Test of Sony a6500

Since my first camera purchase over fifteen years ago, I have been intrigued by the equipment's potential to make my work easier and more creative. With every new camera comes a new list of features. The trick is to assess how they actually stack up and determine if it's worth upgrading.

My review of the Sony a6500 is based on using the camera for several weeks for paid work and personal work. I mainly wanted to see if this was a viable backup for my primary camera, the

Sony a7iii

and whether it would be a good option for occasional family/travel/adventure photos.

Strongly recommended

sony a6500

Impressive performance in a compact package. Highly recommended for all levels of photographer.

Check the current price

I use

Sony cameras

for several years now, starting with the a6000 and the a7ii and more recently the a7iii. That said, I was also a Canon SLR shooter for many years.

[Related:

Sony a6000 review

|

a6500 vs a6400

]

My main goal when choosing equipment is to make sure it simplifies my process. While the hardware buff in me appreciates the bells and whistles, I don't want to hear them.

Ideally, the equipment fades into the background, allowing me to intuitively create stunning images.

Contents

Specifications of the Sony a6500

Manufacturing quality

Ergonomics & Handling

Viewfinder/Screen Quality

Battery life

Measure & Focus

High ISO performance

Image quality

Value for money

Recommended Sony a6500 lenses

Sony a6500 vs a7ii

Sony a6500 vs a6300

Sony a6500 vs a7iii

Video performance

Price

Sony a6500 Overall Recommendation

Accessories Sony a6500

battery grip

Battery

Firmware

Sony a6500 Review | Last words

See more reviews

Editor's Choice

Advantages

Ultra-compact body

Fast & precise autofocus

Silent shutter

Fast frame rate (11 fps!)

Touchscreen

Disadvantages

Max limited shutter speed 1/4000

No front dial

Poor ergonomics for large hands

Check the current price

Let's start with the specs out of the way:

Fast autofocus with 425 phase-detection AF points / 169-point Auto Contrast

5-axis image stabilization

Exmor® 2 Megapixel CMOS Sensor

FPS: 11 with continuous autofocus and exposure tracking.

4K movie recording with full pixel readout/no pixel binning

ISO for stills: 100 -25600 (Up to ISO 51200 in extended ISO range.)

ISO for movies: ISO 100-25600

Battery life: approx. 310 shots (viewfinder); 350 (LCD display)

Buffer: up to 307 frames (about 36 seconds) of high-speed continuous shooting

Eyepiece AF available with AF-C

Dust and moisture resistant

Multi-slot reader for Memory Stick DuoTM/SD memory card

Maximum resolution 6000 x 4000

Lens mount: Sony E

GPS: none

Format: MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S

Articulated LCD: tiltable

Maximum shutter speed: 1/4000 p>

dry

Sony a6500 + Sony 16-70mm f/4 + newborn

The build quality of the Sony a6500 seems sturdy and resilient. It comes from someone who believes in using equipment, not preserving it. What's the point of having the camera if you're afraid to take it out of your bag?

People often worry about

Sony mirrorless cameras

not being strong enough, but so far my experience is positive.

Sure, they might not be as beefy as high-end DSLRs, but they're lightweight, making a drop less impactful and ergonomics less vital. More on ergonomics in a minute. My other Sony cases handled several drops without consequence. Maybe I should

review camera straps

then!

Instead of having an all-metal body, the Sony a6500 is a combination of plastic and metal components. Nonetheless, it retains a sturdiness that made me feel comfortable throwing it in my

backpack

without fear of damaging it.

Generally it was more durable than the Sony a6000 I've had for a while. Maybe that's because it's new while the my a6000 has taken a beating over the years from skiing and climbing trips. Anyway, I was very happy with the build quality.

Another thing I was happy with was the weather sealing. It performed well even in a heavy snowstorm. I've always been skeptical of Sony's weather sealing, as I felt like there should be a rubber seal as I knew it on my old Canon lenses.

