A1 IIvs A6500
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
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
A1 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
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 a1 ii has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a6500 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 II (2025) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,500 | £649 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 II | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A1 II
Camera family history