Sony α6400

Digital camera model

Sony α6400
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

The Sony α6400 (model ILCE-6400)^[1] is a digital camera announced on January 15, 2019.^[2] It is an APS-C mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) designed to be a mid-range mirrorless camera and acts as the successor to the α6300. Intended to target the vlogging community, the α6400 features a 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 features in-body image stabilization and a larger image buffer, but the α6400 is arguably more advanced as the newer model. This is largely due to its increased processing power, real-time eye AF, and real-time tracking.^[4] These features, for example, can not be added to the α6300 via a firmware update, as it would be too demanding on the processor.

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.^[5] Its MSRP is $899 for the body and $999 with a 16–50 mm power-zoom kit lens f/3.5-5.6.^[6]

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.^[7]

For videographers, a welcome change for the α6400 was the removal of the 30-minute record limit. This artificial limit was placed on many cameras possibly to avoid import taxes in the EU,^[8] but also to reduce the risk of damage from overheating. 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). Tests released online showed that in normal ambient temperatures, the battery will be discharged completely or the memory card will reach capacity before reaching abnormally high temperatures.

Firmware 2.0 was released for the α6400 on June 13, 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) ^[9]
Animal Eye AF ^[10] (With firmware v2.00)
Compatibility with the wireless remote commander RMT-P1BT (Firmware v2.0)

Reception

After its announcement, numerous first impressions were 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.^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14] ^[15]

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 a6400 review". DPReview. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
^ "Sony Announces Next-generation α6400 Mirrorless Camera With Real-time Eye Autofocus, Real-time Tracking & World's Fastest Autofocus". Sony | Alpha Universe. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
^ "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.
^ StableCameraAdmin (2022-12-30). "How To Fix 30-Minute Camera Recording Limits: Full Guide - StableCamera". Retrieved 2024-05-04.
^ "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
^ superworldwiki, (Renewed) Sony Alpha ILCE-6400 24.2MP Mirrorless Digital SLR Camera Body (Black), retrieved 2023-06-20