Canon XS vs Sony A6500

Cameras
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Canon XS vs Sony A6500

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APS-C 328.6mm²
10.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 1600

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

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 T3
Compare XS vs T3

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare CANON T3 vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Canon XS advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Bigger pixels
~ 5.71 vs 3.92 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.30 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

500 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos

Sony A6500 advantages over Canon XS

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 No
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
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
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
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Newer
8 years vs 16 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
More dots on screen
922k vs 230k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.51x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.2 vs 10.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 2.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 7 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 1600 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
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
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 XS User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

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Review Excerpt

Read our Canon XS Full 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 Pentax K200D

Canon XS

Pentax K200D

$440
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$800
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon XS vs Pentax K200D

Sony A6500

Pentax K200D

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A6500 vs Pentax K200D

Compared to Sony DSLR-A230

Canon XS

Sony DSLR-A230

$440
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Canon XS vs Sony DSLR-A230

Sony A6500

Sony DSLR-A230

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$549
APS-C

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony DSLR-A230

Compared to Nikon D3000

Canon XS

Nikon D3000

$440
APS-C

Fast startup
Less shutter lag

$450
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Canon XS vs Nikon D3000

Sony A6500

Nikon D3000

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$450
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A6500 vs Nikon D3000

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Canon XS

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$440
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon XS 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 XS

Sony A6300

$440
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon XS 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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