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A6100vs A6500

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Sony A6100 Sony A6100 (2019) Starting from £549 new Best for Beginner, family, travel View A6100
VS
Sony A6500 Sony A6500 (2016) Starting from £649 new Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography View A6500

GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?

Beginner, Family, Travel — A6100 (2019): Best autofocus in its class for the 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.

↓ Full specifications below

A6100 (2019)

  • First-time mirrorless buyers who want solid AF
  • Families stepping up from a smartphone

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 a6100 is the most affordable; only the a6500 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification A6100 (2019)A6500 (2016)
Price £549 £649
Sensor APS-C Exmor CMOS 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS
Resolution 24.2MP 24.2MP
Video 4K 30fps 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p
Autofocus 425-point phase-detect, real-time tracking 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection
Stabilisation None IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS)
Burst Rate 11fps 11fps
Battery Life 420 shots (CIPA) ~310 shots (CIPA)
Weight 396g (body only) 453g (with battery and card)
Dimensions 119.9 × 66.9 × 59.4mm 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm
Weather Sealed No Yes
Viewfinder EVF 0.39" 1.44M-dot EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification
Screen 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k-dot 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen
Mount Sony E-Mount Sony E-mount
Memory Cards SD UHS-I / Memory Stick Single SD UHS-I slot
Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, Micro USB, Micro HDMI USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth
Genre A6100A6500
Portrait
7.0
9.0
Street
7.0
9.0
Travel
8.0
9.0
Casual
9.0
Vlogging & Video
8.0
7.0
Sports & Action
7.0
7.0
Wildlife
7.0

GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →

⚡ Compare specs side by side A6100 prices → A6500 prices →

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