Upgrade Guide

Sony A6400→Sony A9

Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.

You own

Sony

A6400

£899

2019

→

Upgrade to

Sony

£1999 (+£1,100)

2017

✅

Worthwhile

Clear improvements over the A6400. Whether it justifies the cost depends on which upgrades matter most to your shooting.

What's new in the A9

↑

Weather sealing

Added — fully sealed body
↑

Burst rate

20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) vs 11fps mechanical, 8fps with AF tracking
↑

Battery life

~650 shots (CIPA) vs ~410 shots (CIPA)

Unchanged or similar

Suitability by genre

Full spec comparison

Spec	A6400	A9
Price	£899	£1,999
Released	2019	2017	↓
Sensor	24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS BSI	24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS
Resolution	24MP	24MP
Video	4K/30p (6K oversampled, no crop), 1080p/120p slow-motion	4K/30p, 1080p/120p
Autofocus	Phase-detect, 425 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF	693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking
Stabilisation	None (no IBIS)	IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops
Burst Rate	11fps mechanical, 8fps with AF tracking	20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE)	↑
Battery Life	~410 shots (CIPA)	~650 shots (CIPA)	↑
Weight	403g (body, battery, card)	673g (with battery and card)	↓
Weather Sealed	No	Yes	↑
Viewfinder	EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification	EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free)
Screen	3.0" tilting touchscreen, 180° flip for selfie/vlog, 921k dots	3.0" tilting touchscreen
Mount	Sony E-mount	Sony FE (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards	Single SD UHS-I	Dual SD UHS-II slots

Compare side-by-side

See A6400 and A9 next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.

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Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the A9 against your specific genres — not just specs.

Other upgrades from the A6400

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Camera family history