Sony Alpha A6500 Review
We've aggregated 3 high-signal reviews and 1 live retailer price below.
Our editorial take on the Sony Alpha A6500
The Sony A6500 brought in-body image stabilization to the APS-C E-mount lineup for the first time when it launched in late 2016, pairing that five-axis, five-stop system with class-leading autofocus and strong hybrid shooting chops. Reviewers found the combination compelling. Image quality and 4K video both earn high marks, and the 425 phase-detection points paired with reliable subject tracking make it a standout for action and fast-moving subjects. The magnesium alloy build, weather sealing, and 11 fps burst rate round out a well-equipped package for serious shooters who need speed and versatility in a compact body.
That said, the A6500 sits in an awkward spot. It's positioned at the top of Sony's APS-C range, but reviewers note the full-frame A7 series offers noticeably better performance if you can stretch the budget. The single SD card slot and relatively short battery life are practical limitations, and the 30-minute recording cap on 4K video remains a frustration for dedicated video work. The touchscreen is present but not fully utilized across the interface. For creators who need IBIS in an APS-C body and plan to stay in the E-mount ecosystem, the A6500 delivers, but the gap to full-frame isn't as wide as the spec sheet suggests.
- First APS-C E-mount with 5-axis in-body stabilization (5 stops)
- Excellent autofocus with 425 phase-detection points and strong subject tracking
- Outstanding image quality and 4K video performance
- Fast 11 fps burst shooting with deep buffer (107 RAW frames)
- Weather-sealed magnesium alloy build in a compact body
- Single SD card slot limits redundancy for pro work
- 30-minute recording limit on 4K video
- Short battery life (310 shots via viewfinder)
- Touchscreen implementation incomplete across menus
Synthesized by Geared editors from aggregated expert reviews.
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The highest-signal reviews from creators and editorial blogs.
Editorial reviews
The Sony a6500 is an outstanding all-around camera. Image quality and 4K video quality are both exceptional and the camera's autofocus system also impresses.
The A6500 sits at the top of the tree in Sony's APS-C series of mirrorless cameras, and it's a particularly strong camera for tracking moving subjects and ...
The Sony a6500 is a really solid camera. I can't sit here and deny that. But if you're a Sony a7 series camera owner, you'll see just how much better that is.
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About this product
First APS-C with IBIS.
Specs
- Battery
- NP-FW50, 310 shots (viewfinder), 350 shots (LCD)
- Weight Grams
- 453 g (body with battery and card)
- Dimensions Mm
- 120.0 x 66.9 x 53.3 mm
- Build Material
- Magnesium alloy
- Weather Sealing
- Yes, dust and moisture resistant
- Bit Depth
- 8-bit 4:2:0
- Raw Video
- External via HDMI (4:2:2 8-bit)
- Log Profiles
- S-Log2, S-Log3, S-Gamut, S-Gamut3, S-Gamut3.Cine
- Internal Codecs
- XAVC S, AVCHD, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
- Max Frame Rate 4k
- 30p
- Max Frame Rate Hd
- 1080/120p
- Max Video Bitrate
- 100 Mbps
- Max Recording Time
- 29 min 50 sec
- Max Video Resolution
- 4K UHD (3840 x 2160)
- Raw Format
- 14-bit Sony ARW 2.3
- Color Space
- sRGB, Adobe RGB
- Hdmi Output
- 4K 30p/25p/24p, 1080p 60p/50p, YCbCr 4:2:2 8-bit / RGB 8-bit
- Gamma Options
- Movie, Still, Cine1-4, ITU709, ITU709 (800%), S-Log2, S-Log3
- Built In Flash
- Yes, GN 6 (at ISO 100)
- Lcd Brightness
- Manual (5 steps), Sunny Weather mode
- Metering Zones
- 1200 zone evaluative
- Audio Recording
- XAVC S: LPCM 2ch, AVCHD: Dolby Digital 2ch, MP4: AAC-LC 2ch
- Buffer Capacity
- 301 JPEG, 107 RAW
- Flash Sync Speed
- 1/160 sec
- Picture Profiles
- PP1-PP9
- Total Megapixels
- 25.0 MP
- Slow Quick Motion
- 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 120 fps
- Diopter Adjustment
- -4.0 to +3.0 m-1
- Shutter Durability
- 200,000 cycles
- Viewfinder Frame Rates
- 60 fps, 120 fps
- Sensor Size
- APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm)
- Sensor Type
- Exmor CMOS
- Image Processor
- BIONZ X
- Low Pass Filter
- No
- Effective Megapixels
- 24.2 MP
- Release Date
- December 2016
- Announced Date
- October 2016
- Launch Price Usd
- 1,400 USD
- Dual Native Iso
- No
- Iso Range Video
- ISO 100-25600
- Iso Range Stills
- ISO 100-25600 (expandable to ISO 51200)
- Continuous Shooting
- 11 fps (Hi+), 8 fps (Hi), 6 fps (Mid), 3 fps (Lo)
- Shutter Speed Electronic
- 1/4000 to 30 sec
- Shutter Speed Mechanical
- 1/4000 to 30 sec, Bulb
- Viewfinder
- 0.39-inch XGA OLED, 2,359,296 dots, 1.07x magnification
- Rear Screen
- 3.0-inch tilting touchscreen LCD, 921,600 dots
- Touchscreen
- Yes
- Lens Mount
- Sony E
- Crop Factor
- 1.5x
- Usb
- Multi/Micro USB
- Hdmi
- HDMI Type D (micro)
- Audio Io
- 3.5mm stereo microphone input
- Wireless
- Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), NFC, Bluetooth 4.1
- Card Slots
- 1x SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I, Memory Stick PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo
- Ibis
- 5-axis, 5.0 stops
- Af Points
- 425 phase-detection, 169 contrast-detection
- Af System
- Fast Hybrid AF (phase-detection and contrast-detection)
- Af Low Light
- -1 EV
- Subject Detection
- Eye AF, Face Detection, Lock-on AF
Where to buy
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- B&H Photonew● In stockBest price$1,198Buy
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