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Sony A6300 Comparison Review

The Sony Alpha A6300 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was announced in February 2016 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 24 megapixel.

camera

Is the Sony A6300 a good camera? The A6300 has a Camera Elo of 2320. This rating puts the A6300 below average of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the A6300 ranks among the top 40 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3-star performance rating.

Headline Specifications
Sony A6300
Mirrorless system camera
Sony E mount lenses
24 MP, APS-C Sensor
4K/30p Video
ISO 100 - 25 600 (100 - 51 200)
Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)
3.0 LCD, 922k dots
Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
11 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body
400 shots per battery charge
120 x 67 x 49 mm, 404 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Sony A6300 vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Sony A6300 vs credit card front
A6300 versus credit card top view
A6300 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony A6300 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A6300 120 mm 67 mm 49 mm 404 g 400 Y Feb 2016 999ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 80D 139 mm 105 mm 79 mm 730 g 960 Y Feb 2016 1,199ebay.com
3.
 
Nikon D5500 124 mm 97 mm 70 mm 470 g 820 n Jan 2015 899ebay.com
4.
 
Nikon D7200 136 mm 107 mm 76 mm 765 g 1110 Y Mar 2015 1,199ebay.com
5.
 
Sony A6400 120 mm 67 mm 50 mm 403 g 410 Y Jan 2019 899 amazon.com
6.
 
Sony A6500 120 mm 67 mm 53 mm 453 g 350 Y Oct 2016 1,399ebay.com
7.
 
Sony RX100 IV 102 mm 58 mm 41 mm 298 g 280 n Jun 2015 999ebay.com
8.
 
Sony A6000 120 mm 67 mm 45 mm 344 g 360 n Feb 2014 599ebay.com
9.
 
Sony A3000 128 mm 91 mm 85 mm 411 g 470 n Aug 2013 329ebay.com
10.
 
Sony NEX-6 120 mm 67 mm 43 mm 345 g 360 n Sep 2012 999ebay.com
11.
 
Sony NEX-7 120 mm 67 mm 43 mm 400 g 430 n Aug 2011 1,349ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony A6300 was launched in the US market at a price of $999. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Sony A6300 features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony A6300 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Sony A6300 sensor measures

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Sony A6300 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/30p24.413.7143785
2.
 
Canon 80D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p23.613.2113579
3.
 
Nikon D5500 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.114.0143884
4.
 
Nikon D7200 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.514.6133387
5.
 
Sony A6400 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/30p24.013.6143183
6.
 
Sony A6500 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/30p24.513.7140585
7.
 
Sony RX100 IV 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.812.659170
8.
 
Sony A6000 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.113.1134782
9.
 
Sony A3000 APS-C 19.8 5456 36321080/60i23.712.8106878
10.
 
Sony NEX-6 APS-C 16.0 4912 32641080/60i23.713.1101878
11.
 
Sony NEX-7 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60i24.113.4101681
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Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The A6300 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the A6300 can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the A6300 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2359k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.70x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Sony A6300 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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Core Features
#   Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Sony A63002359 n3.0 / 922 tilting n 1/4000s 11.0/s Y n
2.
 
Canon 80Doptical Y3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/8000s 7.0/s Y n
3.
 
Nikon D5500optical n3.2 / 1037 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
4.
 
Nikon D7200optical Y3.2 / 1229 fixed n 1/8000s 6.0/s Y n
5.
 
Sony A64002359 n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/4000s 11.0/s Y n
6.
 
Sony A65002359 n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/4000s 11.0/s Y Y
7.
 
Sony RX100 IV2359 n3.0 / 1228 tilting n 1/2000s 16.0/s Y Y
8.
 
Sony A60001440 n3.0 / 922 tilting n 1/4000s 11.0/s Y n
9.
 
Sony A3000202 n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 2.5/s Y n
10.
 
Sony NEX-62359 n3.0 / 921 tilting n 1/4000s 10.0/s Y n
11.
 
