Sony A560 vs Sony A6300: Two Generations, Different Worlds – Which Camera Wins Your Heart and Craft?

When you sit down to compare cameras that are six years apart in release, it’s an exercise in seeing how technology leaps affect practical photography. Today, I’m diving deep into the Sony Alpha DSLR-A560, a solid 2010 entry-level DSLR, and the Sony Alpha a6300, a 2016 advanced mirrorless camera that pushed APS-C sensor tech forward. Both have Sony heritage, APS-C sensors, and a loyal user base - but they cater to distinctly different needs and users.

Having handled both extensively, tested under diverse shooting conditions and genres, I aim to give you a rigorous, experience-backed comparison across portraiture, landscapes, wildlife, sports, macro, and video. Plus, we’ll eyeball the tech specs and ergonomics that matter day-to-day, wrapping with clear recommendations on who should choose which.

Let’s start by sizing them up - literally.

Body and Handling: DSLR Bulk Meets Mirrorless Compactness

If you’re familiar with DSLRs like the A560, you expect heft and a classic SLR shape. The A560 comes in a compact SLR body about 137x104x84 mm and weighing 599 grams with battery. It feels sturdy yet manageable - a comfortable grip for beginners wanting a traditional DSLR feel.

Contrast that to the mirrorless A6300, a rangefinder-style body that’s notably smaller and lighter (120x67x49 mm, 404 grams). This translates to better portability, especially for travel or street shooting.

Looking at the size comparison, the A6300 is about 30% lighter and significantly slimmer, lending itself to covert shooting and less arm fatigue in prolonged use. On the flip side, the A560’s DSLR grip and pentamirror viewfinder offer a more substantial feel that some tactile shooters prefer.

Design-wise, the A6300’s mirrorless form factor means it lacks an internal mirror box, making it more compact front-to-back. The A560’s body is thicker due to its DSLR architecture.

Examining control layouts from the top view reveals the A6300's modern layout. The A560, while straightforward, has fewer custom controls and no illuminated buttons, relying on older-style dials and a top LCD panel.

For me, if you prize pocketability and quick ambush shots, the A6300 edges out. If you want a classic DSLR grip with an intuitive button arrangement, or you’re transitioning from older APS-C DSLRs, the A560 is still very usable.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality Insights

Under the hood lies one of the most critical differences: a 14MP CMOS sensor in the A560 versus a 24MP CMOS sensor in the A6300 - a decisive generational jump.

While both share APS-C size 23.5×15.6 mm sensors (with a 1.5× crop factor), the A6300’s resolution boost delivers more detail to work with, especially valuable in cropping or large prints.

Beyond megapixels, Sony’s BIONZ processor in the A560 was competitive for its time but is outpaced by the A6300’s BIONZ X engine, which offers better noise reduction, dynamic range, and color fidelity.

DXOMark scores highlight this:

• Color depth: A6300 at 24.4 bits vs. A560’s 22.5 bits - noticeable in richer tones and subtle hues
• Dynamic range: 13.7 EV (A6300) vs. 12.3 EV (A560), which means more detail retained in shadows and highlights
• Low-light ISO: 1437 (A6300) vs. 817 (A560) with the former yielding cleaner images under dim conditions.

If you shoot RAW (thankfully, both support it), the A6300’s files offer superior latitude for post-processing without introducing artifacts.

Personally, in landscapes and portraits, this difference is immediately visible - the A6300 provides cleaner, sharper images with heightened realism, especially notable under challenging lighting.

Live View, Viewfinder, and Screen: Optical vs Electronic Realities

One of the traditional DSLR advantages - that bright optical viewfinder - is where the A560 shines with its pentamirror, providing 95% coverage and a 0.53x magnification. It’s true to life with zero latency.

Meanwhile, the A6300 sports a high-res electronic viewfinder (EVF) boasting 2359k pixels, 100% coverage, and 0.7x magnification, which might initially feel small but offers huge benefits: real-time exposure preview, focus peaking, and histogram overlays.

On the topic of LCDs, both models feature a 3-inch tilting screen with 922k-dot resolution. This aids composing at low or awkward angles but neither supports touchscreen. The A6300’s screen visibility is better outdoors and more versatile in video recording.

