Nikon D7000 vs Sony A6500

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Nikon D7000 vs Sony A6500

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APS-C 368.2mm²
16.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D7000 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D7000.

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 D7100
Compare D7000 vs D7100

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare NIKON D7100 vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Nikon D7000 advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Bigger pixels
~ 4.79 vs 3.92 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.40 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

1050 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Higher max flash sync
1/250 vs 1/160 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6500 advantages over Nikon D7000

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
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 D7000 test data on DxO Mark

1,405 vs 1,167 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
53 mm vs 77 mm
Thinner
Newer
8 years vs 13 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.2 vs 16.2 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 5.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 19 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 5.9 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 10 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
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D7000 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

Very good image quality; Better than average noise vs. detail handling at high ISOs; Very good dynamic range in JPEGs, excellent in RAW files; Lots of high-end features in a relatively compact body; 6 fps burst mode.
Viewfinder not as accurate as specified; Viewfinder doesn't show ISO unless adjusting; No live histogram in Live View mode; No phase-detect Live View AF mode.
Read our Nikon D7000 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 Canon 60D

Nikon D7000

Canon 60D

$699
APS-C

Larger sensor
Higher effective ISO

$899
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Nikon D7000 vs Canon 60D

Sony A6500

Canon 60D

$1216
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$899
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Canon 60D

Compared to Pentax K-30

Nikon D7000

Pentax K-30

$699
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$599
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Nikon D7000 vs Pentax K-30

Sony A6500

Pentax K-30

$1216
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$599
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A6500 vs Pentax K-30

Compared to Pentax K-5 II

Nikon D7000

Pentax K-5 II

$699
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$699
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Nikon D7000 vs Pentax K-5 II

Sony A6500

Pentax K-5 II

$1216
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A6500 vs Pentax K-5 II

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Nikon D7000

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D7000 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 D7000

Sony A6300

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D7000 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

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