Last updated June 2017
There’s nothing wrong with the A7S2, A9, A7R2, etc., but the price of the a6500 is what really continues to impress me. I have a camera that is entirely capable of producing both professional stills and video and I only paid $1100 for it (Amazon had a weird rebate for all Sony cameras that, oddly enough, coincided with the a6500 launch). I’ve actually purchased a couple of these full-frame Sony’s and ultimately ended up using the a6500 more.
It’s the Best Combination Photo and Stills Camera
It’s Small And That’s A Good Thing
I love small cameras. I still laugh at how many times I’d hear people talk about upgrading to full frame from APS-C cameras because of the larger, more professional body. Now that we have full-frame cameras in bodies 60% the side of the APS-C ones it’s funny how many people have forgotten about this. I’ve always been of the mindset that smaller is better, at least to a point. And the a6500 hits the sweet spot for me. There’s just a certain point at which a camera becomes a very strange attachment to a lens, and at which it’s difficult to use the camera with gloves and the a6500 sits right at that tipping point.
Sensor Stabilization
This technology deserves every bit of the true meaning of ‘game-changing’. On anything other than a micro four thirds sensor I can live without sensor stabilization for video, but for stills it’s a must. You pay marginally more for a camera and suddenly ever lens you own is stabilized an additional 4+ stops. Magic.
BUT…Rolling Shutter Remains and Battery Life Blows
This camera used to have two skeletons in its closet, but one of them has been half-cremated. By that I mean burned. Burned by the intense heat that is generated by a camera this small. The downside of the aforementioned pro. The overheating of the a6300 was unbearable, to the point that I couldn’t use it in summertime here in the midwestern United States. The other issue was rolling shutter and that one remains unresolved. This camera is simply not usable for fast moving subjects or a fast-moving camera.