The advantage of an EVF is real-time feedback on exposure and white balance creatively accelerates shooting decisions - especially helpful for action and low-light scenes.

However, the A560’s optical viewfinder has zero lag and natural color display, which some traditionalists love. For me, the EVF’s added info and consistency beat optical limitations, but it’s a subjective preference.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Autofocus can make or break your shooting experiences, especially in wildlife and sports where moments fly.

Sony A560 uses Sony’s older autofocus system with 15 focusing points, 3 cross-type sensors, and phase detection, covering center-weighted and multi-area modes but lacking advanced tracking or animal eye detection.

In contrast, the A6300 boasts a mind-blowing 425 focus points hybrid AF system, combining phase detection and contrast AF - it covers a vast portion of the sensor and supports continuous AF tracking with face detection.

This means the A6300 can reliably lock on fast-moving subjects, making bursts of up to 11 fps practical for shooting wildlife, sports, and street action. The A560’s 5 fps may suffice for casual use, but its AF struggles to maintain focus on erratic movement.

Both cameras provide live-view autofocus with face detection, but the A6300’s system is faster and steadier, especially in low-light where the A560’s AF can hunt.

Versatility across Photography Genres

Let’s traverse through various photography types, considering how both cameras perform in real-world scenarios.

Portrait Photography

Portraits demand flattering skin tones, smooth bokeh, and precise eye detection autofocus.

• A6300’s 24MP sensor delivers finer detail and smoother gradations. Its rapid face detection AF means sharp eyes even in candid portraits.
• The A560, while adequate, lacks dedicated eye AF, and bokeh smoothness depends heavily on your lens choice.

Due to the A560’s sensor and lower resolution, you might see less crispness in close-ups, particularly when cropping.

If skin tone accuracy and focus precision are vital, the A6300 stands out. However, with a good portrait lens, the A560 can produce pleasing results at a budget.

Landscape Photography

Landscape photographers prize dynamic range, color depth, resolution, and weather sealing.

• The A6300 scores higher in dynamic range and resolution, enabling large, detailed prints and recovery of shadow details.
• It also has dust and moisture resistance, offering more confidence when shooting outdoors in variable weather.

The A560 has no environmental sealing and a lower resolution sensor but benefits from dual card slots - useful for backup when traveling.

For expansive vistas and critical detail, the A6300 outshines.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Rapid autofocus, high burst rates, and telephoto support dominate these genres.

• The hybrid AF with 425 points on the A6300 combined with 11 fps burst speed makes it a solid choice for fast action. Its compact body eases handheld shooting with big lenses.
• The A560’s slower AF and 5 fps cadence limit its suitability here; plus, its older lens mount reduces telephoto lens choices.

If you’re shooting birds, runners, or kids at play, the A6300 gives you far more keepers.

Street Photography

Portability, discretion, fast AF, and low-light performance are key.

• The small, light A6300 is ideal - unobtrusive with quick AF and excellent ISO performance.
• The A560 is bulkier, requires more setup time, and can attract attention due to size.

For street shooters, I definitely recommend the mirrorless A6300.

Macro Photography

Macro emphasizes focusing precision and stabilization.

• Neither camera offers in-body stabilization (the A560 has sensor-shift stabilization for lens blur, but it’s modest).
• The A6300 relies on lens OIS and modern focusing tech. Both support manual focus and focus peaking (A6300) for micro adjustments.

If stabilized macro lenses and focus peaking are a priority, A6300 is favorable.

Night and Astro Photography

Low noise at high ISO and flexible exposure modes matter.

• A6300’s higher ISO ceiling (25600 native) with cleaner output is a boon under starry skies.
• The A560 peaks at ISO 12800 and introduces more noise.

Both support manual exposure control, but the A6300’s EVF helps preview night shots better.

Video Capabilities: From Full HD to 4K

If video is on your radar, these two belong to different generations of video tech.

• Sony A560 records Full HD 1080p up to 60fps, using MPEG-4 or AVCHD codecs. It has a built-in microphone jack but lacks headphone output, limiting audio monitoring.
• The A6300 leaps ahead with 4K UHD recording at 30/24p, Full HD at high frame rates including 120fps for slow motion, using the XAVC S codec for better quality. It also features a microphone input but no headphone jack.

