It was this past February that Sony introduced us to their lighting fast α6300, and now, they have announced it’s successor, the even faster and more powerful α6500.

The Sony α6500 features a 24.2 MP Exmor® CMOS sensor and what Sony states as the world’s fastest AF speed (0.05 sec.) and the highest number of phase detection AF points (425).

In-camera 5-axis optical image stabilization gives the same level of steadiness you would find in the A7 II. This means that shooters  can use E-Mount lenses that don’t feature Sonys Optical SteadyShot stabilization and still expect rock solid images.

Sony has also introduced a touchscreen allowing you to swipe through your shots, double-tap to zoom in and use it to adjust your focus points on the fly when in live view mode.

Video

As with the α6300, the α6500 offers 4K internal recording of video and adds a new capture option, Slow and Quick Motion Mode.

The new mode works by allowing a selection of up eight different frame rates ranging from 1 to 120fps creating videos up to 60x fast motion or in up to 5x slow motion. You can also view these videos right in camera without having to download them to your computer first.

Shooting in Super 35mm format (3840 x 2160 resolution) utilizes the image sensor’s entire width with full pixel readout and no pixel binning.

The α6500 (in 4K or Full HD) allows for S-Log gamma recording offering approximately 14 stops of exposure latitude in the S-Log3 setting giving you greater flexibility in post.

Sony α6500 Sample Images – Click image for full sized view

While there aren’t a huge number of improvements between the α6300 & the α6500, the improvements that were made (mainly to speed and usability) make the α6500 a solid choice for first-time Sony buyers or those looking to upgrade from the α6000.

The Sony α6500 (body only) is available at Vistek

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Key Features:

• 24.2MP APS-C Exmor® sensor w/ advanced processing up to ISO 51.200
• Wide 425 phase detection AF points, Fast 0.05 sec. AF acquisition
• 5-axis in-body image stabilization steadies every lens
• 11fps continuous shooting to 269 frames at 24.2MP w/ AE/AF tracking
• 4K movie w/ 2.4x oversampling, full pixel readout, no pixel binning
• OLED EVF w/Live View benefits and optical viewfinder immediacy
• XAVC S video, S-log2/3, slow/quick frame rates, 4:2:2 HDMI out
• Touch AF for stills/video w/ touchpad operation when using EVF
• Wi-Fi®/NFC™/QR code for easy file transfer and remote control
• Dust/moisture-resistant magnesium alloy body w/ 200k+ cycle shutter