However, I took out all of my Sony cameras in full. in the pouring rain and never had a problem. The a6500 seems just as weatherproof. It's nice not to worry about hurting my camera when I need it to help me get the job done.

Build quality is an important factor as I don't want to worry about the camera more than taking the shot. Sure, I could use a camera strap and a plastic bag, but I'd rather have a camera that can handle the workload.

Sony a6500 + Sony 16-70mm f/4 | 1/1000 at f/5.6 ISO 100

Now let's move on to ergonomics and handling. Photographers switching from Canon or Nikon are often hesitant about the impact of camera size on ergonomics.

In my

Shotkit article on camera system change

, I came up with the idea that maybe a camera doesn't need to have perfect ergonomics if it's lightweight. It's like not needing a belt on a small backpack.

The main difference between the

sony a6500

and the a7 series is the body size. The a6500 is

even smaller.

As a result, the controls were a bit more compact and slower to adjust. There are fewer dedicated custom buttons, which is only an issue if you're using the camera at events and need to get to work really quickly.

Two things I found myself wishing for were a front scroll wheel and a joystick button. I rely heavily on the front dial to quickly adjust shutter speed to fine-tune my exposure and using the rear dial just wasn't as effective.

The joystick would allow quick movement of the focus point allowing me to take shots without focusing or recomposing, which can sometimes lead to missing focus.

The touch screen was an attempt to solve this problem. It seemed effective but it just doesn't fit my shooting style. I like to keep an eye on the subject and let my fingers operate the controls while waiting for the moment. Removing from the viewfinder to use the touchscreen was too distracting to be useful for me.

Sony a6500 + Sony 16-70mm f/4 | 1/250 at f/7.1 ISO 100

Despite the lack of these two items, I was able to customize the buttons and dials to quickly make my main adjustments, even for someone with medium to large hands. Knobs and knobs are small, but a definite improvement over the Sony a6000. Each of the dials was

tight and tactile

making fine adjustments easy.

Another issue I encountered was that the camera had a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 of a second. At first it didn't seem like a problem, but then I realized you can't film

large openings

in bright scenes. This is something to keep in mind especially for

portrait photographers

.

If you are looking for a camera to photograph more personal work (i.e. family, travel, adventures, etc.), the ergonomics and handling of the

sony a6500

are quite adequate.

If you're shooting in other modes like aperture priority or shutter speed priority, this will be even less of an issue as you'll need to make fewer adjustments.

The Sony a6500's LCD screen is of high quality and offers several viewing angles.

The electronic viewfinder (electronic viewfinder) is one of the most important features of a mirrorless camera because you can see your exposure before you press the shutter button.

For occasional overhead or very low shots, the flip-up screen comes in handy as well. I sometimes find myself using it reaching up or to the side to get a unique perspective that wouldn't be possible without the tilting rear screen.

The electronic viewfinder on the

sony a6500

is

crisp, vibrant and luminous

. Even in low light, the viewfinder was accurate and helped me get the correct exposure. I found it a little dark to shoot in direct sunlight, even at maximum brightness.

On a few occasions the illuminated screen caused me to underexpose a bit but it works well with my shooting style. I often find myself underexposing to preserve the brightest parts of the image. Shadows are easier to recover than highlights.

The electronic viewfinder and the folding screen are

designed with usability in mind

. They have the ability to make my job easier and faster so I can focus on shooting.

Sony a6500 + Sony 16-70mm f/4 | 1/320 at f/4 ISO 640

In addition to the small form factor, the Sony a6500 comes with a small battery. This became a problem for me mainly in cold weather. At more comfortable temperatures, the battery seemed adequate, however, I'd definitely recommend keeping a few extras with you, if you plan on shooting a lot.

In future iterations I hope Sony will switch to the newer Z series batteries which I rarely need more than 2 for a full day of shooting (10+ hours).

Smaller is not always better. That can be a plus for some things, but battery life isn't one of them.

Sony a6500 + Sony 16-70mm f/4 | 1/200 at f/4 ISO 640

The focus on the Sony a6500 was

accurate and faster than I expected

, just a bit slower than my a7iii.

