Sony A6400
Sony has been incredibly busy over the past few years building up its full-frame mirrorless system, but this has left the more-affordable APS-C strand of its E-mount range somewhat in limbo. InJanuary 2018 the firm introduced its first new APS-C lens for over four years – the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS – and now at the start of 2019, we have its first APS-C body in more than two years: the Sony Alpha 6400. It's a fast, high-end rangefinderstyle camera with lots of external controls, and at a body-only price point of £950, it seems squarely pitched at serious enthusiast photographers. However, Sony says it's targeting a wide range of buyers from beginners to professionals.
Sony currently has three models in its Alpha 6000-series range, and in a rare moment of clarity, Sony says the A6400 will completely replace the A6300 in the European market. It will therefore slot neatly between the veteran entry-level A6000 that dates from 2014 and costs £429 body only, and the high-end A6500 from late 2016 (£1,279 body only). As a result, confusingly, the firm will continue to have three similarly named and almost identical-looking cameras on sale simultaneously. The A6400 will be available either body only, or in kits with 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 or 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 zooms. The latter is very compact and will get you started for minimal extra outlay, but optically it's quite compromised. I'd advise spending more on a better lens, such as the 18-135mm, E 18-105mm F4 G OSS (£470), or E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS (£670).
While the A6400 looks very much like its predecessor, inside itSony's latest full-frame models, including the £3,400 Alpha 9 sports-and-action flagship, via firmware updates. But is this cleverness enough to make the A6400 the best buy in its class?
