Sony A6000 vs Sony H300: An Expert's Tale of Two Cameras from the Same Era

When Sony unveiled the A6000 and the H300 in 2014, they were seemingly answering different calls from photographers - one beckoning aspiring enthusiasts craving advanced mirrorless nimbleness, the other tempting casual zoom lovers with an affordable superzoom bridge camera. Now, with nearly a decade’s worth of experience and thousands of images shot on both sides, I find it fascinating to put these two quite different cameras head-to-head. Not because they are exactly competitors, but because understanding their strengths and limits in real-world use tells a valuable story about how camera tech evolved and how different user needs are met.

In this detailed comparison, I’ll share hands-on experiences, technical analysis, and genre-specific recommendations that go way beyond spec sheets. Whether you’re a portrait junkie, wildlife stalker, or a travel photographer packing light, this article is designed to give you the insights only an old camera-tester can. So, let’s dive in - starting with the basics.

Size, Ergonomics, and Handling: A Tale of Two Form Factors

First impressions count, and nothing says “different cameras” quite like their physical presence.

The Sony A6000 is a classic rangefinder-style mirrorless - compact but built with photographer ergonomics in mind. Weighing just 344 grams and measuring 120 x 67 x 45mm, it fits snugly in the hand. Its tilting 3" LCD screen and electronic viewfinder (EVF) make composition intuitive across lighting conditions. The grip is firm, buttons are tactile without feeling intimidating, and the control layout favors quick access to exposure and focus settings - a boon when speed matters.

Meanwhile, the Sony H300 is an SLR-like bridge camera, heavier at 590 grams and considerably chunkier with dimensions of 130 x 95 x 122mm. Its bulk comes with that gargantuan fixed superzoom lens (more on that soon), but ergonomics suffer a bit in return. With a fixed 3” LCD screen (no EVF), basic controls, and a less refined button layout, it caters more to casual shooters wanting straightforward point-and-shoot simplicity - though “simple” in this form factor feels like carrying a brick.

In real-world use, the A6000 owes its popularity to this perfect balance: light enough for a trip, with enough physical controls to shoot confidently without fumbling menus. The H300, while solidly built, feels like a compromise on portability.

Peering Under the Hood: Sensor Technology and Image Quality Insights

Here’s where the fundamental differences start to crystallize. The A6000 boasts a 23.5x15.6mm APS-C CMOS sensor with 24MP resolution, while the H300 uses a much smaller 1/2.3” CCD sensor clocking a nominal 20MP. The numbers alone don’t tell the full story, though that sensor size discrepancy has massive repercussions on image quality.

The APS-C sensor on the A6000 delivers more than quadruple the sensor area of the H300’s 6.17x4.55mm chip.

What does this mean?

• Dynamic range: The A6000 shines with over 13 stops of dynamic range in optimal conditions, letting you pull both shadows and highlights with grace. The H300's smaller sensor and CCD tech deliver markedly narrower dynamic range, causing earlier clipping and crushed shadows.
• Low-light performance: The A6000 comfortably reaches up to ISO 25600 (with practical use typically topped at 6400 to 12800), yielding usable images thanks to the modern CMOS design and Bionz X processor. The H300 maxes out at ISO 3200 - and honestly, noise runs rampant above ISO 800 due to sensor size and older processing.
• Color depth and detail: The A6000's larger sensor and lack of optical low-pass filter result in sharper, more detailed images with richer tonal gradations. The H300’s built-in noise reduction and sensor limitations flatten colors and texture.

In my testing sessions shooting the same scenes under various exposures, the A6000 consistently outperforms the H300 in every image quality metric that matters. That said, the H300 still generates respectable images for casual web sharing and print sizes up to 8x10”, especially in bright conditions.

Viewfinders and Screens: Where Composing Meets Reality

Composition is a photographer’s ritual, and the tools to do so can either inspire or frustrate. The A6000 offers a 1440k-dot OLED electronic viewfinder providing 100% frame coverage and 0.7x magnification. It feels almost like shooting through an optical finder, but with the added advantage of live exposure preview, focus peaking, and menu overlays. For street, wildlife, and sports shooters alike, this is a vital asset.

On the other hand, the H300 completely foregoes any viewfinder, relying on its 3" fixed Clear Photo LCD screen with a modest 460k-dot resolution for framing. In direct sunlight, this quickly becomes a challenge, limiting spontaneity and tactical framing.

The A6000's interface is impressively responsive despite lacking touchscreen functionality - though personally, I do miss the occasional swipe-to-scroll menu that newer cameras boast. The H300’s menu is simple but sluggish and occasionally confusing, especially when toggling through its superzoom and flash features.

