Recommended Sony A6400 lenses and accessories

Sony A6400 Recommendations

While today I primarily shoot full frame, I owned and used a Sony A6000 and A6300 for a couple of years. I’ve used or tried most of the Sony aps-c lenses and almost all of the full frame lenses. If you are planning to buy the Sony A6400 just as a bigger bulkier point and shoot phone camera, then you may not need anything other than the Sony A6400 and the included lens. (along with a memory card).

[Order the Sony A6400 from Adorama Here]

First, I’ll briefly discuss who should be considering the Sony A6400. Second, for those looking to build out a full kit to cover a variety of photography situations, this article will list recommended lenses and accessories for different types of shooters.

Sony A6400 at a Glance:

The Sony A6400 is Sony’s first aps-c camera in two years. Sony has been more focused on their larger more expensive full frame cameras. Full frame cameras bring advantages in image quality but at the expense of more weight, more expensive cameras, and often more expensive lenses to match. When used properly, an aps-c camera can do just about everything you can do with a full frame camera, with less weight and lower cost. While it may not match the image quality of full frame in every image when examined closely, aps-c cameras are perfectly capable of breathtaking images that will satisfy the overwhelming majority of users and viewers.

The Sony A6400 brings certain advantages over other cameras in the Sony lineup and over competing cameras in other brands. There are currently only three brands producing mirrorless aps-c cameras: Sony, Canon and Fuji. Nikon and Pentax still produce aps-c dSLRs. Canon is the remaining player to do both aps-c dSLRs and mirrorless.

Priced at $900 for the body only, this is priced at the mid level consumer market: photographers who want a little bit more than the barebones entry level. In fact, this camera appears to offer far more than most entry level dSLRs and mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. It also offers far more than the budget Sony A6000. For a few hundred dollars more than the A6000, these are the standout features of the Sony A6400:

Superior autofocus, should be among the best autofocus systems of any camera
Superior eye-AF: The ability to continuously keep focus tracked on an eye, even when shooting silently and in fast bursts
Silent shooting with continuous autofocus (and eye-af) at 8 frames per second. (regular mechanical shutter available at 11 frames per second)
4K video and still image quality upgrades
Touch screen, including touch tracking for autofocus
Flip screen for vlogging and selfies

In comparison to the more expensive Sony A6500, it appears the only thing missing is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This is disappointing, especially since it is helpful for video. In real practice, for most consumers, the lack of IBIS will not make a difference. Almost every Sony aps-c lens includes built-in optical stabilization. But the lack of IBIS will make adapting some lenses less desirable.

Who should consider the A6400?

The selfie screen makes it an excellent vlogging camera, although the lack of IBIS can hamper vlogging to some degree. Additionally, the hot shoe is in front of the flip screen, so you really would have difficulty using the flip screen with an external mic.

As a stills camera, it’s an excellent choice for anyone looking for something compact. You would have trouble finding a better camera for under $1000. It’s an excellent choice for those who have been impressed with the features in the Sony A7 cameras but want something smaller and cheaper. For those who own a Sony A7 camera, it can be a good choice as a “backup” camera, particularly if you want to emphasize compactness. It’s a poor choice for those who dislike very compact cameras, those who want something more substantive in the hand. So in summary:

First Time Buyers: While $900 just for a camera body isn’t cheap for a first time buyer, you’d get a lot of return for your money. The combination of eye-AF and the selfie – flip screen make it one of the most capable selfie cameras you can buy. The eye-AF, silent shutter and advanced autofocus capabilities will make it an excellent camera for beginners and advanced users. I can wholeheartedly recommend the A6400 for first time buyers over the A6000. The A6000 may look similar but the performance is in a different league.

A6000 owners upgrading: The A6000 is almost 5-years-old. Sony mirrorless has come a long way and lots of additional usability is packed in to the A6400. You won’t magically see far superior image quality, but there would be very noticeable advancements in the flip screen, touch screen, focus speed, silent shooting, and eye-AF. If you’ve enjoyed the A6000, the A6400 will take you a step further.

A7x owners back up camera: There are plenty of reasons to own a second camera. If you are shooting professionally, you may want a backup just for insurance. Maybe you want something smaller and lighter for occasion. Maybe you want to just carry two cameras to reduce lens switching. The good news is that the A6400 should give you the advanced features found on the newest A7 cameras. The bad news is that the body is very different, so you’d have to get used to a different control layout as you switch between cameras. But if you want a backup camera that is smaller than your A7x, the A6400 may be the way to go.

