Who should buy the Leica M6 vs Sony A6500?

Sony A6500 is best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography.

Leica M6 vs A6500

Name: Leica M6
Brand: Leica
Price: 5200.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

Quick take: The A6500 is the most affordable; only the A6500 is weather sealed.

16 specs side by side·14 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras

How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.

Leica Leica M6

£5200 new today at Clifton Cameras

£5200 at Clifton Cameras → Full specs & prices

Sony A6500 2016 Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography

£649 list price · used from £401 at eBay

Used £401 at eBay → Full specs & prices

Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more

Verdictwhich should you buy?

A6500 — Travel, Street & Versatile Everyday Photography: 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

A6500 (2016)

is the right camera for you if…

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

Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted

Specification	Leica M6Leica	A6500Sony · 2016
Price	£5,200	£649Best
Sensor	35mm film (no digital sensor)	24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS
Resolution	—	24.2MP
Video	None (film camera)	4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p
Autofocus	Manual focus, coupled rangefinder (0.72x)	425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection
Stabilisation	No stabilisation	IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS)
Burst Rate	Manual film advance	11fps
Battery Life	Single 3V battery (light meter only — mechanical shutter needs no power)	~310 shots (CIPA)Best
Weight	585g	453g (with battery and card)Best
Dimensions	—	120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm
Weather Sealed	Not weather sealed	YesBest
Viewfinder	Optical rangefinder, 0.72x magnification	EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification
Screen	None (film camera)	3.0" tilting touchscreen
Mount	Leica M-mount	Sony E-mount
Memory Cards	None (35mm film)	Single SD UHS-I slot
Connectivity	No wireless connectivity	USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth

Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.

How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10

Genre

Leica M6

A6500

Portrait

—

6.6/10

Street

—

7.1/10

Travel

—

6.6/10

Wedding & Events

—

5.2/10

Filmmaking

—

5.1/10

Documentary

—

5.8/10

Sports & Action

—

6.6/10

Landscape

—

5.5/10

Wildlife

—

7.3/10

Casual

—

4.8/10

Food

—

6.3/10

Macro

—

5.7/10

Architecture

—

5.4/10

Astrophotography

—

5.3/10

Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →

Open in the compare tool → Leica M6 prices A6500 prices

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