Sony Introduces New α6500 Camera with Exceptional All-Around Performance

Sony Introduces New α6500 Camera with

Exceptional All-Around Performance

New Flagship APS-C Sensor Camera Combines
World’s Fastest AF speed[1] and Highest
Number of AF points[2] with In-camera
5-axis image stabilisation, Touchscreen AF Operation, 24.2MP Exmor® CMOS sensor
and more

(SINGAPORE, 10 October 2016) – Sony today introduced its new flagship
APS-C sensor camera, the α6500 (model
ILCE-6500).

As the latest addition to Sony’s line-up of
award winning mirrorless cameras, the
new α6500 shares the same unrivaled 4D FOCUS™ system as the α6300
camera, which can lock focus on a subject in as little as 0.05 seconds, the
world’s fastest1 AF acquisition time. Similar to the α6300, the
new α6500 features 425 phase detection AF points that are
densely positioned over nearly the entire image area – the world’s highest2 number
of AF points on any interchangeable lens camera. The new model can shoot images
at up to 11 frames per second with continuous autofocus and exposure tracking,
and up to 8 frames per second in a live-view shooting mode that makes it easy
to track fast moving subjects. At the same time, it combines all of the
benefits of an electronic viewfinder with the immediacy of an optical
viewfinder.

The camera can shoot at these high speeds for
up to 307 frames[3] thanks to its
expanded buffer, which, along with the fast response speeds described above,
are all achieved with the support of a new front-end LSI chip that has been
added to the camera. This new front-end LSI also serves to enhance both still
and video image quality.

Additionally, the new α6500 features
Sony’s acclaimed in-camera 5-axis optical image stabilisation, making it the
first Sony APS-C sensor camera to offer all of the benefits of advanced in-body
stabilisation, including a shutter speed advantage of approximately 5 steps[4]. It also offers
touchscreen AF capabilities for focus point selection and adjustment.

α6500 with SEL1670Z

Unmatched AF Capability

Sony’s new α6500 camera
utilises the same 4D FOCUS system as the α6300 – a Fast Hybrid AF system that
combines high-speed phase detection AF with extremely accurate contrast AF,
allowing it to capture and lock on to moving subjects in as little as 0.05
seconds1. It also features 425 phase detection AF points and
High-density Tracking AF Technology, which significantly improves subject
detection and tracking performance.

Thanks to faster internal processing
capabilities enabled by the front-end LSI, the maximum buffer for high-speed
continuous shooting for the α6500 is an impressive 307 frames3,
greatly increasing the chances to catch that decisive moment. 

The camera’s 425 phase detection AF points,
focusing tracking and accuracy are also available when using non-native A-mount
lenses[5] with Sony’s
LA-EA3 mount adaptor. Additionally, it includes silent shooting, Eye AF in AF-C
mode, AF in focus magnifier modes, Expand Flexible Spot AF and more. 

5-axis Image Stabilisation Provides 5 Steps
Shutter Speed Advantage

One of the most exciting developments in the
new α6500 is the implementation of 5-axis image stabilisation
for the first time in a Sony APS-C sensor camera. Through a total revision of
the internal design of the camera, this newly developed stabilisation system
fits entirely within a body that is nearly the same size as the α6300.[6] This
innovative 5-axis system provides a shutter speed advantage of 5 steps4,
ensuring that the full resolving power of the sensor can be realised, even in
challenging lighting conditions. 

The shake compensation provided by the system
works with a variety of lenses, including E-mount lenses without OSS (Optical
SteadyShot™) stabilisation and A-mount lenses[7] when used with
a compatible mount adapter. When an E-mount lens with OSS is mounted, pitch and
yaw are compensated in the lens and horizontal, vertical and roll axes are also
compensated in the camera body, resulting in optimal 5-axis stabilisation.7 

Furthermore, with a simple half press of the
shutter button, the effect of the image stabilisation can be monitored in the
viewfinder or on the LCD screen, allowing framing and focus to be accurately
checked and continually monitored. This is available even when a lens without
built-in shake compensation is attached.

New Touch Screen Focusing

The new α6500 comes equipped
with touch screen functionality, allowing users to lock focus on a subject
simply by touching it on the screen. This is a powerful complement to its
advanced AF system and video shooting capabilities.

A first for Sony cameras, the α6500 features
touchpad functionality. When utilising the viewfinder for framing and shooting,
the LCD screen can be used as a touch pad. Simply drag a finger across the
screen to shift the focus point from one area to another.

Powerful 24.2 MP[8] Exmor CMOS
Sensor, BIONZ X® Processor and New Front-End LSI

The new α6500 features an
APS-C sized 24.2 MP8 Exmor CMOS sensor that works together with
a BIONZ X® image processor and the newly developed front-end
LSI to maximise processing power and achieve an impressive sensitivity range of
ISO 100-51200.[9] 

The image sensor employs a thin wiring layer
and large photodiode substrate that maximises light collection efficiency, as
well as copper wiring in its structure for outstanding read-out speed. The
BIONZ X® image processor and newly developed front-end LSI
ensure superior image and video quality with low noise even when using higher
ISO settings, in particular those at high sensitivity values where other
cameras typically struggle. The LSI is also responsible for the expanded buffer
depth for continuous shooting.

Professional Video Capabilities

The new α6500 becomes the
latest Sony interchangeable lens camera to offer internal 4K movie recording,
as it can shoot 4K (3840 x 2160p) video in the popular Super 35mm format on the
full width of the image sensor. When shooting in this format, the camera uses
full pixel readout without pixel binning to collect 6K of information –
approximately 2.4x[10] (20MP
equivalent) as many pixels as 4K UHD, and then oversamples the information to
produce high quality 4K footage with exceptional detail and depth.  

