Sony a6100 vs a6400 Comparison
Sony a6100
Sony a6400
Price | |||
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Brand | Sony | Sony | |
Model | a6100 | a6400 | |
Released Refers to the year this camera was officially made available for sale. | 2019 | 2019 | |
Announcement Date Refers to the date the manufacturer publicly announced the upcoming release and general specs of this camera. | August 28, 2019 | January 15, 2019 | |
Camera Type | |||
Camera Size | |||
Camera Weight |
Sony a6100 vs a6400 Overview
This is our detailed comparison of the Sony a6100 vs a6400. We have done our research. And we show the differences and similarities between these two rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras.
They both sit in Sony’s a6x00 range. But the Sony a6100 is intended as an entry-level model. And the Sony a6400 is more of a mid-range product.
Do you want the highest specs in the series, including in-body stabilization? Then you should get the a6600. The three cameras are updated evolutions of the a6000, a6300, and a6500. If you are choosing between the Sony a6400 vs a6100, then read on.
Body and Handling
The two cameras look pretty much identical. The most significant difference in the camera body is weather sealing. The Sony a6400 has a magnesium alloy body with weather sealing. But the polycarbonate Sony a6100 doesn’t have it.
The Sony a6400 is less than an ounce (7 g) heavier, though. So it doesn’t affect the handling. The only other change? The a6400 has a switch to turn the exposure lock button into an autofocus and manual focus (AF/MF) button.
In terms of handling, the 3-inch touch screens are identical. And they tilt up by 180 degrees to make it easy to frame selfies and record vlogs.
But the Sony a6100’s OLED electronic viewfinder has a disappointingly low resolution. That might be a dealbreaker if you try it out and don’t like it. You get 63% more “dots” with the a6400. This makes it a much better viewing experience.
Sony a6100 vs a6400 Optics
Let us delve into the Sony Alpha a6100 vs a6400 optics specs. The two cameras have the same 24.2 MP Exmor CMOS APS-C sensor with an anti-aliasing filter. That means the image quality should be identical. They provide the same lifelike skin tones and low-light performance.
There’s also an LSI (large-scale integrated) circuit. This increases the power of the BIONZ X image processor. And they help reduce noise at high ISOs for both stills and video.
Both cameras have the same normal ISO range. But the Sony a6400 has an expanded range that goes one stop higher.
Both cameras have hybrid autofocus. You get all the accuracy of a contrast detection autofocus system. And you have all the speed of a phase detection autofocus system:
- 425 contrast detection and 425 phase detection focus points
- Great minimum sensitivity of -2 EV at f/2 in AF-S (single autofocus) for low light
- A very fast focus acquisition time of just 0.02 s
Sony’s tracking and eye detection are the best on the market. These cameras offer Real-time Tracking AF for stills and video. And Real-time Eye AF for people and animals. You can also use the rear screen for Touch Tracking.
The continuous shooting speed is also the same. Both cameras can shoot at 11 fps (or 8 fps with silent shutter). But the Sony a6400 has a larger buffer. It can take 99 Extra Fine JPEGs or 46 RAW images in continuous shooting mode. The Sony a6100 can only manage 76 or 33, respectively.
Finally, the Sony E-mount is the same. So you have the same range of lenses to choose from. But it is hard to find a good, general-purpose zoom for an APS-C camera in the Sony lineup of lenses.
