Sony 6500 which is the best lens. Review of the premium Sony α6500 mirrorless system camera with an APS-C sensor and in-camera stabilization. Main features of the camera

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

Appearance

There is a flash on top of the camera. A significant advantage is the fact that it can be pulled up, thereby scattering light across the ceiling, as is done with the help of 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 flap, there is a connector for micro-USB, micro-HDMI and 3.5 mm for an external microphone. Unfortunately, Sony decided not to implement a second 3.5mm headphone jack for sound testing. Apparently, this privilege was reserved only for cameras of the A7 and A9 series.

Control

The screen is touchscreen. It allows you to control focus while shooting. This seemingly insignificant function turns out to be incredibly convenient, both for artistic and reportage photography.

The display also has a rotating mechanism. This allows you to take great shots even from the most awkward angles. The only thing is that the display cannot be turned towards itself, so recording vlogs with this camera will not be very convenient.

Another plus that comes with 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 focusing points, which are distributed over the entire surface of the matrix.

An interesting feature is the ability to manual mode enable 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

Photo

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

Video

The Sony A6500 is capable of shooting video in honest 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 shaky images. Here is an example video:
The autofocus capabilities are truly impressive. When shooting video, all objects are always in focus. During the testing process, the only drawback worth noting is the inconvenient button to start video recording. It is too small and you have to press it almost with your fingernail.

Battery

Results

Sony a6500 is the flagship of the line of mirrorless cameras with an APS-C sensor. Along with it, the a6000 and a6300 models are on sale. Each model is the ideal camera for its audience segment. Some people need an affordable camera (a6000), some are into video and want to shoot in 4K resolution (a6300), and some even want to have the most advanced camera with a built-in stabilizer and the latest innovations in the world of photography.

Last year we did a detailed review of the Sony a6300. The new a6500 largely repeats it, but also has a lot of differences.

We asked our friend Dmitry Mukhin, a member of the guild of advertising photographers, to take the camera with us on a trip to Italy and evaluate its capabilities from the user's side.

So, the a6500 is Sony's flagship E-mount mirrorless camera, which uses an APS-C matrix.

Main features of the camera

• 24MP APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor
• ISO 200–25600, expandable to ISO 100–51200
• Five-axis matrix stabilization
• Touch screen
• World's fastest autofocus - 0.05 seconds
• The 4D focus system with 425 AF points is also a world record
• 4K video recording
• OLED viewfinder with a resolution of 2.36 megapixels and a frequency of 120 fps
• Wi-Fi and NFC support
• Dust- and moisture-resistant housing with magnesium alloy elements

Housing and ergonomics

The Sony a6500 has a deeper grip with a slightly thicker handle compared to the a6300. Thanks to this, working with telephoto lenses has become even more convenient.

The camera has 9 function buttons, which can accommodate a lot of functions. Moreover, for one button there can be different functions for shooting mode and playback mode.

The C1 and C2 keys have moved to the top panel closer to the shutter button.

Viewfinder

The a6500 features a 2.36-megapixel OLED electronic viewfinder with 1.07x magnification. Refresh rate - 100 fps (can be set to 50 fps).

To the right of the viewfinder is a proximity sensor that switches the display of data between the monitor and the viewfinder.

When the touch screen is held horizontally, the viewfinder sensor is disabled.

There is one problem with the touch screen. When you shoot from a low point, rotate the screen and try to set the focus point by tapping the screen, your finger will overlap the sensor and the camera will switch to the viewfinder at the most crucial moment. It is inconvenient to disable the sensor function every time.

But Sony has provided a little life hack. When the screen is tilted horizontally, the sensor stops working. Everything ingenious is simple.

The viewfinder eyepiece remains the same deep, allowing you to work in bright sunlight without flare.

