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Sony a6400 Review

Sony a6400

Were Sony pushed or did they jump? We were expecting the launch of the A7000 which Sony claim would be an APS-C version of their top of the range, full frame flagship the A9. Instead, they have given us the Sony a6400, which they describe as an entry level camera to replace the popular Sony a6300.

No doubt, Sony saw the launch of the excellent Fujifilm X-T3 and thought they just had to respond.

Specification

It is no wonder then, that the a6400 is a camera with an impressive specification. I must at this point declare an interest. I love the a6300. Most of the images on this site have been taken with it, but is the Sony a6400 a worthy replacement?

The Sony a6400 has a 24.0MP APS-C CMOS sensor coupled with the latest BIONZ X processor. The new processor is fast. Capable of shooting bursts at 11 fps with continuous AF. Furthermore, the camera’s buffer will now accommodate up to ninety nine JPEGs, and forty six RAW files in one go. Small buffers have for a long time, been the bugbear of small mirrorless cameras.

There is 4k video recording, but with no in body stabilization it could be a bumpy ride.

The autofocus system is all new. Featuring 425 phase detection points with ‘Real Time Tracking’ of moving subjects, and ‘Real Time Eye AF’, which will amazingly work with animals as well as humans. Does that mean all types of animal? Unfortunately, we will have to wait for a firmware upgrade later this year, before this feature is implemented and can be tested on tree frogs.

Most cameras these days claim the world’s fastest AF lock on. The a6400 is no exception. At 0.02 seconds, it is faster than the blink of an eye.

There is a neat new tilt screen which flips over the top of the camera so that vloggers and selfie fanatics can frame themselves. A touch of the screen moves the focus point.

Entry Level?

This is a £1000 camera, described as entry level by Sony. If so then Sony are redefining what an entry level camera is in two ways.

Firstly, there are a ton of advanced features on this camera, so it is not entry level as we know it. What in reality Sony are doing, is setting up this camera as the base level for their new series of APS-C cameras.

Secondly, £1000 is a lot of money for your first step up from selfies on your smart phone. However, we should expect that as the new range of APS-C cameras are introduced and existing a6xxx cameras are withdrawn, the price of this camera will likely fall, creating an entry point to their new range of cameras.

What I say is bring it on.

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Sony Big Disappointment: Sony a6400

by John Gough

Sony a6400

We were geared up to hear about the Sony a7000, a new APS-C camera that was billed as being a mini A9. However, journalists and vloggers were wooed away to be told instead about the Sony a6400 which is an mid level camera set to replace the a6300 in the Sony APS-C range. With rumours abounding for months now, that Sony was about to launch a ball busting APS-C camera, the news was a big disappointment for Sony Alpha fans looking for a camera to compete against the game changing Fujifilm X-T3.

The Sony a6400 Launch

The launch was an strange affair. It looked as though it had been hastily cobbled together. The sets looked dodgy, and the major speakers had obviously not had time to learn their scripts. The videos which accompanied the presentation looked generic and dated. The videos did not even feature the new camera. My guess is that following a long time without any mirrorless camera product launches, and faced with strong competition from Fujifilm, Canon and Nikon. Sony was under intense pressure just to say something. So the a6400 was introduced and a new firmware package for Sony full frame mirrorless cameras was also bundled into the mix. Very odd.

Just a note that the new firmware update looks awesome, with auto eye tracking for humans and animals. This feature is included in the a6400

Sony a6400 Summary

Principally aimed at vloggers, the camera has a new flip up screen which can rotate 180 degrees so that vloggers can frame themselves in the shot.

Sony a6400

For photographers, the most exciting addition is the new tracking capability. The AF is claimed to be the fastest in any camera with no fewer than 425 phase detection AF points and 425 contrast AF points covering 84% of the frame. This is paired with a new generation BIONZ X image processing engine and together they enable the camera to acquire focus in as little as 0.02 seconds.

The new eye tracking technology can detect and process eye data in real time. This mode utilises Sony’s latest algorithm which includes AI based object recognition. This processes colour, subject distance (depth), pattern (brightness) as spatial information to ensure focusing accuracy.

