A6500vs A7 II
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
Travel, Portrait — A7 II (2014): The camera that proved full-frame IBIS was possible in a compact body.
Who should buy what
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
A7 II (2014)
- Photographers upgrading from APS-C who want full-frame on a budget
- Film shooters adapting vintage lenses (IBIS helps enormously)
Quick take: The a7 ii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a7 ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A6500 (2016) | A7 II (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £649 | £549 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | Full-frame BSI CMOS 35mm |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.3MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p | 1080p 60fps |
| Autofocus | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection | 117-point phase-detect hybrid AF |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 4.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 11fps | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | 350 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 453g (with battery and card) | 599g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification | EVF 0.71× 2.36M-dot |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.23M-dot |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony E-Mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | SD / Memory Stick Pro Duo |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi, NFC, Micro USB, Micro HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A6500 | A7 II |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — |
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