PowerShot V1vs A6500
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Vlogging & Travel — PowerShot V1 (2025): The PowerShot V1 is Canon's best compact camera — a 1-inch stacked sensor, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, 4K/60p, built-in ND, and an articulating screen in a pocketable body. It is the compact camera Canon's content-creator audience has been waiting for, and a genuine step forward over the G7X series.
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
PowerShot V1 (2025)
- Content creators who want Canon's best compact for vlogging and social media
- Travel photographers who want 4K and a zoom lens in one pocketable body
- Vloggers upgrading from G7X series who want better AF and video specs
- Photographers who want a capable compact backup body
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 a6500 is the most affordable; only the a6500 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | PowerShot V1 (2025) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £900 | £649 |
| Sensor | 22.3MP 1-inch Stacked CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 22.3MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/60p, 1080p/120p | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF with face and subject detection | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | Optical IS (lens) + electronic stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 20fps (electronic) | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 340g (with battery and card) | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 112.0 × 65.0 × 50.0mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.62M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed Canon zoom lens (equivalent wide-to-tele) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | PowerShot V1 | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with PowerShot V1
Camera family history