Sony have also tried to move away from needing multiple settings for autofocus. This one tracking AF mode will cover a range of bases. When linked with its 11fps capability this looks ideal for street photography where there is no time (well only 0.02 seconds) to get the shot right.

Sony a7000

This camera is still on the cards, probably a February launch. It is building up to be quite a camera. Set above the a6xxx range it will no doubt have the new tracking technology. Add to that IBIS and weather sealing. I cant wait.

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Sony a6700 Rumours

by John Gough

We are waiting for the launch of the a6700 or a7000

A sliver of information has emerged on SonyAddict that the new Sony A6700, may be priced to be competitive and may be larger than the existing Sony a6500.

Sony Product Strategy

Sony is committed to dominating every sector of the camera market and this includes the APS-C segment. The success of the Fujifilm X-T3 as both a stills camera and competent video camera is a challenge that Sony will not let pass. We know that they are working on an advanced APS-C camera, possibly the Sony a7000 that may have some revolutionary new features such as a global shutter. However, in the meantime, Sony may have decided that the a6700 can act as an effective stopgap. Sony is also not averse to launching one camera closely followed by its’ successor. The a6300 and a6500 were launched only months apart.

Sony a6700 Sensor

It is rumoured that the a6700 will have a 26MP IMX571 sensor which is the same as Sony supply to Fujifilm for the Fujifilm X-T3. In reviews of the X-T3, this has been well received. DPReview rave about the image quality.

Sony a6700 Size

The new camera is rumoured to be bigger than the existing a6500. The a6700 dimensions are 124 x 85 x 57mm which is a massive 40% larger than the 6500, and closer to the dimensions of the Fujifilm X-T3 at 132.5 x 92.8 x 58.8mm. Why? Bigger battery, we are promised quick charging so this could be a feature. Better IBIS we are promised improved IBIS. Or more resilience against overheating when shooting long 4K video. This was an issue with the 6300.

Sony 6700 Release Date

Sony Q2 results were good with their imaging business growing by c’1%. Growth for camera manufacturers is rare at the moment. So Sony is not being pushed financially to launch new cameras. For example, the ball busting A7iii is still in short supply due to unprecedented demand in some territories. However, my guess is that they will not want the X-T3 to get too far ahead before Spring next year.

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Sony a7000 Delay Due to Fujifilm X-T3

by John Gough

Fujifilm X-T3

Just what is Sony up to with the launch of the Sony a7000? Normally so assured the company seems to have got jittery about the launch of their new replacement for the Sony a6500. First, we heard speculation that the launch may be at Photokina earlier this month, then the launch date was confidently predicted to be yesterday the 16th October. But nothing. Sony is being very tight lipped.

Sony is used to being years ahead with their cameras. The launch of their full frame mirrorless Sony a7III threw the industry into despair and forced both Canon and Nikon to respond with $2000 full frame mirrorless cameras of their own.

The forums and rumour mills have been bubbling with the prospect of the Sony a7000 with a spec which would blow existing APS-C cameras out of the water. Sony is used to having an upper hand. It is their ethos to be ahead with stunning technology. Sony has the advantage of being able to leverage the technology which is being developed across the corporation and bringing it to bear in new products. So perhaps the launch of the Fujifilm X-T3 has taken them by surprise.

The Launch of the Fujifilm X-T3

In many ways, the Fujifilm XT-3 delivers the functionality and specification we expected on the Sony a7000. As DPReview commented, ‘this model is way more than an upgrade; rather, it’s a dramatic step forward’.

Specifically:

26.1MP Sensor
425-point hybrid AF system
Three-axis tilting touchscreen
4K/60P 4:2:0 10bit internal SD card recording
Full HD 1080/120p slow motion recording
30 fps continuous shooting with a 1.25x crop (electronic shutter)
20 fps continuous shooting at full resolution
3.69-million-dot high resolution EVF
Dual UHS-II SD card slots
£1349 price tag

Sony will have to pull out some stops to beat this mindblowing spec. Furthermore, the rumours are that Sony is moving away from the Sony a6500 iconic design, back to a central prism type viewfinder layout, no at all dissimilar to the Fujifilm XT-3!