At times the camera struggled to lock focus in very low light conditions, but overall I was impressed with the capability of such a compact body.

I haven't tested metering because I shoot strictly in manual mode, but with the EVF you can accurately gauge your exposure before taking a shot.

Furthermore, the

wide dynamic range

gives you a lot of leeway in your case if you miss the exhibition in camera.

Sony a6500 + Sony 16-70mm f/4 | 1/500 at f/4 ISO 500

In terms of high ISO performance, the Sony a6500 is

noticeably better than its predecessors

(especially the Sony a6000).

I felt comfortable shooting at ISO 6400 and the files looked great in Lightroom (after a bit of noise reduction, and as long as you don't try to push the exposure more than a notch).

This makes it a competitive camera, especially since it uses a crop sensor.

[Related: Not sure which version of Lightroom to buy? Read

this

.]

Sony a6500 + Sony 70-200mm f/4 | 1/2500 at f/4 ISO 640

I was very impressed with the images coming out of the Sony a6500. The

dynamic range is impressive (13.7 stops)

and the color seemed better than I expected (on par with the a7 series).

People have had issues with Sony color, but I think they are finally solving this problem.

When shooting side-by-side with the Sony a7iii, I was able to include both images in a gallery without much color correction (not the case with the a6000).

It's amazing to get

images of such quality

with such a small camera.

Sony a6500+ Sony 16-70mm f/4 | 1/4000 at f/4 ISO 200

I think this camera achieves a

ideal value

– see the latest Sony a6500 price here.< /p>

It produces spectacular 24-megapixel images with tons of dynamic range while maintaining its compact, easy-to-handle body. Overall I think it's a

fantastic camera

for everyday adventures and travel.

Its small size won't make you wonder if you need to bring it as it easily zips under a jacket or into a backpack lid.

If you're looking for the best value, the a6000 is incredibly affordable, but you're sacrificing low-light performance and nice features like silent shutter and Eye AF.

Check the current price

the

Sony a6500 offers a wide range of lens options

. Although it seems Sony has more recently focused on its full frame lens line (fully compatible with the a6500), there is still a

wide range of options

specifically designed for crop sensors.

The main advantage of crop sensor lenses is their smaller/lighter construction. For my shooting style as a wedding and adventure photographer, my top 3 lenses for the Sony a6500 would be:

1. Sony E 16-70mm f/4

It's a fantastic all-round lens with a 24-105mm equivalent focal length. It is a sharp and robust feeling lens that covers a wide range of focal lengths. A great starter lens for someone new to photography or a professional who needs a backup that covers a wide range.

2. Sony E 10-18mm f/4

Due to my passion for shooting outdoors, this is an awesome lens for capturing the environment. It's very wide with a 15-27mm equivalent focal length while still looking sharp and feeling like a high-quality full-frame lens. The extremely wide focal length makes it less ideal for portraits, but you'll have no trouble fitting all the action into the frame!

3.Sony E 24mm f/1.8

I think it's an awesome lens that people can improve their photography with. Many old pros swear by the 35mm focal length (it's a 36mm equivalent). This will encourage you to "zoom in with your feet" and fill your frame with your subject. I also really appreciate the fast 1.8 aperture when shooting in low light. This fast & sharp lens pairs well with the a6500.

If I had to choose 3 more lenses for the Sony a6500, my choices would be:

4. Sony E 35mm f/1.8

Everyone needs a 'smart fifty' and this lens offers an impressive medium focal length with a fast aperture for low-light shooting. It is an inexpensive and popular main lens. The only downside I encountered was a bit of softness around the edges of the frame, so be sure to keep all important subjects out of the corners when framing scenes with this lens. A great value to add to your kit.

5.Sigma 16mm f/1.4

This ultra-fast, wide-angle prime lens would be my go-to for

astrophotography

with the a6500. At f/1.4, it has the speed to capture the night sky at a 24mm equivalent focal length. It would also be ideal for capturing vast landscapes and action/adventure.

