Sony a 6500 photo examples. Sony α6500 review: mirrorless camera with fast autofocus. Main differences from the a6300 model

Advantages

Comfortable and durable case
Integrated Image Stabilizer
Excellent picture quality
Ultra HD Video Recording Mode
Clear viewfinder and flip-up display
Fast autofocus
Fast and long continuous shooting

Flaws

Slow SD card slot

• Price-quality ratio
  Good
• Place in the overall ranking
  8 out of 70

• Value for money: 74
• Image quality (40%): 92.8
• Equipment and management (35%): 86.7
• Speed ​​(10%): 90.8
• Video quality (15%): 90.2

100%

Editorial rating

100%

User rating

You have already rated

Sony Alpha 6500: Powerful APS-C DSLM camera test

Not everyone will be happy with the appearance of the Sony Alpha 6500: only about six months have passed since the previous model was introduced to the market, and now the title of the manufacturer's top DSLM model is being passed to its successor.

First of all, this can piss off those buyers who have just taken a device that has suddenly ceased to be a top one.

But are there really serious grounds for reasoning in this way? In the end, the innovations here can be listed on the fingers of one hand, and they relate primarily to equipment and speed.

But the extra charge for the novelty of the Sony Alpha 6500, which is 20,000 rubles (the price of a camera without a lens is 120,000 rubles), attracts much more attention. An indication that for this amount you will already receive a new model of the 6000 series does not necessarily make the device much better. Therefore, some interested parties may have a question: generally speaking, is it worth it? Absolutely right! But not for everyone.

Sony Alpha 6500: finally with stabilization

Undoubtedly, the main innovation is the presence of an image stabilizer. In more detail, the integrated 5-axis stabilizer compensates for micro-shake of the camera even when used with lenses without the Optical SteadyShot system. In practice, this means you can use 4.5 stops higher exposure when shooting handheld. During the test, the Alpha 6500 with a 50mm lens, even at a shutter speed of 1/20 second, continued to produce clear images. Test photos in full resolution can be found in the photo gallery at the end of the material.

Sony Alpha 6500: Suitable for Operators

Sony Alpha 6500: in addition to WLAN and TAC modules, there is Bluetooth on board for transmitting GPS data from a smartphone

Videographers should also warmly welcome the appearance of an image stabilizer. Finally, clear and detailed recordings in Ultra HD resolution at 30 frames per second will look "calm".

This will be facilitated by the ability to get rid of camera shake when the user presses the buttons. The Sony Alpha 6500 is the manufacturer's first DSLM camera to feature a high-resolution 3-inch flip-out touch screen. This greatly facilitates the implementation of soft focus transitions during continuous video recording.

However, Sony still has room to improve here. In addition to the ability to move between 399 focal points, the touch display does not have any other comfort features. Browsing through the photo gallery with swipes, zooming in on photos, or even just navigating the menu with familiar gestures is not about the Alpha 6500. An update is required. software! And a little surprised. After all, the Alpha 6500 is the second camera after the Alpha 99 II that Sony has implanted a revised and visually better structured menu.

The co-processor, christened the name "LSI", first of all, increases the pace of work. On the one hand, its presence is manifested in the short turn-on time (1.1 s) and the extremely fast autofocus with its maximum 0.3 s. On the other hand, it has a significant effect on continuous shooting: while the fast-paced with its approximately 11 frames per second is quite consistent with the 6000 series, the duration of the "burst" here is quite serious. Only after at least 240 JPEGs or a good 110 compressed RAWs does the Sony Alpha 6500 need a break. These characteristics are already quite close to those of the DSLR-"sport machine gun".

Sony Alpha 6500: Temp Reducing SD Card

Sony Alpha 6500: Bluetooth, WLAN, high resolution display - time duration battery life with a maximum of 440 shots, respectively, a short

Where the competitor from Nikon clearly outperforms the Sony Alpha 6500, it concerns, first of all, the capabilities of the built-in slot for SD memory cards. On the one hand, its location in the same compartment with the battery deserves criticism, on the other hand, the data transfer rate.

Anyone who takes advantage of the longest possible continuous shooting will have to wait more than a minute before this entire "queue" is stored on the map. However, there is a small consolation - the ability to view the footage before saving it to the gallery.

Nevertheless: as in the case of the Alpha 99 II, the write speed is incomparably slow with the overall high rate of the device. In short, the time has come to support UHS-II cards, because despite complying with all standards, when recording 4K video at 100 Mbps, the Sony Alpha 6500 requires a UHS-I Class 3 SD card.

Sony Alpha 6500: First-class image quality

Sony Alpha 6500: at minimum ISO, the pop-up flash hits approximately six meters

Still, enough grumbling, as the Alpha 6500 is one of the best models that the APS-C market currently has to offer. Much of the credit goes to image quality. 24 megapixels at minimum ISO provide clear and mesmerizingly detailed shots of a "full-format" level.

