Sony a7S III vs Sony a6400
This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7S III and Sony a6400. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.
Manufacturing
These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.
Sony a7S III were released 2020 and Sony a6400 was released 2019. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.Camera | Released |
Sony a7S III | 2020 |
Sony a6400 | 2019 |
Type of camera
Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.
Sensors / crop factor
These cameras have different sensors. Sony a7S III has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Sony a6400 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.
Camera | Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 ** |
Sony a7S III | 50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier |
Sony a6400 | 75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5 |
** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"
Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Resolution
Sony a7S III has a 12 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a6400 has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:
Camera | Megapixels |
Sony a7S III |
12 MP
12007680 pixels 4240 x 2832 |
Sony a6400 |
24 MP
24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000 |
Sony a6400 has a 100 % larger resolution than Sony a7S III. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.
ISO range
Sony a7S III has a larger ISO-range than Sony a6400. Sony a7S III has an ISO range that stretches from 80 to 102400 while Sony a6400 has 100 to 32000.
Camera | ISO Range |
Sony a7S III | 80-102400 |
Sony a6400 | 100-32000 |
Autofocus and lens compatibility
Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.
Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a7S III
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a6400
Pictures per second
Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7S III can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Sony a6400 can shoot up to 11 pictures per seconds.
Camera | FPS (Frames per second) |
Sony a7S III | 10 |
Sony a6400 | 11 |
Ability to record movies
It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.
In this case, both Sony a7S III and Sony a6400 can shoot movies.
Weight
The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.
Sony a7S III weighs 699 gr (equal to 1.54 lb) which is 73% heavier than Sony a6400 and its 403 gr (or 0.89 lb).
Camera | Weight |
Sony a7S III | 699 gr 1.54 lb |
Sony a6400 | 403 gr 0.89 lb |
Sony a7S III vs Sony a6400 Specs
Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7S III and Sony a6400, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.
Product |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
Name | Sony a7S III | Sony a6400 |
Manufacturer | Sony | Sony |
Release Date and Price |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
Release Year | 2020 | 2019 |
Release Date | 2020-07-28 | 2019-01-15 |
MSRP | 3499 USD | 899 USD |
Buy it today | ||
Camera Type |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
Camera Type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
Sensor |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
Sensor Size | Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) | APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm) |
Sensor Type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
Resolution | 4240 x 2832 pixels | 6000 x 4000 pixels |
Megapixels | 12 MP | 24 MP |
Image Processor | Bionz XR | Bionz X |
Image |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
ISO Range | 80 - 102400 | 100 - 32000 |
White Balance Presets | 7 | 10 |
Custom White Balance | Yes | Yes |
Image Stabilization |
Yes (Sensor-Shift (5-axis)) |
No |
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating | 5.5 stops | 0 stops |
Uncompressed format | RAW | RAW |
Optics & Focus |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
Autofocus Motor | Yes | Yes |
Autofocus |
Contract Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi Area Center Selective Single Point Tracking Single Continuous Touch Face Detection LiveView |
Contract Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi Area Center Selective Single Point Tracking Single Continuous Touch Face Detection LiveView |
Focus Points | 759 | 425 |
Lens Mount |
Sony E See Compatible Lenses |
Sony E See Compatible Lenses |
Focal Length Multiplier |
Full frame No multiplier Example: 24 mm remains 24 mm 50 mm remains 50 mm 100 mm remains 100 mm 200 mm remains 200 mm |
APS-C Sensor (1.5x) 1.5x multiplier Example: 24 mm becomes 36 mm 50 mm becomes 75 mm 100 mm becomes 150 mm 200 mm becomes 300 mm |
Screen & Viewfinder |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
Articulated LCD | Fully articulated | Tilting |
Screen size | 3” | 3” |
Screen dots | 1440000 | 921600 |
Touch screen | Yes | Yes |
Screen type | TFT LCD | TFT LCD |
Live view | Yes | Yes |
Viewfinder Type | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder Coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.91x | 1.07× (0.71× 35mm equiv.) |
Viewfinder Resolution | 9440000 | 2359296 |
Photography features |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
Frames per second | 10 fps | 11 fps |
Minimum Shutter Speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Built-in Flash | No | Yes |
Built-in Flash Range | N/A | 6 meters |
External Flash | Yes | Yes |
Self-Timer | Yes | Yes |
Time-lapse | No | Yes |
Metering modes |
Multi Center Weighted Highlight Weighted Spot Average |
Multi Center Weighted Highlight Weighted Spot Average |
Exposure Compensation | +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) | +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
Videography features |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
Video recording | Yes | Yes |
Video format |
MPEG4 H.264 H.265 XAVC-S XAVC-HS |
MPEG4 H.264 |
Video resolution |
1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160 |
1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160 |
Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
Built-in Speakers | Yes | Yes |
Storage |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
Memory Card |
Compact Flash Express SD/SDHC |
Memory Stick Pro Duo SD/SDHC |
Connectivity |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
HDMI Output | Yes | Yes |
Microphone Port | Yes | Yes |
Headphone Port | Yes | No |
Wireless |
Yes Built-in (802.11ac (dual band) + Bluetooth) |
Yes Built-in (802.11b/g/n + NFC + Bluetooth 4.1) |
Remote Control | Yes (wireless or smartphone) | Yes (via smartphone) |
GPS | No | No |
Body & Dimensions |
Sony a7S III |
Sony a6400 |
Enviromentally sealed | Yes | Yes |
Battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery Details |
NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery charger
|
NP-FW50
|
Battery Life (CIPA) | 600 shots | 410 shots |
Width | 129 mm | 120 mm |
Height | 97 mm | 67 mm |
Depth | 81 mm | 60 mm |
Weight | 699 gram | 403 gram |