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The Sony a6400 is a mirrorless camera body that is compact and lightweight while still giving you the versatility of a complete camera system that can grow to suit your specific needs. If you are looking for the best mirrorless camera for travel, look no further.
WHY IT’S IN OUR CAMERA BAG
When we travel, this is our main camera both for photos and video. It’s super versatile, light weight, and yields amazing results! If you want to convey emotion in your footage, slow motion is a great way to do that, and the Sony a6400 allows you to do that in full HD. Yes, your phone can do that too, but not with this level of quality or with creamy out of focus background. If we could only take one camera on our travels, THIS would be it!
WHAT WE USE IT FOR
Having a variety of zoom and wide-angle lenses, shooting in 4K resolution, full HD slow motion, and the ability to take tack sharp photographs, this camera can literally be used for just about everything and anything you’d need. The one area it lacks is being able to use it while moving while getting smooth results. You would need a gimbal for this. That’s why we recommend a few other options for movement.
PROS
There are two huge things this Sony camera brings to the table; auto focus and slow motion.
The autofocus does an amazing job at tracking your subject, even when it’s moving! It will even focus specifically on whichever eye you tell it to when you’re up close. We have been blown away by how responsive the autofocus is.
Being able to shoot at 120 frames per second allows you to slow down time to ¼ speed and make seemingly any moment emotional and unique.
CONS
The obvious downside when traveling with a camera that has interchangeable lenses is the added weight and space. Although it is small compared to an SLR camera, it will still be the most bulky of your camera options when you travel.
Sony cameras are also known for having a fairly clunky menu making it somewhat difficult when you want to set up your camera or switch settings.
This camera does not come with in body stabilization, so keep that in mind when selecting your lenses!
Finally, I feel the biggest drawback is that the Sony battery power for this camera runs out quickly. It’s important to get extra batteries, and you’ll also want a charger since Sony does not include one with their cameras.
INVESTMENT
Sony cameras and lenses aren’t cheap, but when it comes to mirrorless camera systems, they are the best! You can expect to pay around $900 for the camera body, and then another $650 for a versatile lens for travel to go with it. This is a system that can grow with you though and we feel like it’s an investment worth making!
ACCESSORIES
16mm 1.4 Sigma lens – Even though it’s a fixed focal length and doesn’t have the same versatility as other lenses, this one yields some of my favorite results. It’s great in low light and is super sharp!
18-105mm – If you’re only going to get 1 lens for your Sony, this would be the one. It’s very versatile, and has a nice motorized zoom that gives you smooth zoom in/zoom out video footage.
70-350mm – This lens allows you to plant yourself in a location and still capture some amazing shots, whether your subject is moving or not. You want to get close to the action? This is the lens for you!
Variable ND Filters – This allows you to keep the proper shutter speed when shooting video (Your shutter speed should always be set to twice your frame rate. i.e. When shooting in 24 fps, your shutter speed should be set to 1/50th second.) You’ll need the 72mm filter for the 18 -105mm lens. The 67mm filter works on both the 16mm and 70-350mm lenses we recommend.
Batteries & Charger – The batteries for the Sony will not last as long as you would like. That’s why you need extras. We have found some off-brand batteries that seem to work just as well and came with the charger (not included with the camera body). If you’re traveling and plan on doing a full day of activities you want to capture, we’d recommend having 3 batteries with you.
If you are looking for the best mirrorless camera system for travel, this is the one we recommend. We spent hours and hours pouring through research and even made the jump to a new brand (leaving other lenses and camera bodies behind) because we believed that Sony held the best quality for the value when creating and capturing our own family memories.
As always, please feel free to check in with any questions about this camera and it’s related gear. We want to make sure that you are confident with the best tools to tell your story!
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