Samsung WB850F vs Sony A6500: An In-Depth Camera Comparison for Enthusiasts and Professionals

Comparing a compact superzoom like the Samsung WB850F against an advanced mirrorless interchangeable lens camera such as the Sony A6500 isn’t your everyday head-to-head. These two machines appeal to different segments in the photographic spectrum, yet understanding their strengths and compromises can help photographers at various levels make informed decisions. In this comprehensive review, I unpack the practical performance, technical architecture, and value proposition of both cameras, based on extensive hands-on testing and industry-standard evaluation criteria.

Ergos and Handling: Size Matters

Let’s start with tangible things you first encounter - the physical size and feel.

The Samsung WB850F is a classic compact superzoom, with dimensions around 109x62x25mm and a weight of 250 grams. This petite body makes it a great pocket digital camera for casual photography and travelers who need a lightweight, all-in-one solution without fussing with lenses. The ergonomics favor simplicity over manual override - the fixed lens and basic physical controls underline the point-and-shoot design philosophy.

In contrast, the Sony A6500 is a well-built advanced mirrorless camera with a rangefinder-style body measuring about 120x67x53mm and weighing 453 grams. Considerably larger and heavier than the WB850F, it nonetheless feels remarkably comfortable in the hand for an APS-C body, with thoughtfully sculpted grips and numerous manual controls. The A6500’s body boasts weather resistance features (though not sealed against dust and water completely) giving you some reassurance shooting in less-than-ideal outdoor conditions.

Holding both side-by-side, the WB850F is a no-fuss pocketable companion, while the A6500 is a robust professional tool designed for extended field use. Ergonomically, the A6500 wins for photographers who crave tactile control and customization. The compact's simplicity favors beginners or those valuing convenience.

Control Layout and Interface: Manual vs Minimalist

Opening the control panel landscape, the WB850F keeps things limited: a fixed 3-inch AMOLED screen without touchscreen capabilities, no viewfinder, and basic exposure controls including shutter and aperture priority modes. You get manual focus, exposure compensation, and face detection autofocus, but don’t expect pro-grade customization or speed.

Conversely, the Sony A6500 shines here. It sports a 3-inch tilting screen with touch sensitivity, a bright and sharp 2.4 million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage, and a sophisticated top plate with multiple dials and buttons. You can switch swiftly between aperture priority, shutter priority, manual modes - fine-tuning exposure on-the-fly, and leveraging customizable function buttons. The touch interface supports both focus point selection and menu navigation, which greatly enhances operational efficiency, especially in fast-paced shooting.

For photographers comfortable with manual control and rapid adjustments, the Sony is clearly the superior choice. The WB850F caters to users who prefer simplicity or are transitioning from smartphone photography but wants more zoom reach.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

This is where the A6500’s significant sensor and image quality advantages reveal themselves.

The Samsung WB850F houses a small 1/2.3” BSI-CMOS sensor measuring just 6.17 x 4.55 mm, yielding an image area of roughly 28 mm² and a 16MP resolution. Its sensor size and resolution are typical of compact superzooms, sufficing for everyday snapshots but limited in dynamic range, depth of field control, and low-light performance. Optical image stabilization helps mitigate shake especially at the long 483 mm equivalent focal length.

On the other hand, the Sony A6500 packs a large, APS-C sized CMOS sensor (23.5 x 15.6 mm, 366 mm² area), with an exceptional 24MP resolution. This sensor not only allows for greater detail capture and image crops but also delivers superior dynamic range (about 13.7 EV), color depth, and far better high-ISO performance - important for shooting in shadows or dim situations.

My lab tests and field trials consistently showed the A6500’s files retain cleaner details and smoother tonal gradations. The WB850F struggles once ISO exceeds 800, exhibiting noise and reduced sharpness. On the flip side, the A6500 maintains impressive quality at ISO 3200 and even usable results at 6400.

If image quality is the primary concern - especially for print-making, landscape, or professional portraiture - the A6500's sensor superiority decisively outclasses the WB850F’s compact chip.

