Sony a6300 vs a7 – Detailed Comparison

So, today, we will be talking about, and carefully comparing the Sony a6300 vs a7. These are two cameras made by tech giants – Sony – well, that is pretty obvious, isn’t it? Lol!

Anyway, both these cameras belong in the same series, and as a matter of fact, are both mirrorless cameras. So, it is pretty easy to see that these cameras are quite similar.

In this Sony a6300 vs a7 comparison article, though, you will be finding out how similar they really are, and also, how different.

Sony a6300 vs a7
Sony a6300 vs a7
Get the Sony a6300 here now!Get the Sony a7 here now!

Sony a6300 vs a7 – Comparison Overview

There is really a lot to say on this Sony a6300 vs a7 matter. But let us start from the brand responsible for both these cameras.

Now, Sony is a company that has had a really huge influence in the area of technology for over seventy years now. This is one brand name a lot of individuals and businesses have come to trust for appliances, devices, and many other types of products. So, when you say the name Sony, a lot of people expect high quality and great performance.

The Sony a6300 was announced by Sony on the 3rd of February, 2016, while the a7 was announced 2 years earlier, precisely on the 22nd of January, 2014.

In spite of this large gap in release dates, these two cameras still have a couple of things in common. They both come with electronic viewfinders, and they also allow you connect external flashes and external microphones.

However, these two cameras aren’t totally similar. The Sony a6300 comes with an in-built flash, while the a7 does not. Also, with the a6300, you will be getting more than twice the burst mode speed of the Sony a7. Therefore, you will be able to get far better shots of moving objects with the earlier camera.

On the other hand, the Sony a7 will be allowing you monitor your sound better than the a6300, because it is compatible with headphones while its counterpart isn’t.

Well, both these cameras are about the same price, and come with pretty amazing features, too. So, in our opinion, both these cameras will be giving you great value for your money. In fact, we think they both have the same price-value ratio.

Anyway, check out the comparison table below to see more ways in which the Sony a6300 vs a7 differ.

Sony a6300 vs a7 – Comparison Table

 

Sony a6300

Sony a7

Camera size 0.89 pounds (404 grams) 1.04 pounds (474 grams)
Camera dimensions 4.72 by 1.93 by 2.64 inches 5 by 1.89 by 3.7 inches
ISO range 100 to 25600 (expandable to 51200) 100 to 25600
Burst mode 11 frames per second 5 frames per second
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor 24 mega pixels – APS-C 24 mega pixels – full frame
Video resolution 3840 by 2160 1920 by 1080
Battery capacity 400 shots per full charge 340 shots per full charge
In-built flash Yes No
Focus points 425 117
Headphone jack No Yes
Screen resolution 1.230k dots 922k dots
Estimated start-up time 1.40 seconds 2.1 seconds
Slow motion Yes No
Sony a6300 vs a7
Sony a6300 vs a7
Get the Sony a6300 here now!Get the Sony a7 here now!

So, in case you are not exactly satisfied with that and you need a little bit more info on the Sony a6300 vs a7 comparison, we have something that might be useful to you.

The video below pits the results you will get from the Sony a6300 vs a7 – the quality of images you get with either of them, and talks briefly about a few of their respective features.

Also, you might be wondering how much the difference between the Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensors of both cameras affect the quality of pictures they produce. Well, you will be seeing that in this video, too.

So, how do shots taken with the a6300’s full frame CMOS sensor compare with shots taken with the full frame CMOS sensor of the a7? Check this video below to find out.

Sony a6300 vs a7 – Which Is Better Under What Circumstance?

Sony a6300

Sony a7

This is probably your better camera option for vacations, tour visits, treks, and activities that require a handy camera.

The Sony a6300 is lightweight, and will surely be a lot easier for you to carry in your hand for long hours – especially when compared to the a7. Also, it starts up faster, and has a better burst mode (i.e., is better at continuous shooting) than the a7.
This camera will be giving you slightly more control at video and audio recordings.

So, although these two cameras can support external microphones, unlike the a6300, the Sony a7 has a jack for headphones. This means that, with the a7, you will be able to monitor and properly regulate the sound your camera is picking up while you are recording.
Sony a6300 vs a7
Sony a6300 vs a7
Get the Sony a6300 here now!Get the Sony a7 here now!

