• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 12.1 megapixels
  •  
  • APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 24.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

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Differences

Panasonic GH1 advantages over Sony A6500

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Sony A6500 advantages over Panasonic GH1

  • 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
  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Fast startup
    ~1.30 vs 1.8 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi vs None
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Yes vs No
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Better color depth
    24.5 vs 21.6 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    1,405 vs 772 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.7 vs 11.6 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • 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
  • Newer
    8 years vs 15 years old
    Newer cameras often support more advanced features
  • Lighter weight
    453g vs 930g
    Lighter weight
  • More dots on screen
    922k vs 460k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Less shutter lag
    0.18 vs 0.34 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • More pixels
    24.2 vs 12.1 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    11.1 fps vs 2.5 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    231 vs 12 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 3200 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
  • Tiltable Screen
    Both provide
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • 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

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
  • Headphone jack
    Neither provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

Buy From

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

The Competition

Compared to Panasonic G2

Panasonic GH1
Panasonic G2
  • $1315
  • 4/3
  • Higher effective ISO
  • More dynamic range
  • $800
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup
Sony A6500
Panasonic G2
  • $1216
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $800
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup

Compared to Panasonic GH2

Panasonic GH1
Panasonic GH2
  • $1315
  • 4/3
  • Higher effective ISO
  • Thinner
  • $1500
  • 4/3
  • Fast startup
  • More pixels
Sony A6500
Panasonic GH2
  • $1216
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $1500
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Longer exposure

Compared to Olympus E-M5

Panasonic GH1
Olympus E-M5
  • $1315
  • 4/3
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • Internal flash
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
Sony A6500
Olympus E-M5
  • $1216
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Higher max flash sync

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Panasonic GH1
Fujifilm X-Pro2
  • $1315
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Tiltable Screen
  • $1300
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A6500
Fujifilm X-Pro2
  • $1216
  • APS-C
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Touchscreen
  • $1300
  • APS-C
  • Higher max flash sync
  • More dots on screen

Compared to Sony A6300

Panasonic GH1
Sony A6300
  • $1315
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • $846
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A6500
Sony A6300
  • $1216
  • APS-C
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Touchscreen
  • $846
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
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