Nikon D7100 vs Sony A6500

Cameras
Compare Cameras
Nikon D7100 vs Sony A6500

Leave Feedback

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D7100 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D7100.

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 D7200
Compare D7100 vs D7200

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare NIKON D7200 vs SONY A6600

Buy From

Differences

Nikon D7100 advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$849 vs $1598
Save money for lenses or accessories
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

950 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
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6500 advantages over Nikon D7100

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 D7100 test data on DxO Mark

1,405 vs 1,256 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 76 mm
Thinner
Newer
8 years vs 12 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
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 5.8 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 12 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 5.3 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 5 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 D7100 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Nikon D7100

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-105mm Lens
Kit with 18-140mm Lens

All D7100 Deals

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony A6500

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

All A6500 Deals

Review Excerpt

Solid, ergonomic body design; Stunning, highly detailed photos, thanks to 24.1MP sensor upgrade and removal of optical low-pass filter; Cool 1.3x crop mode extends reach to nearly 2x the full-frame equivalent; Records Full 1080p HD video at up to 30fps with full-time AF; Many pro-level features packed into a consumer-friendly body at reasonable price.
Shallow buffer that hampers continuous burst shooting; AF slightly slower than average for its class; No real-time aperture control while in Movie mode (among other quirks); More noticeable moire patterns and aliasing artifacts (but only found when shooting fabrics with strong, distinct patterns).
Read our Nikon D7100 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 70D

Nikon D7100

Canon 70D

$745
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

$1149
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Canon 70D

Sony A6500

Canon 70D

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1149
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Canon 70D

Compared to Pentax K-3

Nikon D7100

Pentax K-3

$745
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Pentax K-3

Sony A6500

Pentax K-3

$1198
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6500 vs Pentax K-3

Compared to Nikon D7200

Nikon D7100

Nikon D7200

$745
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

$1016
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D7200

Sony A6500

Nikon D7200

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1016
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6500 vs Nikon D7200

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Nikon D7100

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$745
APS-C

Less expensive
Lens selection

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D7100 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

Nikon D7100

Sony A6300

$745
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D7100 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

Compare Other Cameras?