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Sony has taken the wraps off of its 24MP a6500 mirrorless camera. The flagship APS-C camera gains five-axis image stabilization and touchscreen operation. A larger buffer and more processing power also help set it apart from the existing a6300. It will cost around $ 1400.
The a6500 is now the company’s top-end APS-C camera, sitting above the a6300. It makes use of the same copper-wired 24MP sensor with 425 on-sensor PDAF points but gains a faster (LSI) processor to allow high speed operation. Sony also promises improved processing at high ISO settings, thanks to this new LSI.
The camera gains 5-axis image stabilization which continues to work in both stills and video. The system is rated as offering 5 stops of stabilization, by CIPA standard testing.
When used in conjunction with stabilized ‘OSS’ lenses, the in-lens stabilization takes over correction of the axes that is can stabilize, though Sony makes no claims for this adding to the degree of stabilization offered.
It also gains a touchscreen for faster operation, particularly in terms of AF point positioning. The rear screen works as a touchpad if you’re holding the camera to your eye.
The buffer has been significantly increased, allowing the camera to shoot at 11 frames per second for around 300 JPEGs or 100 Raw+JPEG frames. Sony says this (presumably in combination with the additional processing power) also helps it offer a faster image review when you’ve been shooting large bursts.
It can shoot 4K video much like the a6300 but with the touchscreen allowing touch-to-pull-focus. The AF drive speed during video shooting can be controlled for smooth focus transitions. This autofocus ability is maintained across all the camera’s video modes, including 1080/120p capture.
Beyond that, the camera’s video capabilities are very similar to those of the a6300: UHD 4K at up to 100Mbps from 6K readout, meaning roughly 1.54x oversampling in each dimension (2.4x overall). The camera can also capture Full HD (1080) at up to 120p which is now offered as part of a feature that allows the camera to offer anything from 1fps to 120fps capture, for playing back as anything from 60x high speed to 1/5th speed slow motion.
Sadly, Sony is making no promises of improved rolling shutter, compared with the a6300 (suggesting it’s a sensor read-out limitation, rather than one of processing).
Like the a6300, the a6500 has a mic input but no headphone socket.
The camera’s menu has also been updated, which the company says will make it easier to search and navigate. At present, it does not appear that the camera can shoot uncompressed Raw.
Battery life is rated at 350 shots per charge when using the rear screen and 310 shots per charge when using the EVF.
The a6500 will be available for $ 1400/€1700 in the end of November and December for the US and EU, respectively.
Sony Introduces New ?6500 Camera with Exceptional All-Around Performance
New Flagship APS-C Sensor Camera Combines World’s Fastest AF speed1and Highest Number of AF points2 with In-camera 5-axis optical image stabilization, Touchscreen AF Operation, 24.2 MP Exmor® CMOS sensor and more
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2016 – Sony Electronics, a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer, has today introduced their new flagship APS-C sensor camera, the ?6500 (model ILCE-6500).
As the latest addition to Sony’s lineup of award winning mirrorless cameras, the new ?6500 shares the same unrivaled 4D FOCUS™ system as the ?6300 camera, which can lock focus on a subject in as little as 0.05 seconds, the world’s fastest1 AF acquisition time. Also shared with the ?6300, the new ?6500 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, as 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 frames3 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 ?6500 features Sony’s acclaimed in-camera 5-axis optical image stabilization, making it the first Sony APS-C sensor camera to offer all of the benefits of advanced in-body stabilization, which include a shutter speed advantage of approximately 5 steps4. It also offers touchscreen AF capabilities for focus point selection and adjustment.
“We are continuing to push the boundaries of modern innovation in digital imaging, in particular within the mirrorless space,” said Neal Manowitz, Vice President of Digital Imaging at Sony Electronics. “By equipping the ?6500 with 5-axis image stabilization and touchscreen AF, we’re offering photographers and videographers more control than ever before and a seemingly endless amount of creative possibilities. As our flagship APS-C camera, it far exceeds the performance threshold of any camera in its class, and many above its class as well.”
Unmatched AF Capability
Sony’s new ?6500 camera utilizes the same 4D FOCUS system as the ?6300 – a Fast Hybrid AF system that combines high-speed phase detection AF with extremely accurate contrast AF and allows 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.
New for the ?6500, thanks to faster internal processing capabilities enabled by the front-end LSI, the maximum buffer for high-speed continuous shooting 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 lenses5 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 Stabilization Provides 5 Steps Shutter Speed Advantage
One of the most exciting developments in the new ?6500 is the implementation of 5-axis image stabilization for the first time in a Sony APS-C sensor camera. Additionally, through a total revision of the internal design of the camera, this newly developed stabilization system fits entirely within a body that is nearly the same size as the ?6300 model6. This innovative 5- axis system provides a shutter speed advantage of 5 steps4, ensuring the full resolving power of the sensor can be realized, even in challenging lighting.
