Sony Alpha a6500 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 18-135mm Lens
UPC's:
Suprising Power in Miniature
Quite a powerful camera for the size, this thing literally fits in your palm. Most lenses will be bigger and heavier than it. Impressive image quality, superb build quality, and highly versatile. Sure, battery life is lacking, but there are plenty of workarounds from extra batteries to external power banks, and it's worth it for the features and size. Menu system has a learning curve but not bad. In all this camera affords a much higher level of ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Happy camper
I was a Sony a7rII owner for about a year and started feeling that what I wanted was what the a6500 offers better video and focus features, cropped sensor (smaller files) and overall faster action response. So I sold the a7rII and got this. I am so happy. The camera is super compact and in terms of video features I am so excited. a7rII video stabilization is out of this world and I wasn't expecting that in the a6500, but it is good and if you kno... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Small Cam Big Results
Bought this camera for the video capabilities and its compact size. I use the 16mm pancake with it and am impressed so far. I shot a few stills just for fun and am especially impressed with Sony's color palette. I am a staunch Nikon user for my stills (700, 750) but this little camera did exceptionally well! So far, the video quality is great. I have read the reviews on its limitations and other issues and use the video functions within the camer... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Cheap bundle
Quite disappointed today. I received the camera and noticed that the box is unsealed. I don't know if the camera I received came from someone else who returned it. Don't bother with the kit. They are cheap products..the battery is not genuine. The bag is tiny that it only fits a tiny lens. I bought this camera as an upgrade from my Sony A6000 which creates a loud screeching sound and locks the shutter...Unfortunately, this happened again when I i... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A very good camera with a small footprint
I purchased a Sony a6500 and 16-70mm f/4 lens for travel. I wanted something that was not to big and heavy but would still produce excellent image quality. I have been using this combination for a few weeks now and have become quite familiar with navigating the menus and accessing functions. The camera is easy to control and the results compare favorably to my much larger and heavier Canon 5D Mk III with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. I agonized over the ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Quality performance for its small size
I bought this camera for travel and I think it will serve that purpose very well. I find the quality of the images impressive and the ease of use quite good. The menus could be improved for optimum navigation, but once used to the system, it works adequately. I too wish the battery could be charged independent of the camera and could see some improvement in noise management, but the image stabilization is good. The overall performance is very good and in many instances will be a perfectly acceptable substitute for the heavier, pro-level equipment. B&H as always is a first-rate supplier.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Surprisingly light and very capable!
What a surprise! I have been into photography for a very long time, shot with almost every brand that has any cache and ultimately have gone to Sony mirrorless as my go to system. I have been shooting with their full frame models but wanted a lighter kit for basic travel photography and with the multiplier, greater telephoto reach for wildlife work. After using this camera for a few weeks, I am absolutely blown away by its focus speed and reliability and I love the lightness of the kit as well. Sony is hitting some home runs these days and I would rate the A6500 in that category.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
full of features but...not for all
I put a lot of expectation on this camera. but I m quite disappointed. just to resume my experience. good: -light and small like a compact point and shot camera. -4k videos with nice performance even in low light -has many features (high burst rate, panorama, focus peaking...) drawbacks: -poor battery life -poor autofocus performance in low light (-1EV) -poor viewfinder/screen performance in low light (fireworks, dim light...) -slow and laggy in operations (turn on off, general responsiveness) -uncomfortable to use with "big" lenses such the Sony 18-105 -high price
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Have it your way!
This camera can be simple (auto) or complex (manual) depending on your knowledge of photography. I took it to Bhutan October 2018 without reading the directions and set it on auto - overall my pictures were excellent pending environmental obstacles. When lighting was perfect the images were crystal clear and colors true to the scene. I had two lenses 16 - 50 OSS and 55 - 210 OSS and both served their purpose well. The zipper on the camera bag that came with the accessory kit split apart the first time I used it and was not large enough for the two lenses.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great camera all round
I'm not a professional photographer, but I can hold my own as an hobbits and enthusiast in the art, being taking photographs for very long time and I must say this camera is a great tool I can't put it down I do lots of church events on a weekly basic and the low light with a Zeiss lens, untouchable without tripod say something about the IBIS in a very small body, the only draw back Sony could have included a microphone jack where you could monitor sound, but then again it is for still photographer not video, but overall it is a great camera.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great camera
I'm not a professional photographer, but I can hold my own as an hobbits and enthusiast in the art, being taking photographs for very long time and I must say this camera is a great tool I can't put it down I do lots of church events on a weekly basic and the low light with a Zeiss lens, untouchable without tripod say something about the IBIS in a very small body, the only draw back Sony could have included a microphone jack where you could monitor sound, but then again it is for still photographer not video, but overall it is a great camera.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Now I have three of them!
I shoot video on A6500 and even in long events it holds nicely. Just finished dance recital - one hour and 30 mins in 4K continuously in quite hot theatre. Just got that high temperature sign, but kept rolling. Make sure you use battery grip or some external battery, keep LCD screen fully flipped out and use great SanDisk Extreme Pro memory cards. This is 4K camera - 1080p is not that great but when you know what you doing, it gives you great results. Its lightweight, so having three of them in one backpack for wedding shoot is just awesome.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Wonderful Camera! **Take the time to learn it's menu**
I have a canon 5D Markiii and wanted a lighter mirrorless camera just for fun. I wasn't looking to spend much so the a6500 seemed like a good choice! So far it's been great (after figuring out the menu functions). I definitely suggest you take time to learn all of the different functions and menu options. It could be organized a little better, but all in all a good camera. The images this camera produces are very sharp. I mainly use it to photograph animals and wildlife. Fun camera to work with and the slow-motion video is great as well!
