Sony Alpha a6500 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 16-70mm Lens Kit
UPC's:
Amazing Camera packed into a tiny body and affordable price
So I primarily do video, so for this review I don't really get into the camera's stills ability because I have only shot a handful of pictures on it so far. I shoot video semi professionally for my video production business Instrumental Motion. 90% of what I do video was is filming at rock concerts live as it happens with an arsenal of cameras, then I edit it all together in post. Before purchasing the A6500 I was using an arsenal of old Nikon D... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Super Snappy; Fun with FE Lenses
I want to start this review by saying something about the supposedly Byzantine menus on Sony cameras. You hear it all the time among camera reviewers. This would be such a great camera, they say, if only the menu weren't so confusing. I have a theory about these people. I think that either a) they don't actually use Sony cameras, or b) they are the type of people who find a lot of things confusing, like cities and email. People who actually use S... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great upgrade to the A6000 & A6300
I've beenshooting with the A7 & A7rII at the moment and shot with the Nex7 a few years ago along with the Olympus Epl6 . The A6500 is a stellar performer. I'm using it with the manylenses I have for the full frame Sony's. I don't know where DXo and other reviewers are coming from when they say that the full frame lens don't work well with the A6500. I' just shot with the zeiss 16-35f4 and the sony 70-200 G lens, and have been getting some really ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Best APSC, Great update,
I'm a professional studio photographer and I work with SONY for several years. A900, A850, A99, A7RII, but always I have a personal camera for my travels and personal projects. Something smaller like nex7, then Nex6, the A6000, A6300 but Very fast Sony decide to insert 5 axis and touchscreen to this line of cameras. I sell the A6300 and just receive this one a week ago. It is just Amazing!!!!. The first thing I noticed it was the change of the gr... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great camera with some quirks
I use this camera for both stills and video. Coming from a Canon 70D, I decided on the a6500 because I really wanted 4K video, full HD slow motion, and a log picture profile, none of which Canon offer at a competitive price point. I've also used an original A7s extensively, so that was a point of comparison as well. If you've done your research then you know about the rolling shutter (it's bad, but not a deal breaker for me), and the Sony battery... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great quality for price, if you have realistic expecations
So far I really like my a6500! Here are some observations I've had about it. Keep in mind I purchased this camera for its video capabilities. -Really surprised by the low light capabilities of this camera for an APS-C sensor. It's sooo clean, even at really high ISOs like 25,000. -The menus are much improved from what I have been used to in the a7s. The amount of customizing at your fingertips is really nice. With that said, there are still way t... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Best Camera for My Purposes
Am comparing with the Sony Nex-7, of which I own 3 bodies. I dismiss DSLR cameras as inappropriate for my purposes. Film SLRs and DSLRs are too bulky and weighty, even APS-sensor DSLRs, to be carried when photography is not my sole purpose of travel and recreation. Despite all the SLRs and DSLRs I have owned, most of my photography was with upper end point and shoots. Your best camera is the one you have with you. A camera too burdensome stays ho... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Gone Sony
I am a full time professional real estate photographer and videographer and also shoot for small business marketing needs with both video and photography. Knowing what I do with the camera is equally important to my opinion of it. I sold my 5D iii and 80d and lenses to make the switch and was VERY apprehensive. The mark IV was not the answer although it is a beautiful camera, the codec for 4K is impossible with my work flow. Now, the point. This ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Fantastic footage from a tiny camera
Just purchased the A6500 and 18-105 F4 lens. I shoot concerts generally using multiple cameras placed throughout well lit stages of various rock bands. I have been doing this on older Nikon DSLRs for the past few years before deciding to upgrade to Sony cameras. For the most part I only do video. So far I love the A6500 for its tiny form factor. The lens I got is by no means compact though. My next investment will definitely be a fast prime that... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Yes I like it and recommend it
I sort of married Nikon many years ago and have a collection of old SLR's and two current FX and one DX DSLRs.. I travel a bit both in the US and abroad. My usual camera pack has been an FX with a 24-120 and a 28-300mm and the DX with an 18-200 zoom. I also have a belt/point and shoot as a belt carry. The D7200 is both a backup should I have problems with the D610 and a lighter less bulky rig for evening walks and dinners in interesting places an... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great Time to Invest in a Camera Like This!
I won't get into the technical stuff because it's been excessively documented. So I'll stick to the end users perspective. I'm primarily an audio person. I've been producing audio professionally for over fifteen years. About a year ago I decided I wanted to invest in a "prosumer" camera for my studio. I didn't want to get into the video business. I just wanted to shoot some footage of my clients recording in the studio. I initially started l... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Amazing camera for video work AND photo
This camera is not perfect. But it comes close to it for my needs. I'm a videographer who also likes to take dope photos casually. I'd say 70% video and 30% photo. I love the 6K APS-C sensor. For video, 4K is super crisp. I love the lowlight performance. I do 4K 24p 100mb with shutter speed at 1/50 and a fast lens like 35mm f1.8. It looks amazing. No need to worry about noise. Plus I have NeatVideo denoiser, so I'm pretty much bullet proof even i... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Excels at underwater photography!