As a photographer accustomed to DSLR cameras, I really liked the bright and very clear viewfinder. Although my trip to Italy didn't involve scorching sun, I regularly used the viewfinder instead of a monitor. Typically, mirrorless cameras have to be literally leaned against your face, but in the a6500, due to the protruding eyepiece attachment, you don’t need to press the camera so tightly.

LCD screen

Sony a6500 is equipped with a 7.5 cm diagonal rotating TFT touch screen with a resolution of 921,600 pixels.

The touch function has become one of the key differences of this camera. You can specify the focus point, focus, or take a shot.

Moreover, when viewing through the viewfinder, you can control the focus point using the touch screen. In this case, you do not need to specify an absolute location, but move the point with your finger across the screen. For example, controlling the mouse cursor using a touchpad. A visual example is shown below.

Although there is also a fly in the ointment - the speed of reaction to commands is not as lightning fast as we would like.

Frequently asked question: When taking photos, will touching the screen with your nose control focus? The answer is no. The manufacturer foresaw this situation and added the ability to activate one of three touch control zones - the entire screen, 1/2 part on the right, 1/4 part on the right.

In the footage viewing mode, double-tapping allows you to enlarge the photo and move around the image. But the usual two-finger gestures do not work here.

The quality of the screen itself is very high. The image is clear, bright and juicy. To work in bright sunshine, there is a special “Sunny Weather” mode with increased brightness to maximum. Of course, this mode drains the battery more.

Sunny weather brightness automatically switches to standard brightness when operating in 4K mode.

Matrix

The camera has an Exmor CMOS sensor in APS-C format (23.5 × 15.6 mm) with a resolution of 24.2 megapixels. The matrix is ​​protected from dust by an antistatic coating and ultrasonic cleaning.

In practice, this permit is quite sufficient for commercial work, and even more so for home use.

The shooting speed reaches 11 fps. The buffer can hold up to 100 frames in RAW+JPG format.

A dynamic range of 14 stops allows you to work very flexibly with files obtained during shooting.

At the same time, the declared shutter life is 200,000 operations.

Stabilizer

Sony a6500 received a five-axis stabilizer, which was so long awaited in this series of cameras. Interestingly, the camera has not increased in size compared to the a6300, which does not have a stabilizer.

According to our estimates, the stabilizer provides a gain of 2.5–3 steps. This is not a record, but a very good indicator for such a compact camera. It was not possible to double the effect when using a stabilizer in the camera and lens. This will probably be implemented in the future.

We won’t go far, let’s look at this issue using photographs as an example. professional photographer Dmitry Mukhin, who used the Sony 6500 on his trip to Italy and kindly agreed to supplement our technical article with interesting details.

Opinion of photographer Dmitry Mukhin

Almost all museums in Europe, and in Italy in particular, allow amateur photography without the use of a tripod or flash.

With the advent of modern digital cameras with high sensor resolution, high ISO values ​​and built-in stabilization, which effectively eliminates camera shake in the hands of the photographer at the time of taking photographs with long exposure in low light conditions, it became possible to take a decent shot just while being in a crowd of tourists.

ISO sensitivity

Working ISO is similar to the a6300 camera and is at 3200 units. In certain lighting conditions, 6400 and 12800 can be used.

For example, the photo below was taken at ISO 6400. The noise level is low enough that you can shoot at high sensitivities not only for travel, but also for commercial projects.

We took a series of photos with ISO bracketing from 100 to 51200 units.

CPU

The Sony a6500 is equipped with a Bionz X processor. Its power is enough to convert images from the matrix to 4K size on the fly. It works just as quickly with photos.

During the test, there was never a situation where the camera stopped thinking while performing any task.

Autofocus

The a6500 features 4D Focus, the same as the a6300.

The camera has more than 2000 autofocus points, but 425 phase-detection AF points are used simultaneously. This allows you to track moving objects very accurately.

Below is an image from Sony showing that once a subject is selected, the camera focuses its attention on the area in which the subject is located.