So it may be that Sony is in a dilemma, do they launch a me too Fujifilm equivalent, or do they get back to the drawing board. Rumours are that the Sony a7000 may now be delayed to 2019.

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Sony a7000 Rumours

by John Gough

Sony a7000. Will it look the same as the a6000 series?

We don’t know what it is going to be called, there are rumours that it could be a Sony a7000. However, speculation is growing that after Photokina, which ends in Cologne on the 29^th September, and before the PhotoPlus EXPO in late October 2018. Sony will announce an APS-C camera that is a ‘mini A9’. So a small light weight high spec’ camera with world class technology.

The Mirrorless Market

The camera world has been focussed on full frame cameras, with the launch of the Canon EOS R and the Nikon Z (pronounced like pee). However, they are following the lead of Sony with the launch of the groundbreaking Sony a7III. It is interesting that the narrative around mirrorless cameras has been changing. We have commented before that Canon and Nikon have launched big mirrorless cameras, and the ethos of small, light and portable had been lost. Instead, the excuse for big mirrorless cameras is that they are the platform for future advances in technology. Faster burst rates, closer integration with video, information packed viewfinders and subject tracking AF. What if Sony could pack all that technology into a small package Sony a7000?

So congratulations to Fujifilm in keeping the same form factor with the launch of XT-3, a small camera bursting with technology, which can be partnered with small high quality lenses.

Whereas we once saw the APS-C market declining as consumers moved to full frame, perhaps Sony see an opportunity with the Sony a7000, to create sophisticated cameras that will appeal to those that are more used to their phone, rather than a camera the size of a handbag.

A ‘mini a9’

By creating a flagship ‘mini a9’ with an APS-C sensor, which sat on top of the a6000 series. Sony would have created a unique range. Nikon and Canon would have nothing that could compete. So where do they go? Leave the market to Fujifilm, Olympus and Sony? Or as they have done recently, rush out their own models?

Sony is out for domination. In the mirrorless space, it looks as though they are going for a pincer movement

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I buy my equipment from Wex because I have genuinely found that they offer great advice and customer service.

Sony a7000 Rumours

by John Gough

Sony a6300

We thought it would be the a6700 that would replace the Sony a6500, but the latest rumours are that a new model, the Sony a7000 will be released. This camera will be a small APS-C camera, like the a6500, but not necessarily a successor to it.

As we said when we talked about the rumoured a6700. Sony has to do things with this camera over and above just extending the existing features of the a6500.

Why the Sony a7000 is Important

Firstly, we know that Sony is going for dominance of the mirrorless market. This means chipping away at the territory that is very well defended by Fujifilm. We know that there is an XT-3 on the horizon, which will supplant the massively popular Fujifilm X-T2. This will be the camera that the a7000 will have to go up against and win.

Secondly, the Sony gamechanger in the full frame arena, the Sony a7III has been selling furiously because of its amazing price point of £2000 / $2000. If the a7000 has a similar spec but is not a lot cheaper. Then consumers may as well just spend a bit more and trade up to a7III. Sony will want a price point at around £1600 to match the Fujifilm X-T3, which will have to come in under the X-H1 which currently retails for £1700.

So the Sony a7000 has to be special.

Suspected Features of the Sony a7000

We should not put it past Sony to introduce a gamechanger into the APS-C space, as it has done with the A7III in the full frame market. Already this new camera is being rumoured to be a mini A9, the Sony full frame flagship.

The size is likely to increase to accommodate the new Z type battery. This could mean just a bigger grip, but would likely look odd if the remaining dimensions remain the same.
Sony has been doing a lot of work on improving rolling shutters so that images do not appear elongated when shot at insanely high fps. We know that Sony has patents for a global shutter. The difference is explained here
Talking of fps, 20 fps is rumoured vs 10 fps on the A7III and 20fps on the A9.
Fully articulating screen, a must for v-bloggers.
Improved IBIS. Better than 5 stops?
Updated sensor. Possibly a stacked CMOS sensor similar to the A9, which would mean that it could read focus and exposure data at an amazing 60 times per second, to enable faultless tracking and autofocus.
4K 60p video as is rumoured on the X-T3

Concern Over Rumoured Sony a7000

A niggling concern is that Sony may be trying to create a premium APS-C camera like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R MKII compact camera. In the compact camera market where the average price is around £500, this camera costs £3000. A great camera, but just too pricey.