The shake compensation provided by the system works with a variety of lenses, including E-mount lenses without OSS (Optical SteadyShot) stabilization and A-mount lenses7 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 compensated in the camera body, resulting in optimal 5-axis stabilization7.
Also, with a simple half press of the shutter button, the effect of the image stabilization 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 is attached that does not have built-in shake compensation.
New Touch Screen Focusing
The new ?6500 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 compliment to its advanced AF system and video shooting capabilities.
Additionally, in a first for Sony cameras, the ?6500 features touchpad functionality. When utilizing 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 MP8 Exmor CMOS Sensor, BIONZ X® Processor and New Front-End LSI
The new ?6500 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 maximize processing power and achieve an impressive sensitivity range of ISO 100-512009.
The image sensor employs a thin wiring layer and large photodiode substrate that maximizes light collection efficiency, plus 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 ?6500 becomes the latest Sony interchangeable lens camera to offer internal 4K movie recording, as it can shoot 4K (3840x2160p) 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 2.4x10 (20 MP equivalent) as many pixels as 4K UHD and then oversamples the information to produce high quality 4K footage with exceptional detail and depth.
Additionally, the ?6500 will focus exceptionally fast during movie shooting thanks to its Fast Hybrid AF system, offers touch focusing for professionally smooth focus shifts, while also offering adjustable AF transition speed and AF tracking sensitivity. The camera supports the XAVC S codec11 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 caliber video features include the ability to record Full HD at 120 fps at up to 100 Mbps, which allows footage to be reviewed and eventually edited into 4x or 5x slow motion video files in Full HD (24p) resolution with AF tracking.
New on the ?6500 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 120 fps can be selected in 8 steps for up to 60x quick motion and 5x slow motion recording12. Footage shot in this mode can be previewed after shooting without the need for PC-based post processing.
The camera also offers S-Log gamma recording13 for wide dynamic range shooting – approximately 14-stop latitude in S-Log3 gamma setting – and supports S-Gamut for a wider color space. Both options allow for greater creativity for processing video post-production.
Shooters also now have the ability to select, extract and save still images from movie footage directly on the camera. Approximately 8 MP images and 2 MP images can be pulled from 4K modes and Full HD modes, respectively.
Enhanced Operability and Reliability
The new ?6500 has a refined design, maintaining the mobility of the ?6000 series while adapting much of the usability of Sony’s acclaimed ?7 II series. The new model features the same high contrast, high-resolution 2.4 million dot XGA OLED Tru-Finder as the ?6300 that offers exceptional corner-to-corner visibility.
New hardware features on the ?6500 include a magnesium alloy body and a high-durability shutter with a tested life span of approximately 200,000 release cycles14. It also has several design features that are borrowed from the ?7 II series of full-frame cameras, which include a robust lens mount, a recessed grip to improve handling, a larger release button and ten total custom buttons including ‘C1’, ‘C2’ and ‘C3’. It also 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, which 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 and fully compatible with Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile™ applications15 available for Android™ and iOS platforms, as well as Sony’s growing range of PlayMemories Camera Apps™. The ?6500 also offers location data acquisition via a Bluetooth16 connection to a compatible mobile device and an updated menu structure to deliver a smoother navigational experience.
Pricing and Availability
The Sony ?6500 interchangeable lens camera will ship this November for about $ 1,400 US and $ 1,750 CA. It will be sold at a variety of Sony authorized dealers throughout North America.
There is also a new genuine leather body case (model LCS-EBG) that will ship in November and a new eyepiece cup (model FDA-EP17) that will be launched at a later date.
Notes:
- 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.
- Among digital cameras as of October 2016, based on Sony research.
- With “Hi” continuous shooting mode and “Fine” image quality.
- Based on CIPA standard. Pitch/yaw shake only. With Sonnar T* FE 55mm F1.8 ZA lens mounted. Long exposure NR off.
- 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).
- Excluding grip, frontal-view size and main body thickness are the same as for the ?6300
- All 5-axis stabilization is performed in-camera when SEL90M28G is mounted
- Approximate effective MP
- Standard ISO range: 100-25600 for stills and movies. Expandable up to ISO 51200 for stills only.
- In 24p recording. Approx. 1.6 times in 30p recording.
- 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.
- Sound cannot be recorded. SDHC/SDXC memory card of Class 10 or higher is required.
- S-Log2 and S-Log3 are premised on processing pictures.
- With the electronic front curtain shutter, under internal test conditions of Sony.
- Use the latest version of PlayMemories Mobile
- Can be connected via Bluetooth with smartphones featuring (as of the date of release)
I decided to increase the exposure +1 stop, bump the shadows up to +28 to correct the darkness, and increase the whites to +20 to make the highlights in the chrome pop.
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