Canon EOS R5 Mark IIvs A6500
Canon
Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024)
Starting from £4299 new
Best for Hybrid shooters & professionals
View Canon EOS R5 Mark II
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Hybrid Shooters & Professionals — Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024): The most complete hybrid camera Canon has ever made — 45MP stacked BSI, 30fps burst, 8K/60p RAW, and Canon's legendary Dual Pixel AF in one body.
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
Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024)
- Professional photographers who want 8K RAW and 45MP in one body
- R5 owners upgrading to faster AF, improved overheating, and neural network processing
- Wildlife and sports professionals who need high resolution and fast burst
- Hybrid shooters who demand the very best Canon has to offer
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 canon eos r5 mark ii has the highest resolution at 45mp; the a6500 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,299 | £649 |
| Sensor | 45MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/60p RAW, 4K/120p, Cinema RAW Light | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, AI subject tracking | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (coordinated with IS lenses) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 11fps |
| Battery Life | 570 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 746g body only | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 138.5 × 101.2 × 93.5mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.64" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Canon EOS R5 Mark II | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Street | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Canon EOS R5 Mark II
Camera family history