Sony Alpha 6300 review – Our verdict

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. Thankfully, it more than lives up to its predecessor and takes Sony’s next-generation APS-S-sensor E-mount cameras to the next level.

The physical size and shape of the body remain largely the same, although we would have liked a front control dial, and we are starting to sound like a broken record asking for a touchscreen in the premium Sony E-mount cameras. This would make it so much easier to focus and be fantastic for focus-pulling when shooting video, particularly with the advantage of the 425 phase-detection AF points.

But there are some significant improvements to the body, notably the weather-sealing, and the strengthened lens mount. The Alpha 6300 is straightforward to use, and anyone who has used a Sony camera in the past few years will feel right at home.

For videographers, the only thing that is really lacking is a headphone socket for audio monitoring. Other than that, it is a great compact 4K video camera and a perfect accompaniment to an Alpha 7. Image quality is good, but it is the other areas of the camera that steal the show this time.

The Alpha 6300 is really all about the combination of AF, viewfinder and continuous shooting rate. At the price, no DSLR can shooting as fast as 11fps, and certainly not keep up with focusing.

If you already own an Alpha 6000 should you upgrade? In terms of image quality there doesn’t seem to be too much difference, so it really comes down to whether or not you will appreciate the new features of the camera. Certainly, the magnesium-alloy body is a good upgrade, but whether or not the AF system and 4K video are will depend on the type of photography, or videography, that you do.