What would delight us a6xxx shooters would be if the a7000 heralded a new genesis, which like the a6000 went on to create a line of great cameras.

Mirrorless Full Frame Cameras. The Race is On.

by John Gough

Start / John Gough / Sony a6300

A couple of YouTube videos have described the state of the interchangeable lens camera market as ‘Mirrorless Wars’. However, this is a misnomer it is not a war but a race, and the big players have yet to start.

The Race

To recap. The Sony launch of the Sony a7III was a gamechanger. A mirrorless full frame camera for £2000 packed with technology. It has been hailed as stunning by all who reviewed it. At a time when sales of DSLR’s are steadily declining, the a7III is now the best selling camera in the United States. Sony has taken on the goliaths of the pro/enthusiast market: Nikon and Canon and made deep inroads into a territory, they thought was theirs by divine right.

Sony is throwing down the gauntlet, challenging both Nikon and Canon to have a go. Nikon has responded. This week they will announce two mirrorless full frame cameras to challenge Sony. Commentators think a war will break out, with creaky old Nikon pulling a fast one and suddenly bettering the Sony offer.

What we have is no war, it is not even a battle, a fight or a skirmish. It is a race. If it were a Grand Prix, Sony would be laps ahead with a range of brilliant mirrorless full frame cameras and lenses. Nikon would have a car that is ready to go, but must be sensationally fast to beat the best. We will see on Thursday. Canon is meanwhile working in the pits, but no one knows on what. Olympus and Fujifilm are chatting in the stands, keeping a safe distance, waiting and hoping that their loyal supporters will stick with their micro four thirds, and APS-C offerings. Click here to make sense of that statement.

Talking Flanges

Continuing on this racing analogy, beware I am now going to talk flanges because this is the handicap, that both Nikon and Canon must overcome.

In a DSLR camera, there has to be room for the mirror mechanism. In mirrorless cameras, there is obviously no mirror. This means that the camera can be a lot less heavy and less bulky. The result is that the lens is now much closer to the sensor. Consequently, the flange distance has changed which means that a new mount is required. The last time Nikon introduced a new mount was in 1959!

This is key to understanding the dilemma Nikon and Canon are in. They have for years made money on lenses developed in the past and sold today. It is their biggest profit stream, and it is going to slowly fade away. They will no doubt create adaptors so that old lenses can be used on these new cameras, but they will not work as well as a lens designed for a mirrorless camera. That is because DSLRs use phase detection autofocus vs contrast detection in mirrorless. This means that lenses have to be capable of micro movements, which enables the clever technology around focus tracking and eye detection, which makes the Sony mirrorless full frame camera so versatile.

On the Starting Grid

So Nikon and Canon have a lot of catching up to do, which means that what they offer in this marketplace will have to be truly amazing. This is a race, in which we the consumers are the winners.

The Mirrorless War Video

From Kevin Raber at Luminous Landscape

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This Image was Taken on a Sony

Leica M10 vs Sony a6300

by John Gough

Leica M10

The Leica M10 is a serious camera. It comes from a pedigree that stretches back decades and has a name that is synonymous with quality and heritage. The Sony a6300 is, by comparison, the grubby kid from the other side of the tracks, working hard and pulling itself up by its bootstraps. Photographers are prepared to spend thousands on that little Leica red spot. Which is as well because the Leica M10 costs around £6000. The Sony a6300, on the other hand, costs less than £1000. So is it a fair to try and compare both cameras. Afterall the Leica at six times the cost of the Sony, so it should just blow it out of the water.

Leica M10 vs Sony a6300: Features.

