Sony A6000 vs Panasonic GH4: Let’s take a look at the Sony Alpha A6000 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC GH4. Both mirrorless cameras, the former featuring a 24.0MP APS-C sensor and the latter with its 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. Here’s a side by side look at their specification before we go into more detail.
Sony A6000 vs Panasonic GH4 Specs
Specifications |
Sony A6000 |
Panasonic GH4 |
---|---|---|
Megapixels | 24.3 | 16.1 |
Sensor Type | CMOS | Live MOS |
Sensor Format | APS-C | Micro Four Thirds |
Crop Factor | 1.5x | 2.0x |
AA Filter | Yes | Yes |
Image Resolution | 6000 x 4000 | 4608 x 3456 |
Body Image Stabilization | No | No |
Lens Mount | Sony E | Micro Four Thirds |
ISO | 100 -25,600 | 200 – 25,600 |
Expanded ISO | 51,200 | 100 |
AF Points | 179 | 49 Contrast |
Cross-type AF Points | 179 phase | 0 phase |
Continuous Mode | 11fps | 12fps |
LCD | 3.0″ – Articulating | 3.0″ – Fully Articulated |
LCD Resolution | 921,600 dots | 1,036,800 dots |
Touchscreen | No | Yes |
Focus Peaking | Yes | Yes |
Top LCD Display | No | No |
Viewfinder Type | EVF (1.44M) | EVF (2.36M) |
Viewfinder Coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 1.07x | 1.34x |
Video Resolution | 1920×1080 (60/24p) | 4096×2160 (24p) |
3840×2160 (30/25/24p) | ||
Microphone Jack | No | Yes |
Headphone Jack | No | Yes |
Memory Card Type | SD or MS Pro | SD |
Dual Card Slots | No | No |
SD UHS Support | UHS-I | UHS-I |
Fastest Shutter Speed | 1/4000 | 1/8000 |
Slowest Shutter Speed | 30″ | 60″ |
Bulb Mode | Yes | Yes |
JPEG Buffer Size | 47 | Unlimited |
RAW Buffer Size | 22 | 21 |
Time Lapse | Yes | Yes |
Built-in Flash | Yes | Yes |
Max Flash Sync Speed | 1/160 | 1/250 |
Startup Time | 2.2s | 0.8s |
Built-in Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
Built-in GPS | No | No |
Built-in NFC | Yes | No |
Bluetooth | No | No |
USB Type | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
Environmentally Sealed | Yes | Yes |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 360 shots | 530 shots |
Battery Included | Yes (NP-FW50) | Yes |
Weight | 12.1 oz (344g) | 20.1 oz (569g) |
Size | 4.7 x 2.6 x 1.8″ | 5.2 x 3.7 x 3.3″ |
Price | Amazon | Amazon |
Release Date | 2014 | 2014 |
Panasonic GH4 vs Sony A6000 Common Features
Wireless Connection | Yes vs Yes | Better connectivity |
Articulating Screen | Yes vs Yes | Flexible shooting positions |
Built-in Flash | Yes vs Yes | Useful in low-light |
External Flash Shoe | Yes vs Yes | Better for flash photography |
Viewfinder | Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) | Better framing and control |
RAW Support | Yes vs Yes | Better image quality |
Face Detection Focus | Yes vs Yes | Useful for portraits |
LCD Screen Resolution | 922k dots vs 1.036k dots | Higher resolution screens |
Continuous Shooting | 11.0fps vs 12.0fps | Fast shooting speeds |
AE Bracketing | Yes vs Yes | Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR |
Panasonic GH4 vs Sony A6000 Common Weaknesses
Image Stabilization | No vs No | No Built-in stabilization |
Sony A6000 vs Panasonic GH4 Size Comparison
The Sony Alpha A6000 is the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 13mm narrower, 26mm shorter and 39mm thinner than the Panasonic GH4. Also, the A6000 weighs 216g less than the Panasonic GH4.
Also, an additional factor to weight is the lenses that you plan to use with your digital cameras. The Lumix GH4 features a smaller Four Thirds sensor. Hence, Panasonic’s lenses at a similar aperture and focal lend tend to be lighter than those for Sony’s A6000.