Optics
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Sony a6100
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Sony a6400
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Megapixels The higher the number of megapixels, the more detail the cameras sensor can capture. | 24 MP | 24.2 MP | |
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Image Resolution Image resolution is measured in pixels and megapixels, width by height. The higher the number, the higher its resolution. | 6000 x 4000 px | 6000 x 4000 px | |
Sensor Type The camera sensor captures light and records the image. Sensors vary in physical size, the number of pixels, and quality. | CMOS | CMOS | |
Sensor Size The sensor size contributes to the overall quality as well as the dynamic and tonal range a camera can capture. As a rule of thumb, the more surface there is to read the light, the more information it will capture. | 15.6 x 23.5 mm | 15.6 x 23.5 mm | |
Sensor Format Refers to the most commonly used sensor sizes. | |||
Frame Rate The number of sequential frames per second the camera can write to the memory card when shooting in burst or continuous mode. | 11 fps | 11 fps | |
Lens Mount The lens mount will tell you what type of lens range you can fit onto the camera body. Often the same camera company will have different lens ranges for different cameras. | Sony E | Sony E | |
Image Processor The image processor in the camera converts the information collected on the sensor for digital storage on the memory card. | Bionz X | Bionz X | |
Aspect Ratio The aspect ratio refers to the proportional difference between width and height. The most popular aspect ratios are 3:2 and 4:3. | |||
Minimum ISO (Native) Refers to the lowest native (or 'base') ISO setting. Lower ISO are less sensitive to light but make a cleaner image. | 100 | 100 | |
Maximum ISO (Native) Refers to the highest native (or 'base') ISO setting. Higher ISO is necessary for low-light situations or night photography, but higher ISOs often introduce grain or noise. | 32,000 | 32,000 | |
Minimum ISO (Expanded) Expanded (or extended) ISO is a digitally enhanced feature available on some cameras. It allows you to push beyond the native ISO range if necessary. | 100 | 100 | |
Maximum ISO (Expanded) Expanded (or extended) ISO is a digitally enhanced feature available on some cameras. It allows you to push beyond the native ISO range if necessary. | 51000 | 102400 | |
Minimum Shutter Speed The minimum shutter speed will tell you the longest exposure your camera can take without using an external accessory. | 30 s | 30 s | |
Maximum Shutter Speed The maximum shutter speed tells you the length inside 1 second the camera will capture. These can sometimes be extended with accessories such as extra external batteries. | 1/ 4000 s | 1/ 4000 s | |
Autofocus Points Autofocus points show where the camera is focusing graphically as squares or brackets in Live View or on an electronic viewfinder. These points are also used for light meter readings. | 425 | 425 | |
In-body Stabilization In-body Stabilization means the camera has a certain technology embedded that counteracts camera shake. | |||
Viewfinder Type The viewfinder type is either electronic or optical. Electronic viewfinders will have a small screen in the viewfinder. Optical viewfinders will use prisms and mirrors to look through the lens. | Electronic | Electronic | |
Viewfinder Resolution | 1,440,000 dots | 2,359,296 dots |
Sony a6100 vs a6400 Video Performance
Both cameras offer unlimited video recording. They have 100 Mbps output and a wide range of MPEG-4, XAVC S, and H.264 video formats. These include 4K 24p and 30p and Full HD video up to 120 fps for slow motion clips.
You can slow the video down 5x. And quick motion is available up to 60x. With 4K movie recording, you get full pixel readout and no pixel binning. It also allows oversampling by around 2.4x. This is the equivalent of 6K.
But the a6400 also features S-Log2, S-Log3, and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG, i.e., HDR) picture profiles. They capture up to 14 stops of dynamic range. And they allow color grading and a better workflow in post-processing.
S-Log video may look “washed out” on the LCD. But that’s just because Rec. 709 screens have a much smaller color “gamut” (or range).
If you switch on Gamma Display Assist, the a6400 will use Look Up Tables (LUTs). This will make the muted colors much richer. And it lets you check focus and exposure more easily.
Both cameras work with iMovie and Final Cut Pro X.
Video
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Video Indicates if this camera is capable of recording video. | |||
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Max Video Resolution The best resolution this camera can capture video in. Modern cameras can capture up to 8K video. | |||
Max Video Dimensions Video resolution measured by the greatest number of pixels possible in each frame, width by height. A higher resolution means more detail or clarity in your video. | 3840 x 2160 px | 3840 x 2160 px | |
Max Video Frame Rate How many frames per second your video will capture. Most cameras have options for multiple frame rates, depending on the resolution you shoot in. For a general video, 24p or 30p is the standard, but more serious filmmakers may need a higher frame rate for creative effect. | 120 p | 120 p | |
Time-Lapse Built In A built in time-lapse mode will allow continuous shooting throughout a prolonged period of time to be compressed into a sped up video. | |||
Video File Format Different cameras can record in various video file formats. The File format you record in can impact how you edit and use the files. | MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD Ver. 2.0, XAVC S |
Sony a6100 vs a6400 Features and Benefits
Now we’ll compare the main features of the Sony a6100 vs a6400.
They’re both made by Sony and sit in the same range. They differ in weather sealing and EVF resolution. And the a6400 has a Shutter AWB (auto white balance) lock. Otherwise, they have the same handy features:
- 8 customizable buttons
- A built-in flash
- Colored focus peaking
- An external microphone port
- A focus magnifier
- Image rating
- Wireless, NFC, and Bluetooth connectivity
The Creative Style feature lets you choose profiles on both cameras. Options include Vivid and Portrait. They adjust the look of your images.
They also have Picture Effect options. These include Partial Color and Miniature for more imaginative approaches.
They also have 16-bit RAW processing (for 14-bit RAW images). And there’s a time-lapse recording (at intervals of 1 to 60 seconds) and AE (auto exposure) bracketing.