Autofocus Systems: Hunting for Sharpness in the Field

If you’re chasing decisive moments - say, a runner charging, a bird taking flight, or a smile freezing in time - the autofocus system is your ally or enemy.

The A6000 dazzles with a hybrid AF system marrying 179 phase detection points with contrast-detection, delivering lightning-fast autofocus acquisition and reliable tracking. Face and eye detection help nail focus on portraits even at wide apertures.

The H300 relies solely on slower contrast-detection autofocus with no dedicated phase detection or sophisticated tracking. This means sluggish focus performance, especially with moving subjects or in lower light. Its focus is limited to the central areas with no eye or face tracking.

This is stark when comparing continuous shooting burst rates and AF tracking performance: the A6000 pushes 11 fps at full AF tracking, while the H300 languishes at a pedestrian 1 fps with fixed focus acquisition.

The difference has practical implications for wildlife and sports photographers where split-second autofocus saves shots, and the H300 simply can’t keep up.

Lens Ecosystem and Versatility: One Camera Grows, One is Fixed

Arguably the biggest advantage of the A6000 lies in its Sony E-mount, featuring over 120 compatible lenses from Sony and third-party manufacturers covering everything from ultra-wide landscapes to ultra-telephoto wildlife optics.

This lens flexibility lets the A6000 adapt to virtually every photography genre:

• Portraits? A fast 50mm f/1.8 lens nails bokeh-rich portraits.
• Macro? Add a dedicated macro lens with close focusing distance.
• Travel? Compact zooms lightening your load without sacrificing reach.
• Sports/Wildlife? Heavy telephotos and fast primes.

By contrast, the H300 is wedded to a fixed 25-875mm (35x) superzoom lens with variable aperture f/3–5.9. Handy for casual shooting across a huge focal range without changing lenses - but at a significant optical trade-off: slower apertures limit low-light performance and bokeh control, and optical quality starts strong at wide end but softens towards maximum telephoto.

If versatility is paramount, the A6000 wins hands down, though for a budget-friendly all-in-one travel companion, the H300’s giant zoom isn’t to be dismissed.

Build Quality and Durability: Who Can Weather the Storm?

Neither camera offers notable weather sealing or ruggedness. The A6000’s magnesium alloy body feels hefty and professional but lacks official dust/water resistance. The H300’s plastic-heavy construction is solid for a bridge camera but doesn’t inspire confidence under harsh conditions.

Battery Life and Storage: How Long Can They Go?

Sony’s NP-FW50 battery powers the A6000 and claims roughly 360 shots per charge under CIPA standards. In practice, with occasional EVF use and Wi-Fi on, a good day’s shooting can typically be managed without swapping batteries - a necessity for travel and events.

The H300 uses its own rechargeable battery pack with comparable endurance (~350 shots), but the lack of wireless features or EVF mitigates battery draw.

Both cameras accept a single SD card slot (plus Sony’s Memory Stick formats), but the A6000 supports faster UHS-I cards critical for video and burst shooting.

Video Capabilities: Beyond Stills

The A6000 offers Full HD 1080p video at up to 60 fps, with multiple recording formats (MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S). Its clean HDMI out expands options for external recorders. However - no 4K video here (Sony introduced that in the A6300).

The H300 offers only 720p HD video at 30p, markedly limited. Its fixed lens simplifies framing but hampers creative control.

Neither camera has mic or headphone jacks, limiting serious video use. The A6000’s better autofocus and sensor make it a mild contender for hybrid shooters, but it’s no video ninja.

Practical Use and Genre-Specific Performance

Let’s zero in on how these characteristics map onto popular photography types. I pulled together a side-by-side genre impact overview to clarify.

Portrait Photography

The A6000, paired with a sharp portrait prime, aces skin tone rendition, uses its eye detection AF to nail crisp eyes, and delivers creamy bokeh thanks to the APS-C sensor and lens options - not just enabling isolated subjects but flattering tones and detail. The H300, while capable of portraits, struggles with muddier backgrounds and less nuanced colors, often forcing stronger post-processing.

Landscape Photography

Here dynamic range and resolution are king. The A6000’s extended dynamic range captures shadow detail and highlights more faithfully. While its APS-C sensor is not full-frame, it still produces large, pin-sharp files at 6000x4000 pixels. Weather sealing might be absent, but packing a weather-resistant lens offsets that.