Vloggers / Videographers: The A6400 promises to be an excellent camera for entry-level / amateur videographers and vloggers. The selfie screen makes basic vlogging easy. The camera has nice video features including 4K and slow motion video. More advanced users will miss an audio-out port (for headphones) and in-body stabilization. For advanced vloggers, the flip screen loses impact as it would be blocked by an external microphone.

Budget Expectations

While the Sony A6400 is launching with a $900 list price, one shouldn’t expect that they will have everything they could ever need for under $1,000. Seasoned users know to expect to spend more on lenses than on the body in the long term. The newest phones cost over $1,000 and the camera is really a huge chunk of that cost. So realistically, if you want something better than a phone, be prepared to spend more than the cost of a phone, at least in the long run.

If you want to use your camera as an advanced point and shoot, never changing a lens, never expanding the capability of the camera, you can get buy spending under $1500 total. But for a fairly complete kit that will maximize the potential of your system, in the long term, I’d expect to spend $2000 to $3000 on camera + lenses + accessories. (That’s still much cheaper than a full frame kit where one would expect to spend $3500 – $5000 +). You may choose to gradually add the lenses and accessories as you use the system and discover what you really need. But you should expect that kind of budget in the long term.

Which Sony A6400 Kit?

The Sony A6400 will be sold in three configurations, discussed below.

Sony A6400 Body Only: $900: If you are upgrading from another Sony model, you probably already have lenses and there is no reason to buy another kit lens with the body. Below you will find various lens recommendations. If you would rather customize the exact lenses for your needs, it may be wise to buy the body only.

Sony A6400 + 16-50mm kit lens: $1000. The advantage of the 16-50mm kit lens is that is is very compact and covers a useful range. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend it. It has a slow aperture, making it a poor lens unless you have excellent light. I owned the 16-50mm for about 3 seconds. While many people overestimate the importance of image quality, in the case of the 16-50 kit lens the image quality really is noticeably mediocre. Even with an add-on cost of just $100, I think most people should skip the 16-50 lens. You can achieve similar portability by shooting with prime lenses. Get this kit if you’re just looking for a phone alternative.

Sony A6400 + 18-135mm: $1300: For those looking for an “all in one” lens, the 18-135mm has generally gotten good reviews. With an add-on cost of $400, it is essentially discounted by $200. It covers a very extensive and useful range. Starting at 18mm isn’t especially wide and therefore many people may want to supplement it with a wide angle lens. Don’t expect the image quality of a prime lens but it should be noticeably better than the 16-50. At 325 grams, it’s still a light weight lens even if it is much heavier than the featherweight 116 grams of the Sony 16-50. I can recommend the A6400 with the 18-135 for those who want to minimize lens switching while keeping good image quality.

The above links are for Amazon. If you would like to purchase from Adorama, click here.

Sony A6400 recommendations:

For All Users:

Between being mirrorless and keeping the body as compact as possible, the Sony A6400 does not promise great battery life. If you spend an entire day out shooting, you will almost certainly need a second battery and a third battery is very possible. Therefore, most users will want at least two extra batteries. You can purchase two off brand batteries and dual battery charger here.

The camera comes with a strap and it’s a fantastic strap — if you want to have neck surgery. This is true for all camera kits, they include a poor cheap strap. Especially if you may be adding a heavier lens, it’s important for your own comfort to get a strap that can equally distribute the weight, without placing that weight around your neck. I highly recommend the Peak Design Lite Camera Strap or the Blackrapid CrossShot Strap. The Peak Design offers a bit more flexibility in different configurations and may be preferable if you are using heavier lenses. The Blackrapid is a bit less bulky if you want to keep things compact.

Beware that Sony mirrorless cameras are dust magnets. Dust will result in landscape photos with black spots in your skies. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to clean the sensor on Sony cameras. I recommend the Altura cleaning kit.

Finally, I’m a firm believer that nearly every photographer should own a tripod. Tripods open up long exposure and night photography, as demonstrated in this article. The great thing about a small camera like the Sony A6400 is that you don’t need a big bulky tripod — there are small portable tripods that are easy to carry in a small camera bag. My favorite is the Joby Gorillapod 1K . I’ve often travelled on vacation with the Sony A6300, a couple of lenses and the Gorillapod. A light weight combination that has allowed me to capture fantastic night time landscapes.

