Sony A6500 vs Fuji X-T2

Introduction

Just as the name suggests, a mirrorless camera doesn’t require a reflex mirror, which in DSLR cameras, that is a key component. More precisely, the mirror is the key to reflecting the light up to the optical viewfinder, that is in DSLR cameras though, because, in a mirrorless camera, you won’t find an optical viewfinder. 

Therefore, there is an imaging sensor that is always exposed to light, thus, this will result in a digital preview of your subject, or the image you’ve taken on both, the rear LCD, and on the electronic viewfinder.

For this article, we have chosen two of the most reviewed and rated mirrorless cameras on the market, the Sony A6500, and the Fujifilm X-T2. They are both great cameras at what they do, however, they have a huge difference in price. But as I always say, price doesn’t necessarily mean that the camera is better, sometimes there is this specific feature you’re after that is not available in that expensive camera, but you’ll rather find it in the affordable ones, or the midrange.

When it comes to the Sony A6500 vs Fuji X-T2, I’m about to explain everything in detail, including their slightest differences in specs, features, and performance.

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Head To Head Comparison

Sony A6500

Now, as for our second mirrorless camera, I’ve chosen the Sony A6500 because I think it would be a great camera to go with if you want to elevate your photography experience to a whole new level. It is an APS-C interchangeable lens compact camera that puts the power to shoot professional-looking still and movies solidly in your hands.

Okay, let’s start off with the design and the ergonomics as I always do, shall we?

Similar to the previous models, the A6300 and the A6000 APS-C model, this particular camera inherited the flat-topped design, which in my opinion, it’s great. You will find the viewfinder at the top left of the body, which can seem unusual to some since most commonly, the viewfinder is placed in the middle. Other than that, it has a larger grip than its predecessors, which enables the camera to fit perfectly in your hand, without causing any discomfort or whatsoever.

When it comes to the LCD screen, well, with the touchpad function, everything can be optimized easier, you can swipe the LCD touchscreen to shift focus point intuitively and easily from one area to another, even as you monitor the viewfinder. Let’s not forget, the LCD screen can also be tilted which also adds extra ease-of-use for the user, while it also helps to shoot from various angles.

Okay, enough about the design, now, let’s talk about the performance.

If you didn’t know, the Sony A6500 is the brand’s most highly-rated APS-C mirrorless model, with the 24MP sensor can shoot stills and videos with image stabilization. What’s really impressive about this camera is the 425 phase-detection points, and if you’ve been using DSLRs or other similar cameras, you should know by now that this specification definitely outperforms most other competitors at this price range and some of the above. Oh, and since with mentioned the image stabilization, let’s try to be more accurate, the camera has 5-axis in-body image stabilization, which is also a great stat.

When it comes to the continuous shooting performance, this camera can shoot at 11fps for up to 300JPEGs/100Raws, which is the same as the Fuji X-T2, so there’s no difference here or whatsoever.

In addition, the Sony A6500 boasts an impressive ISO range of 100-25600, 51,200 with multi-shot NR. As you can see, the Sony A6500 and Fuji X-T2 are pretty similar to one another, not only in design and shape but also in specs and performance.

For instance, just like the Fuji X-T2, the Sony A6500 also has 4K video capabilities, which can capture at UHD 4K at 24/25/30p.

What I also like about this camera is the Eye AF feature, which not only shows fast, effective autofocusing performance with eye detection, but it also maintains its steadfast tracking on the eye of a movie subject. It can be pretty useful, especially for people who intend to use this camera for sports, wildlife, etc, while this can also transform your portraiture to a whole new level.

In terms of connections, this particular camera is Wi-Fi and NFC enabled, which means that you can transfer or share your images instantly, while being connected to a smartphone device or tablet via the NFC, or using the built-in Wi-Fi to share your images in different sites.

All and all, this camera is really impressive and due to its 425 phase-detection points, this camera is one of the most premium mirrorless cameras in the world, it packs a plethora of features without sacrificing performance nor quality.

Sony A6500 Sample Images:

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Fuji X-T2

The Fujifilm X-T2 is a compact, lightweight camera which checks all the boxes of things you would need in a mirrorless camera. It has an easy-to-use operation, while it also boasts many premium features, outperforming most other mirrorless cameras at this price range, and some of the above. Personally, I’ve used this camera for weeks, and all I can say is, you can’t go wrong with the Fuji X-T2.

