Camera Review: Sony a6300

Sony promised a significant performance boost over the popular a6000 when it announced its a6300 mirrorless camera and it was spot on. There are several performance improvements and new features added into the a6300, making it a worthy successor.

Product Highlights

·       24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor

·       Tilting 3-inch TFT screen (921k dots)

·       11.1 fps continuous shooting

·       169 contrast detection and 425 phase detection AF points

·       4K up to 30 fps, full HD up to 120 fps

·       Native ISO range of 100-25,600 (expandable to ISO 51,200)

·       Shutter Speeds: 1/4000 to 30 seconds

·       Dust, moisture, and weather proof body

·       Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC

Design and Handling

The Sony a6300 looks quite similar to the NEX-7 and a6000. It is a compact mirrorless camera with a modest handgrip, a tilting LCD, and a corner EVF. Despite its light weight, the a6300 feels sturdy thanks to the magnesium alloy body. Similar to its larger full-frame cousins i.e. the a7 II series, Sony a6300 is sealed against moisture and dust so you can use it in inclement weather. The compact size of the camera is very nice and you can easily fit it in your shirt pocket (without lens).

Image Quality

The image quality of a6300 is excellent. Even at ISO 6400, the JPEG files are really impressive. When it comes to preserving detail and reducing noise, the in-camera noise reduction is pretty well balanced. The images contain a lot of fine detail that you may usually expect to be lost. Beyond ISO 6400, the images take on a soft appearance as the noise reduction kicks it up a notch. At ISO 12800, you can notice some smudging of detail in the photos. ISO 51200 should be avoided when shooting JPEGs because the fine detail gives way to blur.

Video Capabilities

Video on Sony a6300 is impressive. It is capable of recording in full HD at up to 120 fps and in 4K at up to 30 fps. Although you are limited to 8-bit MP4 compression, there is a lot of information and detail in the videos thanks to 4k100M. The HDMI out is 4:2:2 clean 8-bit which is decent and the camera can also record with a 1.1x crop factor at 120 fps. There is a 3.5mm mic input jack as well and the camera is fully compatible with Sony’s hot shoe mic adapters.

Performance

Even though the a6300 is a little slow to turn on, it has a lightning fast focus system which can almost instantly lock onto a stationary subject. When using the camera’s fast frame rate i.e. 11.1 fps, this really comes into play. There is another high-speed mode of a6300 which clocks at a more modest 8.2 fps. It allows you to focus a bit more consistently which results in every shot coming in tack sharp. Overall, the a6300 is a very fast camera as max speeds and cycle times are quite impressive. Battery life is good but not as good as opposed to a DSLR when shooting stills.

Verdict

In conclusion, the Sony a6300 is a forward-thinking, strong mirrorless camera. Its performance delivers on all fronts and it’s feature list is extensive. If you are on a tight budget and looking for your first camera that offers high resolution, high frame rates, and log shooting, then the Sony a6300 is for you.