"feast on" the new A6400

[r_a_n_i]

Hi all,  

I was allowed to play with the latest camera from the Sony family for a few hours last week. The A6400 was only recently introduced and is supposed to not only convince with the image quality known from Sony, but also revolutionize photography with super-fast AF and AI. 

I own the A6000 since some years and bought it as a replacement for an A77. The A6000 was the entry into the E-Mount cameras and lenses. Even then, and that's probably 4 years ago, the autofocus was much faster than in the A77 - with the right lens it was unbeatable, not only as a point- & shoot-camera but as a tool with which I took pictures professionally. 

After the A6000 came the A6300 and A6500, both with 4k and the A6500 with a sensor that is additionally stabilized. All these cameras are still on sale, and I think everyone will find what he or she is looking for. Who already owns one of these cameras will wonder if a new purchase makes sense. After these few hours, and in the direct comparison to the A6000 I can only say, yes a change makes sense.

But what's so new about this camera? From outside you can’t see a big difference. The same shapes and dimensions ensure that there is no difference at first sight, only when the LCD touch screen is opened does it become visible which camera it is, because with the A6400 it is possible to rotate the LCD 180° upwards, and thus observe yourself while taking pictures or making films. Because of fact the camera is also marketed by Sony as the vlogging camera. 

But what the real difference to the other cameras is, is hidden inside the camera, and it's almost like a small data center. With a new processor, Sony has not only succeeded in making the autofocus even faster and more precise, thanks to AI (artificial intelligence) it can recognize eyes and faces and always keep them "in view". With a software update Sony has now extended this Eye AF to include animals, meaning the camera not only recognizes humans but a whole lot of animals whether dog or cat - no problem at all. Only with horses it does not work yet, because it is more difficult to recognize the eyes. But so far I know Sony this will come, too.

The nice thing about this Eye AF is that it has been developed by Sony again and again and also gives the user the possibility to control it, i.e. I can set in the menu whether he should search for humans or animals or whether it should be the left or right eye. The autofocus can also identify single objects and follow them. For example, if I'm at a car race, I can tell the A6400 that the blue car should always be in focus. The camera doesn't know if it is a car or not, but it will always focus on it as soon as it appears in front of the camera. 

For those of us who think of this camera as a video camera, I also have some good news. 4K is a matter of course, S-Log as well, but the camera can also take beautiful HDR shots with HLG. And don't worry about the editing, Sony has also implemented something nice here. In the camera settings it is possible to create proxy files. That means with every video we make the camera automatically takes two videos, one in 4K and one smaller I think with 720p. The much smaller proxy file can then be taken on the computer as the basis for editing, so it is possible to cut and edit the video, add text and create a finished video without worrying about the computing power of the PC/laptop. Only when exporting the final movie the 4K recordings come into play because only here the software accesses the large 4K recordings to create a finished video. Yes that can take some time, but in itself the process with a proxy file is much faster. 

The camera has a microphone and headphone jack and with the help of a few accessories it is also possible to mount other things on the camera. 

At first sight it seems to be a simple point and shoot camera, thanks to the built-in technology and the integrated software it is a powerful tool even for ambitious photographers. In addition, there are endless possibilities if you take a look at the huge selection of Sony lenses. 

I was a bit sceptical about the A6000 at the time as to whether such a camera could really deliver good pictures. And just like back then, I'm convinced that the new A6400 with its many built-in options can not only take breathtaking pictures, but also helps to shoot the perfect video. And only as a hint all E-Mount lenses fit to the small technology miracle, so if you have a camera from the A7 or A6xx series, you can use it directly. I like this camera meanwhile more than chocolates, and it is a clear recommendation.

More about the camera and all technical information can be found directly on the Sony website: https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras/ilce-6400

As always, I'm looking forward to hear from you. Looking forward for feedback and questions. 

Cheers

r_a_n_i

[IamNic]

Hey @r_a_n_i,

nice article.

I really like the Eye AF on this camera!

- Nic

[jumpsuit]

Hi @r_a_n_i 

Thanks for the article! I was lucky enough to use one for a few days

and can honestly say it was superb (even in comparison to the a6500.)

I've posted a couple of test shots in the gallery.

[r_a_n_i]

Hi both,

thanks for the feedback. 

@jumpsuit nice shoots!

[darkframe]

Hi @jumpsuit,

great pictures mate!

Cheers

darkframe

[jumpsuit]

Hi @r_a_n_i  and @darkframe

Thanks!