Sony RX10 III vs Sony A6500

Cameras
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Sony RX10 III vs Sony A6500

1 inch 116.2mm²
20.1 megapixels
24.00mm - 600.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Sony RX10 III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony RX10 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the RX10 III.
Compare Sony RX10 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony RX10 III 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 Sony RX10 IV
Compare RX10 III vs RX10 IV

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare SONY RX10 IV vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Sony RX10 III advantages over Sony A6500

Slower slow-motion
1000 fps vs 120 fps
Supports slower slow-mo
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

420 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Faster JPEG shooting
14.2 fps vs 11.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/32000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6500 advantages over Sony RX10 III

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 3.92 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~1.30 vs 2.1 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 RX10 III test data on DxO Mark

1,405 vs 472 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
53 mm vs 127 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
453g vs 1095g
Lighter weight
More pixels
24.2 vs 20.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 44 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 8.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 29 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
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
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
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
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
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
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

User reviews

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Read A6500 User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

Versatile all-in-one replacement for a DSLR or mirrorless camera; Great handling and build; Excellent image quality; Spectacular zoom reach; Swift performance with generous buffer depths; Extremely capable video capture; Comprehensive remote control; Quick-and-easy image sharing
Extremely expensive for a fixed-lens camera; Fairly heavy for fixed-lens camera; Somewhat soft in the corners at wide-angle or tele; Noise reduction intrudes at higher sensitivities; No built-in ND filter; Not as fast when shooting raws; Slow buffer clearing
Read our Sony RX10 III 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 Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

Sony RX10 III

Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

$1398
1 inch

Slower slow-motion
Larger lens aperture

$899
1 inch

Less expensive
Lighter weight

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

Sony A6500

Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$899
1 inch

Less expensive
Higher max flash sync

Compare Sony A6500 vs Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Sony RX10 III

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1398
1 inch

In-Camera Image Stabilization
In-camera panoramas

$1300
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony RX10 III 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

Compared to Sony A6300

Sony RX10 III

Sony A6300

$1398
1 inch

Slower slow-motion
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$846
APS-C

Larger sensor
Less expensive

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Sony A6300

Sony A6500

Sony A6300

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$846
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

Compared to Panasonic FZ2500

Sony RX10 III

Panasonic FZ2500

$1398
1 inch

Slower slow-motion
Larger lens aperture

$965
1 inch

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Panasonic FZ2500

Sony A6500

Panasonic FZ2500

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$965
1 inch

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A6500 vs Panasonic FZ2500

Compared to Sony RX10 IV

Sony RX10 III

Sony RX10 IV

$1398
1 inch

Less expensive

$1698
1 inch

Touchscreen
Built-in Bluetooth

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Sony RX10 IV

Sony A6500

Sony RX10 IV

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$1698
1 inch

Slower slow-motion
Top deck display

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony RX10 IV

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