Sony’s latest mirrorless is made for 4K movie makers

These days you expect a camera to be pretty meaty when it comes to features, and Sony’s latest take on the mirrorless market looks to cover some big areas, as well as some small ones, too.

In terms of big features, this year it’s hard to go past the need for Ultra HD video capture, and that comes from the 4K Ultra HD TV market now properly in full swing.

Sure, we’re all still waiting for Blu-rays to get the fuller-than-full HD content, but given that it’s coming this year, home movie makers can get in on the fun even before the studios do.

That means you, your friends, and potentially your kids can show off their inner-Spielberg with the help of a 4K camera, and Sony’s a6300 wants to be that option, with the compact mirrorless delivering not just a 4K movie engine, but a 4K movie from the entirety of the sensor delivering it in “Super 35mm” format.

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Essentially this provides a larger frame for your movie making, marginally that is, but with a full pixel read out, which should provide a better quality than other 4K movie sensors out there thanks to a good 20 megapixels of 4K video, not the standard 8 megapixels Ultra HD movie modes on cameras often provide.

Imaging is handled by that 24.2 megapixel sensor, though, which should be plenty big for most situations, and there’s a high-speed 11 frame per second continuous shooting mode to take advantage of when you need to grab sporting images or other times when the subject will bet moving.

Low-light is taken care of with an ISO of up to 51200, which isn’t the best in the world, but is still capable enough, and ironically, the focus on the a6300 isn’t just on image quality, but on auto-focus speed.

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Specifically, Sony is introducing 425 phase detection points to its auto-focus technology with the ability to focus on a subject in 0.05 seconds, making it among the world’s fastest auto-focus lock time.

Wireless support is also found here, with WiFi and NFC compatibility, making it ideal for use with Android phones and tablets, and also those produced by Apple in the iPhone and iPad, while the camera itself has a degree of dust and moisture resistance also built into the design.

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Camera lenses are needed for the a6300, though, so keep in mind that you’ll need Sony’s E-mount lenses to make the a6300 be more than just a box with a sensor in it. With one, however, the a6300 appears to be an interesting little option for people who plan on doing more than just taking photos, but being an all-round media maker.

Unfortunately, this appears to be one camera that won’t be arriving with a lens in a kit, with Sony informing GadgetGuy that the body only will cost $1699 locally.

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Fortunately, though, it will arrive alongside two new lenses, including an f/2.8 24-70mm lens and an 85mm f/1.4 made for low-light photography. Neither will be particularly cheap, mind you, with professionals in mind with these price tags, as the 24-70mm is set to fetch $3499 while the 85mm portrait lens will chime in at $2999.

You will be able to use standard Sony E lenses with the a6300, though, so don’t feel you have to spend up a fortune for the new body when it arrives alongside the lenses in March.