Photography people: Sony A6400 or Sony A6500?

jokkir · Jan 23, 2020

Looking to finally upgrade my A6000 and looking at these two options (was initially going to get the A7iii but way out of my price range for the time being).

I mainly shoot stills but recently have been getting more into video and looking at the A6400, it seems to have a better AF than the 6500. Can the A6500 do active tracking in videos as well or is that a A6400 thing? I also like the flip up screen on the A6400 and how it has the HLG colour profile on videos. There's doesn't seem to be IBIS on the A6400 which is a downside as I have some lenses too that don't support OIS. I don't really care about the recording limit as I'll never hit that in one go and idk how much 4k shooting I'll do (probably a lot) but my computer can't handle 4k editing yet.

The A6400 is $100 more than the A6500. If you had an option, what would you get and recommend?

SRG01 · Jan 23, 2020

No question, A6400. The AF is better. It also doesn't overheat and stays cool to the touch.

Having non-stabilized lenses isn't much of an issue, unless it's for some special use case and even then you can find solutions outside of IBIS.

jokkir · Jan 23, 2020

SRG01 said:
No question, A6400. The AF is better. It also doesn't overheat and stays cool to the touch.

Having non-stabilized lenses isn't much of an issue, unless it's for some special use case and even then you can find solutions outside of IBIS.

I don't care too much about the overheating cause I don't think I'll ever record for that long anyway. I have a few in stabilized lenses that's why I was considering the 6500 (Sigma 30mm 2.8, Rokinon 12mm 2.0, and some manual lenses). I also have a gimbal but don't want to reply on it too much especially for run and gun situations

jokkir · Jan 23, 2020

Bumping this

Flaurehn · Jan 24, 2020

The 6400, I know is not stabilized but the QoL improvements makes it the better camera, also I see it getting a couple of updates in the near future unlike the 6500

Marion Cobretti · Jan 24, 2020

I did a ton of research on this. 6400 for sure.

6600 if you can swing it. IBIS goes a long way when shooting handheld at night.

the bigger grip is a big plus, and the battery life is second to none.

Marion Cobretti · Jan 24, 2020

Here's my similar thread.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/sony-a6400-vs-fuji-xt30-help.155304/

jokkir · Jan 24, 2020

Flaurehn said:
The 6400, I know is not stabilized but the QoL improvements makes it the better camera, also I see it getting a couple of updates in the near future unlike the 6500

What else other than the flip up screen and the better AF? I thought the extra custom button would be better for QOL improvement on the 6500

darkwing · Jan 24, 2020

A6400 , yes that AF

Marion Cobretti · Jan 24, 2020

jokkir said:
What else other than the flip up screen and the better AF? I thought the extra custom button would be better for QOL improvement on the 6500

Better color science. The AF is in another galaxy though. So much better.

zyvorg · Jan 24, 2020

6400, the 6500 is an older camera and its only benefit is subpar Stabilization.

The only lens you need is the Sigma 16mm 1.4 and forget about IBIS.

Flaurehn · Jan 24, 2020

jokkir said:
What else other than the flip up screen and the better AF? I thought the extra custom button would be better for QOL improvement on the 6500

I think you are downplaying the improved AF, it is a whole different level, real time tracking is a gamechanger. Also has increased ISO range and more video profiles, option to shoot timelapses and better menu interface (just slighty better, Sony menus are horrible) and compatibility with the new accesories like the new grip they just announced.

jokkir · Jan 24, 2020

Does the 6400 have the real time tracking in video as well? I'm leaning towards the 6400 now

Marion Cobretti · Jan 25, 2020

jokkir said:
Does the 6400 have the real time tracking in video as well? I'm leaning towards the 6400 now

Yes, with e-mount lenses.

Marion Cobretti · Jan 25, 2020

Actually double check, video tracking might be exclusive to the 6600.

darkwing · Jan 26, 2020

Marion Cobretti said:
Actually double check, video tracking might be exclusive to the 6600.

i think you are thinking of eye tracking in video, the other models still do real time face tracking in video

jokkir · Jan 27, 2020

Hmmmm now I'm looking at the 6600 lol. Not feeling the no pop up flash though (I use it quite a lot as fill flash when I shoot backlit subjects).

Is the IBIS really that bad with the 6500 and 6600? Like it won't make that much of a difference? If I decide to go to the 6600, I would like the new battery but I already have quite a few from my a6000

Marion Cobretti · Jan 27, 2020

6600 although expensive. Is better in every way.

I don't think the IBIS in the cameras is bad, maybe it's not earth shattering good, but I find it's extremely useful when shooting handheld at night with relatively low shutter speeds. It makes enough of a difference that you can get sharp images at night at 1/5 of a sec.

The bigger battery is great for me, I hate having to carry extra batteries with me, not to mention it results in a vastly better grip.

Simply put, it's the best non full frame camera Sony has ever made.

