A6400vs Sony A9 III
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp; the a6400 is the most affordable; only the sony a9 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A6400 (2019) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £899 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS BSI | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (6K oversampled, no crop), 1080p/120p slow-motion | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 425 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 11fps mechanical, 8fps with AF tracking | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~410 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 403g (body, battery, card) | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 120.0 × 66.9 × 59.7mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 180° flip for selfie/vlog, 921k dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | Micro-USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A6400 | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Video | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history