Sony α6400
The Sony α6400 (model ILCE-6400)[1] is a digital camera announced January 15, 2019.[2] It is an APS-C mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) designed to be a mid-range mirrorless camera and act as an update of the α6300. Sony is targeting the vlogging community with the α6400's flip-up screen and aggressive pricing.[3] It features the same 24 megapixel sensor seen in the α6500. At the time of release, the two most capable cameras in the α6000 series of cameras were the α6400 and the α6500. The α6500 featured IBIS, and a larger image buffer, but in most other respects the α6400 is a more advanced camera. This is largely due to its processing power, enabling features like animal eye AF, and autofocus tracking. These features, for example, can not be added to the α6300 via a firmware update, as it is too demanding a feature.
 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Maker | Sony |
| Type | Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera |
| Lens | |
| Lens mount | Sony E-mount |
| Sensor/medium | |
| Sensor type | Exmor CMOS |
| Sensor size | 23.5 × 15.6 mm (APS-C type) |
| Maximum resolution | (3:2) 6000 × 4000 (24.2 MP) |
| Film speed | Auto, 100 – 32000 |
| Recording medium | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Focusing | |
| Focus areas | 425 focus points |
| Flash | |
| Flash | Incorporated flash (pop-out), hotshoe |
| Shutter | |
| Shutter speeds | 1/4000 s to 30 s |
| Continuous shooting | 11 frame/s, 8 frame/s with silent shutter |
| Viewfinder | |
| Viewfinder | Built-in 2,359,296 dots OLED Electronic viewfinder |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.7 |
| Frame coverage | 100% |
| Image processing | |
| Image processor | Bionz X |
| White balance | Yes |
| General | |
| LCD screen | 2.95 inches with 921,600 dots and 180-degree tilt-up functionality |
| Battery | NP-FW50, InfoLITHIUM, 7.2 V, 1080 mAh, 7.7 Wh, Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery |
| Body features | Anti Dust System |
| Dimensions | 120 × 66.9 × 49.9 mm (4.8 × 2.8 × 2 inches) |
| Weight | 403 g including battery |
At its announcement, the Sony α6400 is advertised as featuring the "world's fastest autofocus" with lag of 0.02 second and 11 fps continuous shooting with continuous AF and 8 fps with the silent shutter. Its MSRP is $889 for the body and $998 with a 16–50 mm power-zoom kit lens f/3.5-5.6.[4]
Sony's α6400 also saw a much-needed upgrade to the photo sharing apps and the reintroduction of time-lapse videos via the menu system.[5]
For video shooters, a welcome change for the α6400 was the removal of the 30-minute record limit. This limit is an artificial one placed on many cameras to avoid being taxed differently. The α6400 is also a vast improvement for Sony with regards to overheating (most likely to occur whilst recording 4K due to the processing demands). Online tests showed that in modest ambient temperatures, you will flatten the battery or fill the memory card before you overheat the camera.
Firmware 2.0 was released for the α6400 on 13 June 2019, introducing animal eye AF, the ability to use the wireless remote commander RMT-P1BT, as well as claimed stability improvements.
Features
- 24.2-megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor
- 425-point phase detection AF
- Real-time Eye AF; Real-time Tracking
- Super 35 mm format, 4K movie recording with full pixel readout and no pixel binning
- LCD touchscreen (2.95 inch) with 180-degree tilt up functionality
- 1.0 cm (0.39-inch) electronic viewfinder
- 1200-zone evaluative light metering
- Built-in Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth
- LED-auto focus illuminator
- Continuous shooting: Hi+: 11 fps, Hi: 8 fps, Mid: 6 fps, Lo: 3 fps
- My Menu system
- Single memory card slot (UHS-1 compatible)
- Electronic shutter for silent shooting
- Interval Shooting (time-lapse) [6]
- Animal Eye AF [7] (With firmware v2.00)
- Allows the operation with the wireless remote commander RMT-P1BT (Firmware v2.0)
Reception
After its announcement, numerous first impressions released from popular YouTube vloggers and camera-focused channels. Full reviews are not out yet but the general consensus is Sony priced it correctly, but for some the lack of the new Z battery and the fact the flip-up screen blocks the hot shoe mount are odd choices.[8][9][10][11]
References
- "Sony Announces the a6400 and Loads of Full-Frame Firmware Updates". News Ledge. 2019-01-15. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
- "Sony α6400 E-mount camera with APS-C Sensor". Sony. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
- "Sony's a6400 mirrorless camera comes with a selfie screen for budding YouTube stars". The Verge. 2019-01-15. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
- "Sony crams its best camera tech into the new $900 A6400". Digital Trends. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
- "Sony is replacing its awful camera photo transfer app". Engadget. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
- "Sony A6400 Time-lapse Setup".
- "Sony Animal Eye AF".
- DPReview, Sony a6400 First Impressions, retrieved 2019-01-17
- B&H Photo Video, Sony a6400 Mirrorless Camera | First Look, retrieved 2019-01-17
- Tony & Chelsea Northrup, Sony a6400 Quick Review + GIVEAWAY: Best entry-level camera!, retrieved 2019-01-17
- iJustine, NEW Sony a6400 with FLIP SCREEN Review!, retrieved 2019-01-17