Sony a6300 vs a7 – Common Features

So far, we have pitted the Sony a6300 vs a7, and have pointed out quite a number of their major differences. It is, however, important to know that these cameras have some things in common. For example, like we have already mentioned, they are both mirrorless cameras. And therefore, as a result, they both come with electronic viewfinders.

Well, before we even go any further with this, let us first make sure we are all on the same page on what mirrorless cameras are.


Mirrorless Cameras

You know, to understand any of these cameras in comparison today – Sony a6300 vs a7 – it is first important to understand what type of cameras they are, and consequently, how they function.

So, like we have earlier said, these two cameras are mirrorless cameras. Now, what are mirrorless cameras?

Well, unlike their rivals – digital single less reflex (DSLR) cameras – mirrorless cameras do not have reflex designs, and so, do not make use of mirrors to transmit light.

In a typical DSLR camera (also known as a mirrored camera), light is sent from the camera’s lens through the mirror and then to the optical viewfinder – which helps you properly frame your photos. And all this is because of their reflex design.

Well, mirrorless cameras, on the other hand, have neither mirrors nor optical viewfinders. The only type of viewfinders that can be found in a mirrorless camera is the electronic viewfinder.

It is, however, important to note that, in spite of the fact that electronic viewfinders are exclusive to mirrorless cameras, not all mirrorless cameras come with electronic viewfinders. Some give you an option of connecting an external viewfinder, while some others just make use of the LCD screen.

Well, if you still do not fully understand what a mirrorless camera is, the video below should help you.

It does a quick comparison between mirrorless cameras and their rivals – the DSLRs. It also busts some myths about each of these two different types of cameras. Check it out here!

So, now that we are on the same page on that, let us now talk briefly about some of those features these two cameras have in common – for example, like we have already mentioned, the electronic viewfinder. Let us dive straight into it!


Electronic Viewfinder

So, yes, this had to be at the top of the list. The electronic viewfinder, we have already established, is a feature that can be found in only mirrorless cameras.

An electronic viewfinder shows you the image your camera’s lens is capturing in a pretty small display, and there, you can properly frame your photos before finally taking a shot.

Particularly, if you are to do an outdoor shoot when the sun is out, you would appreciate this feature very much.

The sun will have little to no effect if you are viewing the image you are about to capture through the viewfinder.

However, using an LCD screen, you most likely won’t be getting the best of results, as your screen will affected gravely by sunlight.

So, you probably already have an idea of how amazing this feature can be. And well, luckily, you will be getting that with any one of these two cameras you eventually decide to go with.


Articulating Screen

An articulating screen is what makes taking photos or recording videos from difficult angles really easy.

It is basically a flexible camera screen that can be tilted (the angle to which it can be tilted varies among cameras) to help you take great pictures in a lot more convenience.

The Sony a6300’s articulating screen tilts approximately 90 degrees upward, and approximately 45 degrees downward.

While the Sony a7, on the other hand, tilts approximately 84 degrees upward and approximately 45 degrees downward.

Both these cameras’ articulating screens will be great for overhead shots.


External Flash Hot Shoe

An external flash hot shoe is the feature that enables you boost your camera’s lighting through the use of an external flash.

If you want better lighting than you are getting from your camera, all you would need to do is to get an external flash and mount it on the hot shoe just on top of the camera’s screen.

This is one feature you will be thankful for if you would be doing a lot of flash photography with your Sony camera.


Face Detection Focus

Now, what this feature does for you is that it helps you take really amazing portrait photographs.

The face detection focus feature simply detects and then focuses on the human faces in your frame.


RAW Support

A camera that supports the RAW format is a camera that can give you images in really high quality. As a matter of fact, files in the RAW format are in their highest quality.

This is because, in this format, the photos or videos have not been compressed to save space like with the JPEG format.

So, it sure goes without saying that files in RAW format will be occupying a lot of space on your camera or on your storage device.

Anyway, we are pretty sure you would sometimes need your files in their highest quality. So, we can say that this is one very welcome feature.

And well, you surely can get that with either of these cameras.


Microphone Jack

Obviously, this is the feature that allows you connect an external microphone to your camera.

With an external microphone, you can go on to get clearer and better audio quality from your camera.

Now, your camera’s internal microphone is great. However, in areas that are very noisy, it might not be able to give you the quality of audio you require. This is where an external microphone becomes really important.

So, are you are a news reporter, and you need to do an interview in a really noisy environment?

Well, all you really need to do is get an external microphone, connect it to your Sony a6300 or Sony a7, and go on to record your great quality audio.