High-resolution structures, extremely sharp lines, low-noise surfaces: images look amazingly good. The sharpness of the contours measured by us at the level of 1885 line pairs per frame height confirmed this visual impression.

Also pleased with the detail, which remains high up to ISO 3200 - it is even slightly better than the previous model. Of course, there are questions about the occasional slight blurring of the picture, as a result of which noise in the image becomes noticeable at 100% zoom, starting from ISO 3200. Still, in general, this is a very good result!

Equipment makes the same convincing impression. It all starts with a high-quality, weather-resistant magnesium alloy body that, at 453 grams, is pleasantly light yet comfortable. WLAN, NFC and, for the first time, Bluetooth for receiving GPS data from a smartphone find their place on board, as well as an external microphone connector and two dials for adjusting aperture and shutter speed.

Particularly good is the 0.7x high-resolution OLED electronic viewfinder, which boasts not only a pleasantly large size, but also surprisingly smooth images thanks to a picture refresh rate of 100 frames per second. The only negative in this case: the high performance of the viewfinder vigorously exhausts the battery power. The battery can last from 230 to 480 shots, being in this regard - in contrast to the maximum 110 minutes of video recording - rather a weak average.

It happens better. And cheaper. Approximately 120,000 rubles (for a camera without a lens) is already serious. However, with the Alpha 6500, buyers will get a best-in-class DSLM camera. However, those who can refuse the touch screen and the image stabilization system can choose a much cheaper, also first-class model.

F5.6, 1/15c, ISO100; Sony FE 35 mm F2.8;
F5.6, 1/250s, ISO 1600; Sony FE 35mm F2.8

F8, 1/40c, ISO 400; Sony SEL DT 50mm F1.8
F8, 1/160s, ISO 1600; Sony SEL DT 50mm F1.8
F8, 1/2.500c, ISO 25600; Sony SEL DT 50mm F1.8
F1.8, 1/640c, ISO 100; Sony SEL DT 50mm F1.8
F2, 1/30c, ISO400; Sony SEL DT 50mm F1.8;
F1.8, 1/800s, ISO 100; Sony SEL DT 50mm F1.8

Sony Alpha 6500: alternative

For those who are looking for a camera based, first of all, on the possibilities of their budget, we recommend that you pay attention to the leader in terms of price and quality ratio in the categories of DSLM and DSLR cameras. Right here we will show you the leaders for this characteristic. All the DSLM and DSLR cameras we tested, sorted by value for money, will show .

1.

Image quality (40%)

: 88.1

Video quality (15%)

: 98.3

Equipment and management (35%)

: 82.3

: 15.8MP

Sensor dimensions

: 17.3 x 13mm

Overall score: 87.9

Value for money: 100

2.

Image quality (40%)

: 84.1

Video quality (15%)

: 92.5

Equipment and management (35%)

: 83.3

Effective number of pixels

: 15.8MP

Sensor dimensions

: 17.3 x 13mm

Overall score: 85.2

Value for money: 95

3.

Image quality (40%)

: 89.8

Video quality (15%)

: 74.5

Equipment and management (35%)

: 70.8

Effective number of pixels

: 24.0 MP

Sensor dimensions

: 23.5 x 15.6 mm

Overall score: 80.1

Value for money: 89

TEST RESULTS
Image quality (40%)
Equipment and management (35%)
Performance (10%)
Video quality (15%)
CONCLUSION During the tests, the Sony Alpha 6500 (a6500) took the second place in our corresponding rating. With top-notch image quality and numerous features including a touchscreen display as well as nimble autofocus and fast burst shooting, the Sony Alpha 6500 (a6500) is convincing in almost every way. But the data transfer rate of the SD memory card slot cannot be compared with the high speed of the camera.	90.1% OVERALL RESULT

