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Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400

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Sony A6500

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

Sony A6500
$1,298.00
or
BUY
Change

Sony A6400

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

Sony A6400
$899.99
or
BUY
Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing A6500 and A6400, two Semi-Pro Mirrorless cameras by Sony. Both Sony A6500 and Sony A6400 cameras have 24.0MP APS-C sensors.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony A6500 and Sony A6400 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″ Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 11.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120 High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 453g. 120 x 67 x 53 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha a6300 Compare

Sony A6400 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-01-15
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 32000
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3″ Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 11.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120 High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 403g. 120 x 67 x 60 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
Reasons to choose Sony Alpha a6500 over Sony Alpha a6400
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs None All the lenses are stabilized
Reasons to choose Sony Alpha a6400 over Sony Alpha a6500
Max ISO 32.000 vs 25.600 25% higher Max ISO
Battery Life 410 shots vs 350 shots 60 more frames with a single charge
Weight 403 g vs 453 g 50 g lighter
Timelapse Recording Yes vs With optional app creative shooting
Viewfinder Resolution 2359.296k dot vs 2359k dot 0% higher resolution
Price $900 vs $1,298 $398 cheaper
Selfie Friendly LCD Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Bluetooth Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Common Strengths of Sony Alpha a6500 and Sony Alpha a6400
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
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 Higher resolution screens
Continuous Shooting 11.0fps vs 11.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
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 Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Video Bit rates 100mbps vs 100mbps High Video quality
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha a6500 and Sony Alpha a6400
Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A6500 and Sony A6400. Sony A6500 has the same height and width with Sony A6400. On the other hand, with a thickness of 53mm, it is 7mm thinner.

Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A6500 and Sony A6400.
Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A6400 is 50g lighter than the Sony A6500 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Sony A6500 and Sony A6400 have the same APS-C sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A6500
A6400
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A6500
A6400
Min
Average
Max
Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400: Sensor Comparison

Both Sony A6500 and Sony A6400 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 A6400 sensor size comparison.

Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400 Sensor Size Comparison


Sony A6500 and Sony A6400 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Sony A6500 and Sony A6400 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A6500 and Sony A6400 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

EXCELLENT

Sony A6400 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
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 A6400 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 A6400 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
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
425 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A6500 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A6400 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
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
403g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details

Sony A6500 for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Sony A6400 for Landscape Photography

GOOD
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
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Sony A6400 vs Sony A6500 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Sony A6500 and Sony A6400 have the same Sony E lens mount and currently there are 101 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 which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Sony A6400 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 23 lenses for Sony E mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Sony A6500 Lenses # of Sony A6400 Lenses
Standard Zoom 9 9
Standard Prime 17 17
Wideangle Zoom 5 5
Wideangle Prime 32 32
Telephoto Zoom 6 6
Telephoto Prime 13 13
SuperZoom 8 8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 2
Macro Prime 7 7
Perspective Control Prime 2 2
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 101 101
Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400: 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 A6400, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 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 A6400 scores compare:

Sony A6500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #11 out of 119 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #73 out of 1168 in all Cameras
Sony A6400
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #5 out of 119 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #56 out of 1168 in all Cameras

Sony A6400 has a higher Overall Score than the Sony A6500 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Sony A6500
Sony A6500
$1,298.00

Sony A6400
Sony A6400
$899.99

Sony A6400 vs Sony A6500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha a6500 Sony Alpha a6400
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2016-10-06 2019-01-15
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Price $1,298.00 $899.99
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 32,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 51200 ISO 102800 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 425 425
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Sony E
Number of Available Lenses 101 101
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3″ 3″
Resolution 922k dots 922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots 2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.7 0.7
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 6.00 m (at ISO 100) 6.00 m (at ISO 100)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 11.0 fps 11.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 453g 403g
Dimensions 120 x 67 x 53mm 120 x 67 x 60mm
Battery Life 350 shots 410 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 85 not tested
DxO Color Depth 24.5 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 13.7 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 1405 not tested
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