Panasonic LX100 vs Sony A6500

Cameras
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Panasonic LX100 vs Sony A6500

4/3 224.9mm²
12.8 megapixels
24.00mm - 75.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Panasonic LX100 Review.
How does it shoot? Panasonic LX100 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the LX100.
Compare Panasonic LX100 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Panasonic LX100 conclusion.

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.

Succeeded by the Panasonic LX100 II
Compare LX100 vs LX100 II

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare PANASONIC LX100 II vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Panasonic LX100 advantages over Sony A6500

Less expensive
$598* vs $1598
Save money for lenses or accessories
Higher max flash sync
1/4000 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
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6500 advantages over Panasonic LX100

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Fast startup
~1.30 vs 2.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A6500 test data on DxO Mark LX100 test data on DxO Mark

1,405 vs 553 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More pixels
24.2 vs 12.8 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 130 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 22 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
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
In-camera panoramas
Both provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Both provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
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

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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Read LX100 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

Very good image quality; Great performance in most respects; Bright zoom lens with good macro performance; Photographer-friendly body easily fits in a coat pocket or small bag; Roomy, high-res built-in viewfinder; Decent battery life
Won't fit in a pants pocket; Relatively low resolution by modern standards; Zoom lens has only a modest telephoto; Soft corners at wide or tele positions; Aperture dial is too easily bumped; Bundled flash is fairly weak
Read our Panasonic LX100 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 Sony RX100 III

Panasonic LX100

Sony RX100 III

$598
4/3

Less expensive
Larger sensor

$748
1 inch

Tiltable Screen
Internal flash

Compare Panasonic LX100 vs Sony RX100 III

Sony A6500

Sony RX100 III

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$748
1 inch

Less expensive
Integrated ND filter

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony RX100 III

Compared to Canon G7X

Panasonic LX100

Canon G7X

$598
4/3

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$699
1 inch

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

Compare Panasonic LX100 vs Canon G7X

Sony A6500

Canon G7X

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$699
1 inch

Integrated ND filter
Thinner

Compare Sony A6500 vs Canon G7X

Compared to Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

Panasonic LX100

Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

$598
4/3

Less expensive
Lacks anti-aliasing filter

$875
4/3

Has anti-aliasing filter

Compare Panasonic LX100 vs Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

Sony A6500

Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
Touchscreen

$875
4/3

Less expensive
Longer exposure

Compare Sony A6500 vs Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

Compared to Canon G5X

Panasonic LX100

Canon G5X

$598
4/3

Larger sensor
Less expensive

$700
1 inch

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Panasonic LX100 vs Canon G5X

Sony A6500

Canon G5X

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$700
1 inch

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A6500 vs Canon G5X

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Panasonic LX100

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$598
4/3

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1300
APS-C

Larger sensor
Fast startup

Compare Panasonic LX100 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

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