In sum, my recommendations for everyone Sony A6400 owner:

Lenses and Specific Recommendations

Below you will find more precise recommendations based on the type of photography you most pursue. You may fit squarely in a single category or you may find yourself between multiple categories. Either way, I hope the discussions are relevant.

There are a couple of key things to remember with Sony A6400 lenses. For the most part, Sony has concentrated their efforts on making the best possible full frame lenses. They have somewhat neglected aps-c lenses (the Sony A6400 is an aps-c camera). First off, you can use full frame lenses on aps-c cameras like the A6400. The main reason not to do this is that full frame lenses are heavier and more expensive, but you will find times below where I recommend full frame lenses. Secondly, Sony just hasn’t done a great mid-range zoom for aps-c cameras. They have an excellent wide angle zoom (the 10-18). But their other zoom lenses are often underwhelming. Thus, you will find times when I recommend prime lenses or full frame lenses. (Read a discussion of Prime vs Zoom here.)

For the Travel and Vacation Photographer

Most photographers want to keep things light and portable when they travel. While some will advocate a single “do it all” lens, I find those lenses require far too much compromise. Instead, for most trips, I highly recommend a two lens travel solution.

Most vacations and trips involve wide angle photography — capturing wide scenic vistas or architectural interiors. Fortunately, the Sony 10-18mm F/4 is one of my favorite Sony aps-c lenses. At $848 it’s not cheap, but you probably won’t regret it.

Shot with Sony 10-18 lens and gorillapod

Travel photography also involves capturing memories of what you saw with your own eyes, often in low light situations. A normal prime lens will give you high image quality and great low light ability, necessary if you are taking photographs inside a church or museum, for example. The Sony 35mm F/1.8 lens is extremely useful and high quality.

For those looking for a zoom that will cover a very convenient range and deliver good overall quality, the Sony 18-135mm is probably a worthwhile step up from the kit zoom lens. As noted above, you save $200 by getting it packaged with the Sony A6400.

For most travel, you may find you don’t need a telephoto lens. To me, the point of travel photography is to capture things you really got close to — Not something you glanced at in the distance with binoculars. But there are times when you will certainly want telephoto with travel, for example if you are doing a safari. The Sony kit aps-c 55-210mm is nice and lightweight but it’s also very poor quality. I recommend stepping up to a full frame lens, the Sony FE 70-300mm will give you very long telephoto range, at high quality and excellent build quality. It will be a little on the heavy side, so I wouldn’t recommend carrying it when you don’t need it.

You may not need a flash when you travel, but if you do want a small portable flash, I’d go with the Godox TT350s. I’m a big fan of the Godox system, especially if you want to grow an entire system as their flashes all have wireless capability and cross-compatibility. Meanwhile, their lenses are much cheaper than the Sony branded lenses.

On the below list, I don’t think most people would need all two of the listed lenses. But based on the above discussion, you may want to pick two to three out of the below four choices.

See also, my article on traveling with 2 lenses. Personally, I do not believe a telephoto lens is necessary for most travel.

As noted in the first section, a travel tripod is especially important for vacation and travel and I highly recommend the Joby Gorillapod 1K.

For the mom and dad with active children:

Parents will want a kit that covers a wide range, from group family photos to the kids playing sports. The package with the Sony 18-135mm lens will cover a good range, though primarily in good light. I’d add the Sony 50mm F/1.8 OSS for some low light ability and children’s portraits. You may not ever need a longer lens but if your kids play sports, you may want to add a true telephoto lens.

The Sony 55-210mm is a very poor quality telephoto lens. It has a slow aperture which won’t give much usefulness in low light and the overall image quality is poor. I’d step up to a full frame telephoto lens, the Sony FE 70-300mm will give you very long telephoto range, at high quality and excellent build quality. I’d start with just the 18-135mm before deciding whether there is really a need for something longer.

For those indoor family shots, I’ve included a good small flash in the list,

For the budding photography student/serious photographer:

For this type of shooter, I’m assuming you are relatively young and/or on a budget. You’ve been bitten by the photography bug, maybe creating artistic works with your phone that you post on instagram. You’re ready to explore what the photography world is really capable of, using proper gear.

Quality is paramount for a shooter who really wants to learn photography, including lenses that can be used for great artistic effect. Prime lenses trump the convenience of zoom, given their use in low light and for narrow depth of field (maximizing background blur). Anyone who wants to learn serious photography should also learn to use a good flash.