6.Sigma 56mm f/1.4

This is the last lens of my top 6 picks as I think it is one of my least used focal lengths. However, when I need a nice portrait of a person with nice bokeh and eye-catching,

nothing beats an 85mm

equivalent! An excellent fast prime lens for portraits or weddings, especially when shooting in low light.

It really depends on what you're looking to accomplish with your camera, but I'd feel confident with the kit above. I was able to capture the majority of my footage with a slight emphasis on wide angle action/adventure style footage.

Sony a6500 vs Sony a7ii size comparison

A question that people often ask is which should I choose, the Sony a7ii or the Sony a6500. I think this question arises because their price is similar. The difference is in their feature set. They are meant for different purposes.

The main differentiator between the two is the full-frame vs. crop sensor, an age-old debate. I think the best way to compare the two is with a pros/cons list:

Pros of Sony a7ii:

front exposure wheel (see ergonomics section for why this is so important)< /p>

full frame sensor = better high iso image quality

full frame sensor = better bokeh and accurate focal length representation (i.e. 50mm looks like 50mm)

a more personalized button

adapts better to large hands (more ergonomic)

Cons of Sony a7ii:

larger body (not as small/compact as the a6500)

slower to focus & lower frame rate (5 fps vs 11 fps on the a6500)

small frame buffer (will slow down if you shoot a lot of frames in sequence)

skin tones are not as good as the a6500 (based on my experience)

Pros of the Sony a6500:

ultra-compact but powerful case

smaller lens range

eye auto focus

silent shutter

fast autofocus and frame rate (11 fps!!)

touch screen (may or may not be useful)

Sony a6500 cons:

high iso image quality not as good

max shutter speed 1/4000

no front dial for exposure control

bokeh not as good although greater depth of field can be an advantage for landscape images

not as ergonomic to use

With all the pros and cons, I think the bottom line is size/money. The Sony a6500 is an incredible camera in a pint-sized package. It is the little brother of the full format a7 range.

The Sony a7ii is a cheaper body, but the lenses that go with it are more expensive.

[Related: p>

Recommended Sony Lenses

]

Therefore, if you want a fast and capable camera, go for the Sony a6500. If you're just starting out as a pro and want to go full frame, get the Sony a7ii.

You'll spend more on lenses, but over time you can keep them while you upgrade your camera body. Goals hold their value well and don't need to be updated as often.

No review of the Sony a6500 would be complete without a comparison/contrast with its predecessor.

In many ways the a6500 is quite similar to the a6300 (

see review

). The 24.2 MP APS-C sensor and 4D focusing systems are identical, as are its video capabilities, 11 FPS and viewfinder. Its form factor and dial layout are also the same as the a6300 and entry-level a6000.

That being said, there are welcome improvements elsewhere.

The most notable is the Stabilization in the body "5axes". It's huge, especially for those who really don't want to lug around a tripod.

Another key addition is the touchscreen. It's pretty basic, but a real game-changer, especially since there's no joystick.

Sony has also increased the buffer memory in the a6500, allowing it to capture up to 307 full size JPEGs or 107 raws, all at the burst rate of 11 frames per second. That's a huge improvement over the a6300's 44 JPEG and 22 raw limit.

Although the sensor is the same as in the a6300, the a6500 has a faster large-scale integration (LSI) chip and image processing. algorithm. It's a serious help in the area of ​​noise reduction, where it retains detail while effectively reducing noise at mid-high ISOs.

Along with these big upgrades, there are also a few small tweaks here and there, like the addition of a highlight metering mode and a slightly revamped, more colorful menu system.

Another key difference is the price. While the Sony a6500 currently costs around $1100 (body only), the Sony a6300 is priced at a fairly affordable $822 (with zoom kit).

So if touchscreens aren't your thing. , you don't need the IS, and/or you don't do much low-light photography, you'll save around $300 for the a6300.

