Best Mid-Range Mirrorless

Today I review the

Sony Alpha A6400.

Let's see if it matches the competition and if it's a great choice for you.< /p>

[

Note: ExpertPhotography is player supported. Product links on ExpertPhotography are referral links. If you use one of them and buy something, we earn some money. Need more information?

See how it all works here

.

]

the

Sony Alpha A6400

is the latest edition to Sony's mid-range crop sensor range. It houses a 24MP APS-C sensor, cutting-edge autofocus system, and excellent video features.

It has a durable, yet small body with good ergonomics for the most part. It also has annoying design flaws.

the

A6400

is an interchangeable lens camera. It features Sony's E-mount, the most popular and versatile mirrorless mount to date. For this review I bought the powerzoom 16-50 kit lens, a cheap and decent lens.

Mid-range interchangeable lens cameras appeal to everyone. The A6400 is no different.

Beginners love them because they are a significant step up from entry-level models. For experienced casual shooters, they're an economical choice with plenty of pro-level features. Professionals often use these devices as second/third backup cameras, or as a shooting tool on the side of work.

The most notable uses are casual shooting, street photography, travel photography and documentary photography. It is useful for situations where you need a very portable yet capable camera.

Associated with the right objectives, the

A6400

is perhaps the best mid-range camera for sports, action and wildlife shooting in 2020. Its autofocus system is far ahead of the competition.

It is also very usable for video recording. If you're a hybrid shooter, this should definitely be on your list. If you only record video, you have better options at this price, primarily the Panasonic G9.

Let's dive straight into what separates the

A6400

of its rivals, where it excels and where it lags behind.

the

A6400

, like all of Sony's mirrorless cameras, is built around the E-mount.

For years, Sony's lens lineup for crop sensors had cavernous holes, most of which are now filled. In 2020, you have many choices, including budget and premium zooms for most focal ranges, as well as several premiums. But, it also lacks some key options, such as a standard mid-range zoom.

Third-party support for the E-mount is more extensive than for any other mirrorless mount. Manufacturers like Sigma and Tamron produce high quality and affordable glass for the system. Smaller brands, such as Laowa or Irix, mainly make high-end lenses for very specific use cases. There are also quick and cheap lenses from brands like 7Artisans, designed just for fun with them.

The E-mount has a very short flange distance of 18mm. You can read our

detailed article here

on the exact distance between the flanges. This means you can adapt lenses designed for non-mirrorless systems to any E-mount camera, including the A6400.

There are reliable mount converters from EF and F mount to E mount that transmit all electrical signals. This allows you to work smoothly with your Canon and Nikon DSLR lenses.

But there are also "dummy" (non-electronic) adapters for almost all vintage lens mounts. Without a doubt, Sony's system is the most capable when it comes to adapting old glass to new cameras. Other mirrorless mounts are less popular, so less supplied with adapters.

the

A6400

has a Sony-made 24MP APS-C sensor, the same as in the recently revised Ricoh GR III.

In this camera body, it has an optical anti-aliasing filter on top to reduce moire. This added layer introduces a slight softening effect for photos, but this is standard on Bayer array sensors. It's still a great sensor for both photos and videos.

First of all, the pixel count of 24 million is enough for almost any use. 6000×4000 images are great for heavy cropping or large prints if you use the right lenses and settings.

Second, the dynamic range of this sensor is perhaps the best you can find in APS-C cameras today. , although there are no big differences. From my not-so-scientific tests, I'd put it around 13 stops.

Its ISO performance is also among the best. It provides very sharp images up to ISO 1600. Between 1600 and 12800, there are subtle increases in noise levels. Around 25600, the noise becomes too harsh for images to be usable in most cases.

One feature that this sensor lacks is stabilization. None of the competitors

A6400

actually does this. It would have been nicer though.

The A6400 sensor

Note that the shutter of the

A6400

does not close when the camera is turned off. The sensor is exposed to direct air, and therefore to dust.

The main feature that distinguishes the

A6400

in many ways is its autofocus system. .

It is an on-sensor phase detection system, a solution used in many modern mirrorless cameras. It combines the speed of DSLRs with the precision of contrast detection. This results in very noticeable improvements over mirrorless cameras of a few years ago.

425 contrast-detection focus points and 425 phase-detection focus points cover the entire sensor area. Focus acquisition speed seems almost instantaneous at any of these points, whether close to center or not.

Sony's AI-driven autofocus technology also offers fantastic tracking capabilities. It can track almost any moving or stationary subject, even at high speeds.

It also detects eyes (human and animal) with unprecedented accuracy. Most eye detection systems can only detect an eye in close portrait scenarios. The system of

A6400

catches eyes all over the body and keeps them in focus.

Configuring the system exactly to your liking is a painstaking process. But once you're done, it works like a charm and outperforms anything but Sony's high-end models.

the

A6400

is capable of continuous shooting at 11 fps with normal shutter, or 8 fps with squelch (electronic). With the electronics, be prepared to see a lot of rolling shutter artifacts - don't shoot fast action with this feature enabled.

Generally, the

A6400

Autofocus tracks very well even at 11fps burst, but there are two caveats. One is that during the burst, Sony cameras focus automatically while the lens is stopped. This can have a significant impact on speed if you use slower apertures. For the best burst tracking performance, use your wide open or closed wide open lenses.

