Announced: | 06 Oct 2016 |
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Sensor Resolution: | 24Mp |
Sensor Type: | APS-C CMOS |
ISO: | 100-25600 |
Weight: | 453g |
Physical Dimensions: | 120 x 67 x 53 mm |
Viewfinder: | Electronic |
Screen Type: | 3" Tilting |
Video Resolutions: | 3840 x 2160 |
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Launched a few months after its sister a6300, Sony a 6500 is different from previous models, it’s not only a sequel with some additions. Especially the video department has really improved, making Sony a6500 a very attractive mirrorless to early-days video makers.
Thanks to the APS-C sensor, smaller than in Full Frames, the size of Sony a6500 is quite contained, typical feature of all mirrorless cameras that lately is threatening the long-built solidity of reflex. The camera body of Sony a6500 is 120 mm long, 66.9 tall and 53.3 mm deep. In other words, the perfect volume for any occasion. Then there’s the weight, 453 grams including memory card and battery.
Compared to a6300, the ergonomics of Sony a6500 has much improved, thanks to a better projection of the grip. Sure, such a small camera body doesn’t give you the solidity feeling of some reflex cameras, but the magnesium alloy gives you the right sense of stability anyway.
On the top, Sony a6500 has the shutter button surrounded by the on/off switch, on the grip. There are also the programs and multifunction rings, the customizable buttons (C1 e C2), and finally the flash and the hot shoe.
Frontally, Sony a6500 shows the traditional simplicity of its previous model, with the focus sign and the bayonet.
The back side of a6500 shows the 3 inches display: compared to a6300 we have a touch screen, very appreciated but unfortunately adjustable only up/down and not laterally. Over the display, on the left, is placed the viewfinder. On the opposite side, there’s the settings button. To the right of the display, several customizable buttons.
Usb port for recharge, HDMI and microphone jack outputs are on the side.
No news about the sensor – 24.2 mp CMOS Exmor – but good news from BIONZ X processor, equipped with a new capture chip that gives better performance at high ISO, less noise, very capacious buffering and 11 frames per second burst mode. Thanks to these new elements, Sony a6500 is now a very fast mirrorless in image recording and focus.
Nothing new about the already excellent Autofocus present in the 6300 version: the mix of 425 phase detection points with 169 contrast detection points is a trump card for a quick and fast AF. It’s the so-called 4D system, based also on the time needed to capture the image. Wide, fast and stable: what more can we ask for an Autofocus? In addition, the “Eyes” function detects the eyes of a moving subject, hooking them to focus.
The 2.6 million dots viewfinder is the same of the a6300 model, while the 3 inches display has evolved into touch screen (for focus but not for settings). The touch pad function lets you scroll to the point of Autofocus you desire, keeping on looking into the viewfinder.
First of all, the image quality has definitely improved compared to a6300. The dynamic range is wider, for more realistic and less saturated colors. Also high ISO are better, as well as the capacity of buffering.
The focus is the flagship of Sony a6500, you can feel it as soon as you try it: fast and precise, it makes the most troubling scene easy, like sports or wildlife. Let’s not forget the contained weight and size: if you love street photography, you’ll appreciate these features not only for the manageability but also for the discretion during the most interesting scenes.
As for the weak points, it must be said that the position of the slot for memory card is integrated in the battery compartment and that the battery lasts a little more than 300 shots. It is a very common problem among mirrorless cameras, because the viewfinder, as well as the LCD display, affects the power of the battery.
The settings menu is also a weakness: despite the negative feedback by the users, partly heard by the manufacturer, it is still quite complex and still far from intuitive.
Good news from connectivity, though: WiFi, QR Code and NFC provide connection to tablet or smartphone, through Sony PlayMemories Mobile app. The remote control of a6500, finally, is possible through the smartphone.
As I said earlier, the video department of Sony a6500 has made improvements compared to a6300. So, we’re not in front of a camera designed mainly for images. To give you an idea, here are the technical features of videos:
3840×2160 4k Ultra HD up to 30p in 100 MBPS Super 35mm format
Full HD at 120p for slow motion
Ultra HD is quite remarkable for its category, considering that video recording has improved thanks to the 5 axis stabilization system. The hybrid Autofocus, then, guarantees speed and precision and perfect focus.
The only flaw is the lack of earphone plug, fundamental to listen to the audio while recording.
The Sony Alpha a6500 is a mirrorless camera launched on 06/10/2016.
Technically speaking, the Sony Alpha a6500 ranks in the best 25% of its category (and in the best 94 of all cameras in our database) scoring 65 overall. The Sony Alpha a6500 weights 453 gr and spans 120 x 67 x 53 mm. This means that it is particularly light and small, indeed one of the most handy options within its category.
Going into details, the Sony Alpha a6500 behaves better than average in its category for:
On the contrary, the performance of Sony Alpha a6500 is below the category average in:
However, the technical performance of your camera should be put in context. Indeed, depending on the type of photography you are interested in, each individual camera feature can impact your pictures to a different extent. This is the reason why we developed the iCamRank. iCamRank has been designed to weight all the individual technical specifications of each camera in the camerarace database, depending on different shooting conditions. Thus, here is what we suggest, depending on the photography type you like most:
Sensor Type
CMOS
Sensor Size
APS-C
Sensor Dimensions
23.5 x 15.6 mm
Sensor Area
366.6 mm2
Sensor Resolution
24 Mp
Max Image Resolution
6000 x 4000
Max Native ISO
25600
Min Native ISO
100
RAW Support
Manual Focus
Lens Mount
Sony E
Number of Lenses
73
Focal Length Multiplier
1.5
Screen Type
Tilting
Screen Size
3.0"
Screen Resolution
922Kdot
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution
2359000.0
Viewfinder Coverage
100
Viewfinder Magnification
0.7
Min Shutter Speed
30s
Max Shutter Speed
1/4000s
Continuous Shooting
11fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range
6.0
Max Flash Sync
-
Flash Modes
Flash off Autoflash Fill-flash Rear Sync. Slow Sync. Red-eye reduction (On/Off selectable) Hi-speed sync Wireless
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
DxO Overall Score
85
DxO Color Depth
24.5
DxO Dynamic Range
13.7
DxO Low Light ISO
1405
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF MultiArea
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points
425
Number of Cross Focus Points
0
Video Resolutions
3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps XAVC S MP4 H.264 Linear PCM
Max Video Resolution
3840x2160
Video Formats
MPEG-4 AVCHD XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Wireless Connectivity
Yes
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight
453g
Physical Dimensions
120 x 67 x 53 mm
Battery Life
350
Battery Type
Battery Pack
Battery Model
Self Timer
Yes
Timelapse Recording
GPS
Storage Type
SD SDHC SDXC + Memory Stick Pro Duo
Storage Slots
1
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