Sony a6500

The Sony a6500 is a compact APS-C mirrorless camera released in 2016. It fits a 24.2-megapixel sensor into a body weighing 453 g, so it is a light camera to carry and to pack.

In-body stabilisation is the a6500's defining feature. Because the sensor itself moves to counter shake, every E-mount lens you attach benefits, which keeps your lens choices open.

It suits anyone who wants one small kit for both stills and video, with 4K recording and a flip screen on hand for filming.

A 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor gives files with plenty of detail for prints and room to crop. The ISO range runs from 100 to 25600, so you can keep shooting as the light falls, and the maximum shutter speed is 1/4000s.

For moving subjects, the camera is rated at up to 11 frames per second. That figure is a maximum rather than a sustained rate, and 425 autofocus points give the system plenty of places to focus.

In-body stabilisation shifts the sensor to counter camera shake, which helps you stay sharp at slower shutter speeds when shooting handheld. It has no effect on subject movement, so anything in motion still needs a fast shutter of its own.

The electronic viewfinder uses a 2.36-million-dot panel, so you can frame shots at eye level with a detailed view of the scene instead of relying on the rear screen.

The a6500 records 4K, its highest resolution, and its maximum frame rate is 30 fps. Detail at that resolution holds up on large screens and leaves some room to crop when you edit.

Recording formats include XAVC S, MPEG-4 and AVCHD Ver. 2.0, which lets you match the file type to your editing software and how much storage you keep free.

For handheld filming, the in-body stabilisation reduces camera shake in the footage, and the flip screen makes framing easier when the camera sits at waist level or above your head. The touchscreen allows quick setting changes on the move without digging through menus.

One gap sits at the edge of video rather than its core: there is no built-in timelapse mode, so interval sequences have to be produced outside the camera.

Our Features score of 81 rates the a6500 as very good, putting it in the top 19% of cameras in our database for Features. Contributing features include the 3-inch touchscreen, which makes settings and menu choices quicker to reach.

The panel offers 921,600 dots, which is clear enough for checking focus and composition as you work.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both built in, but there is no GPS, so the camera itself will not add location tags to your files.

Lighting options run from a built-in flash for quick fill to support for an external flash when you need more power. Weather sealing helps the body cope with dust and moisture, though it is not waterproof, so heavy rain still calls for care.

Our Storage & Battery score of 21 rates this area as limited, and the reasons show up quickly in use. The NP-FW50 battery is rated at 350 shots, a figure that varies with how you shoot, so a spare battery belongs in the bag for longer sessions.

There is no USB charging, so you cannot top the battery up over a USB cable from a laptop or power bank between locations.

One card slot takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards as well as Memory Stick Pro Duo. With no second slot there is no in-camera backup, so carry spare cards for shoots you cannot repeat.