Sony A6500 Digital Camera Review

[Guest]

Sports and serious shooters will find a lot to like in this mirrorless camera, but some of the features are overkill for casual photographers.

Sony A6500 Digital Camera Review : Read more

 

[fshbyfly]

"the a6500 can't use E-mount lenses that are designed for full-frame cameras like the Sony a7"

FYI - This statement is incorrect. All of the a6xxx camera bodies, including the a6500, can use any E mount lens (E or FE). The A mount lenses require an adapter, but FE (full-frame) lenses work just fine. I use the FE 70-200 mm F4 G OSS lens on both my a6000 and a6500 almost daily.

Overall, a good review. Thanks.

 

[See_Squared]

Good general review, but caters squarely to still photographers. Little importance was given to the 5 axis IBIS, or why this is a major thing for video shooters. As the camera shoots pretty good 4k, 12o fps in full hd, and offers a new feature for automatically creating fast or slow motion sequences in-camera, these are major differences for video shooters and were almost completely ignored in this review.

But if you shoot video (especially hand-held), IBIS alone will be worth the additional $400 for a lot of people. Consider that IBIS means you can save money (potentially a lot more than the extra $400) just by NOT having to purchase only the more expensive OSS lenses for stabilization. Now you can use any lens stabilized, including legacy or much cheaper Nikon/Canon lenses with cheap adapters, and have all of it stabilized just like the more expensive A7ii family bodies with IBIS.

Is that worth an extra $400? For a lot of video shooters the answer is yes, especially when considering the other new features mentioned in this review. Is it perfect? No, but the A6500 still retains the title of the best 4k camera for the money, the same as the A6300 is still the best 4k camera for under $1,000.