Both are mirrorless cameras, the Leica has a 24-million-pixel full-frame CMOS sensor, vs a cropped APS-C sensor in the a6300. However, both offer a different ethos, optical viewfinder and screen on the Leica vs an EVF and tilting screen on the Sony. No video capability vs 4K etc. The Leica is a thing of beauty with a heavy magnesium chassis and top and bottom plates that are milled from solid brass blocks. The Leica is made to be handed down through the generations. Whereas the a6300 is more transient. It has already been supplanted by the a6500, and the a6700 is on the horizon.

On the surface, this makes the Leica sound more like a fashion statement than an enthusiasts camera. Furthermore, its lack of features makes it seem like a Betamax in a streaming world. However, the Leica does quality like no other camera. So is the lack of technology, and hefty price tag made up for with stunning images?

Leica M10 vs Sony a6300: Image Quality.

So how do they compare regarding image quality? The Leica used to be the street photographer’s camera of choice, and was/is used by many professional photographers today.

DXOMark has just completed their analysis.

Leica M10: A classic reinvented

DxOMark tested the Leica M10 sensor, the key to image quality. It shows that the Leica M10 full frame sensor falls considerably behind the latest and best full frame sensors launched this year, by Sony and Nikon. The Leica scored 86 compared to the Sony A7RIII and Nikon 850 which both scored 100. The M10 was found to be at least a 1 stop worse in both colour depth and dynamic range. Both these full frame cameras cost half the price of the Leica.

It would seem then that the Leica full frame sensor, is more on par with the smaller APS-C sensors, in cameras that cost far less. In fact, as DxOMark points out, the Leica sensor image quality is virtually the same as the APS-C sensors, seen in the Sony a6300 and the Samsung NX500.

The Leica has a full frame sensor, which is no better in image quality terms than the APS-C sensor in the Sony a6300.

Leica M10 vs Sony a6300: Conclusion.

So we return to the original question: Leica vs the a6300. The Sony is technically more advanced and feature rich, with comparable IQ. It is also a fraction of the price of the Leica. Whereas the Leica is a stills camera, in the tradition of Cartier-Bresson. It has breeding and legacy and is built to be cherished and shown off. So why spend so much more on a Leica when let’s face it, it is no longer the best camera money can buy.

I guess it just comes down to that little red dot and the joy of owning a piece of history.

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have genuinely found that they offer great advice and customer service.

Sony A7III Five Things You Did Not Know

by John Gough

Sony a7 III

The Sony A7III is hot at the moment. It has been reviewed by everyone lucky enough to get their hands on one. All the reviews will tell you about the incredible AF, the low light performance and the eye tracking brilliance. However, what don’t you know? Here are five things you may not know about the Sony A7III.

1 The Sony a7III can Zoom with a Prime Lens

The Sony a7III has a crop mode which ensures that APS-C lenses can be used. This means that if you are trading up from the a6500 or a6300 then the lenses you use on those cameras will work using the crop mode on the A7III. The crop mode just uses the centre of the sensor, in effect turning the full frame sensor on the A7III into an APS-C sensor. This makes this camera so versatile. However, because there is a 1.5 crop factor between full frame and APS-C it means that if for example an 85mm prime lens is used. The crop factor can be turned on and it will convert the lens to 128mm. How do we know this? Well, check this video out 2.38 minutes in.

2 Sony A7III has 2x Clear Image Zoom

Incidentally, if you are not a Sony alpha camera user, then clear zoom may not be familiar. It is a function designed for stills but now extended to video which provides a 2x zoom. Using an optical zoom and Sony sensor technology. This is what Sony says:

Clear Image Zoom is a function that uses the Sony® exclusive By Pixel Super Resolution Technology. It allows you to enlarge the image with close to the original image quality when shooting still images. The camera first zooms optically to the maximum optical magnification, then uses Clear Image Zoom technology to enlarge the image an additional 2x, producing sharp, clear images despite the increased zoom ratio.

N.B. It cannot be used in RAW. There are restrictions on focusing. How do we know this? It is available on all Sony alpha cameras.

