Sony a6300 4k

[Mattias Burling]

In stock everywhere now. Its a bit tempting still...

[Andrew Reid]

AF in stills mode with Canon lenses on Metabones adapter is mindblowingly fast in good light.

Can't seem to get them to track an object in video mode though.

The Sony lenses track but rather unreliably in low light.

So mixed bag with AF but I am loving the image so far.... seems better than expected... mainly due to NR and codec improvements? The rolling shutter is pretty severe though, like NX1.

[conscius]

1 minute ago, Andrew Reid said:

AF in stills mode with Canon lenses on Metabones adapter is mindblowingly fast in good light.

Can't seem to get them to track an object in video mode though.

The Sony lenses track but rather unreliably in low light.

So mixed bag with AF but I am loving the image so far.... seems better than expected... mainly due to NR and codec improvements? The rolling shutter is pretty severe though, like NX1.

Yes, have the same problem. Ultra fast in photomode, but not working in videomode.

[BrorSvensson]

2 minutes ago, conscius said:

Yes, have the same problem. Ultra fast in photomode, but not working in videomode.

maybe something thats fixable with firmware from metabones.

[Andrew Reid]

I used the Sony 16-105 F4 and it wasn't exactly working well with that either... recognises people, but then slips to the background occasionally if you're not in optimal lighting or the background is more detailed and brighter than the subject.

It doesn't seem as bullet proof as the 1D X Mark II's dual pixel AF.

I am sure it is just a case of learning to work within the limitations of it.... sometimes it's amazing and a BIG improvement on before.

[The Chris]

So far the upcoming Sigma adapter is the only one that can track with adapted lenses:

 

[Andrew Reid]

People are saying the 1080p 120fps looks soft.

Doesn't look to bad to me...

Also colour in the Vivid profile is very "Fuji-like"

S-LOG may give you dynamic range, but if you want the most effortless out of camera colour just set it to Vivid.

In 120fps with centre-spot AF and enough light to feed the phase-detect pixels it rocks... locks on superbly to what is in the centre of the frame, no hunting.

Dim the light and contrast detect AF kicks in and it's still a bit poo.

Rolling shutter is the biggest issue I have had so far with the 4K 24p.

It's the most I've ever had. Locked down shots no issue but this definitely isn't a tool for violent handheld camera work.

However in the 1080p modes especially 120fps the rolling shutter issues almost disappear...

And 30fps is a BIT better...but crops.

[Jordan Drake]

3 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Hey Jordan

No way! It kills me to have a misunderstanding like this

I am an avid follower of your videos at The Camera Store, I absolutely love then

I featured your video on the blog purely out of love for what you do and to draw attention to it.

I'd have a hard time passing that off as my own!! Berlin might be cold but it's not that cold!! I do not have a stunning beard. I do not have Chris's strange accent either

The PR comment wasn't aimed at you guys

*At all*

I get involved with the manufacturers and try to build a relationship, I go to the events organised by PR companies to try out the cameras early when I can fit it in, nothing wrong with this and all reviewers do it. I didn't realise you and Chris just got back from a Sony press event so it was a really stupidly badly timed comment on my part.

No one can deny there's generally a subversive whitewashing going on due to so much PR in the consumer electronics world but YOUR reviews are NOT like that... I like to think we remain balanced about negatives and unbiased and thinking of our content rather than our relationship with the manufacturers and this is totally what sites like ours do... We shoot from the gut and we are outspoken.

I can't tell you how sorry I am for this misunderstanding it is terrible...

I'm up for a chat on the phone if it helps solve any issues

Sorry - Andrew

Hey Andrew,

I appreciate the response, and I'm glad you like the content Chris and I put out. We look forward your feedback on anything we produce, and I've gained a lot of useful information and insight from this blog and the message boards.

However, I feel that essentially calling out the entire review community for being in Sony's pockets is excessive. If you were in North America and wanted to test a production A6300 before launch, the only way to do it was to fly to Miami for the press event. I wish that it was an option to have the camera shipped to us in Calgary for testing at that time, as I have other productions and a family to focus on outside of my TCSTV work. But the A6300 is such an important camera that we agreed to spend a few very busy, not at all relaxing days testing the camera out. You have to remember that this is a time when a huge number of enthusiasts pre-order their camera before launch, so these pre-release videos can serve a very useful purpose.

Most of the other journalists and reviewers I spoke with felt similarly. I'm sure a few odd ones didn't use the time to properly test the camera and wrote puff pieces about the camera and G-Master lenses, but many of us spent 16-20 hour days trying to make sure we had accurate impressions. I'd hate to see all of these people lumped together as shills for Sony.