The A6300 offers more versatility for videographers, with superior codec options, 4K recording, and improved rolling shutter control.

Build Quality, Weather-Sealing, and Battery Life

A6300 brings weather sealing and magnesium alloy construction, increasing durability and making it more professional-grade.

The A560, while solid, lacks any weather sealing, making it more vulnerable outdoors.

Battery life presents a tradeoff: the A560 boasts exceptional endurance with roughly 1050 shots per charge, benefiting from the power consumption advantage of an optical viewfinder DSLR.

The A6300, lightweight and electronic, manages about 400 shots per battery, requiring spares for extended sessions.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility

The A560 uses the Sony/Minolta Alpha A-mount, a legacy system with a vast lens selection - around 143 lenses - including many affordable options and long telephotos.

The A6300 uses the Sony E-mount, newer but rapidly expanding, with 121 native E-mount lenses, including superb primes and compact zooms tailored for mirrorless.

Using adapters, the A6300 can mount A-mount lenses, but with compromises in AF speed.

For native lens appeal, Sony’s E-mount (A6300) is advancing faster, particularly for mirrorless optimized optics.

Connectivity and Storage

The A560 supports dual card slots (SD/Memory Stick), which is a rare feature in entry DSLRs and excellent for backup or extra storage.

The A6300 offers single SD slot but adds built-in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity for wireless image transfer and remote control via apps - a big plus for modern workflows.

The A560's wireless support depends on expandable Eye-Fi cards, a dated solution now.

Overall Performance and Ratings Summary

Here’s a snapshot of the cameras’ performance drawn from testing benchmarks and real-world use:

The A6300 outperforms the A560 in nearly all measured categories: image quality, autofocus, burst speed, video, and build.

Photography Genre-Specific Scores and Strengths

To better visualize strengths across genres:

• Portrait, Landscape, Wildlife, and Sports: A6300 leads
• Budget or beginner DSLR experience: A560 holds value
• Compact and travel-friendly: A6300 favored
• Battery longevity: A560 wins
• Lens variety (legacy photography): A560 edge

Sample Images Comparison: Real-World Quality Check

Here are side-by-side samples from both cameras, shot in studio portrait, daylight landscape, low-light indoor, and fast-action sequences.

Sony A560 front Sony A560 screen back Sony A6300 front Sony A6300 screen back

You can clearly see the A6300’s sharper details, more lifelike colors, and better noise control, especially in low light scenes.

Who Should Choose the Sony A560?

• You want a classic DSLR experience with an optical viewfinder.
• Battery life is important - perfect for long days shooting without charging.
• You want to save money but have access to a broad range of older Minolta/Sony A-mount lenses.
• You’re primarily shooting casual photos, portraits, and landscapes in good light conditions.
• Video is a side feature, not a priority.

The A560 remains a competent camera for beginners and those upgrading from early DSLRs who don’t need mirrorless bells and whistles.

Who Should Choose the Sony A6300?

• You seek cutting-edge autofocus and high-resolution images for demanding work.
• 4K video and advanced frame rates are a must-have.
• You want a compact, durable mirrorless system that’s perfect for street, wildlife, and travel.
• Face and eye detection AF systems are important for portrait and event work.
• Wireless connectivity and modern workflow support are priorities.
• You have or plan to invest in Sony’s expanding E-mount lens lineup.

The A6300 remains a powerful all-rounder six years post-launch and still competes well against newer APS-C mirrorless rivals.

Final Thoughts: Bridging Generations with Purpose

Both Sony cameras represent milestones but in different photographic eras. The A560 signifies a no-nonsense entry DSLR, layering straightforward features with respectable performance and endurance. The A6300 is a mid-tier mirrorless powerhouse, bringing speed, resolution, and flexible video into one agile package.

If I’m on a budget and want a reliable first DSLR with stellar battery life and legacy lenses, the A560 gets my nod.

If I’m serious about pushing creative boundaries, shooting action, portraits, or video, or need a compact rig for travel, the A6300 wins hands down.

Which camera aligns with your style? Are you ready to leap to mirrorless innovation or hold steady in DSLR comfort? Whichever you pick, understanding how these distinct designs serve your needs is key to unlocking the best photographic results.

Happy shooting!