3 The Sony A7III Screen is Difficult to Read with Polarised Sunglasses.

A specific problem for polarised sunglass wearers. The solution is to get different sunglasses or turn the camera around until the screen comes into view. How do we know this? Well, check out this video about 1.24 minutes in.

4 Use Your Canon Lenses

Tthe Sony lens collection is getting better but their new lenses are expensive. It is almost as if they are following the printer model, sell the printer cheap and make money on the cartridges. However, if you are migrating from Canon, you do not have to change your Canon glass. Instead buy a converter and use your old lenses. How do we know this? This article tells you all you need to know.

5 Best Low Light Performance Ever Tested

DXOMark is literally the go to benchmark for measuring camera sensor performance. The Sony A7III sensor scores an overall 96, which is remarkable considering the camera costs £2000 and in the DXOMark tests is compared to the £6000 Leica M10 which scored 86, the £5000 Nikon D5 which scored 88, and the £3000 Canon EOS 5D MkIV which scored 91. However, it was low light performance that blew them away

highlight is the low-light score, which at 3730 ISO is the highest of any full-frame 35mm sensor we’ve tested.

How do we know this?

Sony A7 III: Low-light performer

Conclusion

The Sony A7III is a remarkable camera, but as we write this in June ’18 there are only a few available worldwide, despite the launch in March. If you want to buy, I hope you manage to grab one anytime soon. Check out Amazon for availability:

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Camera Wrist Strap

I have avoided dropping my camera so many times using a simple inexpensive wrist strap like this one. Cameras and expensive lenses do not bounce! UK USA

Sony a6700 Rumours

by John Gough

Sony a6300

As a big fan of the Sony a6300, and I am looking forward to the rumoured Sony a6700. Rumoured specs are littering the internet, and the release date could be as early as this month. June. I am hoping that like the Sony A7III the spec on this camera will blow the opposition out of the water.

Prior to the launch of the Sony A7III, Fujifilm launched the Fujifilm X-H1, but it was totally eclipsed by the spec of the Sony A7III when it launched at around the same price. Sony is launching cameras with amazing specs because it is aiming to jump from the third biggest camera maker behind Canon and Nikon to be the top camera brand by 2021. They dominate the mirrorless full frame arena, and they might just try to do the same with the Sony a6700 in the APS-C world.

So what could the changes on the a6700 look like:

Sony a6700 Auto Focus

Vastly improved AF with eye tracking. There is eye tracking on the a6500 but it has to be unlocked in the menus. The eye tracking on the Sony a7III is borrowed from the Sony A9 and according to reviewers is amazing.

Sony a6700 Low Light Performance

Standard ISO to reach the 51200. This is available on the Sony a7III and shooting at 6400 is ‘insanely clean’ according to PetaPixel

Faster Continuous Shooting

Rumoured increases in continuous shooting may be wide of the mark because the Sony a6500 already has continuous shooting at 11fps and the a7III has 10fps. However, the A9 is at 20fps with no blackout. Could the a6700 be a mini A9? A 1/8000th shutter may also be included.

Better Battery Life

Battery life on the a6xxx cameras has always been modest at around 310 shots. The A7III boasts 710 shots, so Sony has the technology to make a big difference on the Sony a6700.

Sony a6700 Stabilisation

Again Sony has the technology to match the in body stabilisation on the A7III. Sony maintains that the 5 axis stabilisation on the A7III is equivalent to 5 stops. Add that to the higher workable ISO’s and you have a real low light performer.

Sony a6700 Screen

It will be a touch screen as on the a6500. However it likely to be not just tiltable but fully articulated. This is becoming standard with the launch of the Fujifilm X-T100 which is tilt up, tilt down and forward facing.

Video

Rumoured 4K at 60fps

Sony a6700 Rumours Latest

This camera exists, but Sony are precious about not releasing any information prior to launch. How many of the rumours included here are true, we don’t know. However, if the rumoured features are available on other cameras in the Sony line up, then it is most likely that they will appear on their flagship mirrorless APS-C camera, the Sony a6700.

If that is what they decide to call it!

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have found they offer great advice and customer service.