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
First trip to Maui
Got my A6500 in the mail just days before my trip to Maui. Paired with the 18-105mm it was the perfect all around set up for the trip. Took the camera on a helicopter tour as well as a whale watching tour and the IBIS came in handy while taking photos and video. The 11 fps allowed me to shoot the whales jumping out of the water. With just over a week with the camera and about 1000 photos I am extremely impressed so far but time will tell. Only down fall is the battery life is extremely low, glad this kit came with an extra battery.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
AWESOME CAMERA
I bought the A6500 primarily to shoot action, wildlife, and birds in flight. Only had it a couple weeks and have shot with it 3 times so still getting used to it. Love the AF and IBIS systems. The price for what you get is the selling point. Next step up in this game would be the A7III. Plus I like getting more distance from zoom lenses with the APS-C sensor! It is a little bit of a battery hog but knew that going in, and have a half dozen spares as I own 2 A6000s as well. As usual, B&Hs site, prices, and service are top notch.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great price for so many features
I've had an a5000 for a while now and have been frustrated with its low light performance and screen resolution. This was my solution and I've waited a few years for it to drop in price. And as of today January 3, 2020 it's still on sale for $798 which is why I jumped on it. I own some older glass and the ibis helps so much with my shaky hands when taking photos, but not much at all when taking videos as it struggles to deal with footsteps and shakes more than I'd like. tl;dr: Upgraded from a5000, and it's worth it for me.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
La mejor cmara sin espejo de Sony con estabilizacin.
Mi experiencia con la Sony a6500 ha sido de lo mejor, tiene muchas caracteristicas que permiten usarla desde una persona con nociones basicas de fotografia hasta profesionales en la materia. Los usos que le he dado para fotos panoramicas, de personas y de eventos me han dado buenos resultados. Desconozco su comparacion con competidores mas grandes de la misma Sony o de otras compaas, pero a mi me agrada y por su costo/desempeo para fotos y video en 4K me parece una muy buena inversion. Totalmente recomendada.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Better than my old a6000 by far!
Fantastic for wildlife. I am using this solely for wildlife using the new Sony 100-400mm G Master. It sometimes take a second to get focus, but I believe this is due to the lens and the wide range that it has. It tracks birds in flight like nothing else! You can't beat the size and weight of this combo. I have yet to hit the buffer on this camera. On the a6000 I would hit the buffer limit regularly. The EVF is noticeably sharper than the a6000. The custom buttons and settings allow me to be more proficient.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
4K UHD and IBIS quality is fantastic.
Fantastic, crystal-clear 4K UHD video and IBIS (Image Stabilization) and fast autofocus with the Metabones Ultra Speedbooster for stills. I've been very pleased with that aspect of the camera. The downsides are- the 120fps HD slow motion, while fun, is low-res and soft / grainy and the rolling shutter is horrific, even when converting to full-frame using said Speedbooster. Don't expect to be able to film fast-moving trains, cars, etc. I'd like to see them fix this in the next iteration of the camera.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Yeah, Yeah...
Yes, what everybody says is true. You don't need another review saying the same ol thing. EF lens users, yes it works with Metabones Speedbooster. But it works smooth in video mode. In still mode it's takes a few passes till it locks on. Not reliable enough for a paying gig. But I got this for video work anyway. They need a custom menu page. All those menu pages are ridiculous. My favorite feature? The image stabilization. This is the main reason why I bought it and I'm not regretting it.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great Upgrade from the a6300
I loved my sony a6300 and pretty much everything about it except overheating issues. I mostly shoot video and so far I've been able to shoot as much 4k footage as I want on the a6500 without even a warning, much less the camera shutting down like the a6300 did. The ibis is a nice upgrade and allows me to use non stabliized 30 party lenses and achieve much better results. The touch screen and touch to focus functionality is pretty nice too, though it's a little small to really be awesome.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I am satisfied with my experiences so far.
I use it for portrait, street, and occasionally sports. The menus continue to be tricky and I wish Sony would put more research into improving them. For ex., when something can't be done, suggest what should be done to make it happen. Otherwise it is an extremely capable camera, and with a good lens is capable of remarkably sharp and well exposed images. The jpg files are really superb. They are pricing it very high, but it is an excellent product, and delightfully compact.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I am glad I bought this but...
This model has many features I looked forward to having...better low light, better seal, better stability. Easier ergonomically However, the 410 page manual is cumbersome and poorly written, more so than the manuals for the NEX 7 and RX100. There is new vocabulary without definition. As best as I can tell there is no table of contents or index. So many of the nice features of the focus mechanisms are interdependent that the learning curve is much slower than other models.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Amazing camera, Terrible battery life.
I really wish I could have given this camera 5 starts because the pictures and videos are amazing and this camera. I also love the compact design which makes it easy to travel with and once you get used to the menu system you will love this thing. The only reason I can't give it 5 stars is because the battery life is TERRIBLE one this camera! I had to go out and buy 2 spare batteries to get me through a whole day. It should have included a 2nd battery for free.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