Opinion of photographer Dmitry Mukhin

In SLR cameras, to be sure of the result, you get used to working with the central autofocus point or those closest to the center. And for shooting a model in full height I have to move the camera because the extreme points are not always accurate.

In this field, the a6500 mirrorless camera, which has autofocus points located throughout the entire frame area, of course wins by a clear margin.

While traveling, I wanted to make it as easy as possible to get sharp photos. Which the camera did an excellent job of defining the main plot of most of the shots taken.

Video shooting

Sony a6500 shoots 4K video (3840x2160 pixels) with a bitrate of up to 100 Mbps.

The camera has all the necessary functions for working with video at a professional level: zebra crossing, focus peaking, S-log3, built-in stabilizer.

To speed up or slow down a scene, the camera can shoot video at speeds from 1 to 100 fps in 4K mode.

Sony is one of the few manufacturers that produces special video lenses for its cameras that have silent autofocus and smoothly variable aperture.

USB power capability allows you to shoot long scenes without connecting a battery pack or replacing the battery.

Many people have wondered how long the a6500 can be used in 4K video shooting mode. We answer: during testing we did not have any problems with overheating.

Moreover, on the a6500 you can disable the overheat shutdown feature, but you should only use this when shooting on a tripod, as the camera can get very hot.

Battery

The a6500 uses an NP-FW50 battery - the same one found in the a6000, a6300 and Sony's a7II line. The battery can be charged directly in the camera via USB.

This is convenient not only for travel, but also for commercial work. You can never predict how long a shoot will take, and the ability to charge your camera in any conditions, including from an external battery, becomes invaluable.

Accessories

You can use any third-party lenses through adapters, and some retain the ability to work with autofocus. And thanks to the fact that Sony has opened the E-mount specifications, a lot of interesting autofocus lenses are appearing - for example, Samyang AF 50mm f/1.4 FE and 14mm f/2.8 FE, which have an excellent price/quality ratio.

Results

pros

• Five-axis stabilization
• One of the best APS-C images at high ISOs
• RAW with wide dynamic range for post-processing
• Excellent autofocus
• High video quality
• Wide range of possibilities for shooting video
• Charging and powered by USB
• Autofocus support for third-party AF optics

Minuses

• No headphone jack
• Complexly organized menu
• No in-camera RAW processing

conclusions

For myself, I noted the three most striking moments of using the camera. Firstly, these are very “fat” RAWs that can be twisted in any way you like. Secondly, a stabilizer that allows you to shoot at low shutter speeds. Thirdly, very accurate white balance work within one scene.

The a6500 is a perfect addition to the APS-C mirrorless lineup. We recommend that even experienced photographers who are accustomed to full frame take a closer look at the new model.

This is also because some features, such as 4D focus and touch screen, are not available even on the full-frame cameras of the A7 family.

The main thing is that you come up with an idea, and the Sony a6500 will allow you to implement it.

09.10.2016 18002 Tests and reviews 4

There have been rumors for a long time about the appearance of a new flagship of the line of APS-C cameras with a Sony E mount, which will be a development of the Sony a6300 model, released in February. 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 the events in Cologne. From its predecessor new model inherited the hybrid focusing system, but the a6500 now allows you to select focus points by indicating on the touch screen or using the viewfinder to aim. Another innovation is an image stabilization system that compensates for movement in five axes.

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

Comparison of Sony a6300 vs A6500 specifications

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

The Sony a6500 finally has a touch screen with a wide range of capabilities: one-touch shooting and setting an autofocus 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 is implemented for the first time in Sony cameras. Moreover, its diagonal is 3 inches, resolution is 921,600 pixels, and the rotating design allows you to tilt the screen up by 90° or down by 45°.

