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Sony A6500 Comparison Review

The Sony Alpha A6500 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was announced in October 2016 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 24 megapixel.

camera

Is the Sony A6500 a good camera? The A6500 has a Camera Elo of 2441. This rating puts the A6500 among the top 50 percent of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the A6500 ranks among the top 30 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3.5-star performance rating.

Headline Specifications
Sony A6500
Mirrorless system camera
Sony E mount lenses
24 MP, APS-C Sensor
4K/30p Video
ISO 100 - 25 600 (100 - 51 200)
Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)
3.0 LCD, 922k dots
Tilting touchscreen
11 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body
350 shots per battery charge
120 x 67 x 53 mm, 453 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Sony A6500 vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Sony A6500 vs credit card front
A6500 versus credit card top view
A6500 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony A6500 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A6500 120 mm 67 mm 53 mm 453 g 350 Y Oct 2016 1,399ebay.com
2.
 
Fujifilm X-Pro2 141 mm 83 mm 46 mm 495 g 350 Y Jan 2016 1,699ebay.com
3.
 
Olympus PEN-F 125 mm 72 mm 37 mm 427 g 330 n Jan 2016 1,199ebay.com
4.
 
Panasonic GX8 133 mm 78 mm 63 mm 487 g 330 Y Jul 2015 1,199ebay.com
5.
 
Sony A6700 122 mm 69 mm 64 mm 493 g 570 Y Jul 2023 1,399 amazon.com
6.
 
Sony A6400 120 mm 67 mm 50 mm 403 g 410 Y Jan 2019 899 amazon.com
7.
 
Sony A6600 120 mm 67 mm 69 mm 503 g 810 Y Aug 2019 1,399 amazon.com
8.
 
Sony A6300 120 mm 67 mm 49 mm 404 g 400 Y Feb 2016 999ebay.com
9.
 
Sony A77 II 143 mm 104 mm 81 mm 647 g 480 Y May 2014 1,199ebay.com
10.
 
Sony A77 143 mm 104 mm 81 mm 732 g 470 Y Aug 2011 1,399ebay.com
11.
 
Sony NEX-7 120 mm 67 mm 43 mm 400 g 430 n Aug 2011 1,349ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony A6500 was launched in the US market at a price of $1,399. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Sony A6500 features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony A6500 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Sony A6500 sensor measures

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Sony A6500 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/30p24.513.7140585
2.
 
Fujifilm X-Pro2 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p23.713.0160880
3.
 
Olympus PEN-F Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38881080/60p23.112.489474
4.
 
Panasonic GX8 Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/30p23.512.680675
5.
 
Sony A6700 APS-C 25.6 6192 41284K/120p24.314.0232986
6.
 
Sony A6400 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/30p24.013.6143183
7.
 
Sony A6600 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/30p23.813.4149782
8.
 
Sony A6300 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/30p24.413.7143785
9.
 
Sony A77 II APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.413.4101382
10.
 
Sony A77 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.013.280178
11.
 
Sony NEX-7 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60i24.113.4101681
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.
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Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The A6500 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the A6500 can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the A6500 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2359k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.70x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Sony A6500 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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Core Features
#   Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Sony A65002359 n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/4000s 11.0/s Y Y
2.
 
Fujifilm X-Pro22360 n3.0 / 1620 fixed n 1/8000s 8.0/s n n
3.
 
Olympus PEN-F2360 n3.0 / 1037 swivel Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
4.
 
Panasonic GX82360 n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
5.
 
Sony A67002360 n3.0 / 1037 swivel Y 1/4000s 11.0/s n Y
6.
 
Sony A64002359 n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/4000s 11.0/s Y n
7.
 
Sony A66002359 n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/4000s 11.0/s n Y
8.
 
Sony A63002359 n3.0 / 922 tilting n 1/4000s 11.0/s Y n
9.
 
Sony A77 II2359 Y3.0 / 1229 full-flex n 1/8000s 12.0/s Y Y
10.
 
Sony A772359 Y3.0 / 921 full-flex n 1/8000s 12.0/s Y Y
11.
 
