Sony A6500 vs NEX-7

The Sony Alpha A6500 and the Sony Alpha NEX-7 are two enthusiast cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in October 2016 and August 2011. Both the A6500 and the NEX-7 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Sony A6500		Sony NEX-7
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Sony E mount lenses		Sony E mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
4K/30p Video		1080/60i Video
ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-16,000
Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)
3.0" LCD – 922k dots		3.0" LCD – 921k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
11 shutter flaps per second		10 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		Lens stabilization only
Weathersealed body		not weather sealed
350 shots per battery charge		430 shots per battery charge
120 x 67 x 53 mm, 453 g		120 x 67 x 43 mm, 400 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha A6500 and the Sony Alpha NEX-7? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Sony A6500 and the Sony NEX-7. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

In this particular case, the Sony A6500 and the Sony NEX-7 have exactly the same width and height, and, thus, have identically-sized bodies. However, the NEX-7 is markedly lighter (12 percent) than the A6500. It is worth mentioning in this context that the A6500 is splash and dust resistant, while the NEX-7 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Sony E-Mount Lens Catalog. Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

The power pack in the A6500 can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

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	1,399	ebay.com
2.		Sony NEX-7	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	400 g	430	n	Aug 2011	1,349	ebay.com
3.		Olympus PEN-F	125 mm	72 mm	37 mm	427 g	330	n	Jan 2016	1,199	ebay.com
4.		Panasonic GX8	133 mm	78 mm	63 mm	487 g	330	Y	Jul 2015	1,199	ebay.com
5.		Sony A7	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	474 g	340	Y	Oct 2013	1,699	ebay.com
6.		Sony A9	127 mm	96 mm	63 mm	673 g	650	Y	Apr 2017	4,499	ebay.com
7.		Sony A77	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	732 g	470	Y	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
8.		Sony A3000	128 mm	91 mm	85 mm	411 g	470	n	Aug 2013	329	ebay.com
9.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
10.		Sony A6300	120 mm	67 mm	49 mm	404 g	400	Y	Feb 2016	999	ebay.com
11.		Sony A6400	120 mm	67 mm	50 mm	403 g	410	Y	Jan 2019	899	amazon.com
12.		Sony A6600	120 mm	67 mm	69 mm	503 g	810	Y	Aug 2019	1,399	amazon.com
13.		Sony A6700	122 mm	69 mm	64 mm	493 g	570	Y	Jul 2023	1,399	amazon.com
14.		Sony NEX-6	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	345 g	360	n	Sep 2012	999	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX1	113 mm	65 mm	70 mm	482 g	270	n	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
16.		Sony RX10 II	129 mm	88 mm	102 mm	813 g	400	Y	Jun 2015	1,299	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX10 III	133 mm	94 mm	127 mm	1051 g	420	Y	Mar 2016	1,499	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The NEX-7 was somewhat cheaper (by 4 percent) than the A6500 at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. 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.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the NEX-7 is 1 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of chip-set technology, the A6500 uses a more advanced image processing engine (BIONZ X) than the NEX-7 (BIONZ), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Even though the A6500 has a slightly larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the A6500 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 3.90μm for the NEX-7), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. In addition, the A6500 is much more recent (by 5 years and 1 month) than the NEX-7, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The A6500 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Sony Alpha A6500 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha NEX-7 are ISO 100 to ISO 16000 (no boost).

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. 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. Of the two cameras under review, the A6500 has a notably higher overall DXO score than the NEX-7 (overall score 4 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 0.4 bits higher color depth, 0.3 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.5 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