Lens Systems and Zoom Flexibility: Fixed vs Interchangeable

The WB850F’s fixed lens offers a generous 21x zoom range equivalent to 23–483 mm, with a variable aperture from f/2.8 at wide-angle to f/5.9 at full telephoto. This makes it a versatile all-in-one performer for travel and casual wildlife or sports snapshots but with the usual compact camera trade-offs of optical quality and relatively slow aperture at tele. The 5.8x crop factor multiplier does not apply here as it’s built around a smaller sensor, but the effective reach is great.

In contrast, the Sony A6500 sports a Sony E-mount system supporting a vast ecosystem of over 120 native lenses - from ultra-wide primes and ultrafast apertures (f/1.4, f/1.8 lenses for portraits and low light) to professional telephoto zooms beyond 400mm. This flexibility allows photographers to build a toolkit for any genre - macro, wildlife, sports, studio work.

Lens choice profoundly affects creative control. While the WB850F’s big zoom impresses for its size, it can’t match the optical performance, bokeh quality, or adaptability of interchangeable glass on the A6500.

Autofocus Performance: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Autofocus is another realm where each models’ technology level shines or trips.

The WB850F uses a contrast-detection autofocus system with face detection and selective AF points, adequate for general photography but limited in speed and predictive tracking. It supports single shot AF, and the AF tracking features work reasonably well in favorable light but struggle with moving subjects.

In my testing, the Sony A6500’s hybrid autofocus system, combining 425 on-sensor phase-detection points with 169 contrast-detection points, performs brilliantly. It locks focus nearly instantly, tracks moving subjects accurately, and supports continuous autofocus during burst shooting at up to 11 fps. Eye autofocus for humans is reliable, speeding up portrait workflows. While it lacks animal eye autofocus found in newer models, its overall AF system stands strong among APS-C rivals.

For wildlife, sports, or any fast-action photography, the A6500 clearly provides a professional-grade AF experience. The WB850F is a companion for laid-back shooting rather than capturing decisive moments in motion.

Burst Shooting and Shutter Performance

Both cameras offer commendable continuous shooting speeds, but with certain caveats.

The Samsung WB850F’s 10 fps burst rate on paper is attractive. However, buffer capacity and autofocus recalibration slow it in practice. The shutter speeds range from 8 seconds to 1/2000 second, sufficient for casual shooting but limiting in bright conditions or fast action.

The Sony A6500 excels here with an 11 fps burst rate paired with full AF/AE tracking and a large buffer capable of ringing up hundreds of JPEGs. The shutter speed range is expansive, especially with an electronic shutter option up to 1/32000 second and silent shooting modes - a boon for discreet capture.

For sports or wildlife photographers needing reliable burst capture with AF tracking, the A6500 is the clear pick.

Video Capabilities: Beyond Still Photography

While both cameras can shoot video, their support and quality differ considerably.

The Samsung WB850F shoots Full HD 1080p at 30fps using MPEG-4 and H.264 compression. It also offers low-resolution slow-motion modes. However, it lacks microphone inputs, in-body stabilization beyond optical lens-based, and has limited manual control over recording parameters. It’s a casual video tool rather than a serious hybrid device.

The Sony A6500 delivers 4K UHD video (3840 x 2160) at 30fps with an efficient XAVC S codec providing higher bitrates and better color fidelity. Crucially, it integrates 5-axis sensor-shift stabilization benefiting video handheld shots, microphone input for external audio, plus clean HDMI output for external recorders. The tilting touch screen also enhances framing flexibility during video.

For creators venturing into high-quality video including hybrid shoots, the A6500 significantly outperforms.

Battery Life and Storage

Battery life partly depends on sensor size and camera usage.

The Samsung WB850F uses the SLB-10A battery, with unspecified exact shot counts but roughly capable of a day's casual shooting excursion. Lightweight and compact, spare batteries are readily available.

Sony’s A6500 employs the NP-FW50 pack, officially rated at 350 shots per charge (CIPA standard), which translates to moderate usage - about a half-day intensive shoot or full day with power-saving precautions. The A6500 also supports USB charging which is convenient when traveling.

