My Experience With the Sony A6300 (1 Years In)!

After cashing in my Blackmagic Cinema Camera, I decided to go with something more run and gun. The different in weight alone was drastic; the BMCC weighing in at 5+ lbs and the Sony just about 2 lbs. Obviously there's tons of differences between the two cameras and I won't get too much into comparing them, but I will say that I film about 80% more since I made the switch.

The Flaws

Before purchasing the A6300, I watched countless YouTube videos in search of specs, reviews, and test footage. One problem that I came across quite frequently was it's tendency to overheat. Although, I've noticed that this is present in most of the Alpha series from Sony, and the problem persists in the recently released A6500.

Fortunately for me, I found that I never really had this problem. Most likely because I purchased the camera right when Sony released a firmware update that allegedly fixed the overheating issues. While the camera definitely gets pretty hot, I find that it happens in a reasonable amount of time; and this just means I'll be swapping out batteries more often. Another problem that I came across while researching, was Rolling Shutter. Unfortunately there was so escaping this huge flaw from the A6300. For the most part, much of the work I do will not make this flaw so obvious, and I think that's the case for most people. Nonetheless, you will come across this issue at some point. I first noticed it while shooting a 4K test video at Lake Eola, Orlando which you can check out here. You may notice the issue at around 1:17; although, I was able to cut most of the problem out. The problem exists in this camera and I don't think a firmware update could ever really address something of this nature. It's a shame because this camera really has it all, so a flaw like this could definitely force you to upgrade. Nonetheless, I simply avoid the flaw and pretend it's not there :)

Real-World Use

Sony's mirrorless line is quite impressive and it seems to be the camera that suits many needs. From short films to documentaries, this camera packs a punch. But I will say that it's more of a run and gun camera more than anything else. That's a good thing, because it's REALLY great at being just that. I mean the camera's literally two pounds and could practically fit in my pocket.

Loose Specifications