Photo by Zac Wolff on Unsplash
If you pay attention to camera news like I do then you know that the Sony a6400 is an APS-C camera that dropped in January of last year, although this admittedly feels like nearly a decade ago.
The Sony a6400 was meant as a replacement for the Sony a6500 which came out in the fall of 2016 and was announced at Photokina.
Unfortunately, I feel like all of the cameras in this line were named really poorly because the numbers jump around, so while you’re reading this article just keep in mind that the Sony a6400 is actually the newer of the pair.
However, I personally know plenty of photographers who still use the Sony a6400 for a wide range of photography niches.
So, what are the real differences between the Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500? Keep reading this Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500 review to find out.
Sony a6400 vs Sony a6500 Specs
Sony a6400
When you start comparing the Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500, a few things will automatically jump out at you. It’s important to note that the Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500 specs are all nearly identical. For instance, both of these cameras use the same 24MP APS-C sensor.
But, they also have a lot of differences. For instance, the Sony a6400 has the largest ISO range, which is incredibly important for specific types of photographers like event photographers.
The Sony a6400 ISO is 100-32,000, whereas the Sony a6500 ISO is 100-25,600.
Sony a6500
Another huge difference is the fact that the Sony a6500 comes with 5-axis image stabilization, whereas the Sony a6400 disappointingly doesn’t. If you want to achieve the same effect with the Sony a6400 then you will need to use a Sony lens that comes with image stabilization, which means you will need to spend more money.
The last major difference in the specs of the Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500 is the fact that the Sony a6400 features much better autofocus. Now, the Sony a6500 was already known for having phenomenal autofocus, but the Sony a6400 can focus in just .02 seconds, as compared to the Sony a6500’s .05 seconds.
Sony a6400
Other Sony a6400 Specs:
- 24MP APS-C sensor
- ISO range of 100-32,000
- 425-point phase detection; 84% coverage AF
- 11fps burst mode
- 4K video
- 2.359k-dot viewfinder with 100% coverage
- 3” 180-degree tilting touchscreen with 921k-dots
Sony a6500
Other Sony a6500 Specs:
- 24MP APS-C sensor
- ISO range of 100-25,600
- 425-point phase detection
- 11fps burst mode
- 4K video
- 2.359k-dot viewfinder with 100% coverage
- 3” tilting touchscreen with 921k-dots
Sony a6400 vs Sony a6500 Body & Design
Sony a6400
You can’t do a Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500 article without at least briefly touching on design changes of these two cameras, though it will be brief since Sony truly did not change very much.
Both of these cameras weigh approximately 1 lb, although the Sony a6400 is a bit lighter at .89 lbs. They also both measure 120mm by 67mm, although the Sony a6400 is the tiniest bit slimmer at 50mm across, as compared to the Sony a6500’s 53mm.
Both of these cameras come with weather sealing to prevent water or dust damage.
Sony a6500
So, the only design changes between these two cameras have to do with their grips. The grip on the Sony a6500 is a little bit more uncomfortable, at least for me, because it isn’t as wide as the grip on the Sony a6400.
All of the buttons on the rear of the camera are in the same spot, as are most of the buttons on the top of the camera.
When it comes to the Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500 design portion of this article, all you really need to know is that if you’ve worked with one then you could pick up the other and not need to change anything about your shooting style.
Learn More:
Sony a6400 vs Sony a6500 Build & Handling
Sony a6400
One of the most important things for me to study when I’m comparing any two cameras, especially the Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500 since they are so similar in so many other regards, is their battery life.
Sony a6400
While both of these cameras use the same Sony NP-FW100 battery, they don’t use it the same way.
Sony a6500
As I will talk about a little bit more in the video section, the Sony a6500 can shoot 4K video for around 1 hour and 7 minutes on one battery charge, whereas this battery life gets extended to 1 hour and 22 minutes on the Sony a6400.
Sony a6500
This change in the battery will also obviously be more noticeable when shooting stills, and I think it is an important feature for you to know about.
Additionally, the Sony a6400 has a screen that can rotate 180-degrees while the Sony a6500 will only let you rotate the screen by 90-degrees.
Sony a6400 vs Sony a6500 Video Performance
There is no shortage of Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500 video tests on YouTube. I’ve chosen one by Max Yuryev above.
While both of these cameras can shoot 4K video at 30fps, or Full HD video at 120fps, the Sony a6400 did receive some important video upgrades.
So, whereas the Sony a6500 came with a “Slow and Quick” video mode which allowed users to record up to 5x Slow Motion and up to 60x Quick Motion Full HD video internally, the Sony a6400 comes with SLog2, SLog3, and HLG modes, which videographers will be thrilled to hear.
The Sony a6500 also had a video recording limit of 29:50, which has been removed in the Sony a6400.
Lastly, the battery on the Sony a6400 will last an additional 15 minutes while in video mode as compared to the Sony a6500.
Sony a6400 vs Sony a6500 Image Quality
Photo by Joe Milne on Unsplash
Shot with a Sony a6400 at 16mm (f/1.8, 1/30 secs, ISO 1000)
The Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500 image quality debate is pretty interesting because there is, once again, very little difference in this category between these two cameras.
Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash
Shot with a Sony a6500 at 30mm (f/1.4, 1/50 secs, ISO 500)
The only true difference between Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500 image quality is that the Sony a6400 performs a little better in terms of contrast in the lower and higher ISO ranges.
I would definitely not recommend that you use this category to judge the Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500.
Sony a6400 vs Sony a6500 Price
Sony a6400
If this article has convinced you to pick up a Sony a6400, then you are in luck because there are a ton of used ones available on MPB and some of them are a steal.
If you don’t know much about MPB, you can read more about it in the learn more link below. I’ve been using MPB to purchase all of my used camera gear for a few years now because every piece of equipment on MPB is graded by professional photographers, so you’ll never be surprised at the state of the expensive camera gear you just purchased.
The cheapest Sony a6400 available on MPB right now is $875 and it is in excellent condition. Conversely, you can purchase a like new Sony a6400 for $920.
And, since this is a Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500 article, I should probably also do a Sony a6400 vs. Sony a6500 price comparison.
Sony a6500
The Sony a6500 is similarly priced in comparison to the Sony a6400, so long as you are looking at cameras of similar quality. You can pick up a Sony a6500 in excellent condition for $825, or you can purchase a “like new” Sony a6500 for $825.
However, unlike the Sony a6400, there are more well-loved versions of the Sony a6500 available on MPB right now, so if you’re looking for a well used Sony a6500, MPB has one for sale for $575 right now.