The A6500 is one of the best compact system cameras around, and sits at the very top of the APS-C tree. Capable of producing superb images straight out of the camera, its raft of high-speed features make it a particularly good match for anyone who likes to shoot fast-moving action subjects, be it wildlife or your pet dog. That said, Sony sadly still hasn’t quite reached perfection. Yes, we’ve finally got a touchscreen, but you can only use it for certain things. The A6500 is also pretty expensive, and if you tend to shoot non-moving fare like landscapes, portraits and macro, you might be better suited to the A6300. In that sense, the two cameras mirror the Fujifilm X-T2 and X-T20, which are their main rivals. Which you go for depends a lot on your preferences for a camera's controls and feel, as Sony and Fujifilm differ greatly here - but we reckon the X-T2 just edges it, thanks to its better frame rate and design. Buy the Sony A6500 here from Wex photographic

Excellent image quality; Great for capturing fast-moving objects; Touchscreen for fast operation;

Expensive; Poor battery life;

The Sony Alpha 6500 ($1,399.99, body only) packs the same stellar 24MP APS-C image sensor, hybrid focus system, and 11.1fps capture rate as the Alpha 6300 , and adds in-body image stabilization and a touch screen to the mix.

Compact body; 11.1fps burst shooting; Large buffer; Tilting touch-screen LCD; Crisp 120fps EVF; In-body image stabilization; Excellent image quality; Integrated flash; Wi-Fi with NFC; 4K video and 120fps 1080p

Dense menu system; Some add-on apps must be purchased; No external charger included; Battery life lags behind competing models; Only one memory card slot; No grip available; Requires FE lens to complete weather sealing

Sony announced its new flagship APS-C camera, the a6500, a week ago and we had the chance to see a pre-production version at the Sony Europe headquarters in Weybridge. We couldn't bring back pictures or video footage but spending a few hours with the new camera gave us an idea about its new features...

Not too long after the A6300 was announced, Sony sprung the A6500 on the world. Sporting many of the same specifications of the A6300 , the new camera is designed to be a premium version of the model, intending to appeal to high-end enthusiasts and potentially even some pro photographers.

4K video; High-resolution viewfinder; Great autofocusing system

Touchscreen could be better implemented; No headphone socket

4K video; High-resolution viewfinder; Great autofocusing system;

Touchscreen could be better implemented; No headphone socket;

It weighs just 453g when the battery and card are inserted, yet crams in a DSLR-sized APS-C sensor. This is able to capture an extraordinary amount of detail with its maximum resolution of 24.2MP.

The A6500 is Sony's latest flagship APS-C E-mount compact system camera and is essentially an enhanced version of the A6300 that provides a number of performance and handling upgrades for those with deeper pockets.

Fantastic image quality; Extended memory buffer; Powerful 5-axis in-body stabilisation; Highly customisable

No in-camera raw processing; Memory card access can be fiddly; Focus Area options could be more streamlined

The Sony A6500 replaces the 8-month-old A6300 as Sony's premium APS-C Alpha offering. The A6500 retains a similar outward appearance to its predecessor, featuring full weather sealing against dust and moisture ingress, but now has in-body 5-axis stabilization, a touch-enabled LCD screen, a bigger...

The $1,398 Sony A6500 is the premium model in Sony's mirrorless camera lineup, packing every feature the company could think of into its small case. The camera has the same 24.2 megapixel image sensor as its predecessor, the a6300 , but adds extra processing and buffer memory, plus some tweaks to...

Excellent image and video quality; Tough construction; Can shoot 11 fps for more than 30 seconds

Awkward on-screen menus; Some noise at higher ISO; Expensive

Overall, this is a great camera body. It's my fourth Sony APS-C Mirrorless body (NEX-5N, NEX-6, A6000, A6500) and I'm really enjoying it. The body is very solid, and the performance is excellent. It's very fast, and I was able to configure it to do what I needed more easily than the previous models.

Focus speed and large buffer Better controls than previous APS-C Sony Great build-quality Great EVF (especially at 120Hz) Nice grip and overall size Can use it while connected to a USB battery pack

Mediocre battery life (but works with a battery pack) Could use another dial (but it works once you get used to it) Not quite as hip looking as Fuji or Olympus..; :