BFvs A6500
Sigma
BF (2025)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Photographers who want to strip back every distraction
View BF
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Photographers Who Want To Strip Back Every Distraction — BF (2025): The most radical camera in years — no dials, no buttons, just a flat aluminium body and total creative minimalism.
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
BF (2025)
- Photographers who find camera menus and dials a distraction from the creative process
- L-mount system users who want the lightest, most minimal full-frame body available
- Design enthusiasts who value the object quality and philosophy as much as the output
- Sigma fp/fp L users ready for a more radical step toward minimal photography
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 | BF (2025) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,799 | £649 |
| Sensor | 24MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p, 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF — face and eye detection | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS — 7 stops | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 9fps electronic | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~400 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 427g body only | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 127.0 × 75.0 × 45.0mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.75× 3.68M-dot | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.15" fully articulating touchscreen — primary interface | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | L-mount (Leica/Panasonic/Sigma) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single UHS-II SD slot | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | BF | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with BF
Camera family history