A6500vs A7 III
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.
All-Round Photography & Video — A7 III (2018): Still one of the best all-round cameras money can buy — particularly strong used. The A7 III proved that full-frame doesn't have to mean compromises, and nothing at this price point has meaningfully beaten it.
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 III (2018)
- Enthusiast photographers upgrading from APS-C for the first time
- Working photographers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Anyone who shoots in low light regularly
- Hybrid shooters needing both stills and video performance
Quick take: The a6500 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A6500 (2016) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £649 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 11fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 453g (with battery and card) | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A6500 | A7 III |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Video | — |
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