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Sony

Sony A6500

The Sony A6500 was the first Sony APS-C mirrorless camera to feature in-body image stabilisation — a significant step forward in the A6000 line. It combined the 24.2MP Exmor CMOS sensor with 5-axis IBIS, a fully articulating touchscreen (also a first for the APS-C line), and a dramatically improved buffer (up to 307 JPEGs) over the A6300. A weather-sealed magnesium body with an 11fps burst rate and Sony's 425-point phase-detect AF made it the most complete APS-C Sony available at the time.

GearFrame's Take

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.

Starting from
£649 new
Average price across retailers: ~£774
Available at 2 retailers
✓ Available at 2 retailers 🔒 No signup needed 📦 UK stock only
RetailerPrice
eBay
eBay used
Lowest Buy It Now · marketplace
£401
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Prices are synced live from UK retailers. Not every product will be stocked by every retailer; older models may only be available second hand.
Core
Released
2016
Sensor
24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS
Resolution
24.2 MP
Mount
Sony E-mount
Dimensions
120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm
Weight
453g (with battery and card)
Weather Sealed
Yes
Performance
Autofocus
425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection
Stabilisation
IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS)
Burst Rate
11fps
Battery Life
~310 shots (CIPA)
Features
Video
4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p
Viewfinder
EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification
Screen
3.0" fully articulating touchscreen
Memory Cards
Single SD UHS-I slot
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth

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Who should buy this
  • 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
GearScore™ — Suitability by Genre
Travel
9.0
Street
9.0
Portrait
9.0
Wildlife
7.0
Vlogging & Video
7.0
Sports & Action
7.0
Great For
✈️
Travel IBIS, weather sealing, and a compact form make it an excellent travel companion.
🏙️
Street Compact, weather sealed, and fast AF make it a capable and discreet street camera.
👤
Portrait Fast phase-detect AF with face detection and IBIS for sharp handheld portraits.
🦅
Wildlife 11fps and 425 PDAF points handle wildlife well. No animal eye AF (that came with A6600).
🎬
Vlogging & Video 4K with full readout and an articulating screen. IBIS helps handheld video work.
🏅
Sports & Action 11fps with fast phase-detect AF handles many sports scenarios effectively.
⚠️ Not Ideal For

No significant limitations identified — this is a versatile camera without obvious weak spots for most shooters.

📝 How suitability scores are calculated Scores reflect the aggregated consensus from verified purchaser reviews across tracked UK retailers, weighted by photography genre tags applied by reviewers. This is community opinion — not GearFrame editorial assessment. See our full methodology →
Price History — A6500

Video reviews and hands-on coverage for the Sony A6500 from across YouTube.

Video results sourced from YouTube. GearFrame is not affiliated with these channels.

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📸
Series history
Sony A6000 Series
Sony's APS-C mirrorless range — six generations from 2016 to today.