The α6500 also focuses
exceptionally fast during movie shooting thanks to its Fast Hybrid AF system,
which enables touch focusing for professionally smooth focus shifts, whilst
also offering adjustable AF transition speed and AF tracking sensitivity. The
camera supports the XAVC S codec[11] during video
shooting, which records at a high bit rate of up to 100 Mbps during 4K
recording and 50 Mbps during Full HD shooting – ensuring maximum detail and
clarity in both video formats. 

Other professional calibre video features
include the ability to record Full HD at 100fps at up to 100 Mbps. This allows
footage to be reviewed and eventually edited into 4x slow motion video files in
Full HD (25p) resolution with AF tracking.

New on the α6500 is the
incorporation of a ‘Slow and Quick’ (S&Q) mode that supports both slow
motion and quick motion. In this mode, frame rates from 1 fps to 100fps can be
selected in 8 steps for up to 50x quick motion and 4x slow motion recording[12]. Footage shot in
this mode can be previewed after shooting without the need for a PC-based post
processing.

The camera also offers S-Log gamma recording[13] for wide
dynamic range shooting – approximately 14-stop latitude in S-Log3 gamma setting
– and supports S-Gamut for a wider colour space. Both options allow for greater
creativity for processing video post-production.

Furthermore, shooters can now select, extract
and save still images from movie footage directly on the camera. Approximately
8MP images and 2MP images can be extracted from 4K modes and Full HD modes
respectively.

Enhanced Operability and Reliability
       

The new α6500 has a refined
design, maintaining the mobility of the α6000 series while adapting much of the
usability of Sony’s acclaimed α7 II series. The new model features the same
high contrast, high-resolution 2.4 million dot XGA OLED Tru-Finder™ as the
α6300 that offers exceptional corner-to-corner visibility.

New hardware features on the α6500 include
a magnesium alloy body and a high-durability shutter with a tested life span of
approximately 200,000 release cycles.[14] It also has
several design features that are borrowed from the α7 II series of full-frame
cameras, including a robust lens mount, a recessed grip to improve handling, a
larger release button, and ten total custom buttons including ‘C1’, ‘C2’ and
‘C3’. The new α6500also has an improved operation feel for its mode
and control dials and rear face buttons, as well as a softer eyepiece cup for
more comfortable usage.

On the software front, there is a new overall
user interface that allows for a much smoother process for searching and
adjusting menu settings, as well two new metering modes – Highlight, where
exposure metering is focused on the brightest area of the frame, and Entire
Screen Avg, which maintains an average metering for the entire image. 

The camera is Wi-Fi®, QR and NFC
compatible. It is also fully compatible with Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile™
applications[15] available for
Android™ and iOS platforms along with Sony’s growing range of PlayMemories
Camera Apps™. The α6500 further offers location data
acquisition via a Bluetooth®[16] connection to
a compatible mobile device and an updated menu structure to deliver a smoother
navigational experience.

             

Pricing and Availability

The new Sony α6500 interchangeable
lens camera will be available at all Sony Stores, Sony Centres and
selected Sony authorised dealers from December 2016. The currentα6000 will
also see a new colour introduction in December with the model also available in
Graphite Grey. 

There is also a new genuine leather body case
(model LCS-EBG) that will be
available in November and a new eyepiece cup (model FDA-EP17) that will be
launched at a later date.

[1]   Among interchangeable-lens digital cameras
equipped with an APS-C image sensor as of October 2016, based on Sony research,
measured using CIPA-compliant guidelines, and internal measurement method with
an E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens mounted, Pre-AF off and viewfinder in use.

[2]   Among digital cameras as of October 2016,
based on Sony research.

[3]   With “Hi” continuous shooting mode
and “Fine” image quality.

[4]   Based on CIPA standard. Pitch/yaw shake only.
With Sonnar T* FE 55mm F1.8 ZA lens mounted. Long exposure NR off.

[5]   A-mount lenses with SSM or SAM only. Users can
choose phase-detection AF or contrast-detection AF in AF System menu.
“Phase-detection AF” is not available during movie shooting. AF-C in
AF System menu is available only with “Contrast-detection AF”
selected, but no motion tracking is performed during continuous shooting (Hi+,
Hi, Mid).

[6]   Excluding grip, frontal-view size and main
body thickness are the same as for the α6300.

[7]   All 5-axis stabilisation is performed
in-camera when SEL90M28G is mounted.

[8]   Approximate effective MP.

[9]   Standard ISO range: 100-25600 for stills and
movies. Expandable up to ISO 51200 for stills only.

[10] In 25p recording.

[11] SDHC/SDXC memory card of Class 10 or
higher is required for movie recording in XAVC S format. UHS-I (U3) SDHC/SDXC
card is required for 100Mbps recording.

[12] Sound cannot be recorded. SDHC/SDXC
memory card of Class 10 or higher is required.

[13] S-Log2 and S-Log3 are premised on
processing pictures.

[14] With the electronic front curtain
shutter, under internal test conditions of Sony.

[15] Use the latest version of PlayMemories
Mobile™.

[16] Can be connected via Bluetooth® with
smartphones featuring (as of the date of release): Android (Android 5.0 or
later, Bluetooth 4.0 or later; iPhone/iPad (iPhone 4S or later/iPad 3rd generation
or later).