Personally, I prefer the a6500. The touch screen really helps with focus and the new LSI chip really makes a huge difference. Add to that the fact that the IS works with both stabilized and unstabilized lenses and $300 doesn't really seem like a big difference. But I already have FE lenses I can use with. If you're starting from scratch and don't have a lot of budget, the a6300 might be the right choice.

Full frame or crop sensor - which one to choose? There are many similarities between the APS-C a6500 and the full-frame Sony a7iii, the main difference being the price. (The a7iii still hovers at just under $2,000, case only.)

Both cameras are E-mount, have decent continuous burst speeds (10fps for the a7iii and 11fps for the a6500) and live view with outages up to 8fps. They also both have WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth connectivity

But there are plenty of differences too - and not just the sensor and body size.

To begin with, the

design and ergonomics

are significantly different between the two models.

The a6500 inherited the flat-top design from the a6300 and a6000 APS-C models. It also features a sight in the upper left of the body rather than in the middle. The handle, although larger than the a6300, is still a bit smaller than the a7iii.

The Sony a7iii, on the other hand, has a larger and sturdier build. The increased size (and weight) allows it to offer more dials and buttons for easier control. These include an additional control dial, as well as an AF-ON button and AF joystick.

The larger body of the a7iii also allows it to house a dual SD card slot. One slot is standard UHS-I while the other is UHS-II compatible. The a6500 has only one slot and it is only UHS-I compatible.

The a7iii also comes with a welcome headphone output, making monitoring sound for video infinitely easier.

Both cameras have

an OLED electronic viewfinder

but that of the a7iii is larger and has a higher magnification (0.78x versus 0.70x). The resolution is the same, however, at 2,359,000 dots.

As for the LCD screen, both cameras have a resolution of 921,000 dots. The a7iii articulates a bit more, but that's about the only difference.

the

sensor and processor

is where some of the most obvious internal differences come from.

Size difference between Sony a7iii full frame sensor and Sony a6500 crop sensor.

The a7iii comes with an all new BSI full frame CMOS sensor which allows for superior light gathering. Combined with the latest BIONZ X image processor, the a7iii is simply amazing in low light situations. Its base ISO range starts at 100 and goes to 51200, expandable up to 50 or up to 204800. (Extended values ​​only go to 102400 for video.)

The Sony a6500, on the other hand, has a smaller APS-C sized Exmor CMOS sensor. Its maximum native ISO sensitivity is 25600 (51200 when extended). It's a

big

difference.

Both cameras feature the new front-end LSI chip which improves processing speed and significantly reduces noise.

Also, both cameras offer a 14-bit compressed Raw format, but only the a7iii has an uncompressed Raw option.

As it concerns

auto focus

is concerned ,

both cameras perform very well

, but the a7iii has the beefier and faster system.

The a7iii has an incredible 693 phase detection and 425 dot contrast detection across 93% of the frame. (It's not known for amazing autofocus for nothing!) Based on the a9, it's probably the best mirrorless autofocus system on the market.

The Sony a6500 uses fewer dots (425 phase detection and 169 contrast detection), but still does an amazing job. In normal lighting, I often couldn't tell the difference.

Another major AF difference, however, is that the a7iii comes with an AF area recognition mode. This lets you assign frequently used focus point settings to custom buttons for quick recall. It also has an AF tracking sensor that allows you to adjust the responsiveness in continuous mode.

Both cameras feature EyeAF and face detection.

The

buffer capacity

is significantly different on each camera. The Sony a7iii can go up to 177 JPG and 89 Raw images in a single burst, while the a6500 can go up to 233 JPG or 107 Raw images. Bear in mind though that with the difference in card slots - the a7iii has a UHS-II compatible option - the performance difference may not be so noticeable.

Additionally, the Fn and menu buttons on the a7iii are available immediately after a continuous burst ends, even while data is being written. It's super helpful.

Shutter speed

is another place where the two cameras differ

.

They both use a vertical-trajectory focal-plane type shutter which produces less vibration than previous shutters, but the a7iii is considerably faster, reaching 1/8000s. The a6500, by comparison, hits its limit at 1/4000.