Sony Alpha 6500 test results

Specifications and test results Sony Alpha 6500

Price-quality ratio	74
Camera type	DSLM
Effective number of pixels	24.0 MP
Maximum photo resolution	6000 x 4000 pixels
Sensor type	CMOS
Sensor dimensions	23.5 x 15.6mm
Cleaning the sensor	Yes
Built-in stabilizer (in camera)	Yes
Video recording	Yes
Lens mount	Sony E
Lens when evaluating image quality	Sony SEL 1.8/50
Lens when evaluating performance	Sony FE 3.5-5.6/28-70 OSS
Minimum shutter release time	1/4.000 c
Maximum shutter release time	30 s
Viewfinder	electronic
Viewfinder coating	100 %
Viewfinder magnification	0.70x
Display: diagonal	3.0 inches
Display: resolution	921.600 subpixels
Display: touchscreen	Yes
Display: Trigger video recording from the touchscreen	Yes
Display: Rotatable	turning
Display: selfie mode	-
Second display	-
Orientation sensor	Yes
GPS	-
Minimum ISO	ISO 100
Maximum ISO	ISO 51.200
Min. flash sync time	1/160s
White balance (number of presets)	3 Presets
White balance: Kelvin	Yes
Resolution at ISO min	1.848 line pairs
Resolution at ISO 400	1.832 line pairs
Resolution at ISO 800	1.741 line pairs
Resolution at ISO 1600	1.727 line pairs
Resolution at ISO 3200	1.727 line pairs
Resolution at ISO 6400	1.692 line pairs
Detail at ISO min	93,8 %
Detail at ISO 400	93,9 %
Detail at ISO 800	93,9 %
Detail at ISO 1600	93,8 %
Detail at ISO 3200	88,4 %
Detail at ISO 6400	80,7 %
Visual noise at ISO min	1.04 VN (1.1 VN1, 0.5 VN3)
Visual noise at ISO 400	1.15 VN (1.2 VN1, 0.7 VN3)
Visual noise at ISO 800	1.14VN (1.2VN1, 0.6VN3)
Visual noise at ISO 1600	1.43VN (1.5VN1, 0.8VN3)
Visual noise at ISO 3200	2.09VN (2.2VN1, 1.1VN3)
Visual noise at ISO 6400	2.19 VN (2.3 VN1, 1.2 VN3)
Expert Judgment: Noise and Detail at ISO Min	very good
Expert Review: Noise and Detail at ISO 1600	very good
Expert Review: Noise and Detail at ISO 3200	Good
Expert Review: Noise and Detail at ISO 6400	satisfactorily
Ready time to shoot from off state	1.1s
Shutter release delay time for manual focus	0.04 s
Shutter lag time with autofocus in daylight	-
Shutter release time with autofocus in low light	-
Shutter lag time in Live-View with autofocus in daylight	0.30 s
Burst speed in RAW	11.1 photos/sec
Burst length in RAW	-
JPEG Burst Speed	11.1 photos/sec
JPEG burst length	-
Battery	NP-FW50
Battery cost	50
Battery: max. photos with flash	230 photos
Battery: max. photos without flash	440 photos
Battery: max. photos in Live-View with flash	480 photos
Battery: max. photos in Live-View without flash	250 photos
Battery: video recording duration	1:49 h:min
Microphone jack	yes, 3.5 mm
Built-in flash	Yes
Flash control	Yes
Remote shutter release	Yes
Memory card type	SDXC
WLAN	Yes
NFC	Yes
Housing material	magnesium alloy
Housing: dust and splash proof	Yes
Dimensions	120 x 67 x 53 mm
Weight without lens	453 g

The Sony A6XXX series camera has been in production since 2014. During this time, three generations of cameras have already been released, the latest of which was the Sony A6500. What changes has she undergone and does she deserve the title of herself? the best camera with an APS-C matrix, we will find out in this review.

Appearance

Sony A6500 has a compact body, which is completely made of magnesium alloy and is additionally protected from moisture. You won’t be able to shoot in the water, but in rainy weather it’s easy. The weight of the camera without lens is only 453 grams.

The flash is on top of the camera. A significant plus is the fact that it can be taken up, thereby you can scatter light across the ceiling, as is done with full-fledged external flashes.

At the bottom there is a thread for a tripod, as well as a combined compartment for the battery and SD card.

On the left, under the cover, there is a connector for micro-USB, micro-HDMI and 3.5 mm for an external microphone. Unfortunately, Sony has decided not to implement a second 3.5mm headphone jack for audio testing. Apparently, this privilege was left only for cameras of the A7 and A9 series.

Control

The A6500 has traditional Sony camera controls. On top of the camera is a mode switch, two of which can be completely customized. Also next to it is a second switch, which by default is responsible for setting the aperture. The buttons C1 and C2 can also be customized individually to suit your needs.

Screen - touch. With it, you can control the focus directly during shooting. Such, at first glance, an insignificant function turns out to be incredibly convenient, both in artistic and reportage shooting.

Also, the display has a swivel mechanism. This allows you to take great shots even in the most uncomfortable angles. The only thing is that the display cannot be rotated, so recording vlogs on this camera will not be very convenient.

Another plus point of the A6500 is its incredibly accurate autofocus. In all lighting conditions, most shots come out exactly in focus. This result was achieved thanks to 425 focus points, which are distributed over the entire surface of the matrix.

An interesting feature is the ability to manually turn on the operation of silent shooting. This will allow you to take pictures of people in their natural state, because they will not suspect that you are photographing them.

PlayMemories Mobile app

There is an official PlayMemories Mobile application for iOS and Android mobile platforms, which has a whole range of features. For example, through it you can control the camera, set the settings and monitor what is happening in the frame. Also, through the application, you can quickly download the received images. True, their maximum weight will be about 800 KB, but it will do for social networks.

