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Upgrade Guide

Sony A6500Sony A7 II

Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.

A6500
You own
Sony
A6500
£649
2016
View on GearFrame →
A7 II
Upgrade to
Sony
A7 II
£549 (-£100)
2014
View on GearFrame →
Skip it
The A7 II offers little measurable spec improvement over the A6500. Spend the money on glass instead.
Unchanged or similar
Suitability by genre
Genre A6500 A7 II
Travel
9.0
8.0
-1.0
Street
9.0
8.0
-1.0
Portrait
9.0
9.0
Wildlife
7.0
Vlogging & Video
7.0
5.0
-2.0
Sports & Action
7.0
Landscape
8.0
Wedding & Events
7.0
Full spec comparison
Spec A6500 A7 II
Price £649 £549
Released 2016 2014
Sensor 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS Full-frame BSI CMOS 35mm
Resolution 24MP 24MP
Video 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p 1080p 60fps
Autofocus 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection 117-point phase-detect hybrid AF
Stabilisation IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) 5-axis IBIS, 4.5 stops
Burst Rate 11fps 5fps
Battery Life ~310 shots (CIPA) 350 shots (CIPA)
Weight 453g (with battery and card) 599g (body only)
Weather Sealed Yes Yes
Viewfinder EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification EVF 0.71× 2.36M-dot
Screen 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.23M-dot
Mount Sony E-mount Sony E-Mount
Memory Cards Single SD UHS-I slot SD / Memory Stick Pro Duo
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