• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 16.1 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 12,800
  • APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 24.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

Buy From

Differences

Panasonic GH3 advantages over Sony A6500

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Fast startup
    ~0.80 vs 1.3 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 540 vs 350 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    Unlimited vs 231 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Sony A6500 advantages over Panasonic GH3

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs 4/3
    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 1080p
    Make sure you have a fast computer
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Yes vs No
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Higher effective ISO
    1,405 vs 812 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.7 vs 12.3 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • 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
  • Higher-res screen
    307k vs 205k pixels
    More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
  • More pixels
    24.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    11.1 fps vs 6.1 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Faster RAW shooting
    11.1 fps vs 5.1 fps
    Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
  • Bigger RAW buffer
    110 vs 24 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
  • Touchscreen
    Both provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Both provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • 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

  • 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

User reviews

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Professional quality video in a compact body; Still image quality ranks with the best mirrorless models and even some prosumer DSLRs; Fast autofocus; Rugged, weatherized camera build; Reasonably priced for its advanced feature set; Large selection of high quality lenses.

  • Not as compact as most mirrorless cameras; Live View not available during high speed bursts; High ISO image quality and dynamic range not quite as good as top APS-C cameras.

  • 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

The Competition

Compared to Panasonic G5

Panasonic GH3
Panasonic G5
  • $798
  • 4/3
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Fast startup
  • $500
  • 4/3
  • Higher-res screen
Sony A6500
Panasonic G5
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $500
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Olympus E-M1

Panasonic GH3
Olympus E-M1
  • $798
  • 4/3
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Longer stills battery life
  • $1099
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
Sony A6500
Olympus E-M1
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Shoot 4K video
  • $1099
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup

Compared to Panasonic GH4

Panasonic GH3
Panasonic GH4
  • $798
  • 4/3
  • $898
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • Shoot 4K video
Sony A6500
Panasonic GH4
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Slower slow-motion
  • $898
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Panasonic GH3
Fujifilm X-Pro2
  • $798
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • $1300
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A6500
Fujifilm X-Pro2
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Touchscreen
  • $1300
  • APS-C
  • Higher max flash sync
  • More dots on screen

Compared to Sony A6300

Panasonic GH3
Sony A6300
  • $798
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • $748
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A6500
Sony A6300
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Touchscreen
  • $748
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
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