Sony a6500 vs Sony a7S

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a6500 and Sony a7S. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

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 Sony a7S has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

** 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)

Resolution

Sony a6500 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a7S has 12 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Sony a6500 has a 100 % larger resolution than Sony a7S. 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

Sony a7S has a larger ISO-range than Sony a6500. Sony a7S has an ISO range that stretches from 10 to 102400 while Sony a6500 has 100 to 25600.

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.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a6500
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a7S

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 Sony a7S can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a6500 and Sony a7S 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.

Sony a7S weighs 489 gr (equal to 1.08 lb) which is 8% heavier than Sony a6500 and its 453 gr (or 1 lb).

Sony a6500 vs Sony a7S Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a6500 and Sony a7S, 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	Sony a7S
Name	Sony a6500	Sony a7S
Manufacturer	Sony	Sony
Release Date and Price	Sony a6500	Sony a7S
Release Year	2016	2014
Release Date	2016-10-06	2014-04-06
MSRP	1399 USD	2499 USD
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Camera Type	Sony a6500	Sony a7S
Camera Type	Mirrorless	Mirrorless
Sensor	Sony a6500	Sony a7S
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	4240 x 2832 pixels
Megapixels	24 MP	12 MP
Image Processor	Bionz X	Bionz X
Image	Sony a6500	Sony a7S
ISO Range	100 - 25600	10 - 102400
White Balance Presets	8	10
Custom White Balance	Yes	Yes
Image Stabilization	Yes (Sensor-Shift (5-axis))	No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating	0 stops	0 stops
Uncompressed format	RAW	RAW
Optics & Focus	Sony a6500	Sony a7S
Autofocus Motor	Yes	Yes
Autofocus	Contract Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi Area Center Selective Single Point Tracking Single Continuous Touch Face Detection LiveView	Contract Detect (sensor) Multi Area Center Selective Single Point Single Continuous Face Detection LiveView
Focus Points	425	25
Lens Mount	Sony E See Compatible Lenses	Sony E 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	Sony a7S
Articulated LCD	Tilting	Tilting
Screen size	3”	3”
Screen dots	921600	921000
Touch screen	Yes	No
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.)	0.71x
Viewfinder Resolution	2359296	N/A
Photography features	Sony a6500	Sony a7S
Frames per second	11 fps	5 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
Exposure Compensation	+/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)	+/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features	Sony a6500	Sony a7S
Video recording	Yes	Yes
Video format	MPEG4 XAVC-S AVCHD	MPEG4 XAVC-S AVCHD
Video resolution	1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160
Built-in Microphone	Yes	Yes
Built-in Speakers	Yes	Yes
Storage	Sony a6500	Sony a7S
Memory Card	Memory Stick Pro Duo SD/SDHC	SD/SDHC
Connectivity	Sony a6500	Sony a7S
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 (with NFC and wireless control via smartphone)
Remote Control	Yes (via smartphone)	Yes (Wired)
GPS	No	No
Body & Dimensions	Sony a6500	Sony a7S
Enviromentally sealed	No	Yes
Battery	Battery Pack	Battery Pack
Battery Details	NP-FW50	NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery and charger
Battery Life (CIPA)	350 shots	380 shots
Width	120 mm	127 mm
Height	67 mm	94 mm
Depth	53 mm	48 mm
Weight	453 gram	489 gram