Canon SX280 HS vs Sony A6500

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Canon SX280 HS vs Sony A6500

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1/2.3 inch 28.1mm²
12.1 megapixels
25.00mm - 500.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Canon SX280 HS Review.
See real-world photos taken with the SX280 HS.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A6500 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6500 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6500.
Compare Sony A6500 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6500 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600
Compare Canon SX280 HS vs Sony A6600

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Differences

Canon SX280 HS advantages over Sony A6500

Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
Thinner
32 mm vs 53 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
233g vs 453g
Lighter weight
Faster JPEG shooting
14.0 fps vs 11.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)

Sony A6500 advantages over Canon SX280 HS

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
APS-C vs 1/2.3 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Bigger pixels
~ 3.92 vs 1.54 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
RAW file ability
Yes vs No
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

350 vs 210 shots
Capture more photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Newer
8 years vs 12 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
More dots on screen
922k vs 461k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
Hot shoe
Hot shoe vs None
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
More pixels
24.2 vs 12.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Longer exposure
30 vs 15 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Bulb shutter
Bulb vs No bulb
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 6400 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Integrated ND filter
Neither provide
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

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Review Excerpt

We haven’t finished our review of the Canon SX280 HS, but we have extensive sample photos and a hands-on report.
See our Canon SX280 HS First Shots

Comfortable, premium body with good controls; Touch-screen for subject selection; Hybrid image stabilization system; Excellent image quality; Better high ISO JPEGs than the A6300; Extremely fast 11.1 fps burst capture; Very deep buffers for raw and JPEG alike; 4K video capture with no pixel binning
Pricey for an APS-C camera; JPEG colors aren't the most accurate; Very slow buffer clearing; Laggy touch-pad AF function; Poorly-placed movie button; No headphone jack; Mediocre battery life
Read our Sony A6500 Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon S9100

Canon SX280 HS

Nikon S9100

$300
1/2.3 inch

Built-in Wi-Fi
Built-in GPS

$254
1/2.3 inch

In-camera panoramas
Longer stills battery life

Compare Canon SX280 HS vs Nikon S9100

Sony A6500

Nikon S9100

$1216
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$254
1/2.3 inch

Slower slow-motion
Thinner

Compare Sony A6500 vs Nikon S9100

Compared to Panasonic ZS15

Canon SX280 HS

Panasonic ZS15

$300
1/2.3 inch

Built-in Wi-Fi
More telephoto lens reach

$273
1/2.3 inch

Less expensive
Longer stills battery life

Compare Canon SX280 HS vs Panasonic ZS15

Sony A6500

Panasonic ZS15

$1216
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$273
1/2.3 inch

Thinner
Lighter weight

Compare Sony A6500 vs Panasonic ZS15

Compared to Canon SX260 HS

Canon SX280 HS

Canon SX260 HS

$300
1/2.3 inch

Built-in Wi-Fi
Shoots 60p video

$480
1/2.3 inch

Shoots 24p video
Slow-motion videos

Compare Canon SX280 HS vs Canon SX260 HS

Sony A6500

Canon SX260 HS

$1216
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$480
1/2.3 inch

Slower slow-motion
Built-in GPS

Compare Sony A6500 vs Canon SX260 HS

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Canon SX280 HS

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$300
1/2.3 inch

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Built-in GPS

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon SX280 HS vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Sony A6500

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1216
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$1300
APS-C

Higher max flash sync
More dots on screen

Compare Sony A6500 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Compared to Sony A6300

Canon SX280 HS

Sony A6300

$300
1/2.3 inch

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Built-in GPS

$846
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon SX280 HS vs Sony A6300

Sony A6500

Sony A6300

$1216
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$846
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

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