Sony A6000 vs Panasonic GH4 Sensor Comparison
The Sony A6000 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features a Bionz X processor. The Panasonic Lumix GH5 has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus IX Engine processor.
The Panasonic GH5’s sensor lacks an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. This is good as your images tend to be sharper and more detailed. However, there is also a chance that some scenes may have slight moire.
The Sony A6000 has a 1.6x larger sensor area than Panasonic’s GH4. Larger sensors allow for more control over the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensors when shot in same focal length and aperture.
Why You Should Choose The Sony A6000
Max Sensor Resolution | 24 MP vs 16 MP | 50% more pixels |
Number of Focus Points | 179 vs 49 | 130 more focus points |
Weight | 344 g vs 560 g | 216 g lighter |
Color Depth | 24.1 vs 23.2 | Higher color depth |
Dynamic Range | 13.1 vs 12.8 | Higher dynamic range |
Low-Light ISO | 1347 vs 791 | Better High ISO performance |
Sensor Pixel Area | 15.28µm2 vs 14.12µm2 | 8% larger pixel area |
Price | $498 vs $1,498 | $1,000 cheaper |
AE Bracketing Range | ±5 EV vs ±3 EV | Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR |
NFC Connection | Yes vs No | Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices |
Advantages of the Sony A6000 Over Panasonic GH4
- Megapixels – 8.1 more megapixels. For printing big and cropping, the Sony A6000 is a much better choice.
- Sensor Format – APS-C is bigger than MFT, which results in slightly less noise at higher ISO levels.
- ISO – 51,200 vs 25,600. Higher maximum ISO sensitivity.
- AF Points – 179 vs 49 Contrast.
- Cross-type AF Points – 179 phase vs 0 phase.
- Built-in NFC
- Weight – The Sony A6000 weighs 225g less.
- Size – The Sony A6000 is noticeably smaller.
- Price – The A6000 is much cheaper than the GH4
Video: Sony A6000 Hands-on Review
Why You Should Choose The Panasonic GH4
Touch Screen | Yes vs No | Easy control of camera functions |
LCD Screen Resolution | 1.036k dots vs 922k dots | 12% higher resolution screen |
Max Shutter Speed | 1/8000s vs 1/4000s | Faster shutter speed |
Continuous Shooting | 12.0fps vs 11.0fps | 1 fps faster |
Battery Life | 500 shots vs 360 shots | 140 more frames with a single charge |
Microphone Port | Yes vs No | High-quality audio recording option |
Headphone Port | Yes vs No | Better video control |
Environmental Sealing | Yes vs No | Shoot at tough conditions |
Timelapse Recording | Yes vs With optional app | Creative shooting |
Flash Coverage | 17.0m vs 6.0m | 11m longer range |
Viewfinder Resolution | 2359k dot vs 1440k dot | 63% higher resolution |
Max Video Resolution | 4096 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 | Higher Resolution Video |
Flash Sync Port | Yes vs No | Connect off-camera flash |
Selfie Friendly LCD | Yes vs No | Rotate LCD for taking Selfies |
4K Photo Mode | Yes vs No | Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video |
Post Focus Mode | Yes vs No | Change focus point after taking a shot |
Smartphone_remote control | Yes vs No | Remote control your camera with a smartphone |
Advantages of the Panasonic GH4 Over the Sony A6000
- Continuous mode – 12fps vs 11fps. It’s an advantage, but not something you will really notice that often.
- LCD – It’s fully articulated.
- LCD Resolution – Higher resolution
- Touchscreen Support
- Viewfinder Magnification – Higher magnification.
- Video Resolution – 4K video available.
- Microphone Jack – If you’re going to record videos where audio quality is important, a microphone jack is super helpful.
- Headphone Jack – Useful for previewing your audio quality straight out the camera.
- Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/8000 vs 1/4000.
- Slower Max Shutter Speed – 60” vs 30”.
- JPEG Buffer Size – Unlimited vs 47.
- Max Flash Sync Speed – 1/250 vs 1/160.
- Battery Life – 530 shots vs 360 shots.