A photo

On the this moment, this is Sony's top-end APS-C camera. It has a 24-megapixel sensor with an APS-C type Exmor CMOS sensor. Yes, everyone tends to shoot on FullFrame matrices, because they fit much more details. But lenses on APS-C sensors are much cheaper. For example, wide angle lens from Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS stands in official store 59,990 rubles, when a full-matrix lens FE 12-24mm F4 G with approximately the same focal length will cost 134,990 rubles. Obviously, the last lens will produce a better image than the first, but this difference is not so significant as to overpay more than twice. The A6500 matrix is ​​light sensitive enough, so the pictures do not start to make noise even in the dark. We recommend shooting in RAW format (ARW) rather than JPEG. Then you will be able to squeeze the maximum out of the photo in post-processing.

5-axis stabilization allows you to take pictures with shutter speeds up to 1-2 seconds without a tripod.

Video

Basically, Sony mirrorless cameras are bought for shooting video, because they have a large number of settings, accurate autofocus, wide working ISO. It is because of this that many professional video makers opt for Sony cameras.

The Sony A6500 is capable of shooting video in true 4K resolution at 24 and 30 frames per second. With FullHD, you can shoot at 24, 30, 60 and 120 fps. In any shooting mode, you can turn on 5-axis stabilization, which will help get rid of the shaky picture. Here is an example video:
The autofocus capabilities are really impressive. When shooting video, all subjects are constantly in focus. In the process of testing, one of the shortcomings is only an inconvenient button to start shooting a video. It is too small and you have to press it almost with a fingernail.

Battery

The lithium-ion battery P-FW50, which is in the camera, will easily last for 300 shots. Regarding the video, you can squeeze out of it from the strength of 110 minutes of recording in FullHD resolution. There are two ways out of this situation: buy additional batteries or use Powerbank, because the camera can shoot and charge at the same time.

Results

The Sony A6500 proved to be a truly professional device. It gives a high-quality picture under any working conditions. Its advantages include accurate autofocus, a wide range of working ISO, 5-axis stabilization, touch screen and compactness. Among the shortcomings, we identified: a short battery life, an inconvenient video start button and the lack of a second headphone jack. We advise even the most experienced photographers to take a closer look at this camera. Sony A6500 receives the well-deserved "Gold..

09.10.2016 18002 Tests and reviews 4

A new flagship of the Sony E-mount APS-C camera line, which will be the development of the Sony a6300 model released in February, has been rumored for a long time. But at the loudest photo forum Photokina 2016, such a camera was not presented, apparently the company's marketers decided to highlight the announcement from the general background of the exhibition and the Sony a6500 (ILCE-6500) was announced a few weeks after the closing of events in Cologne. From its predecessor, the new model inherited a hybrid focusing system, but the a6500 now allows you to select focus points by pointing on the touch screen or using the viewfinder for sighting. Another innovation is the image stabilization system, which compensates for displacement along five axes.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, evaluating the innovations of the Sony a6500, and compare its characteristics with the previous model and competitors on the market.

Specification comparison Sony a6300 vs A6500

	Sony a6300	Sony a6500
Image sensor		23.5×15.6mm (APS-C), Exmor CMOS
Effective sensor resolution	24.2 MP	24.2 MP
Image stabilizer	Not	5-axis in-camera stabilization
Bayonet	Sony e-mount	Sony e-mount
Photo Format		RAW, JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver. 2.3)
Video Format		4K , 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Frame size	Up to 6000×4000	Up to 6000×4000
Video resolution	Up to 3840×2160, 30p	Up to 3840×2160, 30p
Sensitivity		ISO 100-25600 (expandable to 51200)
Gate	1/4000-30 s	1/4000-30 s
Burst speed / Buffer	Up to 11 fps / up to 44 frames JPEG and 21 frames RAW	Up to 11 fps / up to 307 frames JPEG and 107 frames RAW
autofocus		Hybrid AF (425 phase points, 169 contrast points)
Metering, modes of operation		1200-zone evaluative: matrix, center-weighted, spot
exposure compensation		±5.0 EV (in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV increments)
Built-in flash		Built-in, 1/160 sec timing, guide number 6 (ISO 100)
Self-timer	2.10s	2.10s
Memory card		Memory Stick PRO Duo/Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo; SD/SDHC/SDXC to UHS-I
Display	Tilting 3" 921K dots	Tilt, touch, 3-inch, resolution 921k dots
Viewfinder	OLED, 2359k dots	OLED, 2359k dots
Interfaces	microUSB, miniHDMI, 3.5mm microphone jack	microUSB, miniHDMI
Wireless modules	WiFi, NFC	WiFi, NFC
Power/resource (CIPA)	Li-ion battery NP-FW50, 7.3 Wh (1020 mAh, 7.2 V) / 400 frames	Li-ion battery NP-FW50, 7.3 Wh (1020 mAh, 7.2 V) / 350 shots
Dimensions	120×66.9×48.8mm	120 x 66.9 x 53mm
Weight	404 grams (with battery and memory card)	453 grams (with battery and memory card)
Current price	$998.00 (without lens)	$1,399.00 (without lens)

The table shows that the sensor remained the same. The sensitivity range, the number of phase sensors and other basic specifications have not changed either. But, as we mentioned above, the 5-axis image stabilizer built into the camera stands out. It should expand the ability to shoot in low light conditions with an efficiency that the manufacturer rates at five stops of exposure.

