So what does everyone make of the new Sony A6500?

6mths the a6300 been out or thereabouts haven't upgraded from my a6000 mostly because the features I might use weren't worth the price difference. But this looks good. My non sony lenses would benefit from in body stabilisation and I like the touch/pad/screen. The buffer of 310 shots at 11fps and the new metering modes are steps forward. Might have to start saving.
 
It looks very good in terms of what it offers but the added speed and 5axis stabilisation making it sit at 1700euros.. really?!? That's an insane amount of money for what it unltimately offers over the 1150euro a6300... madness! Feel sorry for anyone who's investing in Sony these days, they release more cameras than most people eat hot dinners.
 
Why feel sorry Andrew? A new released model doesn't change the camera already owned, although I guess some people do want the latest model to be fair.

I like the look of the A6500. Looks a fantastic choice for video especially, but I won't be getting it anytime soon (I use an A6000 for video and I'm happy with it).
 
As I mentioned in the A7 / A9 thread, I think Sony perhaps rushed the A6300 to market and the A6500 feels like the camera they originally planned to release.
I think it'll sell well and get rave reviews but if I was a A6300 owner I'd be very annoyed that Sony have already released a higher model.

I think from a price perspective all the manufacturers can be seen to increase their prices, Brexit being a contributing factor.
I think the uk pricing will be £1000 for the A6300 and £1400 for the A6500. So £400 difference for the added features.

All I can say is that Sony seems to be pushing ahead technologically which is great.

Can't wait for the Sony A9 and what new things it brings to the table.
 
Probably the model that should have replaced the nex 6. The frequency of new models is becoming a farce
 
dcash29 said:
Probably the model that should have replaced the nex 6. The frequency of new models is becoming a farce
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Thing is you don't have to buy them. I tend to miss a generation or wait for a more significant or ground breaking feature. Been with sony since digital cameras became available. But I haven't owned every upgraded model

Just read that it isn't an upgrade of the a6300 as sony will still be marketing the a6000, a6300, and a6500 to suit different requirements and budgets.
 
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Dennyboy said:
Thing is you don't have to buy them. I tend to miss a generation or wait for a more significant or ground breaking feature. Been with sony since digital cameras became available. But I haven't owned every upgraded model
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I was making a statement. I didnt purchase the 6000 because it wasnt as good as the nex6. I didnt purchase the 6300 because it showed no vast improvements in quality or handling and I wont be buying the 6500. In fact if I did by a Sony again I'd look at the a7.
 
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Wissel said:
Why feel sorry Andrew? A new released model doesn't change the camera already owned, although I guess some people do want the latest model to be fair.

I like the look of the A6500. Looks a fantastic choice for video especially, but I won't be getting it anytime soon (I use an A6000 for video and I'm happy with it).
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No your right it doesn't but when the life cycle of a flagship XYZ is six months when brands like Olympus, Fuji, canon or Nikon hold on to that for say 3-4years does make for a little sickening in the depreciation department.

Apple release a phone every 12 months and people know that. Just as people know that canon or nikon etc will hold on to a body for 3 years or so before a new one comes out but Sony leaves 6months, 3 years, a year, 2??!? What is it? The a6500 should have been what those who purchased the a6300 received. It just seems as though Sony deliberately omit certain hardware from their products in order to force a range when they could perhaps lessen what they have, sell more of each of what's left and bring either the price down or their profits up.

New cars come out circa every 6 years with a "facelift" after maybe 3 or 4 years. That's how the camera market seems to work too unless your Sony and that would drive me mad. I'd never buy another new Sony for fear of what's coming days, weeks or months down the line as there is no difinitive release cycle or path.

I just wish Sony would stop with "stop gap" releases as I would genuinely like to look into an A7 but on the space of about 2 years there's been like 6 of them and knowing Sony another 3 will crop up before Christmas.
 
That's a fair point Andrew, I hadn't thought about resale values.

My main camera is an A7ii. It's been the current model for about two years (a lifetime for a Sony camera lol). Resale values aren't as much of an issue to me as they may be to others, as I'm likely to keep what I have for at least a few more years yet.