Marion Cobretti · Jan 27, 2020

Ryuelli · Jan 27, 2020

What I a coincidence, I've been looking for an upgrade for the a6000 as well lately, and from what I can tell... might just be worth sticking with the a6000 for now, at least on the APS-C side. I have absolutely no interest in video, so I'd be looking for something that's purely for photography and without all the bells and whistles newer models bring, because those seem to be especially tailored towards bloggers. Might be worth just investing in lenses at his point and hold off on a body.

zyvorg said:
6400, the 6500 is an older camera and its only benefit is subpar Stabilization.

The only lens you need is the Sigma 16mm 1.4 and forget about IBIS.

And weirdly enough this is one of the lenses I've been looking at. The Samyang/Rokinon 12mm 2.0 has been my go-to for a good couple years now and this seems like a nice alternative/slight upgrade from that.

Astronut325 · Jan 27, 2020

In a related question, what app are people using to organize and manage photos? I have 100+GB of photos and I've used filet organization via Picasso. Looking for something better now. I would prefer paid software instead of free software.

Edit:
Any thoughts on Skylum Luminar or Corel Suite?

Ryuelli · Jan 27, 2020

Astronut325 said:
In a related question, what app are people using to organize and manage photos? I have 100+GB of photos and I've used filet organization via Picasso. Looking for something better now. I would prefer paid software instead of free software.

Lightroom libraries, although I've been thinking of making the switch to On1 (has anyone here used it)? Adobe has rubbed me the wrong way the past few years and Lightroom is really the last thing left before I'm Adobe free (using Affinity Designer/Photo as Illustrator/Photoshop alternatives now, I like their business model way more).

livefromphilly · Jan 28, 2020

jokkir said:
I mainly shoot stills but recently have been getting more into video and looking at the A6400, it seems to have a better AF than the 6500. Can the A6500 do active tracking in videos as well or is that a A6400 thing? I also like the flip up screen on the A6400 and how it has the HLG colour profile on videos. There's doesn't seem to be IBIS on the A6400 which is a downside as I have some lenses too that don't support OIS. I don't really care about the recording limit as I'll never hit that in one go and idk how much 4k shooting I'll do (probably a lot) but my computer can't handle 4k editing yet.

The A6400 is $100 more than the A6500. If you had an option, what would you get and recommend?

I think I would go for the A6600 instead of either. Best of both worlds (IBIS/AF) plus a bigger battery for only $300 more than the A6400 seems worth it. If you're going to have the camera for a while, might as well get one with everything you want yeah? Only knock relative to the others is having to buy and carry around an external flash if you use that a lot.

That said, I used to own the A6500 before I sold it and my A7RII to get the A7III. My main issue with the A6500 was the battery life and the A6600 is the only crop camera to solve that problem. If you're fine with the battery life and IBIS isn't a dealbreaker, the A6400 would make more sense than the A6500.

Astronut325 said:
In a related question, what app are people using to organize and manage photos? I have 100+GB of photos and I've used filet organization via Picasso. Looking for something better now. I would prefer paid software instead of free software.

Edit:
Any thoughts on Skylum Luminar or Corel Suite?

I have about 1.4 TB worth of photos in Lightroom. It's not too bad.

PrisonerOfDoom · Jan 28, 2020

I recently picked up an A6400 with two Sigma lenses (16mm 1.4 & 30mm 1.4) and a Ronin SC gimbal. Pictures and videos are fantastic. Really happy with the purchase.

SRG01 · Jan 28, 2020

Astronut325 said:
In a related question, what app are people using to organize and manage photos? I have 100+GB of photos and I've used filet organization via Picasso. Looking for something better now. I would prefer paid software instead of free software.

Edit:
Any thoughts on Skylum Luminar or Corel Suite?

I use the Corel suite, but nothing really beats Lightroom libraries. There's a similar function (I believe) in Corel Paint Shop Pro but I've never used it.

jokkir said:
Hmmmm now I'm looking at the 6600 lol. Not feeling the no pop up flash though (I use it quite a lot as fill flash when I shoot backlit subjects)

You could just get a cheap screw-on ring flash if that helps?

jokkir · Jan 28, 2020

livefromphilly said:
I think I would go for the A6600 instead of either. Best of both worlds (IBIS/AF) plus a bigger battery for only $300 more than the A6400 seems worth it. If you're going to have the camera for a while, might as well get one with everything you want yeah? Only knock relative to the others is having to buy and carry around an external flash if you use that a lot.

I was gonna use the 6400 as a stop over before switching to full frame since my original plan was to pick up the A7iii but budget won't let me for the time being. Not sure how long I would keep the camera but probably for 3-4ish years. But yeah I was thinking the 6600 cause I was thinking that I might as well go all out since ill be using it for a few years with some paid work for it.

Edit: Just checking it out, it's a ~$500CAD difference between the 6400 and 6600. Would you guys think it's worth that difference?

Marion Cobretti · Jan 28, 2020

It was worth the difference to me, but I say that as someone who shoots primarily on medium and large format cameras.

SRG01 · Jan 28, 2020

This is probably a good video to consult: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Daqp35zNj0

livefromphilly · Jan 29, 2020

I think so, but I'm a bit spoiled by IBIS. Only one of my lenses has optical stabilization.

jokkir · Feb 5, 2020

An update: I got the A6400 )open box but comes with manufacturers warranty). I'm still kinda tempted to go to the A6600 while in the return period but so far the A6400 has been impressing me so far especially the eye tracking. It makes taking portraits soooo much easier.

