OM System OM-1 Mark IIvs A6500
OM System
OM System OM-1 Mark II (2024)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Wildlife, birds & outdoor sports
View OM System OM-1 Mark II
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Wildlife, Birds & Outdoor Sports — OM System OM-1 Mark II (2024): OM System's most capable camera — 120fps AF burst, AI subject detection, and IP53 weather sealing make it the best-value pro wildlife camera.
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
OM System OM-1 Mark II (2024)
- Wildlife and bird photographers who need the best subject tracking in MFT
- Sports photographers who want weather sealing and 50fps burst
- OM-1 owners looking for a meaningful autofocus upgrade
- Professionals who need pro-grade weather sealing in the lightest possible system
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 | OM System OM-1 Mark II (2024) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,999 | £649 |
| Sensor | 20MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/60p, 1080p/240p, 4K HLG | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | AI subject detection AF (birds, animals, motorsport) | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | 8.5-stop IBIS | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 120fps with AF tracking | 11fps |
| Battery Life | 520 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 599g body only | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 134.8 × 91.6 × 72.7mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.83" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | OM System OM-1 Mark II | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| 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