A6500vs A7R II
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R II
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.
Portrait, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
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
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Quick take: The a7r ii has the highest resolution at 42mp; the a6500 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A6500 (2016) | A7R II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £649 | £799 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 11fps | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 453g (with battery and card) | 625g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A6500 | A7R II |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Architecture | — |
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