A6500vs Sony A9 III
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp; the a6500 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A6500 (2016) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £649 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 11fps | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 453g (with battery and card) | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A6500 | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| 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