GH7vs A6500
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Video & Documentary — GH7 (2024): The GH7 is the GH series at its peak — phase-detect AF finally arrived, alongside 5.7K/60p open-gate, C4K/60p 10-bit 4:2:2, and ProRes RAW. A landmark video camera in the Micro Four Thirds format, and the most complete GH Panasonic has ever built.
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
GH7 (2024)
- Video professionals who want the best MFT camera ever made
- Documentary and event videographers who need reliable AF and great stabilisation
- Hybrid photographers who want high burst rates and serious video in one body
- GH5/GH6 owners ready for a major upgrade
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 gh7 has the highest resolution at 25mp; the a6500 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | GH7 (2024) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,700 | £649 |
| Sensor | 25.2MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 25.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 5.7K/60p (open gate), C4K/60p 10-bit 4:2:2, ProRes RAW via HDMI | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect + contrast-detect AF with subject recognition | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis Dual I.S. 2 (body + lens) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 75fps (electronic), 14fps (mechanical) | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~370 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 535g (body only) | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 138.4 × 102.3 × 91.6mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 3.68M dots, 0.76× | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual slot: CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | GH7 | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Street |
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