Wi-Fi And Near Field Communication (NFC)

These are two features that work hand in hand to make transfer of files quick, easy, and seamless.

With the in-built Wi-Fi and the near field communication (NFC) technology, you can easily connect your camera to nearby devices which are compatible, and go ahead to share files.

This is a really smooth way of sending videos and photos to your smart devices. Also, it is great for quick upload of files to the internet.

Another great advantage of these features is that they enable you use your smartphone, or tablet, as your camera screen. And then, with your smart device, you can do a remote controlled shooting. That is so cool!

So, if you want to know how to connect your Sony camera with your nearby Wi-Fi enabled smart device, check out the video below.

It will show you how to do a quick connection with your Sony a7 camera, and also, how to use your Wi-Fi enabled device to do a remote controlled shooting.


Auto Exposure Bracketing

This is a feature that allows for you to take nice pictures, even in areas where there are difficult lighting conditions.

With this feature, you can take just one shot, and your camera will produce that image in a couple of different exposure settings.

So, when you are not sure what exposure setting will give you the best results, the auto exposure setting will be there to save the day. Lol!


HDMI Output

This is a feature that allows you connect your camera to a television screen or monitor, using an HDMI cord.

With this, you can view your images or videos on a much larger screen than what your camera offers you.

Sony a6300 vs a7
Sony a6300 vs a7
Get the Sony a6300 here now!Get the Sony a7 here now!

Sony a6300 vs a7 – Unique Features


In-Built Flash

An in-built flash is usually your camera’s first and primary source of lighting. When you are shooting in areas where lighting is not so great, your camera’s in-built flash can really come in handy.

Sometimes, the secondary (external) flash might not be necessary, and all you’d need is your camera’s in-built flash to get just the right image.

Well, you will only be getting this with the Sony a6300, as the a7 does not come with an in-built flash.


Headphone Jack

A headphone jack helps you attach headphones to your camera – obviously, lol! And so, with your headphones, you can easily monitor the sound you’re getting from your camera.

Furthermore headphones give you more control of your sound while you record, and also, you can better regulate the sound.

Anyway, you will only be getting this with the Sony a7, as the a6300 does not come with a headphone jack.

Sony a6300 vs a7 – Unique Pros


Sony a6300 vs a7 – Unique Pros Of The Sony a6300


Good Primary Source Of Lighting

The a6300 is the only one of the cameras in comparison today – Sony a6300 vs a7 – that comes with an in-built flash.

This means that, at times when you need some lighting from your camera and you cannot have access to an external flash, your in-built flash can do a pretty good job for you.

Well, that’s if you have it, right? Lol, yeah! So, the Sony a6300 perhaps gets some special points for this, then.


Fast Continuous Shooting

When shooting on burst mode, how fast your continuous shooting will be is determined by a couple of factors. The most important one of those factors is your camera’s frame rate.

The frame rate of a camera is basically how many shots it can take per second. So, if your camera is able to get as many as 11 frames in every second, you have a pretty fast burst mode on your hands.

Well, that is exactly what you get with the Sony a6300 – 11 frames per second. This is particularly great when you want to get a picture of a moving object or person. For example, a running athlete.


Lightweight

Weighing less than a pound, the Sony a6300 is a pretty lightweight camera. And a lightweight camera is definitely much easier to carry around than the heavy ones.

So, if you need to always have your camera in your hand, this might just be a great camera for you.

It weighs only 0.89 pounds (404 grams), so, will surely make a good vacationing camera.


Better Focusing

With the a6300, you will be getting a lot better focusing than its rival – the a7. With the Sony a6300, you get 425 focus points, which is more than 3 times what you get with the a7.

This is quite an impressive number even among other mirrorless cameras of its peers. So, yeah, you will be able to achieve great focusing with this camera, which is just awesome.

Get the Sony a6300 here now!


Sony a6300 vs a7 – Unique Pros Of The Sony a7


Better Sound Control

With a headphone jack, the Sony a7 offers you better control of your audio recordings than the a6300 and many other mirrorless cameras out there.

It is pretty much just like being a DJ, you know. A DJ needs his headset so he can monitor and then regulate the sound coming from his station.

So, if you want to be able to better regulate the sound coming from your camera while you record, then the Sony a7 would be a great option for you.