Sony NEX-72359 n3.0 / 921 tilting n 1/4000s 10.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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The LCD screen on the Sony Alpha A6300 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the A6300

One convenient feature of the A6300 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha A6300 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
#   Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Sony A6300Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YY-
2.
 
Canon 80DYstereo / monoYYmini2.0YY-
3.
 
Nikon D5500Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0Y--
4.
 
Nikon D7200Ystereo / monoYYmini2.0YY-
5.
 
Sony A6400Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YYY
6.
 
Sony A6500Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YY-
7.
 
Sony RX100 IV-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
8.
 
Sony A6000Ystereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
9.
 
Sony A3000Ystereo / mono--mini2.0---
10.
 
Sony NEX-6Ystereo / mono--mini2.0Y--
11.
 
Sony NEX-7Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
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It is notable that the A6300 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the A6300 can be found in the free online Sony A6300 Manual or on the Sony support site.

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Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the A6300. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A63004.5/5+..85/1005/55/5 Feb 2016 999ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 80D4/5+ +4.5/584/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2016 1,199ebay.com
3.
 
Nikon D55005/5+..79/1004.5/54.5/5 Jan 2015 899ebay.com
4.
 
Nikon D72004/5+ +..84/1004.5/54.5/5 Mar 2015 1,199ebay.com
5.
 
Sony A64004/5+4/585/1004.5/54/5 Jan 2019 899 amazon.com
6.
 
Sony A65005/5+ +3.5/585/1004.5/54.5/5 Oct 2016 1,399ebay.com
7.
 
Sony RX100 IV4.5/5+ +..85/1004/54.5/5 Jun 2015 999ebay.com
8.
 
Sony A60005/5+4.5/580/1004.5/55/5 Feb 2014 599ebay.com
9.
 
Sony A30003/5+....4/54/5 Aug 2013 329ebay.com
10.
 
Sony NEX-65/5+ +..78/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2012 999ebay.com
11.
 
Sony NEX-75/5+ +..81/1004.5/55/5 Aug 2011 1,349ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Sony A6300 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the A6300.

What technology is the imaging sensor in the Sony A6300 based on?

The camera features a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Sony A6300 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Sony equipped the A6300 with the BIONZ X image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Sony A6300?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Sony Alpha A6300?

Sony mentions a shutter rating of 100 000 actuations for the A6300. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the A6300 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 100 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Sony A6300?

Sony embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your A6300 has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.

Is completely silent shooting possible with the Sony A6300?

The camera has an electronic shutter option, so that it is indeed feasible to capture images without any shutter noise.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Sony A6300?

The A6300 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Sony A6300 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Sony A6300 for flash photography?

The A6300's flash sync speed is 1/160 sec.

Does the Sony A6300 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-I cards (data transfer speed of up to 104 MB/s).

Which battery does the Sony A6300 use?

The camera gets its power from the NP-FW50 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Sony A6300?

Sony does not offer an optional battery grip, but third party suppliers do (see here on ebay).

Where can I find the best deals for the Sony A6300?

Grey imports from Asia, as found on ebay, are often very attractively priced. However, these cameras come without a warranty from Sony.

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Sony A6300
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Sony E mount lenses
    Launch Date February 2016
    Launch Price USD 999
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 23.5 x 15.6 mm
    Sensor Area 367 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 28.2 mm
    Crop Factor 1.5x
    Sensor Resolution 24 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 6 000 x 4 000 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 3.91 μm
    Pixel Density 6.55 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 4K/30p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 25 600 ISO
    ISO Boost 100 - 51 200 ISO
    Image Processor BIONZ X
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 85
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 24.4
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 13.7
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 1437
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.70x
    Viewfinder Resolution 2359k dots
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.0 inch
    LCD Resolution 922k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen
    V-logging Friendliness No front-flip
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System On-Sensor Phase-detect
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 11 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy100 000 actuations
    Silent ShootingElectronic Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium MS or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    UHS card support UHS-I
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port micro HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Near-Field Communication NFC built-in
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type NP-FW50 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)400 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 120 x 67 x 49 mm
    (4.7 x 2.6 x 1.9 in)
    Camera Weight 404 g (14.3 oz)

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