Sony a6500 vs Canon EOS R5

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a6500 and Canon EOS R5. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a6500 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS R5 is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a6500 were released 2016 and Canon EOS R5 was released 2020. That is a 4 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a6500 2016
Canon EOS R5 2020

Type of camera

Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a6500 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS R5 has a "Canon Full Frame"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a6500 75 mm
Sony APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Canon EOS R5 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Sony a6500 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS R5 has 45 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a6500 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000
Canon EOS R5 45 MP
44761088 pixels
8192 x 5464

Canon EOS R5 has a 87 % larger resolution than Sony a6500. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Canon EOS R5 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a6500. Canon EOS R5 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Sony a6500 has 100 to 25600.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a6500 100-25600
Canon EOS R5 100-51200

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Worth mentioning is that Canon EOS R5 belongs to the Canon EOS R-system and needs an adapter to work with Canons EF, EF-S, MP-E, and TS-E lenses. You can read more about this adapter here:
Canon Lens Mount Adapter EF-EOS R

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a6500
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS R5

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a6500 can shoot up to 11 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS R5 can shoot up to 20 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a6500 11
Canon EOS R5 20

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Sony a6500 and Canon EOS R5 can shoot movies.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Canon EOS R5 weighs 738 gr (equal to 1.63 lb) which is 63% heavier than Sony a6500 and its 453 gr (or 1 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a6500 453 gr
1 lb
Canon EOS R5 738 gr
1.63 lb

Sony a6500 vs Canon EOS R5 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a6500 and Canon EOS R5, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
Name Sony a6500 Canon EOS R5
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
Release Year 2016 2020
Release Date 2016-10-06 2020-07-09
MSRP 1399 USD 3899 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
Camera Type Mirrorless Mirrorless
Sensor
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
Sensor Size APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm) Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 6000 x 4000 pixels 8192 x 5464 pixels
Megapixels 24 MP 45 MP
Image Processor Bionz X DIGIC X
Image
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
ISO Range 100 - 25600 100 - 51200
White Balance Presets 8 8
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift (5-axis))
Yes
(Sensor-Shift. Works with lens-based IS systems for maximum shake reduction.)
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 425 1053
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Canon RF

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier APS-C Sensor (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
Articulated LCD Tilting Fully articulated
Screen size 3” 3.2”
Screen dots 921600 2100000
Touch screen Yes Yes
Screen type TFT LCD TFT LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 1.07× (0.71× 35mm equiv.) 0.76×
Viewfinder Resolution 2359296 5760000
Photography features
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
Frames per second 11 fps 20 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash Yes No
Built-in Flash Range 6 meters N/A
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Partial
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
XAVC-S
AVCHD
H.265
Video resolution 1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
3840 x 2160
4096 x 2160
7680 x 4320
8192 x 4320
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes Yes
Storage
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
Compact Flash Express
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes Yes
Headphone Port No Yes
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11/b/g/n with NFC)
Yes
Built-in (802.11ac (dual-band) + Bluetooth)
Remote Control Yes (via smartphone) Yes
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a6500
Canon EOS R5
Enviromentally sealed No Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FW50
LP-E6NH lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 350 shots 320 shots
Width 120 mm 138 mm
Height 67 mm 98 mm
Depth 53 mm 88 mm
Weight 453 gram 738 gram