Another important improvement is the increased buffer for snapshots. It now allows continuous shooting of up to 307 frames in JPEG and 107 frames in RAW, whereas the A6300 was limited to 44 frames in JPEG and 21 in RAW. Continuous shooting speed is 11 frames per second (or 8 frames per second with refocusing and exposure metering for each frame). Speed ​​and storage benefits are achieved thanks to new LSI technology, which also improves photo and video quality. The manufacturer's 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 has remained unchanged? The ability to record video in 4K with a bit rate of up to 100 Mbit/s is implemented in both cameras in the same way. We hope that the designers managed to solve the overheating problems of the a6300 in the new model. Both cameras use a high-quality OLED Tru-Finder viewfinder with a resolution of 2.36 million dots, S-Log3 and S-Log2 profiles and built-in Wi-Fi and NFC wireless data adapters. You can use SD, SDHC, SDXC or Memory Stick Pro Duo cards as removable media.

Externally, the Sony a6500 is almost no different 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 rear panel combined with four navigation keys. The body is now made of magnesium alloy, the grip (not very good, in our opinion, located close to the lens) has not changed, the shape of the protrusion and the rubberized coating material do not raise any questions.

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

On the top edge 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 front edge you can see a shutter button with a switch lever, as well as two programmable keys (the a6300 had one). On the bottom edge there 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 display, a viewfinder with a diopter adjustment wheel and a proximity sensor, buttons for activating the flash and calling up the menu, as well as a customizable lever. Below are elements already familiar to the a6300 - a function key that calls up the quick menu by default, a five-way key with a navigation ring, a button for playing back pictures, and another programmable button (in playback mode it is responsible for deleting pictures). The video recording start key is placed on the corner.

As for the price of the upgrade - the battery capacity is now enough to shoot 50 fewer frames, the camera has gained a little weight, has become larger by as much as 4 mm (can anyone notice this?) and... more expensive. The Sony a6500 will hit shelves at a price of $1,400, which is noticeably higher than the previous model.

conclusions

In terms of the totality of consumer characteristics, the previous model is noticeably inferior to the new a6500, and there will certainly be those willing to pay to boost the previous a6300 model with a larger buffer, 5-axis in-camera stabilization, faster sensor readout speed and reduced noise. And the touch screen will be a pleasant bonus and last argument in favor of new items when purchasing.

Sony α6500 is a mirrorless device with an APS-C matrix. The model embodies the evolution of the popular NEX family. The cameras in this line were the first to receive an E bayonet mount. The NEX prefix in the name of Sony cameras is no longer used; the models that replaced them are called α5000, α6000, α6300. Sony α6500 is the last link in this chain. The model became interesting thanks to the built-in 5-axis optical image stabilization SteadyShot , an excellent 4D FOCUS focusing system, the ability to shoot video with 4k resolution and a 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. When you first look at the device, you immediately recognize the family features of Sony mirrorless cameras - the chopped edges of the body and small dimensions. There are no spectacular or stylish elements. The α6500 measures 120.0 x 66.9 x 53.3 mm and weighs 453 g.

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

self-timer/AF illuminator lamp, microphone slots and a rubberized grip. Before arriving to test the α6500, I was sure that such a tiny thing would be uncomfortable to hold in my hand, but my fears were not justified. The grip, although small, is quite comfortable - the hand feels confident when held. The handle quite accurately matches the contours of the hand, the phalanges of the fingers have somewhere 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 use you tactilely get used to such roughness.

On top are: a multi-interface accessory jack, a built-in flash, a mode dial, a control dial, two user buttons, a shutter button with a Power On/Off lever.

On the right is an NFC tag and a video recording button. It was recessed a little into the body and made flatter. The reason for this inconvenient decision was that the location is in a risk zone and it can be accidentally activated by pressing the palm against the grip. The response of the button is weak and you have to check yourself, focusing on the red recording indicator. This inconvenience can be solved by assigning a 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 flap are: a Micro USB connector, a charging indicator, Micro HDMI and a jack for an external microphone. The disadvantages include the lack of a headphone output, which would be useful for those who shoot video and are used to monitoring the quality of the incoming signal, but in practice not everyone needs this feature.