The a7iii also has flicker reduction at high shutter speeds and continuous shooting. (This does not work with video, silent shooting, or light bulb settings.)

About the

flash

, the a6500 comes with a built-in flash. The a7iii comes with a hot shoe. (This works for me, as I don't use a lot of built-in flashes.)

One of the biggest advantages of the a7iii over the a6500 (other than sensor size) is

battery life

. The a6500 uses the older NP-FW50 battery, which has notoriously poor performance. The a7iii uses the larger NP-FZ100 battery, which averages 710 shots with the LCD or 610 shots with the EVF. That's more than double what the a6500's battery can do.

In the

video domain

, the a6500 and the a7iii are quite similar. Both cameras can record 4K at up to 30 fps and 100 Mbps, and Full HD at up to 120 fps. (Here UHS-II cards will come in handy.) The only real differences I can see are that the a7iii has HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) and can record both full-frame and APS-C.

Ultimately it comes down to function, price and size. If I had to choose between the two, there would be no doubt – give me the a7iii any day. I love the full-frame sensor, AF, and superior maneuverability offered by the larger body.

For travel, especially places where I'd worry about the safety of my gear and/or want to carry it around less, the Sony a6500 is a strong contender.

The Sony a6500 did not gain any additional video capabilities over its predecessor, the a6300. Both cameras record amazing videos. The main difference is that the a6500 comes with a 5-stop IS, which is a big deal.

Here are the statistics:

4K (3840 x 2160) at 25p

30p recording in Super 35mm format

Full HD recording (if you need smaller files)

the option to go up to 120p (allows you to capture slow-motion video)

upsampling 4K footage at 4.2.0 internally and 4.2.2 externally via HDMI.

any flat image profiles you would like to calibrate footage later

If you're in any doubt about the video capabilities of this little camera, take a look at Brandon Li's 'London Mood' below. Simply exquisite.

The only thing really missing is that there's no headphone jack. The only way to monitor audio is to watch the levels on screen or plug in an external monitor with audio output.

Also, for Vloggers, the screen doesn't articulate as far as you can see it. That's probably a deal breaker for some people who vlog a lot, and reason enough to spend a bit more on another camera - see the

Sony a6400 review

.

Still, if you don't need an articulating screen, this little camera's 4K video is some of the best around.

When first released, the Sony a6500 cost around $1500. Definitely at the higher end of the CMOS world. It's come down a bit since then to around $1100 which is honestly

a bargain for a camera with all these features.

If you are already using a Sony full frame mirrorless camera (i.e. something in the A7 series). They will be a bit heavier, but can definitely save you money and hassle.

On the other hand, there's something to be said for just slapping on the excellent Sony 35mm f/1.8 and having a small, fully functional setup with you wherever you go.

If this is your first

interchangeable mirrorless camera

and you're starting from scratch, often saves you a lot of money with bundles.

The best Sony a6400 set I have found is this one. It comes with the amazing

Sony FE 50mm F1.8 (full frame) lens and a number of other handy items including:

a camera bag

2 batteries

64 GB

Extreme SD Memory UHS-I Card

flash slave

remote

12- Trépied Spider en pouces

chiffon en microfibre

et un stylo de nettoyage d'objectif

porte-cartes mémoire

… entre autres.

Il comprend également une garantie Sony USA COMPLÈTE, ce que tous les fournisseurs tiers ne peuvent pas offrir.

Le prix semble un peu trop beau pour être vrai, mais le vendeur a une note positive de 99%. . Vaut le détour si vous n'avez pas déjà d'appareil photo, et l'objectif fourni vous aidera vraiment à tirer le meilleur parti du capteur du a6500.

Il existe un certain nombre d'excellents accessoires disponibles pour le Sony a6500, de nombreux qui peuvent sérieusement augmenter les capacités de votre appareil photo tout en conservant sa taille relativement petite et compacte.

