The Sony A6500 was Sony’s flagship back in 2017, coming from a wide range of A6000series.
Still to this day it holds strong and comes sitting below the Sony A7 line-up.
The A6500 is a great all-rounder and is really well built, something we can expect from Sony.
What makes it great, must be its video capabilities.
It can capture 4k UHD content at 30/25/24 fps. No doubt, that it is high quality with 8-bit. Without leaving the uncanny known auto-focus of Sony behind.
In today’s article, we will discuss the battery life of the Sony A6500 and How to improve it.
Sony A6500 Battery Life:
According to Sony, the A6500 can go up to 350 shots with an LCD screen and 310 shots with the ViewFinder.
As for recording, it is 65 Minutes with the viewfinder and 70 Minutes with LCD.
As far as recording goes, it is plenty enough. But for stills, those are low numbers, I cant lie.
350 shots per charge, which means it goes around one-third of the battery life a competitive DSLR offers. Therefore, carrying some extra batteries with you becomes quite essential.
Obviously, there is the payoff, since A6500 is way more compact than DSLR counterparts and comes in smaller and lighter.
What Type Of Battery Does Sony A6500 Use?
The Sony A6500 is powered by a standard NP-FW50 Sony battery.
Usually, Sony batteries are pricey, buying some extras might come close to buying a Sony A6000 camera itself.
Lucky for us there are third-party battery manufacturers that offer pretty much the same battery at a much more friendly price.
However, note that this might come with a risk.
Sony is against third-party batteries, due to them having a bad history and there have been cases where they broke the camera.
So before buying pay attention to reviews and such, basically do your homework.
Sony A6500 USB Charging:
Fortunately, Sony includes a USB charging feature.
While most people think this is just a gimmick and not quite useful, it is the opposite.
It is a lifesaving feature, that will reward in the long run a lot.
During your trips, you can plug the USB anywhere, even in your car, and charge the battery while on the road.
If you can afford a battery charger, things get even easier.
With the USB charging and a dual battery charger, you will be able to charge 3 batteries at once, and by tomorrow you will have them ready to accompany you through the whole session.
Final Words:
Despite the low stamina, the Sony A6500 remains a highly capable camera that will reward photographers.
If the battery bothers you that much, I wouldn’t say that it is necessary to replace the camera.
Instead, you can carry extras and a charger as I mentioned above, and do some little tweaks on your settings, and you will be set.
The 350 Shots are implied by CIPA standards, and you should be aware that they go through some specific process; meaning that it can last longer in real-life usage.
This is it, hopefully, you managed to learn something out of this article.
Until next time,
Enjoy!
Photo & Videographer
A photographer with a passion for capturing the beauty of nature and the human form. My work has been featured in galleries and publications around the world, and I strive to create images that evoke emotion and tell a story.