X-Halfvs A6500
Fujifilm
X-Half (2025)
Starting from £549 new
Best for Creative, lifestyle and travel photography with a film-like experience
View X-Half
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Creative, Lifestyle And Travel Photography With A Film-Like Experience — X-Half (2025): The X-Half isn't trying to compete on specs — it's a creative, lifestyle-first camera that recreates the fun and constraints of half-frame film photography in a digital body. For photographers who want a fun second camera for personal projects, travel diaries, or simply shooting without overthinking, it's a genuinely enjoyable and unique product.
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
X-Half (2025)
- Creative photographers who want a fun, film-inspired digital camera for personal projects
- Travel photographers who want a pocketable, simple camera for everyday memories
- Fujifilm fans who enjoy film simulations and want a unique format to shoot in
- Beginners who want an enjoyable, low-pressure camera that encourages considered shooting
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 x-half is the most affordable; only the a6500 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | X-Half (2025) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £549 | £649 |
| Sensor | 17.7MP 1-inch CMOS (vertical orientation) | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 17.7MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p, vertical video mode | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detection AF with face detection | 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 | N/A | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~880 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 240g (body with battery and card) | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 112.8 × 66.2 × 38.4mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical viewfinder (frame-line type) | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 2.4-inch fixed touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed lens (no interchangeable mount) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | microSD | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | X-Half | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| 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 X-Half
Camera family history