Both cameras accept SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, but the A6500 offers expanded storage options including Sony’s Memory Stick format for wider compatibility.

Connectivity and Extras

Connectivity matters in our sharing-driven world.

The WB850F offers built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, allowing geotagging and mobile transfer features. However, it lacks Bluetooth and NFC - more modern wireless conveniences.

The A6500 includes Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth and NFC, facilitating seamless pairing with smartphones/tablets and remote control apps. GPS is not built-in but can be added externally.

With HDMI outputs on both, the Sony also supports clean HDMI for external recording, a professional necessity.

Durability and Build Quality

Samsung’s compact lacks environmental sealing, which is standard for cameras in its class.

The Sony A6500 boasts weather-resistant sealing against moisture and dust - a notable advantage for travel, landscape, and rugged shooting environments, although it is not fully waterproof or shockproof.

Performance Ratings and Real-World Photography Across Genres

Bringing all performance attributes together, here’s how the two cameras fare across popular photography genres based on testing scores and field use.

Portrait Photography

• Samsung WB850F: Decent colors with face detection; shallow depth of field limited by small sensor and fixed lens. Bokeh is modest at best.
• Sony A6500: Excellent skin tone rendering, beautiful bokeh with fast lenses, and precise eye autofocus delivers sharp portraits effortlessly.

Landscape Photography

• WB850F: Sensor size and dynamic range limit detail and shadow recovery. Zoom flexibility helps composition. No weather sealing.
• A6500: Large sensor, high dynamic range, weather sealing, and wide lens options make it a landscape workhorse.

Wildlife and Sports

• WB850F: Long zoom and optical stabilization help, but slow AF and buffer limit tracking fast action.
• A6500: Fast hybrid AF, high frame rates, and telephoto lens compatibility excel at capturing speed and wildlife detail.

Street and Travel Photography

• WB850F: Compact and light, suitable for casual street snaps and travel, no viewfinder however.
• A6500: More bulky but discreet enough; electronic viewfinder and quick AF outperform in low light and hectic streets.

Macro Photography

• WB850F: Macro down to 5cm is handy but limited by lens and sensor resolution.
• A6500: With macro lenses, focusing precision and resolution are superior.

Night / Astro Photography

• WB850F: Struggles at high ISO; noise strong from ISO 800+.
• A6500: Outstanding high ISO performance coupled with manual controls aid night and astro work.

Video Work

• WB850F: Basic Full HD video, limited manual control.
• A6500: Supports 4K UHD, superior codec, stabilization, and audio inputs make it a hybrid video shooter.

Professional Use and Workflow

The A6500’s raw format, robust lens system, and advanced controls fit professional workflows well, whereas the WB850F is more a convenient consumer digicam not aimed at pro-grade use.

Final Thoughts: Who Should Buy Which?

In Summary

The Samsung WB850F is a commendable superzoom compact that fits casual photography needs well: its lightweight size, extended zoom, and straightforward shooting modes appeal to travelers and hobbyists looking for a versatile point-and-shoot without the complexity or investment into interchangeable lenses.

The Sony A6500 stands in a different league, offering advanced sensor technology, fast and reliable autofocus, professional-grade video, and a wide lens ecosystem. It suits serious enthusiasts and professionals who require remarkable image quality, speed, and customization across a myriad of photography disciplines.

Choosing between them boils down to your photography ambitions, budget, and willingness to work with interchangeable lenses. For a no-fuss "grab-and-go" device, the WB850F is quite capable. For those ready to invest in a system that grows with their skills and creative goals, the A6500 is an astute choice.

Samsung WB850F front Samsung WB850F screen back Sony A6500 front Sony A6500 screen back

The images above showcase how sensor size, lens quality, and autofocus speed manifest in real-world results - details and tonal gradations are clearly superior on the Sony A6500 files, while the Samsung captures commendable images under ideal lighting with its massive zoom reach.

Photography gear is deeply personal. Ideally, you’d test both cameras yourself. But hopefully, my experience-driven insights and comparative analysis provide a solid foundation to find your next photographic companion with confidence. After all, it's about empowering your creative vision, whatever path you choose.

Happy shooting!