It's a huge compliment that you see us as an honest, respectable source, and we appreciate you embedding our video on the blog post. Chris appreciates your beard-envy.  We hope you keep watching!

[Amro Othman]

[Andrew Reid]

35 minutes ago, Jordan Drake said:

Hey Andrew,

I appreciate the response, and I'm glad you like the content Chris and I put out. We look forward your feedback on anything we produce, and I've gained a lot of useful information and insight from this blog and the message boards.

However, I feel that essentially calling out the entire review community for being in Sony's pockets is excessive. If you were in North America and wanted to test a production A6300 before launch, the only way to do it was to fly to Miami for the press event. I wish that it was an option to have the camera shipped to us in Calgary for testing at that time, as I have other productions and a family to focus on outside of my TCSTV work. But the A6300 is such an important camera that we agreed to spend a few very busy, not at all relaxing days testing the camera out. You have to remember that this is a time when a huge number of enthusiasts pre-order their camera before launch, so these pre-release videos can serve a very useful purpose.

Most of the other journalists and reviewers I spoke with felt similarly. I'm sure a few odd ones didn't use the time to properly test the camera and wrote puff pieces about the camera and G-Master lenses, but many of us spent 16-20 hour days trying to make sure we had accurate impressions. I'd hate to see all of these people lumped together as shills for Sony.

It's a huge compliment that you see us as an honest, respectable source, and we appreciate you embedding our video on the blog post. Chris appreciates your beard-envy.  We hope you keep watching!

Absolutely, we all owe you one for the early A6300 coverage and you guys went out of your way to deliver...

Yes very unfair of me to make it sound like I was lumping people together.

If I had judged everyone the same I would have had to include myself in that as I have been to Sony press events for cameras organised in Berlin. I went to one for the a7R II for instance. They served us free champagne. I drank it. Went home. Wrote that the full frame 4K image looked like a dog had done a crap. I think this is really important in the industry. The PR company hasn't been in touch since. Sony however... have. I think they prefer honest feedback above the relationship bridge building bullshit any-day.

Personally I think their influence is becoming pervasive and it is rare to see someone come back from one of these events and raise an issue with the camera in public.

When you and Chris came back from Miami though you did a balanced video on it and the information was extremely useful for everyone thinking of buying the camera or not.

In the end people can tell if we are being balanced and they can tell when a site like DPReview is going down the drain with advertorial.

Hopefully also a site which still refuses to carry advertising (like mine) still means something.

I'm not sure it does any more.

Anyway, from the bottom of my heart be sure that I did not mean to lump your superb efforts in with the real intended target of my barbed comments, which were aimed at a minority online and not the good guys like you. I mean that.

Also, it's great to see you on the forum, hope you stick around, despite my occasional rants

Cine 4 is looking superb on the A6300.

None of the colour issues of the Creative Styles or the vast majority of the other Picture Profiles (ITU 709 particularly horrid)

I've graded it lightly with Fujiflm Velvia in Film Convert's a7s profile for Cine4.

I am astounded by the image quality of this camera for $1000... Take a look at that detail close up in 100% view if you download the frame grab below... it is FLAWLESS. Whatever 6K to 4K scaling method they have on the new processor... it works.

I prefer this image to my FS5.

[Hitfabryk]

13 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

Absolutely, we all owe you one for the early A6300 coverage and you guys went out of your way to deliver...

Yes very unfair of me to make it sound like I was lumping people together.

If I had judged everyone the same I would have had to include myself in that as I have been to Sony press events for cameras organised in Berlin. I went to one for the a7R II for instance. They served us free champagne. I drank it. Went home. Wrote that the full frame 4K image looked like a dog had done a crap. I think this is really important in the industry. The PR company hasn't been in touch since. Sony however... have. I think they prefer honest feedback above the relationship bridge building bullshit any-day.

Personally I think their influence is becoming pervasive and it is rare to see someone come back from one of these events and raise an issue with the camera in public.

When you and Chris came back from Miami though you did a balanced video on it and the information was extremely useful for everyone thinking of buying the camera or not.

In the end people can tell if we are being balanced and they can tell when a site like DPReview is going down the drain with advertorial.

Hopefully also a site which still refuses to carry advertising (like mine) still means something.

I'm not sure it does any more.

Anyway, from the bottom of my heart be sure that I did not mean to lump your superb efforts in with the real intended target of my barbed comments, which were aimed at a minority online and not the good guys like you. I mean that.