Skip the zoom lenses, which are about compromise and convenience. While there are exceptional prime lenses costing over $1,000 apiece, you will find far more affordable prime lenses that can still deliver a punch of image quality. For ultrawide shooting, consider the Rokinon 12mm F/2. It’s a manual focus lens but manual focus is pretty easy at ultra wide angles.

Moving in to normal range, the Sony 35mm F/1.8 OSS and Sony 50mm F/1.8 OSS are both fairly affordable high quality options. Especially if you want to concentrate on portraits, you may want to consider the Sigma 56mm F/1.4 discussed in the portraits section below. I haven’t recommended a telephoto lens but you can see the other sections in this article if you feel you may wish to pursue telephoto photography.

I wouldn’t feel compelled to buy all the lenses on this list right away. Start with a single prime lens, use it to learn the basics and master the use of that lens. Then move on from there.

Learning serious photography also usually means learning how to use a flash, ultimately an offer camera flash. To start, I’ve recommended the powerful but affordable Godox V860ii. You can eventually move it off camera with the Godox X-pro trigger.

For the portrait photographer:

In shooting portraits, 85mm is often considered the ideal focal length in full frame cameras, translating to around 50mm, or 56mm to be exact, in aps-c cameras. For portraits, you also want a fast aperture (small aperture number) that allows you to blur backgrounds. Most affordably, Sony offers their 50mm F/1.8 (reviewed here). Sony even calls it their “portrait lens.” Even more ideally at a slightly higher price, Sigma offers 56mm F/1.4. In theory, using the Sigma 56mm F/1.4 on the A6400 will give you portraits with similar quality and background blur that a Sony full frame shooter would get with a 85mm F/1.8 lens. Just beware that the Sigma lens lacks stabilization which is included in the Sony 50mm F/1.8 lens. Stabilization would allow you to shoot at slower shutter speeds and still get sharp images, which can be an advantage in more challenging light. Yes, I’ve only recommended a single lens at a single focal length. I shoot outdoor portraits professionally, and I stick to one similar lens for 95% of my shots.

A portrait photographer absolutely should start learning how to use off camera lighting, whether off camera flashes or probes. As noted above, I’m a big fan of the Godox system which offers various sized affordable flashes and strobes that are wireless and cross compatible. I’d suggest starting with the larger more powerfulGodox V860ii and/or the smaller portable Godox TT350s as well as the Godox wireless trigger. (Godox X-pro trigger. You can read how I tie them together here (shooting portraits with Sony.)

An alternative if you want to shoot portraits with a zoom lens, is the full frame Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 (reviewed here). The Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 has been extremely popular because it produces high quality, relatively fast aperture, in a relatively lightweight body. On an aps-c camera, it becomes the equivalent of 42mm – 113mm, a very useful portrait range.

For the nature and wildlife enthusiast:

If you’re shooting a lot of wildlife, you need a long telephoto lens. The aps-c Sony zoom lens, the Sony 55-210mm is neither very long nor is the image quality very good. The ideal lens is Sony’s fantastic 100-400mm but it is wildly expensive and heavy. So my list includes the more sensible Sony 70-300mm G.

If you’re hiking, you may have a need for ultrawide vistas as well as telephoto shots of wildlife. THerefore I’m including the Sony 10-18mm F/4.

For those very serious about wildlife, particularly birding step up to the Sony 100-400mm GM. My review here.

For Amateur Videographers and Vloggers

You’ll need a fairly wide lens for vlogging selfies but the kit purchase with the Sony 18-135mm lens will likely cover your needs pretty well. Important add ons are large memory cards (video eats up memory) and an external microphone.

The Most Important Recommendation:

In terms of photography, no amount of expensive gear will beat a good education. One doesn’t need to study in a formal program, but there are many great books and resources. The one great book sworn to by many photographers over many years (and updated regularly) is Bryan Peterson’s “Understanding Exposure.”

Don’t be shy about potentially taking a continuing education class, reading books and blogs, watching youtube videos. If you wanted to just point and shoot, you’d stick to your phone. If you are buying a camera like the Sony A6400, if you are educating yourself by reading this blog, then you want to move beyond point and shoot quality. To do so, a further education is the most important element. No expensive lens or flash will replace basic know-how. And no camera will ever be smart enough to create amazing artistic photographs at the push of a button.

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Recommended Sony A6400 lenses and accessories

Sony A6400 Recommendations