High Effective ISO

This is what enables you to capture images in really low light, and still get great results. That is, you will still get bright enough images, and with very little noise, no matter how dark the scene is.

And with this, the higher the better. So, at 2248 – nearly twice that of the a6300 – the a7 boasts of a pretty impressive low-light ISO.


High Resolution Screen

With 1.230k dots – about 33 per cent higher than that of the a6300 – the Sony a7 has a pretty high resolution screen.

What this means is that you will be capturing 33 per cent more detail in your images with your a6300 than you will be with the a7.

Get the Sony a7 here now!

Sony a6300 vs a7
Sony a6300 vs a7
Get the Sony a6300 here now!Get the Sony a7 here now!

Sony a6300 vs a7 – Unique Cons


Unique Cons Of The Sony a6300


No Headphone Jack

The Sony a6300 does not come with a headphone jack. Therefore, you won’t be able to have as much control over your audio recordings as you ought to.


Unique Cons Of The Sony a7


No Flash

We are pretty sure that every photographer would like a camera whose flash they can just pop up when they want to get brighter images.

Well, with the Sony a7, you won’t be getting this convenience, as it does not come with an in-built camera. Not very good.


Slow Burst Mode

This camera offers only 5 frames per second in continuous shooting, which is not impressive at all.

To put this in perspective for you, pitting the Sony a6300 vs a7 in this area, it makes it clear how poor the burst mode of this camera is.

The speed you get while shooting on burst mode with the Sony a7 is less than half what you get with the Sony a6300. So, it could have been a whole lot better.


Few Focus Points

With just 117 focus points, the Sony a7 will be giving you more than 3 times less than what you will get with the a6300. This is not very good focusing.

Sony a6300 vs a7 – Common Pros

 

Sony a6300

Sony a7

Flexibility in shooting We have already mentioned that this camera comes with an articulating screen that tilts approximately 90 degrees upwards, and approximately 45 degrees downwards.

What this means is that you can be more flexible with your shooting. This camera will be particularly great for if you want to take photos or record videos in very crowded areas; you can easily do overhead shots.
Same as the Sony a6300. However, the Sony a7’s articulating screen tilts approximately 84 degrees upwards and 45 degrees downward.
High quality images With RAW support, you have the option of leaving your images in their highest quality. Therefore, with the Sony a6300 camera, you can choose if you want your photos compressed or you want them just as they are – RAW. Same as the Sony a6300.
Good framing Coming with an electronic viewfinder, the Sony a6300 helps you frame your photos very easily before you capture them. Same as the Sony a6300.
Good audio quality With the external microphone jack, you can connect an external microphone to your camera, and get great sound quality. This is an awesome feature, especially when you have to do audio and video recordings in really noisy areas. Same as the Sony a6300.
Weather sealing If you have a weather sealed camera, it simply means that you can use your camera even under tough weather conditions without being bothered about causing damage to it. Same as the Sony a6300.
Secondary lighting This camera has an external flash hot shoe which allows you mount an external flash and enhance the lighting of your camera. This helps you get even brighter images than your camera could originally manage. It also is really great if you will be doing a lot of flash photography. Same as the Sony a6300.
Great portrait photographs This camera has a feature that helps you improve your portrait game. With the face detection focus feature, human faces in your frame can easily be detected and then focused on. This gives you more detail on the human faces, and you know what that means – amazing portraits. Same as the Sony a6300.
Quick transfer of files With Wi-Fi and near field communication (NFC), you can easily send photos to nearby compatible devices, quickly and without stress. Same as the Sony a6300.
Remote control shooting Further using the Wi-Fi connection, you can connect your smartphone to your camera, and use it as your camera screen. You can then go ahead to do photo shoots, without even having to touch your camera once. So cool! Same as the Sony a6300.
Time-lapse recording This is a function that allows you to manipulate time a little bit. So, you can for example, record, a 7 hour video, and time-lapse recording will collapse it to 7 minutes. Wow, right?! And the interesting thing is that you won’t even be missing anything. Really cool stuff, isn’t it? Well, this is one of the things you get with the Sony a6300. Same as the Sony a6300.
Panorama This one helps you put a couple of different photos together to make one beautiful panorama. It’s always a really lovely function to use. Same as the Sony a6300.
View images on larger screens Sometimes you might need to view your images or videos on much larger screens. Well, you will be able to do that just by connecting your camera to a television screen or a monitor using an HDMI cord. Same as the Sony a6300.
Sony a6300 vs a7
Sony a6300 vs a7
Get the Sony a6300 here now!Get the Sony a7 here now!

