Upgrade Guide

Sony A6500→Sony Sony RX100 VII

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

You own

Sony

A6500

£649

2016

→

Upgrade to

Sony

Sony RX100 VII

£1099 (+£450)

2019

✅

Worthwhile

Clear improvements over the A6500. Whether it justifies the cost depends on which upgrades matter most to your shooting.

What's new in the Sony RX100 VII

Unchanged or similar

Suitability by genre

Full spec comparison

Spec	A6500	Sony RX100 VII
Price	£649	£1,099
Released	2016	2019	↑
Sensor	24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS	20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS BSI CMOS (stacked)
Resolution	24MP	20MP	↓
Video	4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p	4K/30p HLG, FHD/960fps super slow-motion
Autofocus	425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection	357-point phase-detect + 425 contrast, Eye AF, tracking
Stabilisation	IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS)	3-stop Optical SteadyShot
Burst Rate	11fps	20fps AF/AE tracking (90fps short burst)	↑
Battery Life	~310 shots (CIPA)	~260 shots (CIPA)	↓
Weight	453g (with battery and card)	302g with battery and card	↑
Weather Sealed	Yes	No	↓
Viewfinder	EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification	Pop-up EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification
Screen	3.0" fully articulating touchscreen	3.0" tilting touchscreen
Mount	Sony E-mount	Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5
Memory Cards	Single SD UHS-I slot	Single SD UHS-I slot

Compare side-by-side

See A6500 and Sony RX100 VII next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.

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