The other is that clearing the buffer takes a long time. Since the

A6400

is limited to SD UHS-I memory cards, the write speed is not able to keep up with the speed required by 11 RAW files. When the camera buffer fills up, it can take up to half a minute (full RAW) or one minute (best JPG + full RAW) to transfer photos to the card. During this time, you cannot take photos or review images.

A6400 with the 16-50mm PZ kit lens

the

A6400 p>

is a very capable camera when it comes to video recording, but with some flaws.

It films in 4K at 24/25/30 fps. At 30 fps, a slight 1.2x crop is applied. It is also capable of filming in FullHD at 120 fps. All of these are 8-bit, 4:2:0, which doesn't promise much for over-ranking. The maximum bit rate is 100 Mbps for all settings.

There is no recording time limit, which is a great advantage. You are only limited by your card size or buffer.

Nevertheless, there are still Log and HDR picture profiles included. Most of my experienced videographer friends have recommended using the HLG 2 setting in Sony 8-bit cameras because of its great flexibility.

A notorious problem with

A6400

is the significant presence of roller shutter artifacts. This is because the top and bottom of the sensor are not read at the same time, but about 30 milliseconds apart. This is enough to cause significant flex when panning or a “jello” effect when digitally stabilized.

There's also a minor overheating issue, but it's no bigger than in any other mirrorless camera of similar size.

Autofocus in movie mode is excellent, still best in class, even if some Canon cameras come close.

the

A6400

the body is made of a magnesium alloy, which makes it strong but light. The handle is rubberized for a better hold. It seems very solid.

Size compared to Canon 7D MkII and Ricoh GR III

The exact sizes are 120mm x 67mm x 60mm and 403g with battery.

Speaking of grip, it looks small, but it's actually quite comfortable. It helps that the trigger is placed on top of it, and not behind it - that would have been detrimental to ergonomics.

A very welcome addition to the packaging is the waterproofing. Sony claims this camera is "moisture and dust" resistant, meaning you can take it out in the rain without too much trouble.

Be aware, however, that the kit lens is not waterproof. To achieve full weatherproofing, you must use one of Sony's premium lenses or third-party weatherproof lenses.

A flip-out touchscreen takes up most of the back. It is accompanied by several function buttons, an AF/MF-AEL switch, the flash release button, a command dial, a mode dial and a command dial.

Folding touch screen

Overall the camera is highly customizable, perhaps more so than any other comparable model I've used.

The electronic viewfinder is great, it's big and responsive. The color and contrast are very usable right out of the box.

Battery life is decent enough, but nothing revolutionary. In my testing, I drained a full battery in about 400 shots. Other reviewers had similar or worse experiences.

The camera is rechargeable via micro-USB, or the battery can be charged separately with an adapter not included in the basic package. A single UHS-I SD card slot shares the slot with the battery.

The tripod mount is placed far enough away from the battery/card combo door, so you can swap them easily even when the camera is on a tripod. It's aligned with the center of the lens mount, so it's easy to create seamless panoramas.

There are some issues with the ergonomics of the controls on the

A6400

. The menu system is far from intuitive, with an endless amount of pages and key settings scattered across them. Fortunately, there is a My Menu section where you can put 30 of the most important settings.

Rear controls

Another issue with Sony is the terrible touchscreen integration. The only action you can use the touchscreen for is to set your focus area. You cannot change settings, navigate menus, review images with. This isn't Sony's first or second generation of touchscreen cameras. There's no excuse for such poor touchscreen access.

A well-known accusation against Sony is that the default color grading profiles are quite weak. Especially in comparison to Canon or Fujifilm. This is certainly true to some degree, but there are easy fixes.

The first and most obvious is to shoot in RAW. But I respect that not everyone has the time to polish their photos after the fact.

There are options in the camera to change the color grading to some degree. It won't replace the versatility you have with RAW processing software, but it's better than nothing.

I also found that the default sharpening and noise reduction are too harsh. You can collapse them in the menu.

There are a number of alternatives to

Sony A6400

.

The p>

Fujifilm X-T30

shares many traits, including a similar sensor and identical price. It stands out with its beautiful design and outstanding JPG and video quality.

the

Nikon Z50

is also a decent choice with great ergonomics and user experience. But the Z ecosystem lacks a wide palette of lenses. Adapting F-mount lenses isn't smooth at all.

the

Canon EOS M6 MkII

has a 32MP sensor, an excellent autofocus system (closest to the A6400). It also features surprisingly good ergonomics in a tiny package.

Another Canon, the EOS RP

has a full-frame sensor. Although there are few native RF lenses, adapting EF lenses is possible without any disadvantage in terms of AF speed or accuracy.

the

A6400

is a very versatile and high quality camera with few drawbacks. Its glitches can be annoying, but don't have much of an impact on day-to-day shooting.

I am quite convinced that the

A6400

is the best you can get. the mid-range mirrorless category. That said, I have yet to do extensive testing with the Canon M6 II and Nikon Z50.

Check it out on Amazon

here

. p>

Features (25)

23

Extra (25)

{{column-name-2}}:

20

Value for money (20)

{{column-name-2}}:

17

Handling and Ergonomics (15)

{{column-name-2}}:

13

Construction and durability (15)

{ {column-name-2}}:

14

Total (100)

{{column-name-2}}:

88

Need quick advice on the go? Don't miss our

Quick Catch Cheat Sheets

!

These cheat sheets are the perfect visual tool to help you master photography.

They're always there when you need them…on your phone or in your camera bag…and they've been expertly designed so you can understand everything at a glance.

Never again will you forget a key photography tip!