I got the Sony A6500 primarily for underwater photography and video, and paired it with an Ikelite housing. The good: its burst rate, large buffer, and AF system allow me to track fast moving fish in video or stills mode. The three primary lenses I use with it are the Sony 50mm f/2.8 macro, the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 Contemporary, and the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 Contemporary. These lenses are tack sharp and work perfectly with the A6500's AF system. They are... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
This was a steal at $800
I upgraded from the A6000, here are my thoughts. -The A6000 didn't allow the Jpeg to have Dynamic Range Optimisation (DRO) when you selected RAW+Jpeg output. The 6500 has now fixed this, to my surprise. This now enable me to shoot Raw+Jpeg with a peace of mind that my Jpegs won't lose detail in shadows and highlights. -The A6500 grip is more substantial than the A6000, and I liked this upgrade. This was among one of the reasons why I chose A6500 ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Images you can keep from a small camera
The Sony Alpha a6500 is now my walk-around camera. I gave it 5 stars, because my expectations for this camera were realistic and I got very much what I wanted: I was looking for the lightest-weight camera that allowed for full control and also recorded beautiful images, including great video. This camera is all that. I am using the Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens. Better lenses are available, but they are significantly heavier and prici... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Not quite
This is my first mirrorless camera. Im a long time user of SLR and DSLR cameras. I purchased it because of the 120fps and 4K capability. Since I have no other experience with this camera type my review will primarily focus on comparisons and contrasts to DSLRs. First, the 6500 is heavy and well-built. Controls and menus are pretty straight forward. Having a viewfinder in addition to the articulated LCD is a plus. I found the video recording butto... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Good camera, poorly organized video menus
Note: I use it almost exclusively for video. It's mostly a good upgrade from the 5D MkIII as a B Camera. I most often put it on the Zhiyuan Crane 2 (for which it's a bit light). The image stabilization is amazing. Auto focus on the Sony 16-70 zoom is terrific. The 120fps looks great. The 4k (in truth UHD) looks very good. Complaints: The on/off button for video shooting is about the size of the head of a pin. What were they thinking? But worst fe... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
From A6000 To A6500
This review is not about the major obvious benefits you find in a spec sheet such as stabilization in the body, silent shutter, and great 4k video. Its about the little things that matter such as the eye cup. Its softer, prevents your eyelashes from touching the EVF and best of all, it's more secure. I did not have to buy replacements from those times I went hiking and slung it over my shoulder or at those parties when you're bumping bodies. Its ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A great camera and a great kit lens
About the camera: There are countless reviews about the sony a6500, created by professionals who layout their impressions in a well delivered manner. If you are looking to deep dive into the camera's capabilities ahead of purchase, I could not recommend more the tutorial created by Tony & Chelsea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJIfl2qh9H4&t=1985s My own personal impression in a nutshell: An absolutely great camera, packed with unbeliev... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
An another extraordinary Sony Camera!
I am a pro-shooter and converted last year from all Nikon to all Sony Alphas. I shoot A7RIIs with G Master lenses and a couple of Sony and Zeiss primes as well. When I am not shooting commercially I never use my professional gear in order to ensure that IRS does not find an iota of misuse that might trigger a denied deduction. I have been shooting Leicas (M-9 and Q) and love them despite some of their limitations. I purchased a Sony A 6300 for my... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
For video shooters: much better value in a6300 for many.
Rented a6500 to compare against a6300 which I own. Used 55mmf1.8, 50mmf1.8 oss, and 10-18mm f4 oss lenses for comparisons from which I drew pros and cons below. Pros -better grip for handheld shooting outside cage/rig -rack focus by tap to focus on lcd touch screen. -some stabilization with non-oss lenses (though arguably not as good as oss lenses on a6300). -longer 4k recording. How long seems to depend on unit you get and whether you turn on 'a... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great Camera but might not be worth the upgrade from A6300
I bought this camera over the Sony A6300, because of the 5 axis stabilization and the touch screen but these features alone are not really worth the $400-500 price difference. This camera is great and the 24mp APS-C sensor takes beautiful images as well as the 4k video but the A6300 does the same thing only lacks the 5 axis stabilization but you can get stabilization through most Sony lens. The only benefit the A6500 is that you can have stabiliz... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A bit early to evaluate
I have played around with the camera and two lenses some but the A6500 has a big learning curve and I am close to the bottom of the ladder. So far, as I have worked through the menu options, with help of Utube and the online manual, aided by my considerable pre-purchase research on mirrorless cameras. I am pretty sure that once I really learn the camera and graduate to the GM series lenses, I am going to be rating the system A6500 system 5 stars.... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Outstanding camera - loaded with options!
So much is written and many high praises for the Sony ILCE-6500 that it is a bit overwhelming. I will keep this review focused on my personal experience only. Using 4/18-105 lens To begin with, the camera is incredibly loaded with options and features. I purchased David Busch's Sony a6500 400 page book released in April 2017. Reading this book and watching the many Youtube videos can overwhelm you in the camera's sophistication and options availa... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