Sony NEX-72359 n3.0 / 921 tilting n 1/4000s 10.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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The LCD screen on the Sony Alpha A6500 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the A6500

One convenient feature of the A6500 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha A6500 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
#   Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Sony A6500Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YY-
2.
 
Fujifilm X-Pro2Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y--
3.
 
Olympus PEN-FYstereo / mono--micro2.0Y--
4.
 
Panasonic GX8Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YY-
5.
 
Sony A6700Ystereo / monoYYYES3.2YYY
6.
 
Sony A6400Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YYY
7.
 
Sony A6600Ystereo / monoYYYES2.0YYY
8.
 
Sony A6300Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YY-
9.
 
Sony A77 IIYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
10.
 
Sony A77Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
11.
 
Sony NEX-7Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
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It is notable that the A6500 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the A6500 can be found in the free online Sony A6500 Manual or on the Sony support site.

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Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the A6500. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A65005/5+ +3.5/585/1004.5/54.5/5 Oct 2016 1,399ebay.com
2.
 
Fujifilm X-Pro2..+..83/1004.5/54.5/5 Jan 2016 1,699ebay.com
3.
 
Olympus PEN-F....4/582/1004.5/55/5 Jan 2016 1,199ebay.com
4.
 
Panasonic GX85/5+..82/1004.5/54.5/5 Jul 2015 1,199ebay.com
5.
 
Sony A6700......88/100.... Jul 2023 1,399 amazon.com
6.
 
Sony A64004/5+4/585/1004.5/54/5 Jan 2019 899 amazon.com
7.
 
Sony A66004/5+4/583/1004.5/54/5 Aug 2019 1,399 amazon.com
8.
 
Sony A63004.5/5+..85/1005/55/5 Feb 2016 999ebay.com
9.
 
Sony A77 II4/5....80/1004.5/55/5 May 2014 1,199ebay.com
10.
 
Sony A775/591/100..81/100..5/5 Aug 2011 1,399ebay.com
11.
 
Sony NEX-75/5+ +..81/1004.5/55/5 Aug 2011 1,349ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Sony A6500 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the A6500.

What technology is the imaging sensor in the Sony A6500 based on?

The camera features a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Sony A6500 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Sony equipped the A6500 with the BIONZ X image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Sony A6500?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Sony Alpha A6500?

Sony mentions a shutter rating of 200 000 actuations for the A6500. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the A6500 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 200 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Sony A6500?

Sony embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your A6500 has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.

Is completely silent shooting possible with the Sony A6500?

The camera has an electronic shutter option, so that it is indeed feasible to capture images without any shutter noise.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Sony A6500?

The A6500 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Sony A6500 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Sony A6500 for flash photography?

The A6500's flash sync speed is 1/160 sec.

Does the Sony A6500 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-I cards (data transfer speed of up to 104 MB/s).

Which battery does the Sony A6500 use?

The camera gets its power from the NP-FW50 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Sony A6500?

Sony does not offer an optional battery grip, but third party suppliers do (see here on ebay).

Where can I find the best deals for the Sony A6500?

Grey imports from Asia, as found on ebay, are often very attractively priced. However, these cameras come without a warranty from Sony.

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Sony A6500
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Sony E mount lenses
    Launch Date October 2016
    Launch Price USD 1 399
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 23.5 x 15.6 mm
    Sensor Area 367 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 28.2 mm
    Crop Factor 1.5x
    Sensor Resolution 24 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 6 000 x 4 000 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 3.91 μm
    Pixel Density 6.55 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 4K/30p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 25 600 ISO
    ISO Boost 100 - 51 200 ISO
    Image Processor BIONZ X
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 85
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 24.5
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 13.7
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 1405
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.70x
    Viewfinder Resolution 2359k dots
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.0 inch
    LCD Resolution 922k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen
    V-logging Friendliness No front-flip
    Touch Input Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System On-Sensor Phase-detect
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 11 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy200 000 actuations
    Silent ShootingElectronic Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium MS or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    UHS card support UHS-I
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port micro HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Near-Field Communication NFC built-in
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type NP-FW50 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)350 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 120 x 67 x 53 mm
    (4.7 x 2.6 x 2.1 in)
    Camera Weight 453 g (16.0 oz)

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