If you’re trying to output a video stream directly from your Sony a6700, you’ll want to use the camera’s HDMI port. But there are different types of HDMI port. Here’s what you need to know about the specific types the a6700 uses and the type of HDMI cable you’ll need.
If you want to connect your Sony a6700 to a computer, there are two different ports you can use for it. They look quite similar, but they’re not interchangeable, and they’re used for different purposes.
For video stream output, the a6700 uses what is known as a micro HDMI port. It’s also known as Type D.
As you might guess from the “micro” in the name, that’s the smallest of the HDMI plug types.
The micro HDMI (Type D) port on the side that’s used for video output and livestreaming or using the a6700 as a webcam. It has HDMI printed next to it. It’s in a different side compartment to the USB-C port, and right next to it is the round headphone/audio out port. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
HDMI Cables for the Sony a6700
The main practical implication of this is when choosing which HDMI cable to get for the a6700.
The a6700 doesn’t come with an HDMI cable as standard.
You’ll want to choose one with a micro HDMI plug on one end and whatever HDMI plug type you need for the device you’re connecting to (the most common is a full-size HDMI (or Type A). It’s also possible to get adapter plugs, but I’m a bit leery of those because it’s another potential failure point.
You can see some of the photos I’ve taken with the Sony a6700 in these posts:
The Sony a6700 has two ports that look similar. One is a USB-C port. The other is an HDMI port.
The USB-C port is used primarily for charging and data transfer. So it’s used for connecting to wall chargers, portable chargers, and computers. Most immediately, since the a6700 doesn’t come with a separately battery charger, you’ll probably want to be using that port right away to charge the battery in the camera.
The a6700 does a USB Streaming mode as well; for that you’ll need to be using compatible software.
The HDMI port is used only for a video stream. If you’re hooking the camera up directly to a TV or external recorder, that’s the one you use.
It is possible to output that video stream to a computer, but for that, you need an extra device (or dedicated software) that can convert the video stream to the kind of data that the computer can work with (it’s known as an HDMI capture card, even though they’re generally not actually cards anymore). The a6700 also has a USB Streaming mode if you’re using compatible software.
For comparison, this is the USB-C port on the side. It’s used for both charging and data transfer (and can be used for streaming with compatible software). It looks quite similar to the HDMI port, but it’s symmetrical; the HDMI port is asymmetrical. And while you can’t see it very clearly in this shot because of the shadow, there’s a USB symbol above it. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
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I'm a professional photographer based in Washington, DC. Seven continents, up mountains, underwater, and many places in between. I've been shooting for 30+ years, and my photos and time-lapse videos have appeared in a bunch of different publications, from major newspapers to magazines and books, billboards, TV shows, professional sports stadiums, museums, and even massive architectural scrims covering world-famous buildings while they're being renovated. You can see some of my travel photography here and here.
