Sony A6400 vs ZV-E1

The Sony Alpha A6400 and the Sony ZV-E1 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in January 2019 and March 2023. Both the A6400 and the ZV-E1 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are based on an APS-C (A6400) and a full frame (ZV-E1) sensor. The A6400 has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the ZV-E1 provides 12 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Sony A6400		Sony ZV-E1
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Sony E mount lenses		Sony E mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		12 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/30p Video		4K/60p Video
ISO 100-32,000 (100 - 102,400)		ISO 80-102,400 (40 - 409,600)
Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)		No viewfinder, LCD framing
3.0" LCD – 922k dots		3.0" LCD – 1037k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
11 shutter flaps per second		10 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
410 shots per battery charge		570 shots per battery charge
120 x 67 x 50 mm, 403 g		121 x 72 x 54 mm, 483 g

Check A6400 price at
amazon.com
Check ZV-E1 price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha A6400 and the Sony ZV-E1? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Sony A6400 and the Sony ZV-E1 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The ZV-E1 can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the A6400 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony ZV-E1 is notably larger (8 percent) than the Sony A6400. Moreover, the ZV-E1 is markedly heavier (20 percent) than the A6400. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, although exceptions exist. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Sony E-Mount Lens Catalog (A6400) and the Sony FE Lens Catalog (ZV-E1). Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

Concerning battery life, the A6400 gets 410 shots out of its Sony NP-FW50 battery, while the ZV-E1 can take 570 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FZ100 power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony A6400	120 mm	67 mm	50 mm	403 g	410	Y	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
2.		Sony ZV-E1	121 mm	72 mm	54 mm	483 g	570	Y	Mar 2023	US$ 2 199	amazon.com
3.		Fujifilm X-T30	118 mm	83 mm	47 mm	383 g	380	n	Feb 2019	US$ 899	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
5.		Sony A7 II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	599 g	350	Y	Nov 2014	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
6.		Sony A7C II	124 mm	71 mm	63 mm	514 g	540	Y	Aug 2023	US$ 2 199	amazon.com
7.		Sony A7C R	124 mm	71 mm	63 mm	520 g	520	Y	Aug 2023	US$ 2 999	amazon.com
8.		Sony A7R	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	465 g	340	Y	Oct 2013	US$ 2 299	ebay.com
9.		Sony A7S	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	489 g	380	Y	Apr 2014	US$ 2 499	ebay.com
10.		Sony A3000	128 mm	91 mm	85 mm	411 g	470	n	Aug 2013	US$ 329	ebay.com
11.		Sony A5100	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	283 g	400	n	Aug 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
12.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
13.		Sony A6100	120 mm	67 mm	59 mm	396 g	420	n	Aug 2019	US$ 749	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6300	120 mm	67 mm	49 mm	404 g	400	Y	Feb 2016	US$ 999	ebay.com
15.		Sony NEX-5R	111 mm	59 mm	39 mm	276 g	330	n	Aug 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
16.		Sony NEX-6	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	345 g	360	n	Sep 2012	US$ 999	ebay.com
17.		Sony NEX-7	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	400 g	430	n	Aug 2011	US$ 1 349	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The A6400 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 59 percent) than the ZV-E1, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Sony A6400 features an APS-C sensor and the Sony ZV-E1 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the ZV-E1 is 131 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.5 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Technology-wise, the ZV-E1 uses a more advanced image processing engine (BIONZ XR) than the A6400 (BIONZ X), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the Sony A6400 offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixels, compared with 12 MP of the Sony ZV-E1. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 8.40μm for the ZV-E1). Moreover, it should be noted that the ZV-E1 is much more recent (by 4 years and 2 months) than the A6400, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.

The resolution advantage of the Sony A6400 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A6400 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Sony ZV-E1 are 21.2 x 14.2 inches or 53.8 x 36 cm for good quality, 17 x 11.3 inches or 43.1 x 28.8 cm for very good quality, and 14.1 x 9.4 inches or 35.9 x 24 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Sony Alpha A6400 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 32000, which can be extended to ISO 100-102400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony ZV-E1 are ISO 80 to ISO 102400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 40-409600.

