Sony a9 II vs Sony a6400

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a9 II and Sony a6400. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Type of camera

Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a9 II 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.

** 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

Both these cameras have the exact same resolution. Sony a9 II has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a6400 has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

ISO range

Sony a9 II has a larger ISO-range than Sony a6400. Sony a9 II has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Sony a6400 has 100 to 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 a9 II
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 a9 II can shoot up to 20 pictures per seconds and Sony a6400 can shoot up to 11 pictures per seconds.

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Sony a9 II 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 a9 II weighs 678 gr (equal to 1.49 lb) which is 68% heavier than Sony a6400 and its 403 gr (or 0.89 lb).

Sony a9 II vs Sony a6400 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a9 II 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 a9 II	Sony a6400
Name	Sony a9 II	Sony a6400
Manufacturer	Sony	Sony
Release Date and Price	Sony a9 II	Sony a6400
Release Year	2019	2019
Release Date	2019-10-03	2019-01-15
MSRP	4499 USD	899 USD
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Camera Type	Sony a9 II	Sony a6400
Camera Type	Mirrorless	Mirrorless
Sensor	Sony a9 II	Sony a6400
Sensor Size	Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)	APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Sensor Type	Stacked CMOS	CMOS
Resolution	6000 x 4000 pixels	6000 x 4000 pixels
Megapixels	24 MP	24 MP
Image Processor	Bionz X	Bionz X
Image	Sony a9 II	Sony a6400
ISO Range	100 - 51200	100 - 32000
White Balance Presets	9	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 a9 II	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	693	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 a9 II	Sony a6400
Articulated LCD	Tilting	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	0.78x	1.07× (0.71× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution	3686400	2359296
Photography features	Sony a9 II	Sony a6400
Frames per second	20 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	Yes	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 a9 II	Sony a6400
Video recording	Yes	Yes
Video format	MPEG4 H.264 AVCHD	MPEG4 H.264
Video resolution	1280 x 720 1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160	1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160
Built-in Microphone	Yes	Yes
Built-in Speakers	Yes	Yes
Storage	Sony a9 II	Sony a6400
Memory Card	SD/SDHC	Memory Stick Pro Duo SD/SDHC
Connectivity	Sony a9 II	Sony a6400
HDMI Output	Yes	Yes
Microphone Port	Yes	Yes
Headphone Port	Yes	No
Wireless	Yes Built-in (802.11ac + NFC + Bluetooth)	Yes Built-in (802.11b/g/n + NFC + Bluetooth 4.1)
Remote Control	Yes (Wired or wireless)	Yes (via smartphone)
GPS	No	No
Body & Dimensions	Sony a9 II	Sony a6400
Enviromentally sealed	Yes	Yes
Battery	Battery Pack	Battery Pack
Battery Details	NP-FZ100	NP-FW50
Battery Life (CIPA)	690 shots	410 shots
Width	129 mm	120 mm
Height	96 mm	67 mm
Depth	76 mm	60 mm
Weight	678 gram	403 gram