EOS Mvs A6500
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Canon Mirrorless History & Ef-M Collectors — EOS M (2012): Canon's first mirrorless — a historic body that broke new ground with touch-AF and EF-M, but its sluggish contrast-detect system quickly became its Achilles heel.
Travel, Street & Versatile Everyday Photography — A6500 (2016): The first Sony APS-C with IBIS — the A6500 added in-body stabilisation, touch AF, and a far deeper buffer to the A6300's already strong formula.
Who should buy what
EOS M (2012)
- Canon shooters who want the camera that started Canon's mirrorless story
- Budget first-time mirrorless buyers who already own EF/EF-S glass
- Collectors of significant digital camera milestones
A6500 (2016)
- Travel photographers who want IBIS in a compact weather-sealed E-mount body
- A6300 owners who need the stabilisation or touch AF the A6300 lacked
- Street and documentary photographers who want a capable compact with weather sealing
- Sony E-mount shooters looking for a capable used body at an accessible price
Quick take: The a6500 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the a6500 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £649 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with EOS M
Camera family history