Best Equipment Camera Comparisons

Sony A6500 vs Canon EOS 80D – Comparison

Here’s our Canon 80D vs Sony A6500 comparison. They’re both great cameras and cost under $1500, but let’s see which one is better for the money.

Our comparison table below covers all the important specifications of each camera. Below that, we specifically talk about the new improvements and which model is better suited for your needs.

Canon 80DSony A6500
Megapixels24.224.2
Sensor TypeCMOSCMOS
Sensor FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Crop Factor1.6x1.5x
AA FilterYesYes
Image Resolution6000 x 40006000 x 4000
Body Image StabilizationNoYes - 5-Axis
Lens MountCanon EF/EF-SSony E
ISO100 - 16,000100 - 25,600
Expanded ISO25,60051,200
AF Points45425
Cross-type AF Points45425 phase
Continuous Mode7fps11fps
LCD3.0" - Fully Articulated3.0" - Articulating
LCD Resolution1,040,000 dots921,600 dots
TouchscreenYesYes
Focus PeakingNoYes
Top LCD DisplayYesNo
Viewfinder TypeOpticalEVF
Viewfinder Coverage98%100%
Viewfinder Magnification0.95x1.07x
Video Resolution1920x1080 (60/50/30/25/24p)3840x2160 (30/25/24p)
 1280x720 (60/50p)1920x1080 (120/100/60/50p)
Microphone JackYesYes
Headphone JackYesNo
Memory Card TypeSD SD or MS Pro
Dual Card SlotsNoNo
SD UHS SupportUHS-IUHS-I
Fastest Shutter Speed1/80001/4000
Slowest Shutter Speed30"30"
Bulb ModeYesYes
JPEG Buffer Size53231
RAW Buffer Size24110
Time LapseYesYes
Built-in FlashYesYes
Max Flash Sync Speed1/2501/160
Startup Time0.5s1.3s
Built-in Wi-FiYesYes
Built-in GPSNoNo
Built- in NFCYesYes
BluetoothNoNo
USB TypeUSB 2.0USB 2.0
Environmentally SealedYesYes
Battery Life (CIPA)960 shots350 shots
Battery IncludedYes (LP-E6 or LP-E6N)Yes (NP-FW50)
Weight25.8 oz (730g)16.0 oz (453g)
Size5.5 x 4.1 x 3.1"4.7 x 2.6 x 2.1"
PriceAmazonAmazon
Release Date20162016

Canon 80D Advantages:

  • LCD Screen – It’s fully articulated, whereas the A6500 only tilts and does not swivel. The screen is also slightly sharper.
  • Top LCD Display – Very useful for previewing your settings, battery life and other modes without constantly having to check the rear LCD display
  • Headphone Jack – If you’re serious about audio quality this will make your life easier
  • Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/8000 vs 1/4000
  • Flash Sync Speed – A little bit faster at 1/200 vs 1/160
  • Startup Time – The 80D turns on 2x as fast
  • Battery Life – 610 shots longer battery life
  • Lens Mount – As of 2017, there are a lot more lenses you can use on the 80D and other Canon DSLRs. Sony has some impressive lenses too, but this is where Canon’s 30+ year old EF mount comes in play
  • Less Expensive – Body only, the Canon 80D costs around $300 less

For around $300 less, the 80D’s biggest advantages are the bigger selection of lenses, an articulating LCD screen and a much longer battery life. It’s an excellent camera, that’s for sure, but compared to the A6500 it just doesn’t look that special anymore (most cameras don’t).

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.

Sony A6500 Advantages:

  • Body Image Stabilization – The A6500 has a built-in 5-axis image stabilization that works for video and photography.
  • Higher ISO Range – The native ISO is almost 1 stop higher and it goes up t
  • 425 AF Points – All phase detection AF, 10x as many points as the 80D has
  • 11 vs 7fps – A very big difference for extreme sports and wildlife
  • Focus Peaking – The camera can highlight what’s in focus; great for people with bad eye sight or when manually focusing
  • Viewfinder – While EVF vs Optical is a personal preference in terms of which one looks nicer, the EVF has a 100% viewfinder coverage and shows you exactly how your shot is going to look before taking a picture
  • 4K Video – Not only does the A6500 sweep the 80D in Full HD video (120fps), it also offers 4K at 30fps!
  • Buffer Size – Almost 5x bigger RAW and JPEG buffer
  • Weight & Size – Almost 300g lighter, noticeably smaller

The Sony A6500 can record 4K videos, has built-in image stabilization, 425 AF points, 11fps… It goes on and on, not to mention you get all of this in a small compact mirrorless camera.

If you have the money and find all of the advantages about exciting and can see yourself using them (both photo and video), you will absolutely love the new A6500.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.

Leave a Comment