Sony A6500 vs Sony A6000 Comparison

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Sony A6500

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Sony A6000

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Sony A6500 vs Sony A6000 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing A6500 and A6000, two Mirrorless cameras by Sony. Sony Alpha a6500 is a Advanced Mirrorless class camera and Sony Alpha a6000 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless class camera.

Sony A6500 was introduced to the market in October 2016 and Sony A6000 was launched in April 2014. As you can see, A6000 is 2 years older than A6500. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

A6500 and A6000 are members of Sony's A6xxx series of cameras. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Sony A6xxx Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Dimensions	Weight
Sony A6600	2019	24.0MP - APS-C	120 x 67 x 59mm	503g
Sony A6100	2019	24.0MP - APS-C	120 x 67 x 49mm	396g
Sony A6400	2019	24.0MP - APS-C	120 x 67 x 50mm	403g
Sony A6500	2016	24.0MP - APS-C	120 x 67 x 53mm	453g
Sony A6300	2016	24.0MP - APS-C	120 x 67 x 49mm	404g

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A6500 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-10-06

24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 51200)

Sony E Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3.00" Tilting Screen

2359k dot Electronic viewfinder

11.0fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution

120fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

453g. 120 x 67 x 53 mm

Weather-sealed Body

Sony A6000 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-04-23

24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 51200)

Sony E Mount

3.00" Tilting Screen

1440k dot Electronic viewfinder

11.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

344g. 120 x 67 x 45 mm

Replaced Sony Alpha NEX-6 Compare

Sony A6500 was replaced by Sony Alpha a6600. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha a6600 vs Sony Alpha a6500
Sony Alpha a6600 vs Sony Alpha a6000

Sony A6000 was replaced by Sony Alpha a6100. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha a6100 vs Sony Alpha a6000
Sony Alpha a6100 vs Sony Alpha a6500

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

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Reasons to choose Sony Alpha a6500 over Sony Alpha a6000

In-built Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Number of Focus Points	425 vs 179	246 more focus points
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Viewfinder Resolution	2359.296k dot vs 1440k dot	63% higher resolution
Color Depth	24.5 vs 24.1	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	13.7 vs 13.1	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	1405 vs 1347	better High ISO performance
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
Bluetooth	Yes vs No	Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Webcam Function	Yes vs No	Use your camera as a Webcam
Eye Tracking Focus	Yes vs No	Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject

CHECK A6500 PRICE

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha a6000 over Sony Alpha a6500

Battery Life	360 shots vs 350 shots	10 more frames with a single charge
Weight	344 g vs 453 g	109 g lighter
UHS Card Support	UHS-I vs none	Read/Write in High Speeds

CHECK A6000 PRICE

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha a6500 and Sony Alpha a6000

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Adjustable LCD Screen	Tilting vs Tilting	Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Max Resolution	24 MP vs 24 MP	Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution	922k dots vs 922k dots	High resolution screens
Max Continuous Shooting	11.0fps vs 11.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording	With Optional App vs With Optional App	creative shooting
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection	Yes vs Yes	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha a6500 and Sony Alpha a6000

Sony A6500 vs Sony A6000: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A6500 has external dimensions of 120 x 67 x 53 mm (4.72 x 2.64 x 2.09″) and weighs 453 g (1.00 lb / 15.98 oz) (including batteries). Sony A6000 has external dimensions of 120 x 67 x 45 mm (4.72 x 2.64 x 1.77″) and weighs 344 g (0.76 lb / 12.13 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Sony A6500 and the Sony A6000. Sony A6500 has the same height and width with Sony A6000. On the other hand, with a thickness of 53mm, it is 8mm thicker.

Comparison image of the Sony A6500 and the Sony A6000 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Sony A6500 and Sony A6000.

Comparison image of the Sony A6500 and the Sony A6000 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A6500 and Sony A6000.

Top View Comparison image of the Sony A6500 and the the Sony A6000 Size

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A6000 is significantly lighter (109g ) than the Sony A6500 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you also have to take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 have the same Sony E lens mount and APS-C sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A6500

A6000

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A6500

A6000

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather-sealed body, we believe that the A6500 has a big advantage over the A6000 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A6500 and Sony A6000's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels.

Sony A6500 vs Sony A6000: Sensor Comparison

Both Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 have APS-C sized 24.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the A6500 and A6000 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 Cameras

Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, A6500 has scored 85, 3 points higher than A6000.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Sony A6500	85	24.5 bits	13.7 Evs	1405 ISO
Sony A6000	82	24.1 bits	13.1 Evs	1347 ISO

Sony A6500 vs Sony A6000 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

The number of available lenses is a big deciding factor when choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 have the same Sony E lens mount and currently there are 191 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Sony A6500 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Sony A6000 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 38 lenses for Sony E mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type	# of Sony A6500 Lenses	# of Sony A6000 Lenses
Standard Zoom	19	19
Standard Prime	34	34
Wideangle Zoom	14	14
Wideangle Prime	57	57
Telephoto Zoom	17	17
Telephoto Prime	26	26
SuperZoom	10	10
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	2	2
Macro Prime	9	9
Perspective Control Prime	2	2
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	n/a
TOTAL	191	191

Here are some of the most popular Sony E Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Sony E Mount Lenses for the A6500 and the A6000

	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS	35mm FF	663gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS	35mm FF	602gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM	35mm FF	886gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 200-600 F5.6-6.3 G OSS	35mm FF	2115gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 50mm F1.8	35mm FF	186gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM	35mm FF	680gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS	APS-C / DX	345gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 FE	35mm FF	772gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony A6500 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sony A6000 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A6500 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A6000 for Street Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A6500 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A6000 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
425 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
179 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A6500 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A6000 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
453g
Body Thickness 53mm
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
344g
Body Thickness 45mm
Read the details

Sony A6500 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A6000 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A6500 vs Sony A6000: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far, but in case you wonder how we rated Sony A6500 and Sony A6000, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony A6500 and Sony A6000 scores compare:

Sony A6500

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #10 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #89 out of 1259 in all Cameras

Sony A6000

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #40 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #235 out of 1259 in all Cameras

Sony A6500 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony A6000 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Sony A6500.

Sony A6000 vs Sony A6500 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sony Alpha a6500	Sony Alpha a6000
Brand	Sony	Sony
Announced	2016-10-06	2014-04-23
Body Type	Rangefinder-style mirrorless	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	APS-C	APS-C
Dimensions	23.5 x 15.6 mm	23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area	366.60mm²	366.60mm²
Megapixels	24 megapixels	24 megapixels
Max Resolution	6000 x 4000	6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity	25,600 ISO	25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	51200 ISO	51200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	425	179
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Sony E	Sony E
Number of Available Lenses	191	191
Screen
Type	Tilting	Tilting
Size	3.00"	3.00"
Resolution	922k dots	922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	2,359k dots	1,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.7x	0.7x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	6.00 m (at ISO 100)	6.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync	1/160s	1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	11.0 fps	11.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	453g	344g
Dimensions	120 x 67 x 53mm	120 x 67 x 45mm
Battery Life	350 shots	360 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording	With Downloadable App	With Downloadable App
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	85	82
DxO Color Depth	24.5	24.1
DxO Dynamic Range	13.7	13.1
DxO Low Light ISO	1405	1347
	Report a correction	Report a correction