Sony A6500 vs Olympus E-M10 III

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Sony A6500 vs Olympus E-M10 III

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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.

4/3 226.2mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-M10 III Review.
How does it shoot? Olympus E-M10 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the E-M10 III.
Compare Olympus E-M10 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Olympus E-M10 III conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600
Compare Sony A6600 vs Olympus E-M10 III

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Differences

Sony A6500 advantages over Olympus E-M10 III

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
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
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.62x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 8.6 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 8.6 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 33 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Olympus E-M10 III advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$799 vs $1598
Save money for lenses or accessories
Fast startup
~1.00 vs 1.3 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher max flash sync
1/250 vs 1/160 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
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)
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Shoot 4K video
Both provide
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
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
Slow-motion videos
Both provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

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
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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Body Only (Black)
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Review Excerpt

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

Superbly-built, comfortable and compact body; Pairs beautifully with pancake kit lens; Excellent image quality; Excellent performance in most respects; Great single-shot autofocus; Really nice viewfinder and touch-screen display; Friendlier user interface courts amateurs.
Some controls are a bit small and tightly-packed; Hand grips are still a bit modestly-sized for larger lenses; Continuous and video autofocus just isn't up to snuff; New user interface can feel limiting to advanced photographers; Underwhelming battery life.
Read our Olympus E-M10 III Review

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-M10 II

Sony A6500

Olympus E-M10 II

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

$349
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Olympus E-M10 II

Olympus E-M10 III

Olympus E-M10 II

$549
4/3

Shoot 4K video
Bigger JPEG buffer

$349
4/3

Less expensive

Compare Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus E-M10 II

Compared to 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

Olympus E-M10 III

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$549
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1300
APS-C

Larger sensor
On-sensor phase detect

Compare Olympus E-M10 III vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Compared to 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

Olympus E-M10 III

Sony A6300

$549
4/3

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$748
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M10 III vs Sony A6300

Compared to Panasonic GX85

Sony A6500

Panasonic GX85

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
NFC

$598
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Panasonic GX85

Olympus E-M10 III

Panasonic GX85

$549
4/3

More telephoto lens reach
Higher max flash sync

$598
4/3

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M10 III vs Panasonic GX85

Compared to 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

Olympus E-M10 III

Sony A6400

$549
4/3

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$798
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M10 III vs Sony A6400

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