price (MRP): Rs. 1,09,990 (with 18-135mm zoom lens)
This new model has some remarkable improvements on the A6300, which was a great camera to start. However, we do not think these improvements are enough to do business in your A6300 for the A6400.
If you need stabilization of the body, then always have A6500. This model is in the market from 2016 and you can currently get huge discounts online. In fact, while writing this review, the A6500 with 18-135 mm kit lens is just going for Rs. A400 is equal to 4,000 more
Along with the A6500, you get hardware-level stabilization, but at the same time, you have to lose some of the new features of the A6400, such as better air force, better battery life, and even larger native ISO ranges.
Then Canon is EOS RP, which is a full-frame camera with flip-out screen and has a relatively small, light body at the same cost as our A6400 kit. Although we have not tested the EOS RP yet, you can expect good image quality due to its large sensor.
However, keep in mind that you will be able to get the body of EOS RP only at this price, because Canon's RF lens will be an additional cost, and not even a small one on it. Also, in terms of features, video capabilities and selection of lenses, the A6400 still has an edge.
Price (MRP): Rs. 1,09,990 (with 18-135mm zoom lens)
Pros
- Reliable eye and tracking AF
- Compact
- Very good image and video quality
- Respectable ISO performance
- 180-degree tilting display
- Good battery life
Cons
- Noticeable rolling shutter at 4K
- Hot shoe accessories can block LCD
Ratings (out of 5)
- Build/ design: 4.5
- Image quality: 4
- Video quality: 4
- Performance: 4.5
- Value for money: 4
- Overall: 4
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