Review: Sony a6300 Mirrorless Camera

The Sony a6000 was my gateway drug into mirrorless cameras. My first test, of a borrowed unit with the kit lens, was just so-so. I saw the capabilities of the camera and the sensor but the lens left a lot to be desired. I next tried it with a prime lens, which showed off the sensor to a much greater degree. Around the same time, I had the chance at CES to look at the upcoming a7 and a7R cameras, followed by a brief hands-on test at my local camera store. I became convinced that mirrorless would be my next step.

So I began with an investment in the Sony a6000 and the Sony Sonnar T* FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA lens. Looking ahead to a probable a7-series purchase, I went with the full-frame lens. That gave me a 52-mm equivalent on the a6000, which for me hearkened back to my very first rangefinder camera.

I used this setup on hikes, did some street photography, shot landscapes, winter scenes and close-ups. I shot in California, New Hampshire, Maine and New York City. Later, as I added the Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 24–70mm f/4 ZA OSS and Sony FE 70–200mm f/4.o G OSS lenses, I used those with the a6000 as well. I covered the arrival of the French reproduction of Lafayette’s ship, Hermione, in Castine, Maine and the last run of the Maine Eastern Railroad for Trains magazine. The a6000 performed well in all these shoots, so when the a6300 was announced, I immediately signed up.

My Sony a6300 was shipped out on the first day of availability, March 10, 2016. I immediately took it out to shoot my local environs around Portland, Maine, then down to the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, and from there to Assateague Island National Seashore to shoot the wild ponies.

The Sony menu systems take a little getting used to, especially coming from a long love affair with Canon. But once you understand them, set up the custom functions the way you want, and become comfortable with the button placement, the a6000 series and a7 series cameras become second-nature tools in your hands.

I hike a lot, walk a lot and travel a lot, so the less weight I’m dragging around, the better. I regard the Sony a6300 as the equivalent to the Canon 7D Mk II, which is a great camera (I used it in the Great Bear Rainforest last fall), but the a6300 saves my back three pounds — not counting the lighter weight Sony lenses. I also get a larger image, at 4000 x 6000 pixels versus the 7D2’s 5472 x 3648 (24MP vs. 20MP), which gives me the option of larger prints for shows and exhibits. In fact, the image is larger than either the Canon EOS 5D Mk III or the new 1DX Mk II.

The Sony a6300 delivers up to 11 frames per second. I don’t shoot sports, but I do see the possibility of use for wildlife once longer focal length lenses become available either through Sony or a third party manufacturer. I’ve gotten clean images (with moderate noise reduction in Lightroom) at ISO 8000, and am confident I can work up to ISO 12800. I haven’t stressed it beyond that just yet.

Combined with good glass, the Sony a6300 — and the a7 series cameras — deliver tack-sharp images. I’ve found the autofocus and tracking on the a6300 to be improved over the a6000, and it’s lightning-fast in good light. The dynamic range that this sensor delivers is amazing. It’s only outdone in this by my other rig, the Sony a7R ii.

I’m still testing its video capability, in both HD and 4K, so I’ll follow up in another post on that.

For now, Canon will be my choice for most wildlife photography, but the Sony a6300 and a7R ii cover most of my needs for landscape, photojournalism and everyday shooting. New lenses are on the way from Sony, and I’m sure more third-party manufacturers will be looking to expand their E-mount and FE-mount offerings.

More images below.

— Dan Zukowski, DBZphoto.com

— Dan Zukowski, DBZphoto.com