The back side is greeted with many elements, the main part of which is located on the right. There are: flash raise, menu, Fn mode, playback buttons, a customizable user button with a delete function during playback, an AF/MF/AEL mode switch lever, a multi-function control wheel and a central button built into it. The main area of ​​the rear panel is occupied by an inclined LCD touch screen. An OLED electronic viewfinder is installed in its upper left corner. 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 there is a combined compartment for the battery and an SD memory card slot. It’s a pity that we didn’t find a place for the card reader on the side; to replace the card you’ll have to remove the camera from the tripod, which will create some inconvenience. The battery and memory card compartment cover has an outlet for the AC adapter, which provides constant power to the camera. There is an access indicator located near the compartment lid hinge. Closer to the center, at a sufficient distance from the shaft, there is a hole for a tripod socket; when using the platforms, access to the battery will be open.

Display

3" tilting LCD screen with 921,600 dot resolution. It deviates only 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 video blogs. 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 α-series cameras there is a touch panel, but, unfortunately, with reduced functionality. It can only be used for focusing, magnifying the image during viewing 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 a “Sunny Weather” mode, which enhances the display backlight several steps above the maximum value. Of course, this will have a noticeable impact on battery life, but in a situation where the viewfinder is inconvenient to use, this option will come in handy. There is a fly in the ointment here; the brightness in video recording modes with high bitrates is reduced to a low value and cannot be increased. Those who shoot high-quality video in bright sunshine will have a hard time.

Viewfinder

The device was equipped with an improved electronic OLED viewfinder with a resolution of 2.36 megapixels and 100% field of view coverage. It is equipped with an automatic brightness adjustment function. The viewfinder screen refresh rate can be increased to 120 frames per second, making it easy to follow even fast-moving objects and bringing overall performance closer to that of an optical viewfinder. The high refresh rate is maintained even in low light conditions, making it easier 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

The menu structure is difficult to call convenient; Sony needs to work on this. But, in fairness, it is worth noting that this drawback is offset by wide customization possibilities. In the settings, ten function buttons, which is a lot, can be assigned a total of 68 functions, which provides quick access to frequently used control options. By spending some time setting things up, you won't have to return to confusing menus 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 dial and are designated 1 and 2.

The Fn button displays a quick access menu of twelve parameters (which, again, can be changed to suit your needs). In the settings there is an "Application" tab. From here you can get to the service for downloading programs for the camera - PlayMemories Camera Apps. With its help, you can expand the functionality with various applications: Time Lapse, Star Trail, PlayMemories Mobile (for remote control of the camera), etc.

Equipment

The α6500 features a 24.2 MP APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor. Thanks to the BIONZ X image processor, the sensor is capable of supporting a wide ISO range (from 100 to 51,200), allowing you to take pictures with low noise levels. If you want to get excellent results and not worry about artifacts, then you shouldn't go above ISO 3200. Detail drops and grain becomes clearly visible at ISO 6400.

The combination of sensor and processor allows for single-frame shooting at speeds 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 is 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 handheld shooting possible in low light and also reduces waste when shooting close-ups. This stabilization is equivalent to reducing the shutter speed to 4.5 stops.

The built-in Wi-Fi adapter in the camera makes it possible to quickly exchange images with mobile devices and publish photos to in social networks. NFC technology is used for easy control with mobile device basic functions of the camera, including the shutter release. The built-in Bluetooth adapter is designed to receive geolocation data from compatible mobile devices.

Focus system

It is not for nothing that this topic is included in a separate section. Among digital cameras equipped with an APS-C matrix, according to Sony research (as of October 2016), the α6500 has the fastest autofocus. The number of phase detection autofocus points is 425, and contrast detection 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 accurately focus on moving objects and provide the clearest pictures possible.

