Sony today announced their new top APS-C camera, the Sony a6500, adding some noteworthy new features over its predecessor, the a6300 – like a faster processor and five-axis image stabilization. They also announced the next generation of its premium compact camera, the RX 100 V, along with a new underwater housing for RX 100-series cameras.
Sony A6500 Camera
The Sony a6500 interchangeable-lens compact digital camera is the latest generation of its best-selling a6000 series. It shares many features with its predecessor, the a6300, including what Sony says is the world’s fastest AF speed and the highest number of focus points at 425, but has vastly improved high-speed shooting capabilities, able to maintain its 11fps top burst rate for 307 frames. The big news is image stabilization: The a6500 is the first Sony APS-C sensor camera to offer 5-axis optical image stabilization with a 5-stop shutter speed advantage. In addition, the camera now has touchscreen operation.
Sony A6500 Key Features
• 24.2MP APS-C Exmor® sensor
• ISO 100-51,200
• Wide 425 phase detection AF points
• Claimed 0.05 sec. AF acquisition
• 5-axis in-body image stabilization
• 11fps max. continuous shooting
• 4K movies with 2.4x oversampling
• No pixel binning
• OLED EVF
• Touch AF LCD Monitor
• Wi-Fi, NFC, QR code
• Magnesium alloy body is dust/moisture resistant
• 200k cycle shutter
As with its predecessor, the Sony a6500 offers Sony’s 4D Focus system, which can lock focus on a subject in 0.05 seconds; according to Sony, this is the world’s fastest AF acquisition time. Likewise, the camera carries over the 6300’s 425 phase detection AF points, which are densely positioned over most of the image area. Sony claims this is the most AF points to be found on a mirrorless interchangeable-lens compact camera.
The internal design, however, has been completely revamped to add internal image stabilization, a feature that was previously only found on certain lenses. Sony was able to add stabilization without any major change to the shape or size of the camera body. This 5- axis system provides a shutter speed advantage of 5 steps, according to Sony, 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 stabilization and A-mount lenses 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 stabilization.
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.
The other big news is that Sony has added touch screen focusing, allowing users to lock focus on a subject by simply touching it on the screen. Drag a finger across the screen to shift the focus point from one area to another.
4K Video
The Sony a6500 is the latest Sony camera to offer internal 4K video recording, in the popular Super 35mm format on the full width of the image sensor. In this format, the camera uses full pixel readout without pixel binning to collect 6K of information (20MP equivalent) as many pixels as 4K UHD, then oversamples the information to create high-quality 4K footage.
The α6500 is said focus exceptionally fast during movie shooting thanks to its Fast Hybrid AF system, offers touch focus for professionally smooth focus shifts, and adjustable AF transition speed and AF tracking sensitivity. The camera supports the XAVC S codec 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 pro-caliber video features include recording 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.
The α6500 also incorporates for the first time a ‘Slow and Quick’ (S&Q) mode that supports both slow motion and quick-motion video footage with frame rates from 1 fps to 120 fps in 8 steps for up to 60x quick motion and 5x slow motion recording. 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 recording 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. Videographers can select, extract and save still images from movie footage directly on the camera. Approximately 8 MP and 2 MP images can be pulled from 4K modes and Full HD modes, respectively.
The a6500 is more rugged than its predecessors, thanks to a new magnesium alloy body, high-durability shutter with a tested life span of 200,000 clicks, a solid lens mount, recessed grip, and larger release button. All ten buttons on the camera surface are customizable. A new user interface is said to make searching and adjusting menu settings easier.
The Sony a6500 will be available from Adorama in early December for $1,398. Pre-orders are being accepted starting October 10 and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Credit cards will not be charged until orders ship.
Sony RX100 V Camera
Most of the new features found on the a6500 are also on the new Sony RX100 V, the latest generation of Sony’s lineup of “posh” self-contained pocket-sized cameras. It offers Fast Hybrid AF, with claimed 0.05 second focus acquisition, 315 focus points covering 65% of the frame, a world-record (for a compact camera) 24fps burst rate, 4K movies, a fast 24-70mm (35mm equivalent) f/1.8-2.8 built-in zoom lens, and a 20.1MP 1-inch sensor.
Sony RX100 V Key features:
• 20.1MP 1-inch EXMOR RS stacked BSI CMOS sensor
• 4K movies with direct pixel readout, no pixel binning, fast hybrid AF
• World’s fastest hybrid AF (contrast & phase detect) at 0.05 sec
• Worlds most AF points on compact camera (315 phase detect)
• World’s fastest compact camera burst rate at 24fps
• 24-70mm (35mm equiv) f/1.8-2.8 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens
• Pop-up OLED EVF
• Wi-Fi w/NFC, QR code
• Super-slow motion movies at 960fps
• Top shutter speed 1/32,000 sec
The claimed record-setting 0.05-sec AF acquisition is accomplished via the camera’s 315 AF focus points covering 65% of the frame, while the 24fps continuous shooting speed with AF/AE tracking is backed by a large buffer so the camera can capture a sequence of up to 150 shots at full speed without interruption. Viewfinder blackout has been minimized when shooting at high-speed. A new AF-A mode lets the camera automatically switch between continuous and single-shot AF. Users can manually select if they want the continuous or Phase Detection AF areas to be displayed on screen while they are shooting.
The 20.1MP sensor has a stacked structure with more circuit sections, resulting in faster readout, blazingly-fast shutter speeds up to 1/32000 seconds, super-slow-motion video at 960fps and low noise in low light. The camera’s Clip-4K movie mode shoots up to 5 minute video clips at 4K with full pixel readout and no pixel binning, resulting in less moire and jaggies. The XAVC S format produces 100 Mbps pro-level video. A focal plane phase detect AF system allows for fast focusing while shooting movies. The camera is capable of simultaneously recording 17MP images while shooting video, and users can extract 8 or 2MP stills from videos after the fact.
The lens on this camera has always been a major draw. With a large f/1.8 max aperture, the 24-70mm (35mm equivalent) Zeiss Vario Sonnar T offers shallow depth of field, desirable for portrait photography, and focuses as close as 3cm from the surface of the lens at the widest setting, and about 1 foot at the longest setting. A built-in 1/8 ND filter lets you use a wider aperture in sunlight.
The RX100 V also has a high speed Anti-Distortion Shutter (maximum speed of 1/32000 second) that minimizes the “rolling shutter” effect commonly experienced with fast moving subjects. This fast shutter speed also allows the camera to capture sharp, crystal clear images with a wide open aperture at brightness levels up to EV199. Shooting at wide aperture with the fast shutter speed allows photographers and videographers to capture the moment with sharply focused subjects and defocused backgrounds under some of the most difficult, bright lighting conditions.
The 3-inch touchscreen LCD monitor provides 1,228.8k dot resolution and can be flipped up over the top of the camera for selfies, or down for hail-mary shots. The Eye-level viewfinder offers a super-sharp 2,359k dot resolution.
The Sony RX100 V will be available from Adorama later in October for $998. Pre-orders are being accepted October 10 and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Credit cards will not be charged until orders ship.
Underwater Housing for RX100 Series
Finally, Sony announced an underwater housing for its RX100 series of compact cameras. Usable to depths of 130 feet, it features a rotary lens-ring dial, large lever shutter button and zoom lever. It lets you use the camera’s built-in flash, comes with a detachable diffuser for minimal vignetting, and a 67mm filter thread.
The Sony Underwater Housing for RX100 will be available from Adorama for $328 by the end of November. Pre-orders are being accepted now and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Credit cards will not be charged until orders ship.
