Sony's flagship APS-C mirrorless of 2016 — 24.2MP with 5-axis IBIS, touchscreen, and 4K video.
The Sony Alpha A6500 was released in 2016 as the top-tier APS-C E-mount mirrorless at launch, featuring a 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor, 5-axis in-body stabilisation (IBIS), and a touchscreen LCD — the first Sony APS-C body with IBIS. The IBIS is rated at 5 stops CIPA. 425 phase-detect AF points. 11fps with AF/AE tracking. 4K/30fps full-pixel readout. At approximately 453g with battery and card.
The 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor with 425 phase-detection AF points plus 169 contrast-detect points. 5-axis IBIS rated 5 stops (CIPA). 11fps with AF/AE tracking. 4K/30fps full-pixel readout (no crop, oversampled from ~6K); 1080p up to 120fps. Touchscreen tilting 3.0-inch LCD (921k-dot). NP-FW50 battery rated approximately 310 shots (EVF) to 350 shots (LCD). Body weight approximately 453g with battery and card.
The IBIS is the A6500's defining addition over the A6300: 5-axis in-body stabilisation compensates for pitch, yaw, horizontal, vertical, and roll movements, enabling stable video on non-OSS lenses and improved long-exposure capability. When paired with OSS E-mount lenses, the body and lens stabilisers operate cooperatively. The touchscreen adds touch-to-focus (touchpad AF) functionality for precise subject selection that the A6300 lacks.
On the used market the Sony A6500 is available at mid-range APS-C E-mount pricing. Condition checks: IBIS operation, NP-FW50 battery health (shared with A6000, A6300, NEX series), touchscreen responsiveness, and single SD slot. Compatible with all Sony E-mount APS-C lenses; Sony FE full-frame lenses mount natively using the APS-C sensor area.