A6500vs A7R III
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
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.
Landscape, Studio & Commercial Photography — A7R III (2017): The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
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 III (2017)
- Landscape and studio photographers who need 42MP resolution at a used-price discount vs A7R IV
- Canon/Nikon DSLR professionals considering a mirrorless switch at a lower investment
- Commercial and product photographers who want full-frame resolution with IBIS for handheld work
- Portrait photographers who want the sharpest possible full-frame files for large print work
Quick take: The a7r iii 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 III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £649 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 11fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 453g (with battery and card) | 650g body only |
| 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, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A6500 | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | — | |
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Sports | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A6500
Camera family history