A few test pics from it from last night:

20200205_020335 by Carl Sim, on Flickr

DSC08474-01 by Carl Sim, on Flickr

DSC08526-01 by Carl Sim, on Flickr

DSC08768-01 by Carl Sim, on Flickr

Now time to decide if I should get the A6600 but so far so good. I'll probably get the Sigma 30mm 1.4 or Sigma 16mm f1.4 next (which one do you recommend?)

BossAttack · Feb 5, 2020

jokkir said:
An update: I got the A6400 )open box but comes with manufacturers warranty). I'm still kinda tempted to go to the A6600 while in the return period but so far the A6400 has been impressing me so far especially the eye tracking. It makes taking portraits soooo much easier.

A few test pics from it from last night:

DSC08474-01 by Carl Sim, on Flickr

Yoooooooooo, that's good.

darkwing · Feb 5, 2020

jokkir said:
An update: I got the A6400 )open box but comes with manufacturers warranty). I'm still kinda tempted to go to the A6600 while in the return period but so far the A6400 has been impressing me so far especially the eye tracking. It makes taking portraits soooo much easier.

A few test pics from it from last night:
20200205_020335 by Carl Sim, on Flickr

DSC08474-01 by Carl Sim, on Flickr

DSC08526-01 by Carl Sim, on Flickr

DSC08768-01 by Carl Sim, on Flickr

Now time to decide if I should get the A6600 but so far so good. I'll probably get the Sigma 30mm 1.4 or Sigma 16mm f1.4 next (which one do you recommend?)

what is the price difference? btw these are already looking good

Marion Cobretti · Feb 5, 2020

jokkir said:
Now time to decide if I should get the A6600 but so far so good. I'll probably get the Sigma 30mm 1.4 or Sigma 16mm f1.4 next (which one do you recommend?)

If you're doing portraits, get the contemporary 30mm or 56mm.

jokkir · Feb 5, 2020

BossAttack said:
Yoooooooooo, that's good.

Thanks! It was a really good test other than taking random photos of stuff at home

darkwing said:
what is the price difference? btw these are already looking good

Thanks!

It's $200USD more for the a6600 but with tax and stuff to Canada, it's looking more like around $500CAD more.

Marion Cobretti said:
If you're doing portraits, get the contemporary 30mm or 56mm.

Don't think I'll do sooo much portraits so I was thinking getting the 16 or 30. Just more of an all purpose lens. I want to grab all 3 but that'll have to wait (plus the Sony 50mm 1.8 is pretty good so far for portraits).

Marion Cobretti · Feb 5, 2020

jokkir said:
Thanks! It was a really good test other than taking random photos of stuff at home

Thanks!

It's $200USD more for the a6600 but with tax and stuff to Canada, it's looking more like around $500CAD more.

Don't think I'll do sooo much portraits so I was thinking getting the 16 or 30. Just more of an all purpose lens. I want to grab all 3 but that'll have to wait (plus the Sony 50mm 1.8 is pretty good so far for portraits).

16mm will be good to street photography, 30mm is good all around, and a bit more intimate for portraits. I have the 30mm and like it quite a bit because of how small it is. I'd consider getting the 16mm as well one day, but I think when it comes down to it, I'm better off just using my Canon L lenses at that point.

NineConsonants · Feb 5, 2020

I had a dream that I was gifted a Sony a7rIV and I woke up sad

Mr Jones · Feb 5, 2020

Yooooooo you have an excellent eye for lighting. Where were you at that you got that great purple to orange gradient?

Vic Damone Jr. · Feb 5, 2020

Great shots!

show me your skeleton · Feb 5, 2020

sorry to hijack but my last camera/s before i sold them were sonys (a350 and a77) so i'm leaning towards a sony to get back in to the photography game. i'd either go a6100 or a6400 as i'm essentially a beginner again. if i was to put my sony bias to one side, is there anything in the a6100 price range that people would recommend?

Marion Cobretti · Feb 6, 2020

show me your skeleton said:
sorry to hijack but my last camera/s before i sold them were sonys (a350 and a77) so i'm leaning towards a sony to get back in to the photography game. i'd either go a6100 or a6400 as i'm essentially a beginner again. if i was to put my sony bias to one side, is there anything in the a6100 price range that people would recommend?

XT30 is the closest you're gonna get to that price. Fantastic camera.

show me your skeleton · Feb 6, 2020

Marion Cobretti said:
XT30 is the closest you're gonna get to that price. Fantastic camera.

heard nothing but good things about the xt30, i'll look in to it, cheers!

show me your skeleton · Feb 6, 2020

whelp just bought an xt30 at a really good price 😬

Marion Cobretti · Feb 6, 2020

show me your skeleton said:
whelp just bought an xt30 at a really good price 😬

It's an excellent camera. I almost bought one over the a6600.

Photography people: Sony A6400 or Sony A6500?

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