Panasonic GH5 II vs Sony A6500
59 Imaging
63 Features
89 Overall
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81 Imaging
67 Features
85 Overall
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Panasonic GH5 II vs Sony A6500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 4992 x 3744 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 727g - 139 x 98 x 87mm
- Released July 2021
- Alternative Name is Lumix DC-GH5M2
- Earlier Model is Panasonic GH5
- Renewed by Panasonic GH6
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600 (Push to 51200)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 453g - 120 x 67 x 53mm
- Revealed October 2016
- Previous Model is Sony A6300

Panasonic GH5 II vs Sony A6500 Overview
Its time to take a more detailed look at the Panasonic GH5 II and Sony A6500, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The resolution of the GH5 II (20MP) and the A6500 (24MP) is relatively similar but the GH5 II (Four Thirds) and A6500 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizing.

The GH5 II was revealed 4 years after the A6500 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GH5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A6500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before delving straight into a complete comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the GH5 II grades vs the A6500 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Panasonic GH5 II vs Sony A6500 Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 II & Sony Alpha a6500. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH5 II Gallery & Sony A6500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic GH5 II over the Sony A6500
GH5 II | A6500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | July 2021 | ![]() | October 2016 | Newer by 59 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen resolution | 1840k | ![]() | 922k | Clearer screen (+918k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony A6500 over the Panasonic GH5 II
A6500 | GH5 II |
---|
Common features in the Panasonic GH5 II and Sony A6500
GH5 II | A6500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | More accurate focus | ||
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent screen measurement |
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Panasonic GH5 II vs Sony A6500 Physical Comparison
When you are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GH5 II comes with outer measurements of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 727 grams (1.60 lbs) and the Sony A6500 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 53mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 453 grams (1.00 lbs).
See the Panasonic GH5 II and Sony A6500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the GH5 II against the A6500.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the GH5 II and A6500 is 59 and 81 respectively.

Panasonic GH5 II vs Sony A6500 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is very hard to see the gap between sensor dimensions only by going over specifications. The pic underneath will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the GH5 II and A6500.
Plainly, both of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The GH5 II using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Sony A6500 will offer you extra detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures far more aggressively. The fresher GH5 II is going to have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.

Panasonic GH5 II vs Sony A6500 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic GH5 II vs Sony A6500 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 II | Sony Alpha a6500 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Panasonic | Sony |
Model type | Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 II | Sony Alpha a6500 |
Also called as | Lumix DC-GH5M2 | - |
Type | Pro Mirrorless | Advanced Mirrorless |
Released | 2021-07-30 | 2016-10-06 |
Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | - | Bionz X |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 20MP | 24MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 6000 x 4000 |
Highest native ISO | 25600 | 25600 |
Highest boosted ISO | - | 51200 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW images | ||
Min boosted ISO | 100 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 225 | 425 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Number of lenses | 108 | 121 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Screen diagonal | 3" | 3" |
Screen resolution | 1,840k dots | 922k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 3,680k dots | 2,359k dots |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.76x | 0.7x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/4000s |
Maximum silent shutter speed | 1/16000s | 1/32000s |
Continuous shooting rate | 12.0 frames/s | 11.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 6.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash settings | Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off | Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Rear Sync., Slow Sync., Red-eye reduction (On/Off selectable), Hi-speed sync, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | - | 1/160s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 4992x3744 (30p/?25p/?24p) | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM |
Highest video resolution | 4992x3744 | 3840x2160 |
Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264, H.265 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 727 grams (1.60 pounds) | 453 grams (1.00 pounds) |
Dimensions | 139 x 98 x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") | 120 x 67 x 53mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 79 | 85 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 23.7 | 24.5 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 13.1 | 13.7 |
DXO Low light rating | 1136 | 1405 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 400 photos | 350 photos |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | DMW-BLK22 | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes | Yes |
Time lapse shooting | With downloadable app | |
Type of storage | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II compatible) | SD/SDHC/SDXC + Memory Stick Pro Duo |
Card slots | Two | 1 |
Launch cost | $1,700 | $1,298 |