• 1/2.3 inch 28.1mm2
  • 14.5 megapixels
  • 7.30mm (35mm eq.)
  • APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 24.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

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Differences

Ricoh Theta S advantages over Sony A6500

  • Thinner
    22 mm vs 53 mm
    Thinner
  • Lighter weight
    125g vs 453g
    Lighter weight
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots
  • Faster shutter
    1/6400 vs 1/4000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6500 advantages over Ricoh Theta S

  • Rear display
    Yes vs No
    Review photos on the back of the camera
  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs 1/2.3 inch
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Eye-level vs Rear display only
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • 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
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • RAW file ability
    Yes vs No
    Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
  • 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
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 350 vs 260 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Manual focus
    Yes vs No
    AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • Hot shoe
    Hot shoe vs None
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • More pixels
    24.2 vs 14.5 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Shoots 60p video
    Yes vs No
    A faster framerate can give you more editing options
  • Bulb shutter
    Bulb vs No bulb
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 1600 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • In-camera panoramas
    Both provide
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Both provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video

Common Weaknesses

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • Top deck display
    Neither provide
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Integrated ND filter
    Neither provide
    Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Neither provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

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Ricoh Theta S (Black)

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Buy the Sony A6500
Body Only
  • Body Only
  • Kit with 18-135mm lens
All A6500 Deals

Review Excerpt

  • 360-degree spherical panoramas at the click of a button; Puts you back in the moment like no other camera; Good ergonomics and control layout; Great still image quality, and can shoot videos too; Upload panoramas to Google Street View

  • Very reliant on your smartphone or tablet; Battery and storage can't be replaced or upgraded; Handheld shots suffer from Gigantic Hand Syndrome; Hard to get yourself out of the shot; Video image quality is only modest; Interval timer has a long shot delay

  • Read our Ricoh Theta S Express 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 Samsung NX500

Ricoh Theta S
Samsung NX500
  • $290
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • Less expensive
  • Thinner
  • $1600
  • APS-C
  • Rear display
  • Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Samsung NX500

Sony A6500
Samsung NX500
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • $1600
  • APS-C
  • More pixels
  • Lacks anti-aliasing filter

Compare Sony A6500 vs Samsung NX500

Compared to Fujifilm X-T1 IR

Ricoh Theta S
Fujifilm X-T1 IR
  • $290
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • Less expensive
  • Thinner
  • $1049
  • APS-C
  • Rear display
  • Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Fujifilm X-T1 IR

Sony A6500
Fujifilm X-T1 IR
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Shoot 4K video
  • $1049
  • APS-C
  • Bigger pixels
  • More viewfinder magnification

Compare Sony A6500 vs Fujifilm X-T1 IR

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Ricoh Theta S
Fujifilm X-Pro2
  • $290
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • In-camera panoramas
  • Thinner
  • $1300
  • APS-C
  • Rear display
  • Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S 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

Ricoh Theta S
Sony A6300
  • $290
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • Thinner
  • Longer exposure
  • $848
  • APS-C
  • Rear display
  • Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Sony A6300

Sony A6500
Sony A6300
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Touchscreen
  • $848
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

Compared to Sony A6400

Ricoh Theta S
Sony A6400
  • $290
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • Thinner
  • Longer exposure
  • $798
  • APS-C
  • Rear display
  • Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Sony A6400

Sony A6500
Sony A6400
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Fast startup
  • $798
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Higher extended ISO

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400

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