If you are looking for an affordable camera to record in 4K, we present the Sony a6300. A camera that leaves no one indifferent, the reasons why it can be an interesting option in the following article.
Sony a6300 for video
As with every article we create about a DSLR camera, in this case the Sony a6300, we will focus on the fundamental aspects for video making. In this case, we will talk about a camera that, in terms of quality – price ratio, has nothing to envy to others. Among its most notable aspects, we find its very affordable price ranging between 700-900 euros (in some cases we can even find it with the kit lens of 16-50mm), it offers internal 4K recording, a very fast autofocus system, a tilt screen (something we believe should be mandatory in a camera dedicated to video), and an APS-C sensor (a very good size almost as large as 35mm film) that also allows us to record in FULL HD at 120 fps (undoubtedly a very good attraction for generating slow motion in our footage).
Along with what has been mentioned, we must say that it has a very compact size for all the features it offers, and not to mention when we compare it with competitors from other brands, where we talk about a larger size and weight. Additionally, we can mention that it has a body that offers protection against dust and light rain, and we won't leave out the external audio connection to plug in a microphone. For this last point, we need to say (a tip that we believe is essential) that any audio we connect to a camera (regardless of the microphone) should only be used as a reference, because it will never match the quality of a professional recorder. It’s true that many times our budgets are very tight, and this forces us not to invest much in our projects, but audio in an audiovisual work should be divided into 50% video – 50% image if we want to deliver something of quality. If we've invested in this camera, which is more affordable than others, at some point we can make an effort to acquire a recorder. Or another option could be renting, for 10 – 20 euros you can book a Tascam or Zoom recorder.
Main features of the Sony a6300
- CMOS APS-C sensor (23.5 x 15.6 mm) – 24 megapixels.
- ISO 100 – 51,200.
- 2.4 megapixel OLED electronic viewfinder.
- 3-inch tiltable screen: vertical tilt 90º down and 45º up.
- Hybrid autofocus system with 169 contrast detection focus zones and 425 phase detection focus points, covering almost the entire scene.
- 4K video. XAVC codec at 100Mbps. Includes S-Log profiles to increase dynamic range and allow more flexibility in color management in editing (color correction / color grading).
- Full HD 120 fps.
- External microphone connection.
- Wifi connection.
- Magnesium alloy body protected against dust and splashes.
Lenses and adapters for Sony a6300
When we talk about lenses, we must know that this is very important; sometimes we think it is secondary, but it is not. Having good lenses will provide very good image quality, another factor that can set us apart from our competition. When choosing a camera, it's always good to look at its mount to decide whether I will invest in lenses or if it's better to see what type of adapter I need.
The Sony a6300 is a camera with an E mount, and this is where the question arises: What lens will I use? Let's take a basic example: if I have a set of Canon lenses that I know are of good quality, it is not necessary to sell them all and buy new ones; it might be more feasible to look for an adapter to use them and take advantage of them. For this, I will recommend a very good adapter as an alternative to the well-known Metabones (which usually costs between 600-800 euros), and that is the Sigma converter MC-11. An adapter that gives us a very good solution to mount our Canon lenses on the camera and have them work perfectly, currently valued in the market at 300 euros.
If, on the other hand, we do not have Sony lenses, they offer a range of lenses for E mount. Below we will provide the link to access them. It is very important to know what types of work we are going to carry out; if we have shoots where we are going slowly, it might be advisable to buy fixed and very bright lenses. If, on the contrary, I need to vary the distance and it's continuous, we recommend zoom lenses. One with excellent quality from Carl Zeiss, which you should not hesitate to buy if it fits your budget, is the SEL-1670 (Zoom 24-70 f4 with stabilizer).
Conclusions and recommendations
It is undoubtedly one of the best cameras on the market in terms of quality-to-price ratio if you have a tight budget. A mid-range camera that obviously does not reach the level of high-end models like the A7SII, but its price is considerably lower. If we have low-cost productions that do not require extreme quality and we do not have a large budget, it can be a more than viable option. It can also work as a second body to support another one we may have previously. In any case, a camera capable of recording in 4K at 100mbps, with an APS-C sensor, that also provides us with an SLOG color profile for color correction, should not be underestimated under any circumstances.
As a recommendation, if you are looking for this camera and that is why you arrived at this article, I recommend that you always think about the camera you need for your work. You will always find better cameras and new models, but there is no perfect camera, only one that meets our needs. And if you are not fully convinced, you can also rent the camera, try it out, and draw your own conclusions about your required needs.
Interesting data
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