100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporaryvs A6400
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100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary (2020)
Starting from £749 new
Best for Wildlife & sports photography on a budget
View 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Wildlife & Sports Photography On A Budget — 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary (2020): The best-value telephoto zoom for Sony FE — 400mm reach, OS, and weather sealing for under £800. Punches well above its price at every focal length.
Content Creation & Vlogging — A6400 (2019): The best value APS-C Sony you can buy — especially used. Real-time Eye AF at this price point was transformative when it launched and still makes it one of the most reliable autofocus systems in the lineup.
Who should buy what
A6400 (2019)
- Vloggers and content creators who need a flip screen and reliable AF
- Photographers upgrading from a compact or smartphone
- Beginners who want room to grow into a full E-mount lens ecosystem
- Anyone prioritising autofocus performance at an accessible price
Quick take: The 100-400mm f/5-6.3 dg dn os contemporary is the most affordable; only the 100-400mm f/5-6.3 dg dn os contemporary is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary (2020) | A6400 (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £749 | £899 |
| Sensor | f/5-6.3 (variable max aperture) | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS BSI |
| Resolution | — | 24.2MP |
| Video | 160cm minimum focus distance | 4K/30p (6K oversampled, no crop), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) — fast and near-silent for a telephoto zoom | Phase-detect, 425 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | 4-stop OS (Optical Stabiliser) | None (no IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 11fps mechanical, 8fps with AF tracking |
| Battery Life | N/A | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1140g | 403g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 86.4mm diameter × 199.2mm length | 120.0 × 66.9 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | N/A | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 180° flip for selfie/vlog, 921k dots |
| Mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | N/A | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | N/A | Micro-USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary | A6400 |
|---|---|---|
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Video | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Travel | — |
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