Best Sony Alpha 6400 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

The successor of the A6300, the Sony Alpha 6400 (A6400), does not change the recipe and puts everything on its new processor, its real-time autofocus tracking and face detection.

Presentation

Presented in mid-January 2019 and marketed for pre-order in February (delivery scheduled for March), the Sony Alpha 6400 (A6400) broadly incorporates the characteristics of its predecessor, the Alpha 6300 . The overall design is preserved, like the 24.2 MP APS-C CMOS sensor. 4K / UHD video limited to 30p is still present and the electronic viewfinder positioned on the rear left is also renewed.

However, there are advances by small touches. The screen becomes tactile and it can orient itself at 180 °, which would respond to a request from a certain audience. If the sensor does not evolve, the Bionz X processor is inherited from  the Alpha 9 (A9) . Thanks to this new processor, Sony promises a burst of up to 11 fps, but also an improved autofocus associated with real-time tracking of the subject (Real Time Tracking). In the same line, and like the A6300 , the increase in sensitivity also sees its maximum further pushed further to reach the ISO 102,400.

The Sony Alpha 6400 is sold naked € 1,050. Versions exist as a kit with the E PZ 16-50mm OSS or E 18-135mm OSS lens at the respective prices of € 1,150 and € 1,450. Even if some previous references are still in the catalog for an indefinite period, the A6400 will soon assume sole responsibility for entry-level.

Best Sony Alpha 6400 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Camera: Compact APS-C Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with Real-Time Eye Auto Focus. 4K Video, Flip Screen & 16-50mm Lens – E Mount Compatible Cameras – ILCE-6400L/B

2. Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens. Bundle with Camera Bag + Filter Kit + 32GB SD Card + SD Card Case. Corel Mac Software Kit + Cleaning Kit + Card Reader

3. Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 16-50mm Lens Kit. Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens and More

4. Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body, Bundle with Cam Bag. Battery + Remote Shutter Trigger + 64GB SD Card + Tripod + Charger. SD Card Case + Corel PC Software Kit + Cleaning Kit + More

5. Sony a6400 Mirrorless Digital Camera Bundles (A6400 w/ 18-135mm Lens, Essential Kit)

Reactivity

Sony Alpha 6400 had proudly announced an impressive 0.02 s autofocus speed and said it had a world record. Focusing technology combines contrast detection and phase correlation for better efficiency with 425 control points; the covered area of ​​the image is however 84%

The overall responsiveness of the device is very good … once it has started. Indeed, the start-up time exceeds 1.5 seconds. We expected more. It’s not downright bad, but it’s not quick either. Olympus’ OM-D E-M1X  – even if it is in another category – still reaches half a second, three times less time. For focusing and use in normal conditions, the autofocus is fast, some of our individual measurements being positioned within 0.20 s.

Announced at 11 fps, the burst mode keeps its promises well with the “hi +” mode which allows to reach the greatest speed. With this setting, control of the subject visually is no longer possible, only the recorded images appear. If the visualization of the action in real time is necessary, we must be content with the “hi” mode. In the worst case, the buffer can store more than 40 images in RAW + JPEG, a comfortable value.

Image quality

Electronic noise management

If the sensor does not evolve, the promise of the new processor is to provide better image quality through more effective noise reduction. We can no doubt say that the quality of the increase in sensitivity is exemplary up to ISO 800. It is therefore difficult to detect a loss of quality. A slight degradation is visible at 1600 ISO, but we cut the hair in four. It is above all at 3,200 ISO that the real first level has passed, but the Sony Alpha 6400 has the right to offer a widely acceptable image. If at ISO 6,400 the loss of details continues, the value nevertheless remains exploitable.

It is from ISO 12 800 that the quality drops significantly. Without being bad, the image is greatly smoothed. Higher values ​​have the merit of existing, but are only to be reserved if absolutely necessary.

Latitude of exposure

To verify the scope of the work from an “artistic” point of view, we photographed our test scene over a range of +/– 1 EV and corrected the raw files with our editing software to obtain a similar exposure.

The underexposure reveals a perceptible noise from -2 EV with an accentuated development from -3 EV. This last value also shows a slight color drift, but very present on certain solid and saturated colors. Beyond -3 EV, the loss of quality increases, eventually producing a picture whose color changes completely. The highlights also show a colorimetric drift from +1.6 EV. It then becomes difficult to recover information at +2 EV, the image becoming more and more damaged in certain areas of the photograph.

The overall latitude of the sensor is therefore between 4 and 5 EV depending on personal requirements and shooting conditions. It will be difficult to go further than 5 EV without distorting the image.

Video

The video part of Sony Alpha 6400 devices is often treated. 4K / UHD is logically present again, always without cropping at 24p or 25p or up to 60p for Full HD. A 120 fps mode is also possible in 1,920 x 1,080 px for slow motion.

Two bit rates are selectable in 100 Mb / s or 60 Mb / s while the modes without cropping at 24p or 25p are called Super35. The entire sensor is then used for 6K capture and downsampling to 4K / UHD format. Compatibility with S-Log 2 or 3 and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) for easier post-production and for HDR (extended dynamic) images is not forgotten, as is often the case with Japanese brand devices . Other colorimetric or gamma management profiles are also present

The rolling shutter too

autofocus is also very effective in video. Left, right, forward, backward, tracking works very well and rarely loses sight of the subject. As explained above, transition speeds are selectable with a fast speed for minimal loss or change of focus and the least perceptible to the viewer. For the presentation of product on social networks or via dedicated channels – we think for example of these women who alternate the presentation of makeup in close-up and the use of the product live on their face -, a slower transition speed is also possible for a more aesthetic and less aggressive rendering.

The real black point ultimately lies in the rolling shutter (tilting of the verticals during a lateral movement of the camera) which is quite marked in 4K. This is a point that had already been criticized for the A6300 and which prevents the Sony Alpha 6400 from reaching perfection. It is all the more annoying that the transition to Full HD blurs the undesirable effect well.

Related

1. Best Sony Alpha A6500 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020
2. Best Sony Alpha A6300 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020
3. Best Sony Alpha A5100 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020