Nikon D600 vs Sony A6500

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Nikon D600 vs Sony A6500

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35mm 861.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D600 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D600.

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 Nikon D610
Compare D600 vs D610

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare NIKON D610 vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Nikon D600 advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 5.97 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
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.
D600 test data on DxO Mark A6500 test data on DxO Mark

2,980 vs 1,405 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
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

900 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

Sony A6500 advantages over Nikon D600

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
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
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
Thinner
53 mm vs 82 mm
Thinner
Newer
8 years vs 12 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
Less shutter lag
0.18 vs 0.26 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 5.4 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 28 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 5.4 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 14 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
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

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D600 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

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Buy the Nikon D600

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Buy the Sony A6500

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Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

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Review Excerpt

Great controls for amateur or pro; Good grip and heft; Impressive low-light performance; Very good dynamic range; Excellent battery life; Built-in lens correction.
Dust and oil spatter problem; Moire problem with certain subjects; Slower X-sync speed; Slow AF in Live view mode; Aliasing in videos.
Read our Nikon D600 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 Canon 6D

Nikon D600

Canon 6D

$1900
35mm

Fast startup
Higher effective ISO

$1699
35mm

Built-in Wi-Fi
Built-in GPS

Compare Nikon D600 vs Canon 6D

Sony A6500

Canon 6D

$1216
APS-C

Focus peaking
Less expensive

$1699
35mm

Lens selection
Larger sensor

Compare Sony A6500 vs Canon 6D

Compared to Nikon D610

Nikon D600

Nikon D610

$1900
35mm

$1198
35mm

Faster RAW shooting

Compare Nikon D600 vs Nikon D610

Sony A6500

Nikon D610

$1216
APS-C

Focus peaking
Less expensive

$1198
35mm

Lens selection
Larger sensor

Compare Sony A6500 vs Nikon D610

Compared to Nikon D750

Nikon D600

Nikon D750

$1900
35mm

Fast startup

$1700
35mm

Tiltable Screen
Built-in Wi-Fi

Compare Nikon D600 vs Nikon D750

Sony A6500

Nikon D750

$1216
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1700
35mm

Lens selection
Larger sensor

Compare Sony A6500 vs Nikon D750

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Nikon D600

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1900
35mm

Lens selection
Larger sensor

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D600 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

Nikon D600

Sony A6300

$1900
35mm

Lens selection
Larger sensor

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D600 vs Sony A6300

Sony A6500

Sony A6300

$1216
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$748
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

Compare Other Cameras?