Personally, I like that Sony innovate and bring out a lot of new products but I agree with you completely on your final point. I must admit, I'd be a little annoyed if I'd just bought the A6300.
 
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Touchscreen has no menu capabilities apparently and I guess the 5 axis stabilising is for you have to depend on third party lenses
 
It seems like some people are angry at Sony but can we really blame them for bringing out new kit?

Smartphones are killing the bottom end so manufacturers are moving upmarket and scrambling for sales. Sony brought out a nice camera in the A6300 but in the meantime the competition have all upped their game with new cameras so we can't expect Sony to sit on their hands can we...?... Look how many makers are bringing out new cameras at £1,000 or there abouts or even higher. They're all at it so I don't get all the Sony hate. And in the meantime previous models will carry on working just fine :D

I'd think about buying into the Axxxx system myself if they'd do a nice compact and reasonably priced 24mm f1.8.
 
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woof woof said:
It seems like some people are angry at Sony but can we really blame them for bringing out new kit?

Smartphones are killing the bottom end so manufacturers are moving upmarket and scrambling for sales. Sony brought out a nice camera in the A6300 but in the meantime the competition have all upped their game with new cameras so we can't expect Sony to sit on their hands can we...?... Look how many makers are bringing out new cameras at £1,000 or there abouts or even higher. They're all at it so I don't get all the Sony hate. And in the meantime previous models will carry on working just fine :D
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True they will work just fine but when you stump up for a flagship (of its type at least) in the a6300 the last thing you want or need is a newer and higher end model to come out just weeks later.

Canon released the 7D mkii and 18 months later Nikon lay down the gauntlet with the D500. I don't see a 7D mkiii coming any time soon. Just relax, develope and release something special in another 18 months or so that's heaps and bounds above what it's replacing just like the 7D mkii was against the 7D.

The 6300 is more an a6000+ or an a6500 lite as a result. It realistically shouldn't have been released all things considered as all it's lacking is the 5axis as the extra processing power will probably not be noticed given its Function will be to operate that 5axis IBIS. Video bit rates etc haven't been updated or upgraded and neither has the AF system.

A lot of reviewers, magazines and YouTube channels have the same view on this. As good as it is to innovate and release new tech as Sony do, perhaps it would be wiser to hold on to some tech with patents and then introduce more features in one hit or with firmware upgrades (where applicable) rather than a new body every 5 minutes.
 
Andrew Moore said:
True they will work just fine but when you stump up for a flagship (of its type at least) in the a6300 the last thing you want or need is a newer and higher end model to come out just weeks later.

Canon released the 7D mkii and 18 months later Nikon lay down the gauntlet with the D500. I don't see a 7D mkiii coming any time soon. Just relax, develope and release something special in another 18 months or so that's heaps and bounds above what it's replacing just like the 7D mkii was against the 7D.

The 6300 is more an a6000+ or an a6500 lite as a result. It realistically shouldn't have been released all things considered as all it's lacking is the 5axis as the extra processing power will probably not be noticed given its Function will be to operate that 5axis IBIS. Video bit rates etc haven't been updated or upgraded and neither has the AF system.

A lot of reviewers, magazines and YouTube channels have the same view on this. As good as it is to innovate and release new tech as Sony do, perhaps it would be wiser to hold on to some tech with patents and then introduce more features in one hit or with firmware upgrades (where applicable) rather than a new body every 5 minutes.
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If Sony sit still so will Fuji and Panny and Oly and even Canon? I don't think so.

There's waaaaaaay too much gas and anger. I know this is a gear forum but even so... can't people just be happy with what they have or if they really need the new features (lets be honest this is possibly unlikely) or simply must buy the latest shiny new toy (much more likely) just do it quietly without posting angst on the net?
 
woof woof said:
If Sony sit still so will Fuji and Panny and Oly and even Canon? I don't think so.

There's waaaaaaay too much gas and anger. I know this is a gear forum but even so... can't people just be happy with what they have or if they really need the new features (lets be honest this is possibly unlikely) or simply must buy the latest shiny new toy (much more likely) just do it quietly without posting angst on the net?
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Completely miss understood me here. I don't have a Sony, I won't buy Sony "because" of the above.

