Nikon D90 vs Sony A6500

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Nikon D90 vs Sony A6500

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APS-C 372.9mm²
12.3 megapixels
ISO 200 - 3200

Go in depth with our full Nikon D90 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D90.

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 D7000
Compare D90 vs D7000

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare NIKON D7000 vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Nikon D90 advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Bigger pixels
~ 5.50 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

850 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 231 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Sony A6500 advantages over Nikon D90

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 720p
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 D90 test data on DxO Mark

1,405 vs 977 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
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
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
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 12.3 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 4.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 4.1 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 6400 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
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
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 D90 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

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Kit with 18-135mm lens

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Review Excerpt

Read our Nikon D90 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 Sony DSLR-A550

Nikon D90

Sony DSLR-A550

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$859
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D90 vs Sony DSLR-A550

Sony A6500

Sony DSLR-A550

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$859
APS-C

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony DSLR-A550

Compared to Sony DSLR-A500

Nikon D90

Sony DSLR-A500

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$850
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D90 vs Sony DSLR-A500

Sony A6500

Sony DSLR-A500

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$850
APS-C

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony DSLR-A500

Compared to Pentax K-5

Nikon D90

Pentax K-5

$1300
APS-C

Fast startup
More telephoto lens reach

$800
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Higher effective ISO

Compare Nikon D90 vs Pentax K-5

Sony A6500

Pentax K-5

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Pentax K-5

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Nikon D90

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D90 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 D90

Sony A6300

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D90 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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