Canon T6i vs Sony A6500

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Canon T6i vs Sony A6500

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APS-C 332.3mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Canon T6i Review.
How does it shoot? Canon T6i in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the T6i.
Compare Canon T6i image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon T6i conclusion.

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 Canon T7i
Compare T6i vs T7i

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare CANON T7I vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Canon T6i advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$599 vs $1598
Save money for lenses or accessories
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Fast startup
~0.90 vs 1.3 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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

440 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 231 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Sony A6500 advantages over Canon T6i

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
APS-C vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A6500 test data on DxO Mark T6i test data on DxO Mark

1,405 vs 919 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A6500 test data on DxO Mark T6i test data on DxO Mark

13.7 vs 12.0 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Thinner
53 mm vs 77 mm
Thinner
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.51x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 4.8 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 4.8 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 6 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Both provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
On-sensor phase detect
Both provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read T6i User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

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Buy the Canon T6i

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm STM lens
Kit with 18-55mm STM lens

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Buy the Sony A6500

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

All A6500 Deals

Review Excerpt

Highest resolution Canon APS-C camera yet; Improved dynamic range over T5i; Good high ISO performance for its class; Very fast autofocus; Built-in Wi-Fi with NFC; Touchscreen tilt/swivel LCD.
Shallow buffer depth with RAW files; Below average battery life; No Servo AF in Live View; No 60p video frame rate.
Read our Canon T6i Review

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 D3400

Canon T6i

Nikon D3400

$699
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$497
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T6i vs Nikon D3400

Sony A6500

Nikon D3400

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$497
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Nikon D3400

Compared to Nikon D5500

Canon T6i

Nikon D5500

$699
APS-C

Less expensive
NFC

$697
APS-C

Larger sensor
Fast startup

Compare Canon T6i vs Nikon D5500

Sony A6500

Nikon D5500

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$697
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Nikon D5500

Compared to Pentax K-3 II

Canon T6i

Pentax K-3 II

$699
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T6i vs Pentax K-3 II

Sony A6500

Pentax K-3 II

$1198
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Pentax K-3 II

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Canon T6i

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T6i vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Sony A6500

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1198
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 T6i

Sony A6300

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T6i vs Sony A6300

Sony A6500

Sony A6300

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$748
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

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