As I've said, it's great that they innovate but it's a very poor show that they can't wait a few months and release a finished product. Instead they release stop gaps and that is the problem.

How would you feel if you saved up for a couple of years, did your research and purchased a product that's a few months old and a flagship model that surely has a few years left as being the best you can buy to then have it replaced only weeks later? I'd be pretty disheartened myself and many many others are too.
 
£1799 body only........£1799!!!!! Holy cow that's steep!! :wacky:
 
Andrew Moore said:
Feel sorry for anyone who's investing in Sony these days, they release more cameras than most people eat hot dinners.
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They make more money from selling new models as upgrades than developing and providing firmware updates to established users..
 
Andrew Moore said:
Completely miss understood me here. I don't have a Sony, I won't buy Sony "because" of the above.

As I've said, it's great that they innovate but it's a very poor show that they can't wait a few months and release a finished product. Instead they release stop gaps and that is the problem.

How would you feel if you saved up for a couple of years, did your research and purchased a product that's a few months old and a flagship model that surely has a few years left as being the best you can buy to then have it replaced only weeks later? I'd be pretty disheartened myself and many many others are too.
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No, I didn't.

The competition moves on and you expect Sony to stand still?

I wouldn't care honestly. In fact it's happened to me with my A7 being updated to MK II and more recently with Panasonic MFT. And you're distorting the timelines to suit your own little rant.

As I said, waaaaay too much gas and anger here but, fill ya boots.
 
The A6500 has a high spec than the A6300 which has an higher spec than the A6000. I am sure there are people who brought the a6300 that would have gone for the a6500, but the main updates being in body stabilization and touch screen the A6300 still will be the best of for many.

Overall the A6500 is a new camera in the range and not an update to the A6300.
 
Alastair said:
They make more money from selling new models as upgrades than developing and providing firmware updates to established users..
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If you can add a touch screen and IBIS through a firmware update you're doing well.
 
woof woof said:
If you can add a touch screen and IBIS through a firmware update you're doing well.
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It's more a case that your stuck with what you've got if you buy Sony. Adding shiny bells and whistles just makes people feel slightly less bad about upgrading camera for incremental software improvements.
 
woof woof said:
No, I didn't.

The competition moves on and you expect Sony to stand still?

I wouldn't care honestly. In fact it's happened to me with my A7 being updated to MK II and more recently with Panasonic MFT. And you're distorting the timelines to suit your own little rant.

As I said, waaaaay too much gas and anger here but, fill ya boots.
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We are all allowed opinions, there's absolutely need to be unpleasant about it.
No time line distorting at all. It's been 6 months and the same camera with IS and a touch screen has been released, features that arguably should have been included in the first place.
 
To be fair though @woof woof, you've been moaning about your MFT system not having 1/8000th shutter speed or auto ISO in manual mode for what feels like years so we're all allowed to have a bit of anger from time to time. I'm happy with my A6K for what I need but it's hard not to feel frustrated at the way Sony released their 'flagship' APS-C body to fanfares 8 months ago when they clearly had the 6500 in the pipeline. Also, £1799 body only is a pretty hefty chunk of cash, even for some of the uber-wealthy on here!
 
stevelmx5 said:
To be fair though @woof woof, you've been moaning about your MFT system not having 1/8000th shutter speed or auto ISO in manual mode for what feels like years so we're all allowed to have a bit of anger from time to time. I'm happy with my A6K for what I need but it's hard not to feel frustrated at the way Sony released their 'flagship' APS-C body to fanfares 8 months ago when they clearly had the 6500 in the pipeline. Also, £1799 body only is a pretty hefty chunk of cash, even for some of the uber-wealthy on here!
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£1799, I thought it was going to be £1399 :eek:
 
Yeah - I read it was £1500.

If I had bought a A6300 I would be cheesed off with the announcement so soon of what I would perceive as a newer model - it's just way human nature is. In reality, the A6300 is an excellent camera by all accounts, as was the A6000 (and in both cases, they still are).