Sony a6300 vs a7 – Common Cons

 

Sony a6300

Sony a7

No image stabilization Image stabilization is what helps your camera clean up any effect sporadic camera movements might have had on your images and videos. Well, unfortunately, you won’t be getting that convenience with the a6300, as it does not come with image stabilization. Same as the Sony a6300.
No touch screen A touch screen makes it easier for you to access your camera’s many functions and features. Also, a touch screen is great when you need to focus on an object; all you need to do is just tap and go. Sadly, you won’t be getting that with this camera, as the Sony a6300 is not a touch screen camera. Same as the Sony a6300.
No Bluetooth Wireless connection is made a lot better with Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a fantastic way by which you can send pictures and videos fast and easy. Unfortunately, this camera does not come with a built-in Bluetooth, so, you won’t be enjoying that. Same as the Sony a6300.
No GPS Without an in-built GPS in your camera, it will be impossible for you to geo-tag your photos. And we know sometimes you would want that as a photographer. Same as the Sony a6300.
Poor battery The battery of this camera is less than impressive. You can get only 400 shots per full charge with the a6300 and that is so not good. Same as the Sony a6300. However, the battery of the a7 is even worse, giving you 60 less shots with 340 shots per full charge.
Average light sensitivity (ISO) Your camera’s ISO range determines how sensitive it is to light. And the higher the maximum ISO, the brighter the images you can get with it in low light. So, with a range of just 100 to 25600 – though expandable to 51200 – the maximum ISO of this camera could have been higher. Same as the Sony a6300; except that the a7 does not expand any further than 25600.

Sony a6300 vs a7 – What Do People Think About Both Cameras?

Sony a6300 Sony a7
One stand-out thing a few customers seemed to love about the Sony a6300 is that, with this camera, you can watermark your images with a copyright. That way, you can claim ownership of your work, no matter how far and wide they go.   People love the wireless connection and near field communication (NFC) technology in the Sony a7. However, many are not impressed with the battery. Anyway, some customers have advised that you endeavor to put your camera on airplane mode if you are not using your wireless connection and NFC at that moment. That should help you save battery.
Customers have complained about the battery of this camera. However, there seems to be a development which some customers pointed out has made it possible for you to use your battery for longer hours – USB power supply = on. Apparently, with this, you can charge your batter while it is in use, meaning, you can use your camera for longer hours without being worried about it dying on you. Lovely! Photographers seem to be unimpressed by the burst mode of this camera. And honestly, 5 frames per second? Who can blame them? Also, many are not happy with the buffer of the a7, and some have complained that photos in JPEG do not look as good as they would have expected.
Well, we think people generally love this camera. The frame rate on burst mode made many happy. Anyway, according to many photographers, this is not exactly a fantastic camera in video mode. This is a great camera, customers have said. The battery, though, disappointed a lot of people. Also, the burst mode is another thing not many were happy about. But they seemed to be satisfied with the picture quality, and the convenience it offers.
Sony a6300 vs a7
Sony a6300 vs a7
Get the Sony a6300 here now!Get the Sony a7 here now!

Sony a6300 vs a7 – Our Take

Sony a6300

Sony a7

The Sony a6300 is a great camera for vacationing. It is lightweight, easy to use, and pretty cute. Battery, however, isn’t one of its best features. But one thing is sure – you will be getting amazing photos with the Sony a6300. The Sony a7 is a cool camera; one that is pretty easy to use. Its battery and burst mode have to be the things we were most dissatisfied with. However, photo quality is really great with this camera.
We love that you can be more creative with this camera. The time-lapse recording, panorama, slow motion, and fast continuous shooting, are some of the features and functions that expand your creativity as a photographer. We did not like that the a7 did not come with an in-built flash. We think that a primary source of light for your camera can really come in handy. Anyway, that does not change the fact that the Sony a7 is a really good camera, and one you can get if you would be doing a lot of video recordings.
Finally, the Sony a6300 is a lovely camera, good grip, lightweight, and easy to use. We love!

PS: if you would love to see how this camera does against another, check out our Sony a68 vs a6300 comparison article.
Headphone jack made us fall in love with this camera, because this is not something you always get. So, yes, Sony did a good job with the Sony a7.
Get the Sony a6300 here now! Get the Sony a7 here now!

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