The dots are distributed throughout the frame with high density, so during shooting no object will remain out of view. Moreover, the autofocus speed reaches 0.05 s, which makes the camera a world leader in this aspect. Lock-on autofocus allows you to maintain 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 if the subject moves quickly. All this significantly expands the creative possibilities for both photographers and video makers.

One of the convenient features of the device is the Touch Pad function. By sliding your finger across the LCD touch screen, you can move the focus point within the frame without ever having to look up from the viewfinder. The performance of the focus mode can be given an excellent rating.

Video Recording Features

The camera is capable of recording video in UHD 4K resolutionusing XAVC S codec with a bitrate of 100 Mbit/s.

The recording format is based on the standard Super-35 with an effective 20 megapixels,with full data readout. When mode recording at 25 fps, 2.4x oversampling works (changes the resolution in pixels). This allows you to record video with high detail and reduced moire, which is quite important for Bayer-type matrices. So if you want maximum quality, write 4K in PAL standard. Of course, you won’t be able to completely get rid of artifacts on very small parts, but not everyone can notice them.

The file is recorded in an MP4 container with 4:2:0 color subsampling. You can also record in 4K resolution to an external device with a 4:2:2 ratio. The maximum shooting duration is 30 minutes. During this time, the camera noticeably heats up and may turn off during operation, but before this, a notification about the camera heating will appear on the display. The restriction can be removed in the settings, but I would not recommend it - this may negatively 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 realizing creative ideas; the video can be slowed down 4 times in post-processing.

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

To capture and convey as much of the visual information captured by a camera's sensor as possible, Sony created Picture Profiles. They can change many parameters that affect the final result. The first six profiles from PP-1 to PP-6 apply variations of the standard gamma, the image is almost ready for use.

Profiles PP-7 to PP-9 are designed to require deep post-processing after shooting. Here S-Log is used as gamma, which gives a very faded, flat, low-contrast image. S-Log2 better preserves information in the highlights, and S-Log3 in the shadow areas of the image. If you do not have experience working with S-Log, then I advise you to first experiment before taking important photos. It is worth noting that the mode has a peculiarity - the camera fixes the minimum value of ISO 800; when 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 when shooting video to ISO 25,600. At ISO 6400, the image looks quite edible, and is suitable for everyday tasks - the result is more than decent, 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 out smoothly. This will come in handy when shooting a report 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, detecting faces and registering them. 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, magnifying glass, Gamma assistants, focus picking. When using a Sony E PZ 18-105 F4 lens

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

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 active video recording mode, the device will work for no more than an hour. The autonomy is not good, 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 it is turned off, it switches to battery power. It is possible to use the AC-PW20 AC power adapter, which is sold separately.

Sony ILCE-6500 replaced its successful predecessor so quickly that many users did not even have time to appreciate the advantages of the previous model and began to be indignant: the manufacturer did not think about them who bought the Sony ILCE-6300! Those who are dissatisfied can be understood: the new product (one year old at the time of publication of this material) was only 8 months younger than its older (only in age) sister. But on the other hand, these negative emotions were caused by ordinary envy: after all, the Sony ILCE-6500 received the most desired thing that its “big sister” lacked - in-camera image stabilization.

Introduction

The manufacturer unites all mirrorless camera models with interchangeable lenses into the ILCE line (Interchangeable Lens Camera with E mount, that is, “camera with interchangeable lenses of E mount”). The adjective “mirrorless,” according to marketers, hints at a lack, inferiority, since the prefix “without” itself declares the absence of something. In our opinion, this far-fetchedness was simply transferred without any national adaptation from the English-speaking world, in which it is probably mirrorless and “does not sound proud.”

In our country, it seems, this does not cause any unwanted associations. Nobody calls these cameras “system”; the term “mirrorless” continues to be used - obviously because the first term sounds ambitious, like a slogan, and does not reflect the essence of the main classification feature - the actual lack of mirror.

