Sony a6400 Camera Body (Black)
The Alpha a6400 from Sony is a stable, versatile, compact and fast APS-C-format mirrorless camera that adopts many of the features that are normally reserved for their full-frame line-up. This includes an autofocus acquisition of 0.02 seconds, Real-time Tracking capabilities and Re-time Eye AF, high-speed shooting up to 11fps and silent shooting up to 8fps. Both are with AF/AE tracking, an upgraded BIONZ X image processing engine, a fully tillable 180º LCD touchscreen, UHD 4K movie recording with full pixel readout and no pixel binning, internal recording for time-lapse videos, and much more.
The a6400 is well-suited for both video and photo creators, ranging from professionals to vloggers. Revolving around a 24.2MP Exmor CMOS sensor and BIONZ X image processor, clean image quality is provided with a wide expandable sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 102,400 along with accelerated readout speeds for internal 4K30 and Full HD 1080p120 video recording with full pixel readout. The processor in the Sony a6400 further benefits videographers with the inclusion of an S&Q (Slow & Quick) Motion setting that permits capturing Full HD video at a variety of frame rates ranging from 1-120fps, plus HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), which support HDR workflows and both S-Log2 and S-Log3 for colour grading flexibility. If you are a still shooter you will also benefit from the processing speed, which enables continuous shooting at 11fps for up to 116 JPEGs or 46 raw images in a burst, as well as 14-bit raw file output. The processor and sensor combination also avails wide-coverage 425-ppoint phase-detection and 425-point contrast-detection systems for quick and precise focusing performance. This focusing system also enables Real-time Eye AF, which delivers improved accuracy, speed and tracking performance of Eye AF, so the eyes of your subject are automatically detected. Also, Real-time Tracking uses AI-based object recognition and processes colour, subject distance (depth) and pattern (brightness) as spatial information to ensure that all subjects can be captured with accuracy. Increasingly versatile and fully feature in both the video and photo realms, the a6400 is a fast and precise imaging tool for multimedia capture.
The a6400 sports a robust magnesium-alloy body and anti-dust functionality that protects the optical filter and complements the imaging assets. The compact profile incorporates a high-resolution XGA Tru-Finder 2.36m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder for a clear, bright, eye-level viewing and this EVF features a 120fps viewing mode for smooth tracking of fast-moving subjects. A rear 3.0" 921.6k-dot touchscreen TFT LCD monitor is also available and tilts upwards 180º and downwards 74º to benefit shooting from high and low working angles. The touchscreen design also allows for intuitive touch-to-focus control. Additionally, for wireless remote control over the camera, or for just sharing imagery online, built-in Wi0Fi with NFC permits linking with a mobile device for intuitive wireless control.
General Features
Capture Decisive Moments
The autofocus system on the a6400 inherits many technologies from Sony's line-up of full-frame camera, including the a9, a7R and a7 III models. The a6400 features 425 phase-detection AF points and 425 contrast-detection AF points that are placed densely over the entire image area, covering 84% of the image area. This high-speed, high-performance tracking AF system is paired with BIONZ X image processing engine that together allows the camera to acquire focus in as little as 0.02 seconds and maintain subject lock effectively, ensuring even the fastest moving subjects can be tracked and captured with ease.
The a6400 introduces advanced Real-time Eye AF, which is the latest version of Sony's Eye AF technology. This technology employs artificial intelligence bases object recognition to detect and process eye data in real time, which results in improved accuracy, speed, and tracking performance of Eye AF. In all autofocus modes, the camera automatically detects the eyes of the subject and activates Eye AF with a half press of the shutter button. When in AF-C or AF-A mode, the preferred eye (left or right) of your subject can be selected as the focus point. Choices include auto, right eye, left eye and a switch right, left eye function can be assigned to a custom function well. This technology frees the photographer to focus solely on composition with trust that focus will be tack sharp on the subject's eye. Eye AF support for animals will be added in the Summer of 2019 via a system software update.
Another debut feature on the Sony a6400 is Real-time tracking. This mode utilises Sony's algorithm that includes artificial intelligence based object recognition and processes colour, subject distance (depth) and pattern (brightness) as spatial information to ensure that all subjects can be captured with accuracy. Additionally, when photographing or video graphing humans or animals, face and eye position information is recognised by AI and the subject's eye is monitored in real time with high tracking precision. This can be activated by a simple half press of the shutter button or can be assigned to a custom function.
In terms of overall shooting speeds, the camera can shoot at up to 11fps with full AF/AE tracking while utilising the mechanical shutter and up to 8fps with full AF/Ae while silent shooting. The Sony a6400 can also shoot at each of these speeds for up to 116 frames JPEGs standard and 46 frames raw compressed, greatly increasing the chance of capturing the moment.
Advancements in Image Quality
Sony's A6400 is equipped with a 24.2MP APS-C image sensor that is paired with an upgraded BIONZ X processor to deliver improved image quality and colour reproduction in all types of shooting conditions. Standard ISO ranges up to ISO 32,000 for both stills and movies and it is expandable up to ISO 102,400 for still images with good noise reduction at medium and high sensitivities.
This camera also inherits many of the image processing algorithms from Sony's full-frame cameras, suppressing noise with preserving resolution and improving texture depiction.
4K Movie Recording with Fast Hybrid Autofocus
The versatile a6400 is a solid video camera, offering internal 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) movie recording with full pixel readout and no pixel binning to collect about 2.4x the amount of data required for 4K movies and then oversamples it to produce high quality 4K footage with detail and depth. Focusing during movie shooting is fast and stable thanks to the upgraded Fast Hybrid technology AF, which keeps the subject in constant smooth focus, even if an object crosses in front of the camera. This advanced AF plus touch focus functionality makes it a suitable camera choice for many vloggers and video creators that are regularly creating and uploading content online.
If you are looking to create time-lapses, the camera features built-in interval recording that can be set anywhere between 1 to 60 seconds, with a total number of shots from 1 to 9999. AE tracking sensitivity can be adjusted to high, mid or low during interval shooting, allowing for reduced changes in exposure over the shooting interval.
Also, for the first time in a Sony APS-C mirrorless camera, this model includes a HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) picture profile which supports an Instant HDR workflow, allowing HDR (HLG) compatible TV's to playback beautiful, as well as Zebra functionality, Gamma Display assist and proxy recording. This camera can also record Full HD at 120fps at up to 100 Mb/s, allowing footage to be reviewed and eventually edited into 4x or 5x slow-motion video files in Full HD resolution with AF tracking.
Upgraded Build for Increases Versatility
This camera has been designed to offer a high level of functionality and customisation to maximise shooting freedom. The a6400 features a fully tillable 180º 3.0" LCD flip screen with 921,600 dots of resolution that allows for simple and effective framing of selfie-style shooting for both still and video capture. Utilising this capability, vloggers will be able to check and monitor composition throughout their entire creative process. The LCD screen is also equipped with touch functionality with options for Touch Pad, Touch Focus, Touch Shutter and Touch Tracking which quickly activates Real-Time Tracking through the touch screen.
The camera also features a high-quality XGA OLED Tru-Finder viewfinder, extensive customisation with 89 functions that are assignable to 8 custom keys, MY dial and My Menu functionality, enhanced overall menus usability, a help screen for menus, star ratings for images and many other features that allow for a seamless shooting experience. It has also been built with a touch magnesium-alloy design and has a durable shutter that is rated for approximately 200,000 cycles. It also is capable of seamlessly transferring files to a smartphone or tablet when connected to the new Imaging Edge Mobile app.