You also get a square aspect ratio. And there’s webcam functionality, one-touch image sharing, and remote control. But neither camera has IBIS (in-body image stabilization) to reduce camera shake.
You can also download Sony’s Imaging Edge mobile app. This has other features, including geo-tagging.
Features
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Built-in Flash A built-in flash will often be positioned right above the lens. This will automatically pop up when you activate it. | |||
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External Flash External flashes are often connected through a hot shoe at the top of a camera, or a cable at the side of the camera. | |||
GPS GPS features in a camera will include location metadata to each of your photographs. | |||
Weather Sealing Weather sealing capabilities will give you more confidence when shooting in unfavourable conditions. | |||
Screen Type | LCD | LCD | |
Touch Screen Touchscreen allows you to change camera settings and access menus with a swipe of your finger, instead of using buttons. | |||
Screen Size | |||
Screen Resolution Screen dots indicate the resolution of the LCD screen by including each sub pixel. | 921,600 dots | 921,600 dots | |
Flip Screen A flip screen (or articulating screen) is a second screen which can flip out from the side or top of the camera. This rotating screen allows you more freedom to take photos at different angles. | |||
Live View Live View feature allows you to see a continuous live video of what is being seen through your lens. | |||
Wi-Fi | |||
Bluetooth Bluetooth capabilities allow you wireless control of your camera with other external devices. | |||
Sony a6100 vs a6400 Storage and Battery
Both the Sony a6100 and Sony a6400 have a single memory card slot. They accept SD UHS-I, microSD, or Memory Stick PRO Duo memory cards. But you can’t use the faster XQD or CFexpress Type A and Type B cards.
The official CIPA figures show both have the same battery life when shooting video. But when using the electronic viewfinder, the Sony a6100 takes 20 more shots per charge. And using the LCD monitor, it takes 10 more shots.
But these figures should only be used as a rough guide. I have a pair of Sony a1 mirrorless cameras. They’re only supposed to give me 430 shots through the viewfinder. But I’ve filled up a whole memory card with only one battery—that’s 2,561 shots!
The reason? Mirrorless cameras get a lot more shots from a single charge in continuous shooting mode. And I’m sure that’s the case with these two Sony cameras.
Storage and Battery
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Memory Card | SD / SDHC / SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo | SD / SDHC / SDXC, Memory Stick Duo (UHS-I compatible) | |
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Dual Memory Card Slots | |||
Battery Type | NP-FW50 | NP-FW50 | |
Battery Life Approximately how long this cameras battery will last measured by how many photographs you will be able to take. | 420 shots | 410 shots | |
USB Charging |
DXOMARK Scores
Sensor scores tested by DXOMARK |
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Overall Score DXOMARK overall sensor score. | N/A | ||
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Portrait (Color Depth) As described by DXOMARK 'The Portrait score in our camera sensor reviews defines color depth performance and its unit is a number of bits. A color depth of 22 bits is excellent; differences below 1 bit are barely noticeable.' | N/A | 24 bits | |
Landscape (Dynamic Range) As described by DXOMARK 'The Landscape score in our camera sensor tests defines the maximum dynamic range of the camera sensor and its unit is an exposure value (EV). A value of 12 EV is excellent with differences below 0.5 EV usually not noticeable.' | N/A | 13.6 EVs | |
Sports (Low-Light ISO) Described by DXOMARK as 'The maximal value of ISO sensitivity needed to reach a given value of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). The greater the value, the better' | N/A | 1431 |
Scores
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Sony a6400
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Main Features | N/A | ||
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Extra Features | N/A | ||
Construction and Durability | N/A | ||
Handling and Ergonomics | N/A | ||
Value for Money | N/A | ||
Total Score | N/A |
Sony a6100 vs a6400 – Our Verdict
A comparison of the Sony a6100 vs a6400 shows the Sony a6400 is better in almost all respects. And it only costs a few dollars more. That makes it by far the better buy unless you want to invest in the much more expensive a6600.
What Camera is Better Than the Sony a6400?
The Sony a6600 is at the top end of the a6x00 series. It’s almost double the price of the Sony a6100 or a6400.
But it has in-body stabilization, a headphone port, and slightly better viewfinder magnification. You also get much better high-ISO performance and almost double the battery life.
But there’s no built-in flash. It’s also a thicker 0.4 inches (9 mm) and 3.5 oz (100 g) heavier. And it doesn’t offer the same good color depth or dynamic range.
Still not sure which camera is for you? Why not check out these popular camera comparisons next:
User Scores
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B&H photo video |
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