Sony Alpha 6400

The new Sony A6400 is the fourth model in Sony's range of APS-C sensor mirrorless cameras, joining the A6000, A6300 and A6500 in the lineup. It features the same 24.2 megapixel sensor as the A6300 and A6500 cameras, along with the latest BIONZ X image processor, which now enables the Alpha A6400 to record at ISO 102400. The A6400 can capture 4K HDR (HLG) 3840x2160 video at 30fps, along with Full HD 1080p content at 120fps, both without any limits on the recording length.

Sony’s A6400 is a mixed bag. It’s essentially a rebadged A6300 with the same sensor and thus the same image quality, but a new a flip-up screen. It’s not as good a vlogging or video camera as we expected, because it lacks in-body stabilization and has terrible rolling shutter. However, it’s a great camera for photography thanks to what is possibly the best tracking autofocus system on the market, period. On the whole, it’s a bit disappointing by Sony’s standards and for the same money, Fujifilm’s new X-T30 looks like a better option.

The Sony Alpha A6400 offers a fast shooting experience, and excellent image quality.

The Sony a6400 is a near-universally capable midrange camera that offers some of the best autofocus performance we've ever seen, backed up by solid image and video quality in most situations. We'd really like to see some further refinement on ergonomics, as Sony has done with its full-frame models over the years, but the a6400 remains an excellent option for a variety of types of photography.

Sony’s A6400 is a solid mid-range mirrorless camera with an APSC sensor delivering good quality 24 Megapixel photos and 4k video. Improvements to the autofocus system mean it’ll track and stay focused on subjects more successfully than any camera at its price point whether you’re shooting stills or filming video, and fast burst speeds mean it’s also better-suited to action than most rivals too. The screen can finally flip-up by 180 degrees to face you for vlogging, and the rare ability to keep filming beyond half an hour makes it ideal for interviews and events. Frustratingly if you fit a microphone to the hotshoe, you’ll block the screen, but you could always use a bracket or a cabled microphone instead, and while there’s no headphone jack or dual card slots, that’s normal at this price. I’d have liked to see a better battery, but you can at least power the camera over USB which is useful for long videos or time-lapses which have also been reinstated after the loss of downloadable apps. Arguably the biggest downside is the lack of built-in stabilisation which remains exclusive to the A6500 in Sony’s APSC range - annoying since it’s long been standard across Sony’s full-frame line. If you do need IBIS, perhaps for unstabilised primes, then the A6500 is still tempting even at a higher price, but I personally prefer the A6400 for its improved focusing, longer recordings and selfie-screen even with the hotshoe limitations. Since the previous A6500 followed the A6300 by only 8 months though, It does beg the question whether there’ll be a stabilised version of the A6400 in the future, although presumably at a premium you may not be willing to pay. Plus if you don’t need the A6400’s upgrades, look out for discounted A6300s, and if you don’t need 4k or fast bursts, Canon’s EOS M50 remains a great option for vloggers with a side-hinged screen and lower price. But personally speaking, the A6400 fits very well with my style of filming and lack of IBIS aside, it’s a strong camera at the price point I’m happy to recommend.

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