In terms of underlying technology, the A6400 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the ZV-E1 uses a BSI-CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
2.		Sony ZV-E1	Full Frame	12.0	4240	2832	4K/60p	25.4	14.6	3181	96
3.		Fujifilm X-T30	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.1	13.5	1895	83
4.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
5.		Sony A7 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.9	13.6	2449	90
6.		Sony A7C II	Full Frame	32.7	7008	4672	4K/60p	25.4	14.7	3237	96
7.		Sony A7C R	Full Frame	60.2	9504	6336	4K/60p	25.4	14.7	3227	96
8.		Sony A7R	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60p	25.6	14.1	2746	95
9.		Sony A7S	Full Frame	12.0	4240	2832	1080/60p	23.9	13.2	3702	87
10.		Sony A3000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.7	12.8	1068	78
11.		Sony A5100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	12.7	1347	80
12.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
13.		Sony A6100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1947	84
14.		Sony A6300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.4	13.7	1437	85
15.		Sony NEX-5R	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	910	78
16.		Sony NEX-6	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	1018	78
17.		Sony NEX-7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.4	1016	81
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the ZV-E1 provides a faster frame rate than the A6400. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/60p, while the A6400 is limited to 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the A6400 has an electronic viewfinder (2359k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the ZV-E1 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Sony A6400 and Sony ZV-E1 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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 A6400	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
2.		Sony ZV-E1	none	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-T30	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
4.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Sony A7 II	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
6.		Sony A7C II	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	Y
7.		Sony A7C R	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
8.		Sony A7R	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	4.0/s	n	n
9.		Sony A7S	2400	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
10.		Sony A3000	202	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
11.		Sony A5100	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
12.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
13.		Sony A6100	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
14.		Sony A6300	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
15.		Sony NEX-5R	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	n
16.		Sony NEX-6	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
17.		Sony NEX-7	2359	n	3.0 / 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.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The A6400 has one, while the ZV-E1 does not. While the built-in flash of the A6400 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, both cameras under consideration feature an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The A6400 writes its imaging data to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, while the ZV-E1 uses SDXC cards. The ZV-E1 supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the A6400 can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).

Connectivity 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 A6400 and Sony ZV-E1 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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 A6400	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
2.		Sony ZV-E1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-T30	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
4.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
5.		Sony A7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Sony A7C II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
7.		Sony A7C R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
8.		Sony A7R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Sony A7S	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Sony A3000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Sony A5100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Sony A6100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
14.		Sony A6300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Sony NEX-5R	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
16.		Sony NEX-6	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
17.		Sony NEX-7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the ZV-E1 has a headphone jack, which makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process. The A6400 lacks such a headphone port.

Both the A6400 and the ZV-E1 are recent models that are part of the current product line-up. The A6400 replaced the earlier Sony A6300, while the ZV-E1 does not have a direct predecessor. Further information on the features and operation of the A6400 and ZV-E1 can be found, respectively, in the Sony A6400 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony ZV-E1 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Sony A6400 and the Sony ZV-E1? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Sony Alpha A6400:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (24 vs 12MP) with a 41% higher linear resolution.
• Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 80g or 17 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (59 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in January 2019).

Reasons to prefer the Sony ZV-E1:

• Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
• Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (BIONZ XR vs BIONZ X).
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (4K/60p versus 4K/30p).
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1037k vs 922k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (570 versus 410) out of a single battery charge.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 2.0).
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 2 months of technical progress since the A6400 launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the ZV-E1 is the clear winner of the contest (15 : 7 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Sony A6400 and the Sony ZV-E1 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the A6400 or the ZV-E1 perform in practice. 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.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony A6400	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
2.		Sony ZV-E1	..	+	4/5	..	..	4.5/5	Mar 2023	US$ 2 199	amazon.com
3.		Fujifilm X-T30	5/5	+ +	5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2019	US$ 899	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
5.		Sony A7 II	5/5	+	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2014	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
6.		Sony A7C II	4/5	..	4/5	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2023	US$ 2 199	amazon.com
7.		Sony A7C R	4/5	..	4/5	88/100	..	4/5	Aug 2023	US$ 2 999	amazon.com
8.		Sony A7R	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	US$ 2 299	ebay.com
9.		Sony A7S	4/5	..	..	86/100	4.5/5	5/5	Apr 2014	US$ 2 499	ebay.com
10.		Sony A3000	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Aug 2013	US$ 329	ebay.com
11.		Sony A5100	4.5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
12.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
13.		Sony A6100	..	..	4/5	82/100	4/5	5/5	Aug 2019	US$ 749	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6300	4.5/5	+	..	85/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2016	US$ 999	ebay.com
15.		Sony NEX-5R	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
16.		Sony NEX-6	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 999	ebay.com
17.		Sony NEX-7	5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2011	US$ 1 349	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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