The Sony a6500 finally has a touch screen with a wide range of possibilities: shooting with one touch and setting the AF point, and when framing through the viewfinder, the screen works like a touchpad, allowing you to select the focus area with your finger without taking your eyes off the viewfinder. This feature was first implemented in Sony cameras. At the same time, its diagonal is 3 inches, the resolution is 921,600 pixels, and the swivel design allows you to tilt the screen up 90 ° or down 45 °.

Also an important improvement was the enlarged image buffer. It now allows continuous shooting of up to 307 frames in JPEG and 107 frames in RAW, while the A6300 was limited to 44 frames in JPEG and 21 in RAW. Burst speed is 11 frames per second (or 8 frames per second with refocusing and exposure metering for each frame). The speed and storage benefits come from the new LSI technology, which also improves photo and video quality. Manufacturer-guaranteed time between failures of the shutter mechanism is 200,000 operations. The minimum shutter speed is 1/4000 s. Improved software interface.

What else remains unchanged? The ability to record video in 4K with a stream rate of up to 100 Mbps is implemented in both cameras in the same way. We hope that the designers managed to solve the a6300's problems with overheating in the new model. Both cameras use a high-quality 2.36 million-dot OLED Tru-Finder, S-Log3 and S-Log2 profiles, and built-in adapters wireless transmission Wi-Fi and NFC data. You can use SD, SDHC, SDXC or Memory Stick Pro Duo cards as removable media.

Externally, the Sony a6500 almost does not differ from the a6300, it is still the same well-known NEX-6, gradually evolving and finally moving away from the NEX control scheme. Although some family features of the first Sony mirrorless cameras remain - in particular, a large selector dial on the top edge and a second ring on the back panel combined with four navigation keys. The body is now made of magnesium alloy, the grip (not very good, in our opinion, close to the lens) has not changed, the shape of the protrusion and the rubberized material of the coating do not raise questions.

On the front panel there is a mount with a lens release button, an autofocus assist lamp, and an infrared port for the remote control. On the left, under a flip cover, miniHDMI, microUSB and a 3.5mm audio jack for a microphone are hidden. On the right is the NFC pad.

On the top side you can see a universal multi-interface connector that can also work as a traditional "hot shoe". There is also a flash, a mode selector and a navigation selector; closer to the leading edge, you can see the release button with the switch lever, as well as two programmable keys (the a6300 had one). On the bottom is a combined compartment for the battery and memory card, as well as a tripod socket.

On the rear panel there is a tilting touch screen, a viewfinder with a diopter correction wheel and a proximity sensor, flash activation and menu buttons, as well as a customizable lever. Below are the elements already familiar to the a6300 - a function key that calls the quick menu by default, a five-way key with a navigation ring, a button for playing pictures and another programmable button (in playback mode it is responsible for deleting pictures). The video start button is moved to the corner.

As for the price of the upgrade - the battery capacity is now enough to shoot 50 frames less, the camera has gained a little weight, it has become larger by as much as 4 mm (is anyone able to notice?) and ... more expensive. Sony a6500 will hit the shelves for $1400, which is much higher than the previous model.

conclusions

In terms of consumer characteristics, the previous model is noticeably inferior to the new a6500, and those who want to pay for forcing the previous a6300 model with an increased buffer, 5-axis in-camera stabilization, faster sensor reading speed and noise reduction are sure to be found. And the touch screen will be a nice bonus and the last argument in favor of new items when buying.

Detailed description specifications Sony a6500 is on the official websites Sony.ru, Sony.ua, Sony.com, on which the camera is positioned from 'The palm-sized all-around all-star' to 'Pocket professional camera'.

The main differences from the a6300 model:

1. a6500 is a newer model introduced in November 2016 while it was introduced 8 months earlier (February 2016)
2. a6500 received a proprietary stabilization system built into the camera. a6500 can compensate for 5 kinds of camera movements. It is stated that the effectiveness of the stabilizer reaches 5 steps! The a6500 stabilizer works wonderfully. There is an indication of the focal length for manual lenses. Thus, with the a6500, you can use the stabilizer with any lens.
3. a6500 has Bluetooth
4. a6500 has a touch screen, with which you can, for example, set the point or focus area. At the same time, it is impossible to navigate through the menu with touches and other usual actions.
5. the a6500 has slightly redesigned controls (another programmable button has been added) and a redesigned menu.
6. a6500 has increased by about 5 times! Can be rented approx. 100 frames in one series in RAW format!
7. a6500 uses the same sensor as , but with an additional LSI chip, which helps to create a better image at high ISO values, increases the buffer and improves video quality. I did not notice a significant increase in noise reduction.
8. a6500 was able to shoot Full HD at a frame rate of 120 fps, which makes possible the effect of slow motion (Slow Motion).
9. The a6500 uses a new shutter rated for 200,000 actuations (that's just 5 hours of continuous operation at 11 fps). It's a pity that the minimum shutter speed was left at 1/4000.
10. other little things have been changed or added, for example, overheating control, additional settings, the ability to save 8 MP images from 4K video, etc.