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	4000	4K/30p	24.5	13.7	1405	85
2.		Sony NEX-7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.4	1016	81
3.		Olympus PEN-F	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	23.1	12.4	894	74
4.		Panasonic GX8	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.5	12.6	806	75
5.		Sony A7	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	14.2	2248	90
6.		Sony A9	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.9	13.3	3517	92
7.		Sony A77	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.2	801	78
8.		Sony A3000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.7	12.8	1068	78
9.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
10.		Sony A6300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.4	13.7	1437	85
11.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
12.		Sony A6600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.8	13.4	1497	82
13.		Sony A6700	APS-C	25.6	6192	4128	4K/120p	24.3	14.0	2329	86
14.		Sony NEX-6	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	1018	78
15.		Sony RX1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.1	14.3	2534	93
16.		Sony RX10 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	23.0	12.6	531	70
17.		Sony RX10 III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	23.1	12.6	472	70
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the A6500 provides a higher video resolution than the NEX-7. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the NEX-7 is limited to 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The A6500 and the NEX-7 are similar in the sense that both feature an electronic viewfinder, which is helpful when framing images in bright sunlight. Moreover, their viewfinders offer an identical resolution of 2359k dots. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Sony A6500 and Sony NEX-7 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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 A6500	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Sony NEX-7	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
3.		Olympus PEN-F	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
4.		Panasonic GX8	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
5.		Sony A7	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
6.		Sony A9	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
7.		Sony A77	2359	Y	3.0 / 921	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Sony A3000	202	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
9.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
10.		Sony A6300	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
11.		Sony A6400	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
12.		Sony A6600	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
13.		Sony A6700	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
14.		Sony NEX-6	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
15.		Sony RX1	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
16.		Sony RX10 II	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/3200s	14.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony RX10 III	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	14.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that differentiates the A6500 and the NEX-7 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The A6500 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the NEX-7 offers no blur reduction with lenses that themselves do not provide optical image stabilization.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the A6500 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the A6500 and the NEX-7 write their files to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The A6500 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the NEX-7 cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity 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 Sony Alpha NEX-7 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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 A6500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
2.		Sony NEX-7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Olympus PEN-F	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Panasonic GX8	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Sony A7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Sony A9	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Sony A77	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Sony A3000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Sony A6300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Sony A6400	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
12.		Sony A6600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	YES	2.0	Y	Y	Y
13.		Sony A6700	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	YES	3.2	Y	Y	Y
14.		Sony NEX-6	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
15.		Sony RX1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Sony RX10 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony RX10 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the A6500 offers wifi support, while the NEX-7 does not. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Both the A6500 and the NEX-7 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The A6500 was replaced by the Sony A6600, while the NEX-7 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the A6500 and NEX-7 can be found, respectively, in the Sony A6500 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony NEX-7 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Sony A6500 better than the Sony NEX-7 or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Advantages of the Sony Alpha A6500:

• Better image quality: Scores markedly higher (4 points) in the DXO overall assessment.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Requires less light for good images (0.5 stops ISO advantage).
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (BIONZ X vs BIONZ).
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60i).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
• More modern: Reflects 5 years and 1 month of technical progress since the NEX-7 launch.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha NEX-7:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.73x vs 0.70x).
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 53g or 12 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (430 versus 350) out of a single battery charge.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2011).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the A6500 is the clear winner of the match-up (14 : 4 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Sony A6500 and the Sony NEX-7 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the A6500 or the NEX-7 perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony A6500	5/5	+ +	3.5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	1,399	ebay.com
2.		Sony NEX-7	5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2011	1,349	ebay.com
3.		Olympus PEN-F	..	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	1,199	ebay.com
4.		Panasonic GX8	5/5	+	..	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2015	1,199	ebay.com
5.		Sony A7	5/5	+ +	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	1,699	ebay.com
6.		Sony A9	5/5	+ +	4.8/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2017	4,499	ebay.com
7.		Sony A77	5/5	91/100	..	81/100	..	5/5	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
8.		Sony A3000	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Aug 2013	329	ebay.com
9.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
10.		Sony A6300	4.5/5	+	..	85/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2016	999	ebay.com
11.		Sony A6400	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2019	899	amazon.com
12.		Sony A6600	4/5	+	4/5	83/100	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2019	1,399	amazon.com
13.		Sony A6700	4.5/5	+	4.5/5	88/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2023	1,399	amazon.com
14.		Sony NEX-6	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	999	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX1	5/5	..	..	79/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
16.		Sony RX10 II	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2015	1,299	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX10 III	5/5	+	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2016	1,499	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

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. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

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