In October last year we talked about the Sony Alpha A6300, and beyond some specific limitations, we were impressed. It's not easy for a manufacturer to update what is considered a good camera, but Sony seems to have hit the mark with its brand new Sony Alpha A6400. It presents a much more favorable profile for vlogging thanks to the changes to its screen, and the company promotes the "fastest autofocus in the world", with very low latency.
A very positive aspect among cameras is that the so-called "replacement cycles" tend to be longer compared to smartphones and computers. Obviously, manufacturers would love to shorten those cycles, and any attempt must be carefully planned, otherwise the community will be harsh in its criticism. That brings us to the aforementioned Sony Alpha A6300. The Japanese titan announced it in February 2016, and it hit the shelves shortly after. Even with more than three years on its shoulders, the A6300 remains a very attractive camera, and the price cuts only reinforce that idea, but now its replacement arrives, the Sony Alpha A6400. Is it the right time, or should Sony have waited?
Sony Alpha A6400: One Word? Vlogging
Announced in January of this year, the Sony Alpha A6400 features a 24-megapixel effective Exmor CMOS sensor, accompanied by the Bionz X image processor. Its ISO sensitivity ranges from 100 to 32,000 with a Boost to 102,800, while the shutter speed spans from 1/4000 to 30 seconds.
The screen concentrates several of the changes applied to the A6400. Its resolution remains at 3 inches and 921,600 dots, but now it adds touch support and is tilting 180 degrees upward (or almost 90 degrees downward), which screams "vlogging" and "instagramming" in all directions. Fortunately, there were no changes to the viewfinder, with OLED technology, 2.36 million dots, and 100 percent coverage.
Sony has placed a lot of emphasis on the autofocus performance of the Sony Alpha A6400. Its new real-time tracking system allows us to switch from objects to faces and eyes without jolts, and with 425 points backed by the precision of touch control, we can say it is almost perfect. Why "almost"? Because several colleagues highlighted an excess of parameters in the configuration, and we must agree with the redundancy of its functions. I guess a firmware update could clean that section in the future, but it's not serious either.
The Burst reaches its ceiling at 11 FPS, with alternative modes of 8, 6, and 3 FPS. Sports and extreme action situations are usually two weak points for cameras in this category, but the Sony Alpha A6400 defends itself much better than we expected, as long as a fast SD card is installed.
Returning to the conflict over the number of options in autofocus, the comment floats on the Web that the general interface on the Sony Alpha A6400 got a bit old. Personally, I don't quite agree. While it's true that Sony could apply a layer of optimization to the controls and the position of certain buttons, I think a conservative and sustained interface is not the worst thing that can happen to a camera. Moreover, the levels of customization on the Sony Alpha A6400 remain very robust.
The mode dial underwent some modifications compared to the A6300: Its inputs are Full Auto, Program Auto "P", Aperture Priority "A", Shutter Priority "S", Manual "M", Memory Recall "MR", Movie mode, Slow and Quick "S&Q", Panoramic mode and Scene Selection "SCN", so there's no "1" and "2" here. The online user guide is not the most comfortable in the world, but its printable PDF version should serve.
The good news is that the 4K video of the Sony Alpha A6400 ranks among the best the market offers. The bad news is that it forces us to pay a bit more attention to its modes. The oversampling is there, and its 4Kp24 and 4Kp25 captures are impressive, however, we cannot escape a slight crop when going up to 4Kp30. Another detail is that the camera does not have in-body stabilization, which casts a shadow of doubt over the "firmness" of the final shots (it will all depend on the user, and a good tripod).
On the other side, Sony managed to eliminate time limits for video recording, courtesy of an optimized thermal design. If we have to talk about a direct rival in terms of video, it is enough to go back a week and study the Fujifilm X-T30 and its brutal 6K oversampling. In the connectivity space, the camera brings WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC. The Imaging Edge Mobile app received some updates, but we know that app development is a widespread deficiency across all manufacturers.
New product, new price, and for the Sony Alpha A6400, it's 1,100 euros with a kit that includes a 16-50 lens. For an additional 350 euros you can add an 18-135 to the setup, but the 16-50 is a reasonable starting point, and I think it will be more effective to invest that difference in a secondary lens or in a wide accessory package. Recommendations? Of course, that's what we're here for.
Batteries and Power
Recommended product code: "DI884,VDTS-4604-CH-VDTS-145"
Two successes from Sony here: The Sony Alpha A6400 maintains a performance of 410 shots per charge, and again uses the NP-FW50 module. This enables access to a low-cost Gloxy NP-FW50 battery, and the Gloxy 2-in-1 hybrid charger for home and car. For under 50 euros, the energy equation of the Sony Alpha A6400 will be solved, and since there's no time limit for video, trust me, it's a good idea to buy at least one extra battery.
Tripods and Supports
There's no point hiding it: Purchasing a tripod for the Sony Alpha A6400 is highly recommended. However, that doesn't mean the camera is impossible to use handheld, but if the plan is to work in low-light situations or squeeze the most out of 4K modes, the mirrorless will need a support. Our first suggestion is a widely available tripod like the Gloxy GX-T6662A, with minimum and maximum heights of 53 and 162 centimeters, aluminum alloy design, and a load capacity of 10 kilograms. The compact option arrives with the new Clampod Takeway T2. 40 kilograms, super reinforced, with legs for "tripod mode", and weighs just 200 grams.
Backpacks and Bags
Recommended product code: "GloxyPRO,Fancier400a"
403 grams with batteries included make the Sony Alpha A6400 a relatively standard camera in terms of weight, but if you start adding lenses, the ideal is to buy something that provides enough space. On one hand, the Delta 400a Fancier bag will allow you to carry the mirrorless without disconnecting its lens and without leaving other accessories behind, while its messenger style makes it very easy to transport. Now, if that's not enough, for almost the same price you can buy a Gloxy Pro AW backpack, with a modifiable padded interior and an external waterproof cover. Both alternatives are on sale.
Flashes
Recommended product code: "IM713010904,0713282468"
Two quick and affordable options to combat the light deficit. The first takes the form of the Meike MK-320 flash, with a guide number 32, diffuser, bracket, rear LCD screen, and decent performance for 75 euros. The second is the Metz 26 AF-2 flash, with guide number 26, tilting reflector, adjustable LED torch for video, an ultra-compact body, and only 115 grams of weight (without batteries).
Lenses
I'll say it again: The 16-50 included in the kit of the Sony Alpha A6400 is a reasonable starting point, and it will work very well in the vast majority of scenarios the manufacturer envisions. Now, with such interesting video recording and a more than appropriate Burst mode, it would be a mistake not to consider a wide-angle like the Samyang f/2.0 NCS CS of 12 millimeters, and a small f/6.3 300-millimeter cannon made by the same company. In total, less than 650 euros that will complement the standard lens marvelously, and will open your range of possibilities even further.
In summary, an autofocus that will probably become a benchmark for how good it is, excellent image quality, a 4K with oversampling that other cameras envy, and a not-so-outrageous price for a new product place the Sony Alpha A6400 in a very good position. Maybe those 1,100 euros are too aggressive for beginners, and in that case I recommend taking a look at the previous model, but if your destination is in vlogging and YouTube, the A6400 deserves to be your main mirrorless. Good luck!
