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Sony’s A6300 mirrorless camera has 4K video and fast autofocus

Sony’s A6300 mirrorless camera has 4K video and fast autofocus

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A long-awaited update to the A6000 is finally here

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Sony finally announced the followup to 2014's A6000 mirrorless camera, and it looks really good. The new Sony A6300 packs a 24.2-megapixel sensor, shoots 4K footage, and will cost $1,000 ($1,150 with a 16-50mm kit lens) when it goes on sale in March. The A6300 uses 425 phase-detection autofocus points, allowing it to focus in as little as 0.05 seconds — good enough for the "world's fastest autofocus," according to Sony.

The A6300 looks something like a more trim version of the A6000, and a little bit like Sony's RX100 series of popular pocket shooters. It should feel familiar to anyone that owns one of Sony's older models.

Sony a6300 in photos

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4K video is now a standard feature on basically every Sony mirrorless camera, and here it's recorded with a full pixel readout and no pixel binning. The A6300 can also record 4K at a bitrate of up to 100 Mbps. It will shoot 1080p video at 120 frames per second, allowing for super slow motion. The new camera will also allow S-Log gamma recording — a popular option among pro videographers because of the wide dynamic range the format affords.

Sony also announced new lenses that will work with the A6300 and the company's full-frame mirrorless camera. The 24-70 f/2.8 zoom, 85mm f/1.4 prime, and 70-200 f/2.8 zoom are marketed under the "G Master" branding, and are targeted to professional photographers. As a result, they won't come cheap: the 24-70 is $2,200 while the 85mm is $1,800 when they hit stores in March. Pricing for the 70-200 is not yet set, and it will be available in May.

The A6000 was once Sony's best mirrorless camera. But it has been passed by the company's a7 and RX100 lines, which have received continuous updates in the last few years. The A6300 looks like it could put the smaller Alpha line back in contention with its siblings when it hits stores in a few weeks.