Leica Q3vs A6500
Leica
Leica Q3 (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Travel, street & premium compact shooters
View Leica Q3
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Travel, Street & Premium Compact Shooters — Leica Q3 (2023): 60MP, Summilux 28mm, IBIS, and weather sealing — the Q3 is the ultimate fixed-lens camera for those who can justify the cost.
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
Leica Q3 (2023)
- Photographers who want a fixed-lens full-frame camera with no compromises
- Q2 owners upgrading to articulating screen and improved autofocus
- Travel photographers who want one premium compact that does everything
- Street and documentary photographers who want Leica quality without changing lenses
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 leica q3 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a6500 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica Q3 (2023) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £649 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, C4K/60p | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | 5.5-stop IBIS | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 15fps | 11fps |
| Battery Life | 380 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.0mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.787" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica Q3 | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Street | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history