The data presented in the table above makes it possible to conclude that the Sony α6500 has a modern sensor, extensive capabilities for controlling photo and video shooting and irreplaceable qualities: hybrid phase and contrast autofocus, as well as in-camera image stabilization.

Technology, design, construction, menu

The manufacturer calls our product a “premium camera” and, it should be noted, has every reason for this.

Sensor

The Exmor image sensor has 24.2 million effective pixels. This is the maximum that mirrorless cameras with APS-C matrices offer today.

A traditional type sensor is used with a layer of conductors placed on top of photodetectors (front “backlight”). However, the conductors themselves are located more compactly within the layer.

Thanks to this structure, the conductors “cut off” light to a lesser extent on its way to the photocathode layer, and more of it enters the light-receiving cells than with conventional matrices. This makes it possible to increase the light sensitivity of the Sony α6500.

The dynamic range of the sensor is 13.7 exposure stops - this is a very impressive figure, especially for APS-C matrices - and operating ISO values, according to the same source, reach 1400.

Five-axis stabilization

The Sony α6500 differs from its predecessor and most other full-frame “mirrorless” cameras from other manufacturers in that it has an in-camera five-axis image stabilization system based on sensor movement.

It serves to compensate for vertical and horizontal shifts that occur when hands shake, as well as rotations and deviations of the camera relative to the main optical axis. The efficiency declared by the manufacturer is 5 exposure stops, which is somewhat ahead of the promises of optical stabilization in the best modern lenses and allows the Sony α6500 to compensate for shake when working with unstabilized optics, created not only for this camera, but also for any other mirrorless, DSLR, rangefinder and medium format system, including one compatible with the Sony E mount only using adapters.

Hybrid autofocus

Previously, mirrorless systems used contrast autofocus, which has no alternative in the world of smartphones. Contrast detection is the only thing that can be implemented without the need to place special sensors of another kind on the sensor itself or even install a separate AF matrix. Our ward has implemented a much more effective combined system.

Hybrid autofocus should be fast and accurate, performing well in low-light conditions and when shooting high-contrast scenes.

Device and control

	Front view. The most noticeable detail is the polished flange of the Sony E mount. At 4.5 o'clock to the left of it, the lens release button protrudes from the housing. The handle for holding the camera is large, with a good profile for the fingers. The shutter button, power lever and front control wheel are in the usual places, your fingers immediately fall where they need to be.
	Back view. The most noticeable parts are, naturally, the display and viewfinder. Above the screen on the right are buttons for ejecting the built-in flash, calling up the menu and a combined button for exposure memory and switching the focus mode from automatic to manual. The ends of the main shooting mode selector and the control wheel are visible from above. The remaining controls surround a four-way joystick combined with a selector dial and central select button.
	View from above. Closer to the center there is a hot shoe, which has full functionality, and a built-in flash. To the right of them you can see the main shooting mode selector and control wheel, programmable buttons C1, C2 and C3, as well as the most important thing - the shutter button and the rim of the camera shutdown lever that hugs it.
	View from below. Here, as expected with a classic layout, there is the minimum necessary: ​​a standard tripod mount with a ¾ thread and a compartment cover for the battery and memory card. The tripod's removable contact pad does not block access to this compartment and allows you to replace the power source and memory card without removing the camera from the tripod.
	View from the left (in relation to the display). There is a hatch for access to the wire connectors, covered with a plug.
	If you open the compartment cover on the left, under it you will find Micro-USB 2.0, Micro-HDMI (Type D) connectors and a jack for connecting an external microphone.

The vertical-motion curtain-slot shutter allows you to work out automatic shutter speeds from 30 to 1/4000 s. We do not have direct indications of the guaranteed number of its operations.

Thank you Sony for the camera and lenses provided for testing

home » Useful » Sony 6500 which is the best lens. Review of the premium Sony α6500 mirrorless system camera with an APS-C sensor and in-camera stabilization. Main features of the camera