Photo examples

Examples of photographs from this camera can be viewed (and / or downloaded from their sources) in the lens reviews and.

My experience

In general, Sony a6500 - good camera/camcorder with great potential. In general, I am delighted with modern technologies. The sediment was left only by the focusing system and some lags in control.

The '4D Focus' technology it uses performs very well with the kit lens. The same technology is used in the Sony a6500 camera, but when using it with lenses, no miracle happened. The focusing speed rests on the capabilities of the motors and the logic of the lenses, in the general case, about high speed do not have to speak. All these ' ' are just marketers' dreams. Worst of all, the tenacity of focusing is at the level of ancient SLR cameras.

Usually with SLR cameras, everything is simple - the vast majority SLR cameras, except for some renegades like the Canon D30 / D60, the central phase focusing point is cruciform. In difficult shooting conditions, such a point is a kind of panacea - turn it on and get accurate and fast focus. With the Sony a6500, this 'focus' does not work. In any focus mode and with any focus areas / points, getting the camera to focus on what I want is not always possible.

Sony a6500 often clings to the background (for the background), ignoring the subject being shot. In general, it is much more convenient and comfortable for me to work with a central focus point on some one because of the more confident tenacity of focus and unambiguous focusing on the object that the camera was aimed at. Why 11 fps and a 300 frame buffer if everything is out of focus? Why 425 phase focus points, if with three points it grabs the focus much more tenaciously? Perhaps I had some negative experience with the camera and the specified lenses, many other reviews praise the focusing of the Sony a6500.

Yet there is positive sides focus is its accuracy.

Prices

The real prices for the Sony a6500 camera can be found in the online catalog or.
In comments Can I ask you a question on the topic and you will definitely answer, and you can also express your opinion or describe your experience. For the selection of photographic equipment, I recommend large catalogs, such as E-katalog. Many little things for photos can be found on Aliexpress.

All Sony E mirrorless cameras with APS-C sensor

• NEX-3 , NEX-C3 , NEX-F3 ,
• , NEX-5N , NEX-5R , NEX-5T
• NEX-6, NEX-7
• a3000, a3500
• a5000, a5100
• a6000, a6100, a6400, a6600

All Sony E lenses for APS-C

1. 20mm f/2.8 (black/silver)
2. 50mm f/1.8 OSS (black/silver)
3. (black/silver)

The Sony α6500 is an APS-C sensor mirrorless camera. The model embodies the evolution of the popular NEX family. The cameras of this line were the first to receive the E bayonet mount. The prefix NEX in the name of Sony cameras is no longer used, the models that replaced them are called α5000, α6000, α6300. The Sony α6500 is the last link in this chain. An interesting model was due to the built-in 5-axis optical image stabilization SteadyShot , excellent 4D FOCUS system, 4k video recording and touch screen.

The camera body is made of magnesium alloy, it is protected from dust and moisture - this ensures the strength, reliability and performance of the device in difficult conditions environment. This device is not afraid of rain, but it may not survive swimming in a pond. At first glance at the device, the family features of Sony mirrorless cameras are immediately recognizable - chopped body edges and small dimensions. There are no spectacular and style elements. The α6500 measures 120.0 x 66.9 x 53.3mm and weighs 453g.

On the front panel you can find: bayonet lock, lens release button,

Self-timer/AF illuminator bulb, microphone cut-outs, and rubber-coated grip. Before coming to the α6500 test, I was sure that such a crumb would be uncomfortable to lie in my hand, but my fears were not justified. The grip, although small, is quite comfortable - the brush feels confident when held. The handle matches the contours of the hand quite accurately, the phalanges of the fingers have where to hide. The sharp edges of the case are a little annoying at first, but this is out of habit, after a few days of operation you get used to such roughness tactilely.

Top: Multi Interface Accessory Shoe, built-in flash, mode dial, command dial, two user buttons, shutter button with Power On/Off lever.

On the right is an NFC tag and a video recording button. She was sunk a little into the body and made flat. The reason for this inconvenient decision was that the location is in the risk zone and it can be accidentally activated by pressing the palm to the grip. The response of the button is weakly felt and you have to check yourself, focusing on the red recording indicator. This inconvenience can be solved by giving the recording function to one of the custom buttons on the top panel.

