Upgrade Guide
Sony A6500→Sony A7R II
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Situational
One clear hardware improvement over the A6500. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the A7R II
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Resolution42MP vs 24MP (+18MP)
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A6500 | A7R II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | -2.0 | ||
| Street | — | ||
| Portrait | — | ||
| Wildlife | — | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Sports & Action | -3.0 | ||
| Landscape | — | ||
| Architecture | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | A6500 | A7R II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £649 | £799 | |
| Released | 2016 | 2015 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R | |
| Resolution | 24MP | 42MP | ↑ |
| 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) | ↓ |
| 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 |
Compare side-by-side
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