Sony a6300
Announced February 3, 2016
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Strong
The Sony Alpha a6300 is a compact, weather-sealed mirrorless camera that delivers excellent 4K video and high-speed autofocus performance. Although it offers significant improvements over its predecessor, it suffers from limited battery life, a lack of in-body stabilization, and a complex menu system.
Weighted from 45 reviewer scores
Pros
- High-quality 4K video recording with full sensor readout
- Fast, accurate autofocus with extensive frame coverage
- Robust, weather-resistant magnesium alloy construction
- Excellent image quality and high ISO performance
- High-resolution EVF with 120fps refresh rate
Cons
- No touchscreen functionality
- Complex, unintuitive menu system
- Poor battery life and lack of external charger
- Absence of in-body image stabilization
- Overheating issues during extended video recording
- Launch price $999 (USD)
- Sensor 24.2MP APS-C CMOS
- Video 4K
What the Reviewers Say
All 45 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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- DPReview 85/100
The a6300 is a tremendously capable camera, whether you're looking to shoot stills or video. Getting the best out of the camera requires a bit of work on the user's part but its sheer capability makes this worthwhile.
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It packs one heck of a punch in both features and performance, and undoubtedly gets two thumbs up as a Dave’s Pick.
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Sony's A6300 is a mid-range mirrorless with an AF system that's the envy of pro cameras costing up to twice the price.
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With the Sony Alpha 6000 being one of the company’s most popular cameras of recent years, the Alpha 6300 has a lot to live up to.
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So if you're the kind of photographer that wants to take a step up, you're going to benefit from the better low light performance, the faster autofocusing, the ability to shoot quickly, and get the better video to boot; this is the camera for you.
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The Sony Alpha A6300 offers a compelling range of features including extremely fast performance and excellent video quality.**.
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With the Alpha 7 and RX series’ receiving such critical acclaim over the past couple of years, Sony’s APS-C CSCs have been starting to seem somewhat neglected.
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The Sony Alpha a6300 is a great camera for the mainstream, and a great alternative to the full-frame Sony A7 II for those who can’t afford to spend [...]
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The Sony Alpha 6300 adds weather-sealing and 4K video to the popular midrange Alpha 6000.
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If you consider yourself a really "serious" photographer who wants the absolute, best quality, the better low-light performance and slight autofocus improvement may be worth it.
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There aren’t many cameras in this category and price range that shoot 4K. If resolution is key, then you have two choices currently in the same price tier: the Panasonic Lumix G7 and this camera, the a6300.
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SPORTS: If you want a compact camera and occasionally shoot sports, the a6300 is the best mirrorless camera.
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So this is going to be a camera that I grudgingly recommend, and I say that just because it wasn't for me the most fun camera to use and the camera I prefer to take out there, but it will be probably one of the best cameras for you depending on what you shoot.
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In many ways, the a6300 offers the responsiveness of a DSLR in a more compact body.
- Digital Trends 8.5/10
Has Sony created another hit? The A6300 is simply one of the best, well-rounded mirrorless cameras we’ve tested to date, so we would say, yes.
- CNET 8.3/10
I said of the A6000 that it “almost has it all.” But in the two years since it launched, the definition of “all” has changed, and for its higher price the A6300 isn’t quite the amazeballs its predecessor was.
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[...] I really like this camera. I like it in that you can strip it down to nothing and you're doing great on all fronts almost, except for maybe overheating if you're outside and audio.
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Yeah, there are a few flaws here and there, but that doesn't really stop this camera from being a really excellent mirrorless camera.
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While this camera isn't perfect, I think it's an all-around fantastic camera. I agree with Tony Northrup, it's a jack of all trades, but really a master of none.
- Photo Review 88%
The α6300 retains the familiar ‘NEX’ form factor with rangefinder styling and a compact body that appeals to many photo enthusiasts.
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[T]his camera can handle it.
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The a6300 doesn’t come top in any single area, but if you want a single camera that performs well for video capture, high-speed shooting and low-light shooting, this might well be the best option.
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The only other issue I encountered with the test camera had to do with exposure. Although my exposures were consistent, they ran 0.3 to 0.7-stops brighter than I prefer.
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The Sony A6300 is built for photographers and videographers who want serious capabilities at a budget price.
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Now, if those features aren't important to you, then yes, maybe $2,000 might be worth it to you, but as somebody who's on a budget or doesn't want to spend a lot of money, the Sony Alpha a6300 is definitely the way to go.
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It works really, really good and it's noticeably faster than the a6000 in my opinion; it seems to work better and noticeably faster.
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The Sony a6300 is a small, compact mirrorless camera that came out in March 2016.
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If you’re looking for the best travel and adventure camera, this is it!
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I don't think there was a single time when it didn't focus on what I intended it to focus on, and that applies to moving subjects, still subjects, the whole range.
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If they do, they’ll miss out on using one of the best mirrorless camera options out there, certainly one of the very best in the U [...]
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The A6300 is a fun and fast camera that produces pretty good results. It doesn't replace my Nikons, Canons or Hasselblads for serious work, but for carrying as little as possible, the A6300 is a hoot.
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The question still stands, is this the best entry-level camera for youTubers hoping to do 4K video? And the answer to that is yes, but with a few conditions.
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For everyone else looking for big results in a small package, the Sony and its E-mount lineup looks promising, provided you've got deep pockets.
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It's not quite the value combination offered by the A6000, and it has more than its share of quirks. But with an amazing focus engine and near pro 4K video, the A6300 tops my list of APS-C sized mirrorless cameras.
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This camera is for most people the best hybrid photo and video camera under $1,000 you can buy. There really is nothing else on the market that is as feature pack and provides this level of image and video quality right now.
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[T]his is just the start of my experience with the A6300.
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In my opinion, the Sony Alpha a6300 is a great reason to go over a DSLR instead of a mirrorless camera in the same price point. It pretty much offers in terms of features everything that you can ask for.
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For video work, I'm definitely going to be highly recommending this camera. Not only because of its 4K and its autofocus system, but also because of its dedicated video settings and mic jack.
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I think it's a really impressive camera.
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The 24 megapixel sensor is probably good for most of the users and it has a stunning low light performance as well.
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[I]f you're going to be purchasing this camera, I'd highly recommend buying this body only.
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I imagine it can be a challenge to attempt to update the world’s most popular mirrorless camera in a way that not only capitalises on its strengths and fixes its weaknesses but also doesn’t break the bank in the process.
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The amount of technology and features they pack into a small camera this is the 6000 here because I'm using the a6300 but I am just shocked by the ability of the camera.
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The performance from both a video and still photo quality perspective in my opinion is very professional.
- Tech Connect 9/10
So if it had the tilting screen that you can see from the front, I'd say this camera would be a perfect 10; since it doesn't, I'd give it a nine.