Firstly, I’ll start off with the design of the camera, and its aesthetics.

Now, as we pointed out just now, this camera has a compact and lightweight body which makes it perfect for people who intend to use their cameras on their journeys, travels, and so on. It is highly portable, while one of my favorite perks of the design is the textured body, which not only delivers comfort, but also gives a great look to the overall aesthetics. Although, for people who’ve been using Nikon or Canon cameras, they may need some time to get used to the controls since the Fuji boasts a slightly different set of controls in the body, which in other words, is not the same as you’ve seen in standard DSLRs.

When it comes to the LCD screen, well, it is decent and it fills out for the most part since it has a flip-out design, however, I’m not really impressed since it doesn’t have touch capabilities, while this has become a common feature even more low-cost cameras. Other than that, the LCD screen doesn’t have an auto-brightness control, however, you do get to have auto-brightness control in the EVF.

Okay, now, let’s talk about the performance and see what this camera is truly capable of.

Let’s start off with the sensor, shall we? This camera features a 24MP sensor which is okay, but again, not that groundbreaking since there are other rivals with a better specification than this. But unlike other cameras, the X-T2’s sensor has a unique non-Bayer color array that makes sure to eliminate the need for an anti-alias filter, while as a result, it yields much sharper images.

What I like the most about this camera is the autofocus system, which is one of the best I’ve seen in cameras in this price range. The Fuji X-T2 has a 325-point AF system, while it also has phase and contrast detection. In most standard DSLRs, you mostly get 11-AF points, sometimes 19, sometimes 51, but this is not the case with this camera since you’ll have an advantage over the majority of cameras in the mass market.

In addition, the camera can shoot continuously at 11fps, while in Live View mode, it can shoot at 5 frames per second. Apart from that, as it is standard, the Electronic Viewfinder refreshes at a rate of 60fps, while in boost mode, this can go up to 100fps, which continuously displays even fast-moving subjects smoothly to deliver a performance comparable to that of an optical viewfinder.

Let’s not forget to mention, this camera has an ISO range that stretches from ISO200-12,800, while in pull mode to ISO 100, you can push to ISO 25,600 and 51,200.

But that’s not all since the Fuji X-T2 can also record 4K High-definition videos. To be more precise, It captures 1.8x the required number of pixels for 4K, and 2.4x the required data for full HD video 1080/60P/50P,24P.

An appealing feature of this camera is the film simulation on video recording, which basically means that Fuji has included modes that can be used during video recording, for extra creativity, without the need for post-production editing. Also, you can change other settings such as aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation while recording video.

I stumbled across the Fuji X-T2 while i was reviewing night photography cameras, and i can say that i was impressed with it, because it managed to out-perform most of the other cameras i was testing in that field.

Before we end, I’d also like to mention that with this camera, I’ve had the best Wi-Fi experience that I’ve had with any other pro camera I know of.

Simply put, being a mid-range mirrorless camera, the Fuji X-T2 definitely delivers more value for money than any other camera out there, which is also why we recommend this feature-rich compact tool for your travels, work, hobby, and so on.

Fuji X-T2 Sample Images:

 

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Sony A6500 vs Fuji X-T2 Feature Comparison

	Sony A6500	Fuji X-T2
Camera Type	Mirrorless	Mirrorless
Megapixels	24.2	24.3
ISO Range	100-25600(51,200)	200-12,800(25,600 and 51,200)
Flip-Out Screen	Yes	Yes
AF Points	425 AF points	325 AF points
Viewfinder	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	Yes	No
Video Recording	Yes	Yes
Sensor Size	APS-C	APS-C

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Conclusion

As we reached the end of this article, by now, I believe you have enough arguments for the decision of which camera is the best, and which one meets your requirements the most. Although, despite the fact that these cameras are very similar in most cases, I still think that the Sony A6500 is better than the Fuji X-T2.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Fuji X-T2 delivers the most value for the money, but even though the Sony A6500 comes at a more expensive price, for semi-professionals and professionals, it would be a great camera to go with.

I would recommend the Fuji X-T2 to people who just want a second camera to go with, while this one is great for travelers, the Sony A6500 is the perfect all-rounder since it can be used for sports, travels, portrait photography, stills, landscape, videography, and so on.

I hope this Sony A6500 vs Fuji X-T2 comparison will help you decide!

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