At the opposite end there is a compartment for interface connectors. Under the cover are: Micro USB connector, charging indicator, Micro HDMI and external microphone jack. The disadvantages include the lack of a headphone output, which would be useful for those who shoot video and are used to controlling the quality of the incoming signal, but in practice, not everyone needs this opportunity.

The back side meets with many elements, their main part is located on the right. Here are: flash up, menu, Fn mode, playback buttons, customizable user button with delete in playback function, AF / MF / AEL mode switching lever, multi-function control wheel and center button built into it. The main area of ​​the rear panel is occupied by an inclined LCD touch screen. In its upper left corner is an electronic OLED viewfinder. All controls, if desired, can be reached with the fingers of the holding hand. Some elements, although small in appearance, are tactilely recognized and have a clear response without false positives, except, as already mentioned, the record button.

At the bottom of the case is a combined compartment for the battery and an SD memory card slot. It is a pity that we did not find a place for the card reader on the side, to replace the card you will have to remove the camera from the tripod, which will create certain inconveniences. The battery and memory card cover has an outlet for the AC adapter to provide continuous power to the camera. There is an access indicator next to the compartment cover hinge. Closer to the center, at a sufficient distance from the shaft, there is a tripod socket hole; when using platforms, access to the battery will be open.

Display

Tilting LCD screen with a diagonal of 3 inches and a resolution of 921,600 dots. It only tilts vertically, 90 degrees up and 40 degrees down. This is not the best solution, the rotation system that competitors use in their cameras looks much more functional. First of all, this will upset those who will use the camera to record vlogs. It is also worth considering that inconvenience may arise when working with a tripod, the protrusion of the platform will interfere with the tilt of the screen.

For the first time in the α-series cameras, there is a touch panel, but, unfortunately, with reduced functionality. It can only be used for focusing, zooming in during playback, and during the installation of additional applications. The screen brightness is adjustable, but even the maximum value is sometimes not enough in clear weather. For such cases, the developers have added the "Sunny Weather" mode, which enhances the backlight of the display by several steps above the maximum value. Of course, this will significantly affect autonomy, but in a situation where it is inconvenient to use the viewfinder, this option will come in handy. There was a fly in the ointment here, the brightness in video modes with a high bitrate is reduced to a low value and cannot be increased. Shooting video with high quality in bright sunlight will have a hard time.

Viewfinder

The device was equipped with an advanced electronic OLED-viewfinder with a resolution of 2.36 megapixels and coverage of the field of view of 100%. It is equipped with an automatic brightness adjustment function. The viewfinder screen refresh rate can be increased up to 120 fps, allowing you to track even fast-moving subjects with ease and bringing overall performance closer to that of an optical viewfinder. The high refresh rate is maintained even in low light conditions, making it easy to frame when shooting at night.

The eyecup has a comfortable rubber pad. If desired, it can be removed - this will make the camera more compact, for transportation, for example.

Settings

It's hard to call the menu structure convenient, Sony needs to work on this. But, in fairness, it is worth noting that this shortcoming is covered by the wide possibilities of customization. In the settings, ten function buttons, and this is a lot, can be assigned a total of 68 functions, which provides quick access to frequently used control options. With some time to set up, you won't have to return to a confusing menu often.

The Memory tab allows you to register up to 6 frequently used camera modes. Two of them, for quick access, are placed on the mode switch disk and are designated as 1 and 2.

The Fn button brings up a quick menu of twelve options (which, again, you can change to suit your needs). There is an "Application" tab in the settings. From here you can get to the camera software download service - PlayMemories Camera Apps. With it, you can expand the functionality of various applications: Time Lapse, Star Trail, PlayMemories Mobile (for remote control for the camera), etc.

Equipment

The α6500 is equipped with a 24.2MP APS-C format Exmor CMOS sensor. Thanks to the BIONZ X image processor, the sensor is capable of supporting a wide range of ISO values ​​(from 100 to 51200), which allows you to take pictures with low noise. If you want to get excellent results and not think about artifacts, then you should not go above 3200 ISO. Detail drops and graininess becomes clearly noticeable at ISO 6400 values.

The combination of the sensor and the processor allows shooting in frame-by-frame mode at a speed of up to 11 fps at 24.2 megapixels, with an increased buffer for images up to 307 JPEG frames and 107 RAW frames.Color depth is processed using 14-bit encoding.

Manufacturer-guaranteed operation of the shutter mechanism - 200,000 operations. The minimum shutter speed is 1/4000 s.

One of the most important features of the Sony α6500 is the five-axis Steady Shot stabilization system.This makes it possible to shoot handheld in low light, and also reduces the amount of waste when shooting. big plans. Such stabilization is equivalent to reducing shutter speed to 4.5 steps.

built-in wifi adapter in the camera allows you to quickly share images with mobile devices, publish photos to in social networks. NFC technology is used to easily control the main functions of the camera, including the shutter release, from a mobile device. The built-in Bluetooth adapter is designed to receive geolocation data from compatible mobile devices.

