Nikon D7500vs A6500
Nikon
Nikon D7500 (2017)
Starting from £899 new
Best for Sports, travel & DSLR shooters
View Nikon D7500
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Sports, Travel & Dslr Shooters — Nikon D7500 (2017): The D500's BSI sensor in a compact, weather-sealed body — excellent high-ISO performance and DSLR reliability at a great price.
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
Nikon D7500 (2017)
- Enthusiast DSLR photographers who want APS-C performance in a lighter body
- D7200 or D7100 owners upgrading to better AF and 4K video
- Wildlife and sports shooters who prefer optical viewfinder AF
- Nikon DSLR users who want a capable body before committing to mirrorless
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. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon D7500 (2017) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £899 | £649 |
| Sensor | 20.9MP APS-C BSI CMOS (D500 sensor) | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.9MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (slight crop), FHD/60p | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 3500FX II, 51 points (15 cross-type) | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 8fps mechanical | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~950 shots (CIPA with OVF) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 640g body only | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 135.5 × 104.0 × 72.5mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.94× magnification | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F-mount (DX) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB Micro-B, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon D7500 | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Street | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Nikon D7500
Camera family history