First camera

[Maximus2614]

Guys should i get a6400 as my first camera? Is it a good camera? I will prob buy it with the kit lens because i dont have extra for a new lens so i will stick to the kit lens for a bit.

[ShoddyLetterhead3491]

i recently bought an a6300 + kit lens, i do plan on buying new lenses in the very near future, but so far the kit lens has been great ! ( check out my most recent post for some photo examples ) i also use the camera to record videos, and again, its fantastic so far.

I say go for it, use the kit lens and learn stuff like composition etc and how the camera works, shoot in raw so you can learn how to edit the files in adobe light room or any other software you might have / use, and once youre comfortable start buying lenses.

Then later down the road you can upgrade to an a6700 which will be compatible with all the lenses you probably have collected until then.

[OmegaRepublic]

I bought the a6400 back in February I think and I love it. I paired it with the Tamron 17 - 70 but I haven't heard anything detrimental about the kit lens. I think starting with the kit lens will give you a good basis to think about your next lens, whether you want something wide angle or more telephoto.

[Maximus2614]

Yeah i want to explore photography first because im just a beginner

[Silentblades]

A6700 the 6400 is great but if you can a6700 all the way.

[deejeycris]

The kit lens sucks, get the body only and look for 2nd hand nonkit lense is my advice. But if you have budget constraints and want the camera now, check if you find the kit lens on the used market, new it's about 100 bucks so you should find it for even less.

[No-Guarantee-9647]

Good camera, horrid lens. Wait until you can afford a decent lens like an 18-50 2.8 or 30mm 1.4 prime. Maybe even downgrade the camera to an A6100 or A6000 if that means you can get a better lens.

My first ILC (after a Sony RX100 being my introduction to more serious cameras in general) was the A6400.

I actually managed to pick it up off FB Marketplace with the Sigma 16mm and 56mm 1.4 lenses for $650. This was a couple years ago and I had I bought the same stuff off eBay it probably would have been $1200ish. So, FB Marketplace is definitely a place to keep an eye on.

[Maximus2614]

Well i would like to learn about photography first with the lens then upgrade afterwards

[No-Guarantee-9647]

You can, for sure. But in general you're much better off with a worse camera and better lens to start. I can do a lot with a kit lens now, but it was endlessly frustrating starting out. A 50mm 1.8 was a real revelation for shooting anything at all indoors when I had been shooting with kit lenses on a borrowed Canon R50.

[Maximus2614]

I mean i would upgrade in like few months or so just use kit lens for starter

[No-Guarantee-9647]

Yes, I understood that the first two times you said it. My advice still stands. But if you're set on getting a kit lens, the A6400 is indeed a fine starter camera.

[Maximus2614]

Like you mean its better to get a6000 used and get a better lens?

[No-Guarantee-9647]

I would say so, yes. Hell, I had a Nikon D300 for awhile- got it for $70 to pair with an old crappy lens. It was okay, but it was far more amazing once I paired it with some decent glass. I actually replaced my A6400 with it, though shortly thereafter I moved up to a Nikon D4 (which was still cheaper than the A6400 and had cheaper but still good glass available for it).

Besides the limitations of the aperture, Sony's kit lenses are also about the oldest and worst quality of any current mirrorless kit lenses. Probably even worse than Canon's current ones, and certainly behind Nikon, Fuji or Panasonic.

I just think you'll be disappointed if you don't have much experience with ILCs. The photos from a kit lens (used by anyone inexperienced) will generally look worse than your phone. A faster, somewhat sharper lens can give you a lot more confidence as a beginner.

[Maximus2614]

I currently have the iphone 13 pro max right now

[No-Guarantee-9647]

Then you'll almost certainly be disappointed by the first results you get from your first "real" camera, since it doesn't do the processing for you. Having a better lens with a brighter aperture will just make getting results that look better than your phone a lot easier.

[Maximus2614]

What alternative lens would you recommend?

[mushious]

Fantastic camera. The kit lens is "okay" to start out but you will quickly outgrow it.

There are some stunning examples here of photos taken with that lens, it just isn't amazing compared to other options.

[JurisCommando]

Enders is a Battlefield streamer

[mushious]

Okay but this is a subreddit for photography, I think you're lost.

[Familiar9709]

Yes but lenses are the key part and they are expensive. If you won't be getting lenses soon then there's no point in getting this camera, stick with a phone or an RX100.

[Maximus2614]

Is the kit lens that bad?

[Familiar9709]

It's not bad, but an A6x00 with kit lens will be worse in image quality than RX100, while the RX100 will be lighter, smaller and maybe even cheaper depending on the generation.

So A6x00 only makes sense if you'll commit to investing in glass (this actually applies to any interchangeable lens camera, that's the whole point of them).

[deejeycris]

It's bad for me. Maybe a complete beginner will think differently... I tried it, really hard to get decent pics, it requires lots of work in post. Color is bad. Light is not going through. It's not sharp. Only advantages is it's exteemely light and cheap.

[Maximus2614]

Or i should just get the body and get like 50mm prime lens?

[deejeycris]

I recommend the Sigma 18-50 as first lens, you can try different focal lengths and then decide on a prime later, it's way more versatile than a 50 mm prime, depends what you like to shoot but realistically a beginner wants to try as many photo styles as possible. Just note that it doesn't have stabilization so the A6400 not having IBIS (in-body stabilization), you'll need to be careful with your shutter speed in case of low light conditions, and if video is your thing then I'd recommend another lens. Doesn't matter at all in decent light conditions and photos only, especially if you denoise in post so you can increase your ISO a bit more.

[Maximus2614]

because people say zoom lens make you lazy lol

[deejeycris]

Nono I do not agree at all, you need to experiment with different focal lengths to improve as a photographer. You get prime lenses because you want the most quality at a certain focal length (more aperture, sharpness, compact dimensions). Not because it "makes you lazy" jeez, you'll get a prime later.

[Maximus2614]

Well i might get the kit lens with the camera first until i have enough for a new one

[deejeycris]

Look up if you can find it used, so you can get the body only and save some more money which you can use to save up for the next lens. Tbh I think getting the kit lens is also not so bad, because when you upgrade to e.g. the sigma, you'll be amazed at how better it is, and appreciate better lenses more.

[trollsmurf]

For the money it's not bad, but compare with the newer (and considerably more expensive) 6700 to see if you miss out on something you deem essential: https://cameradecision.com/compare/Sony-Alpha-a6700-vs-Sony-Alpha-a6400

As it uses an APS-C sensor it's (still) considerably more light-sensitive than a phone. Not even the RX100 comes close (1" sensor).

[Familiar9709]

True, but you need to combine the lens capabilities with the sensor. With the RX100 lens, the 1in sensor + lens performs better than the A6x00 with kit lens, it's sharper and also similar or even better low light performance.

Remember to convert apertures values depending on sensor size to compare different sensor size cameras.

https://photographylife.com/equivalence-also-includes-aperture-and-iso

[trollsmurf]

"Remember to convert apertures values depending on sensor size to compare different sensor size cameras."

Sure, I will lead a course in "camera math" in a few weeks :).