The H300’s small sensor, limited dynamic range, and lower resolution temper landscape ambitions. Still, at wide angles in bright daylight, it provides decent snapshots.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

The A6000 excels with rapid autofocus, burst rate, and lens reach thanks to an extensive telephoto ecosystem. Its 11fps burst lets you chase action sequences, while AF tracking helps keep critters or athletes sharp.

The H300’s single superzoom lens appeals to those dipping toes into wildlife or distant subjects. Yet sluggish AF and 1fps burst mean you’ll miss critical moments. It excels only as a casual zoom camera.

Street Photography

Compact, discreet, and quick lens swapping make the A6000 a favorite street tool. The EVF helps compose in bright conditions without squinting at glare-prone screens. Its silent shutter mode (though limited) is a subtle bonus.

The H300 is bulkier and uninterpretable in candid street moments. Fixed zoom lens limits framing choices, and no EVF impairs discretion and viewing in bright light.

Macro Photography

The A6000’s ability to use dedicated macro lenses means superior magnification, fine focusing adjustments, and higher resolution captures. The H300 lacks close-focusing capability beyond its zoom’s minimum, limiting macro use to casual flower snaps.

Night and Astro Photography

Again, the sensor size and ISO headroom of the A6000 grant longer exposures, cleaner files, and better noise management. Its mechanical shutter supports long timed exposures, while the H300’s sensor and processing force heavy noise at high ISOs, making astrophotography a no-go.

Video Recording

The A6000 offers full HD 60p with decent manual controls, while the H300 caps at 720p 30p. Neither is primed for serious video production, but the A6000 at least offers flexibility and decent autofocus tracking.

Travel Photography

Here, the choice depends on packing style. The A6000’s lightweight body plus a couple of compact zooms keeps luggage light but demands some lens juggling. The H300 is a grab-and-go solution with an all-in-one lens for snapshots and zoomed shots, but the bulk and slow performance may grate during long travel days.

Professional Use and Workflow

For pros, the A6000 supports RAW files, advanced exposure modes, and fast data transfer via USB 2.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity. It slots into professional workflows nicely, although it lacks some high-end weather sealing or dual card slots.

The H300’s fixed lens, lack of RAW support, and limited controls make it unsuitable for professional shoots; it’s more of a novice or hobbyist leisure camera.

Overall Performance Ratings: The Numbers Don’t Lie

Synthesizing the strengths and weaknesses, here’s a visual summary of how these cameras stack up in a battery of performance tests, derived from both laboratory and field testing:

The A6000 scores significantly higher across image quality, autofocus, and speed, while the H300 hovers in the compact, casual category.

Back to the Big Picture: Who Should Buy Which?

With all that said, what does this mean for you? Let’s tailor recommendations based on needs and budget.

Buy the Sony A6000 if you:

• Demand top-tier image quality and noise control in varied light.
• Want fast, accurate autofocus with face and eye detection.
• Need a flexible lens system to cover multiple genres from portraits to wildlife.
• Are interested in learning manual controls like shutter and aperture priority modes.
• Want a compact, lightweight body without compromising handling.
• Plan to shoot RAW and integrate images into professional workflows.
• Desire better video features at full HD 1080p 60p.
• Can invest a bit more (around $550 new, less used).

Buy the Sony H300 if you:

• Want an inexpensive superzoom all-in-one camera.
• Mainly shoot casual photos in good daylight (vacations, pets, family).
• Prefer simplicity over manual controls or interchangeable lenses.
• Are on a budget (just around $250).
• Don’t need RAW capability or fast continuous shooting.
• Value zoom range over image quality or burst speed.
• Want an easy “point-and-shoot” with splash of zoom without switching glasses.

Wrapping Up

When you look closely, the Sony A6000 and Sony H300 are cameras built for fundamentally different audiences. The A6000 remains one of the most beloved APS-C mirrorless cameras, balancing advanced features, high performance, and portability. On the flip side, the H300 is a budget superzoom bridge camera with compromises that limit it to casual snapshot territory.

Sony A6000 front Sony A6000 screen back Sony H300 front Sony H300 screen back

Hopefully, this deep-dive gives you a clear-eyed perspective free from gimmicky marketing hype. Cameras are tools - and your choice hinges on how you like to shoot, where, and with what ambitions.

Finally: if the A6000's styling and legacy have piqued your interest, consider looking into later Sony models like the A6300/A6400 for more recent autofocus tech and video upgrades. For superzoom lovers, newer bridge cameras might offer faster autofocus and better sensors, but will never match the APS-C sensor image quality.

All told, I trust this comparison arms you with all you need to pick the camera that truly fits your photographic personality. Happy shooting!