Rizvan said:
£1799, I thought it was going to be £1399 :eek:
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I agree, Sony and probably no other camera manufacturer is going to make a single camera that does it all, it would just put them out of business. So we are always going to get newer and better bodies/tech, doesn't mean the older body is rubbish.

Look at Canon and Nikon's approach, their body upgrades aren't that major, they are more like minor improvements and tweaks etc with the odd new feature.
Its because Sony is making big strides in their bodies/tech which causes grief to people like me who suffer from GAS. Sometimes it not because us GAS sufferers need the new tech, more of a want! :D lol
I am absolutely exited about the incoming Sony A9, as I know it wont just be a normal Nikon/Canon facelift. :D
 
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southernjessie said:
Yeah - I read it was £1500.

If I had bought a A6300 I would be cheesed off with the announcement so soon of what I would perceive as a newer model - it's just way human nature is. In reality, the A6300 is an excellent camera by all accounts, as was the A6000 (and in both cases, they still are).
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Hoping this is a mistake with the price
 
Bizarre seeing the A6300 'replaced' when it still costs as much as it did at launch. (In fact, in costs more due to Brexit)

But great to see touchscreen at last. Always a deal-breaker for me. Now the price is...
 
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Park camera have it shown at this price but that £300 more than the us dollar price which is even by rip of Britain standard not a good deal.
 
Ok but that doesn't make sense as the US launch prices were as follows:-

A6300 $1000 - UK price is £999
A6500 $1400 - I would have expected the UK price to be £1399

:D
 
Awesome spec but doesn't really have the ecosystem to take advantage of it in my opinion. Stick this in a slightly more conventional body, add some dials and buttons and flesh out the lens lineup and they have a system on their hands. As it is, I believe the vast, vast majority never move past the kit lens with these E mount bodies.
 
For me, the A6500 announcement is great, as it means the A6300 price shoudl come down quicker - which means I can get afford an upgrade for my A6000 sooner :D

On a side issue, as a long time Sony user with the A200, A700 and A900, I have long suffered from Sony NOT releasing new bodies quickly enough, so do find the debate on releasing more bodies too quickly a little amusing.

To me, the A6300 is a newer version of the A6000 - incremental changes, the biggest for me being much better compatibility via adaptor with some of my existing A-Mount lenses.
The A6500 with IBIS, touch-screen, more powerful processor & large buffer is a step up in the range, not just a newer model.
 
http://www.fujirumors.com/sonys-fas...s-better-strategy-win-mirrorless-battle-poll/

I know it's Fuji site but it looks at the Sony strategy, the updates to its cameras and time scales. An interesting read but please remove the Fuji fan bias from between the lines as it'll skew your view on the post.

Poll at the end is interesting though.. should Fuji release bodies as frequently as Sony or stay as they are and the results are 95% in favour of keeping to the 2-4 year cycles.

The sales approach seems to work for Sony though as the A7 range saw 2 bodies a year except for this year which the earthquake has cited as being a reason for this not happening (who knows) so perhaps that's what the alpha 6xxx is now going to be like? A release of this a6500 and maybe a successor in April/may in time for when the season for buying camera equipment (holidays etc) is in full swing.
 
I am a Sony GAS fan boy but I agree with that Fuji poll, I would actually prefer a 2-4 year cycle for the bodies, especially with the top end bodies like the A7RII and incoming A9.
But the flip side is that it seems to be working for Sony, they are also moving full steam ahead to try and make their bodies better and better...... lets hope the A9 is a big leap ahead of the competition.
You have to remember not everybody can upgrade every year to the new bodies, if it was every 4 years and it was know cycle, customers would know a new body is out and plan ahead.
Fuji has had a longer period of time with their x series as I believe Sony only really started making waves once the A7 hit the streets... so the back end of 2013.
2013...14...15....16..... Sony has done a lot in such a small number of year when you compare it to the likes of the DSLR manufacturers.

Progress means progress..... unfortunately Sony seem to be releasing bodies based on short-term technological progress...... but it keeps the market competitive. :D
 
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