Consult

ce guide des accessoires pour appareils photo Sony

pour un regard plus générique sur les produits utiles. Pour l'instant, examinons quelques-uns des plus populaires, tous deux liés à la batterie:

Compte tenu des performances médiocres de la batterie du Sony a6500, il est tout à fait logique d'investir dans un Sony a5000 tiers. poignée de batterie. Cela peut certainement prolonger l'autonomie de votre batterie - si vous filmez une vidéo, cela peut transformer une journée de 6 batteries en une journée de 4 batteries lorsque vous faites de la vidéo.

Mon préféré est le Meike MK-a6500 Pro Grip. C'est à la fois abordable (60 $) et fonctionnel. Il confère également un peu plus de stabilité à l'appareil photo.

La position des boutons et des molettes facilite également la prise de vue en orientation portrait. Fondamentalement, une ergonomie améliorée tout autour.

Comme mentionné précédemment, le Sony a6500 utilise toujours les batteries plus petites dont Sony s'est éloigné. La durée de vie de la batterie de l'a6500 n'est pas particulièrement impressionnante. Étant habitué à l'a7iii, j'ai vraiment remarqué une grande différence.

J'ai probablement dû charger les batteries de l'a6500 4 fois plus que celles de l'a7iii, mais ce n'est pas vraiment une comparaison juste. La technologie de batterie de l'a7iii est encore assez récente.

Inversement, les batteries plus durables du Sony a7iii sont considérablement plus grandes et plus lourdes que les 6500, et vous pouvez acheter des batteries tierces pour l'a6500 beaucoup moins chères .

Le moyen le plus rapide de vider la batterie de l'a6500 est de filmer une vidéo 4K - vous obtiendrez peut-être 65 minutes maximum. Donc, si vous prévoyez de faire beaucoup de vidéos, assurez-vous d'acheter beaucoup de batteries supplémentaires et/ou une poignée de batterie.

Une autre option consiste à faire appel à un tiers. L'a6500 est livré avec une batterie de 1100 mAh (idéale pour environ 310 prises de vue sans stroboscope) mais les options tierces de 1500 mAh sont faciles à trouver, comme celles-ci que je recommande, qui augmentent la durée de vie de la batterie d'environ 30%.

Une fonctionnalité intéressante is that you can charge your camera battery over USB, which means you can charge it in your car without buying an expensive adapter.

Of course, this isn't that unusual these days and it

is

pretty frustrating that Sony's mirrorless cameras aren't sold with separate battery chargers. For road trips, though, it's pretty cool.

Unlike Fujifilm, Sony doesn't often release firmware for it's mirrorless cameras. I only check once in a blue moon for my a7iii.

That being said, there is indeed a firmware update available for the a6500 that was released just last month – v1.06. The only real change this update makes is improving the overall camera stability (Sony doesn't go into detail as to what exactly that means.)

This link will bring you to the Mac/Windows download page.

Sony a6500+ Sony 16-70mm f/4 | 1/3200 at f/4 ISO 200

If you're looking for a main body to use professionally, I would say the Sony a7iii is still the best investment, but the Sony a6500

isn't far behind.

The main advantage of the a6500 is its smaller form factor and thus smaller lenses. In addition to being smaller, the lenses are much more affordable.

The size being the main advantage of the a6500 is also where it falls short for me. The short battery life and too compact controls are enough to make me hesitate to rely on it too much. The last thing I need is to miss a shot because I can't change my settings fast enough or my battery died.

However, the Sony a6500 certainly works as a viable backup to keep in the bag in case your main body has a problem. Where it really shines is as a

small/lightweight camera for traveling

or having on you all the time to

document the adventures of life

.

I plan on keeping an a6500 around for documenting everyday adventures and taking with me everywhere.

If the best camera is the one you have with you, get a high-quality yet compact and lightweight setup that you will always have with you!

Highly Recommended

sony a6500

Impressive performance in a compact body. Highly recommended for all level of photographer.

Check Current Price

Disclaimer: All recommendations are impartial and based on user experience, with no bias to the products or the brand. The products in this post may contain affiliate links.

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