Also, it's great to see you on the forum, hope you stick around, despite my occasional rants

Cine 4 is looking superb on the A6300.

None of the colour issues of the Creative Styles or the vast majority of the other Picture Profiles (ITU 709 particularly horrid)

I've graded it lightly with Fujiflm Velvia in Film Convert's a7s profile for Cine4.

I am astounded by the image quality of this camera for $1000... Take a look at that detail close up in 100% view if you download the frame grab below... it is FLAWLESS. Whatever 6K to 4K scaling method they have on the new processor... it works.

I prefer this image to my FS5.

 

 

Worth the upgrade from the A6000 if the end result will be 1080? and stills.

Thanks for posting this early impressions.

 

 

 

 

 

[Curtis Ross]

OMG at the image grab above! Im sold............

[Andrew Reid]

Hitfabryk -

Friendly forum etiquette tip... Please don't quote long posts unnecessarily, just reply straight under them, as all this quoting doubles up on itself and makes the page extremely long to scroll through.

Yes worth the upgrade from the A6000 definitely, unless you have a compelling reason to go for a different model entirely like the A7S II or NX1. Most people won't, I don't think.

[alexO]

Andrew, did you have a chance to test 4K 30p mode? Aside from the crop, how is it in terms of the sharpness/DR/noise?

[Andrew Reid]

The rolling shutter is a bit less in it but the idea of 30p and a crop doesn't really appeal to me artistically

I think this is a great camera for wide angle Super 35mm.

Telephoto not so much because of the rolling shutter. Handholding an 85mm or 135mm, forget it.

Sigma 20mm F1.4 on the Speed Booster, now we're talking! It's stunning with this and barely any hint of distortion.

[Mozim]

Andrew, thanks for the info! Does the a6300 record sound when shooting 1080p/120fps?

[Andrew Reid]

Yes

And it is continuous, not a cache record like on the FS5

PS - why do you want sound for slow-mo?

[wobba]

1 hour ago, Andrew Reid said:

I am astounded by the image quality of this camera for $1000... Take a look at that detail close up in 100% view if you download the frame grab below... it is FLAWLESS. Whatever 6K to 4K scaling method they have on the new processor... it works.

I prefer this image to my FS5.

Wow, this looks seriously impressive.  I wonder how the A6300 stacks up against the A7RII in S35 mode?

[jessedacri]

I picked up my A6300 this morning at Samy's in LA on the way to a shoot at an auto body shop and have been shooting with it (in Slog2 PP7) in place of my A7s. I did a quick and dirty sharpness test between 4K 24p, 4K 30p, 1080 24p, and 1080 60p. I also threw in a 1080p Slog2 frame from the A7s version 1.

 

All images are on a speed booster (non ultra) using a Canon 24-105 F4L IS (wide open at reported f2.8) through a "Fader ND Mark II" brand variable ND. This is my doc-style work setup and now that I'm seeing the results I'll definitely be redoing this test stopped down a little on a different lens, with a less busy subject. Good news is that the 4K 30 mode doesn't seem to suffer from any weird image quality loss or additional noise compared to the 24p mode aside from the obvious crop. I was very surprised at 20,000 ISO that the shot has very little noise in either mode. Granted it's still daytime and I just applied lots of ND for a proper exposure, but I'm going to do more tests as night falls.

https://philymack.box.com/s/3x7ge6qqeqgvsvj3z4t6e05oi7vc00a4

 

 

Overall, having a good time with the camera today especially because I was able to roll right into a gig with it, but between the 4K having a near-dealbreaker amount of rolling shutter (10-11ms more than the A7s II 4K mode) and the 1080p mode being a little soft, it's going to be a tough sell for me. You can definitely tell that the 1080p mode almost looks like a combo between the softness of, say, a 5D Mark III's video mode with the dynamic range of an A7s. I'm dedicating the weekend to tests and have rented a Sony E 24mm 1.8, a 16-70 f4 OSS, and a Sony E 35mm to give them all a shot. I've got plenty of A7s Is and IIs through work so I'm sort of debating whether I want to keep the A6300 for myself as a personal stills/video powerhouse or jump to an A7rII. 

 

[Mozim]

3 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

Yes

And it is continuous, not a cache record like on the FS5

PS - why do you want sound for slow-mo?

That's great to hear, thanks. I shoot lots of action sports so 120fps continuous recording is a huge advantage. I usually don't have time to record sound with an external recorder, so recording 120fps with sound allows me to either slow down the footage quite a bit or play it back at realtime and use the original sound that I recorder. Makes sense? :D