Focus system

This topic is not in vain taken out in a separate section. Among digital cameras equipped with an APS-C sensor, according to Sony research (as of October 2016), the α6500 has the fastest autofocus. The number of phase autofocus points is 425, and the contrast is 169. new technology eloquently called 4D FOCUS. The symbiosis of the matrix with the processor analyzes not only the location of the object in space, but also the time of movement, which allows you to focus on moving objects with high quality and provide the clearest shots.

The dots are distributed throughout the frame at a high density, so no object is left out of view during shooting. What's more, the autofocus speed reaches 0.05s, which makes the camera a world leader in this aspect. Lock-on AF allows you to keep focus on a moving subject. It is also possible to instantly select the focus point with one touch on the screen. There are autofocus sensitivity settings that will help in case of a fast moving subject. All this greatly expands the creative possibilities for both photographers and video makers.

One of the handy features of the device is the Touch Pad function. By swiping your finger across the LCD touch screen, you can move the focus point within the frame without even looking up from the viewfinder. The work of the focus mode can be safely put an excellent rating.

Video Recording Features

The camera is capable of recording video in UHD 4K resolutionusing XAVC S codec with a bit rate of 100 Mbps.

The recording format is based on the standard Super 35 at effective 20 MP,with full readout. When the mode recording at 25 fps works 2.4x oversampling (changing the resolution in pixels). This allows you to record video with high detail and reduced moiré, which is quite relevant for Bayer-type matrices. So if you want maximum quality - write 4K in the PAL standard. Of course, it will not be possible to completely get rid of artifacts on very small details, but not everyone can notice them.

The file is written to an MP4 container with 4:2:0 color subsampling. You can also record in 4K resolution to an external device in 4:2:2 ratio. The maximum shooting time is 30 minutes. During this time, the camera becomes noticeably warm and may turn off during operation, but before that, a notice will appear on the display that the camera is heating. The restriction can be removed in the settings, but I would not recommend it - this may adversely affect the operation of the matrix.

Another feature worth noting is the ability to record 120 fps in Full HD resolution. This option is useful for the implementation of creative ideas, video in post-processing can be slowed down by 4 times.

When buying a device, you should remember that when recording video in maximum quality, you will need high-speed SDXC Class U3 memory cards and higher. Given their cost and the volume of files received from the camera, you will have to spend a lot.

To capture and convey as much of the visual information captured by the camera's sensor as possible, Sony has created Picture Profiles. In them, you can change many parameters that affect the final result. The first six profiles from PP-1 to PP-6 use variations of the standard gamut, resulting in an almost ready-to-use image.

Profiles from PP-7 to PP-9 are designed for deep post-processing after shooting. Here, S-Log is used as the gamma, which gives a very faded, flat, low-contrast image. S-Log2 preserves information better in the highlights, while S-Log3 preserves information in the shadow areas of the image. If you have no experience with S-Log, then I advise you to start experimenting before responsible shooting. It is worth noting that the mode has a feature - the camera fixes the minimum value of ISO 800, shooting in sunny weather, you should take this into account and stock up on ND filters.

As we already know, the camera has a decent sensitivity range, it is limited to ISO 25600 when shooting video. At ISO 6400, the image looks quite edible, it will do for everyday tasks - the result is more than worthy, as for an APS-C matrix. Anything shot above this value will be accompanied by a clearly noticeable level of noise and loss of detail.

There is an AUTO option in the ISO settings. The mode works well - the exposure levels off smoothly. This will come in handy when shooting a reportage with difficult lighting conditions.

The focusing system, as in photo mode, works perfectly and has a lot of active settings: adjusting the speed of focus change and its sensitivity, face detection and registration. The Sony α6500 is probably the first camera that you can trust with autofocus in video mode.

The camera has a lot of settings that will be useful to the videographer: zebra, magnifier, Gamma assistants, focus peaking. Using Sony lens E PZ 18-105 F4

G OSS (equivalent to a focal length of 27-158), the device turns into a video camera. Contributes to this universal focal length and constant aperture value. The lens was designed with videographers in mind, so it focuses smoothly and quietly, moreover, the zoom drive is also motorized and silent in the lens. The zoom can be controlled using a special slider. If you have a fleet of 3rd party optics, inexpensive adapters can expand your creative possibilities.

autonomy

The α6500 uses an NP-FW50 battery. Its resource is 350 frames per charge using the active screen and about 310 frames when working with the viewfinder. In the active video recording mode, the device will work for no more than an hour. Autonomy is not happy, you will have to stock up on additional batteries.

A nice bonus is USB charging. When the power is connected, the camera takes energy from an external source (you can use a powerbank), after turning it off, it switches to battery power. You can use the AC-PW20 AC Power Adapter, which is sold separately.