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GH5 or A6500
  • Manu4VendettaManu4Vendetta

    If you had to buy just one camera for photo and video (short films), what would you choose?. Although starting the A6500 is better for still photo than the GH5.

    Thanks!

  • 23 Replies sorted by
  • tinyrobottinyrobot

    I have the same dilemma. My heart says go for the GH5 with all it's future proof features. The IBS will let me take the camera everywhere without worrying about tripods or rigs. But I need a camera that has awesome AF on a gimbal so flip flopping to the a6500. If you don't need a camera for gimbal work, then I'd go with the GH5.

  • sebollasebolla

    Hard choise...i'd buy the 6500 for photography and the gh5 for video....

  • markr041markr041

    The A6500 also has IBIS.

    Is it agreed that the A6500 has greater DR than the GH5 and that at 24 fps the UHD is also cleaner (due to greater oversampling than the GH5)? If so, then if you are not going to heavily grade (so 10bits and 4:2:2 are nor going to be visible) the A6500 is the choice for video too unless you need 60 fps UHD.

  • majoraxismajoraxis

    A6500 has better autofocus, better low light, better native video lens options (Sony E PZ 18-110mm f/4 G OSS Lens).

    GH5 has better color sampling and greater bit depth for video, less rolling shutter, potentially better audio with the XLR mic shoe options, better in body image stabilization, better view finder and lack of dimming on the LCD, and better battery life and 4K 60p that you can record externally at 4:2:2.

    If autofocus is your thing, then the A6500 wins.

  • markr041markr041

    The A6500 also has an XLR mic shoe adaptor: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1078571-REG/sony_xlr_k2m_xlr_box_mi.html

  • aldolegaaldolega

    Sony has a hot-shoe XLR box too.

    The rolling shutter on the A6500 is godawful IMO. That combined with the soft 1080p and awful battery life make it a no-go for me. If they could fix those things and add 4K60 I would probably switch instantly.

  • paglezpaglez

    ""If autofocus is your thing, then the A6500 wins."

    There is an Panasonic enginering announcement, about future firmware updates. They affirm that DFD technology will be implement to be equal than Canon Dual Pixel technology

  • markr041markr041

    Why would anyone shoot at 1080 using either camera? If you deliver in 1080, for any camera 4K downrezzed to 1080 will be superior. Seems the UHD comparison is the most relevant.

    The A6500 batteries are tiny, easily carried in multiples in one pocket. Or, if rigged, you can use any 5V external battery pack connected by microusb.

    Hey, no one mentioned overheating! Or the fact that the GH5 is a big, heavy camera with a puny sensor.

  • apefosapefos

    I did lots of research comparing G7, GH4, GH5 to Sony A6300 and A6500.

    Both GH5 and A6500 have sensor stabilization.

    If you need 4k 60p go for the GH5. If you have full frame lenses go for the A6500.

    The main reason comparing micro four thirds sensor and aps-c super 35 sensor is: "LENSES"

    If you have M43 native lenses or if you have money to buy M43 native lenses so get the GH5 or GH4 or G7

    If you have full frame legacy lenses avoid m43 cameras because the sensor is very small and the image will be soft in 4k due to using a very small part of the lens image.

    The sony s35 sensor works perfectly with full frame lenses.

    I saw lots of videos on youtube and vimeo to get this conclusion, and I also did a try taking high resolution photos with full frame lenses with GH2 and Nex-5n and in GH2 the high resolution photos using full frame lenses do not look good, while in high resolution photos with 5n the photos are ok.

    Do not use focal reducer/speed booster in 4k video. the image will be soft and very bad in corners, no matter the quality of the focal reducer.

  • MckiniseMckinise

    If you need Cinema 4k, only the GH5 has it.

    If you need Open Gate or Large Sensor 4:3 or 3:2 Shooting, only the GH5 has it.

    If you need actual 24fps and not 23.976, only the GH5 has it.

    Better battery life. No overheating. Lower rolling shutter. GH5

  • markr041markr041

    Better AF. Better DR. Need gimbal work. Need real parfocal power zooms. A6500.

  • CFreakCFreak

    @markr041 besides the $3400 Sony 18-110 and $2600 Sony 28-135 are there any other "real parfocal power zooms" available for the A6500. I have heard varying claims about the $600 18-105...

    I have zero experience with E-mount, but, I am very interested in this topic!

  • theconformisttheconformist

    @cfreak How "parfocal" these lenses are depends on the cameras autofocus system. They are electronic focus lenses, so not really parfocal, camera just refocuses very fast so you don't realize it was briefly out of focus. In manual mode (I think) they don't do this.

  • aldolegaaldolega

    Why would anyone shoot at 1080 using either camera?

    Because they want a faster framerate than 30p (Sony) or 60p (Panasonic).

    the GH5 is a big, heavy camera with a puny sensor.

    It's funny that you make a macho statement about sensor size, yet can't handle the GH5's size or weight. The GH5 is hardly a big or heavy camera. It's not as tiny as the Sony, true. But you can also fit all your fingers on the grip, the battery lasts much longer, it doesn't overheat or even get hot, and the screen flips out. All of which make the camera bigger.

    Do not use focal reducer/speed booster in 4k video. the image will be soft and very bad in corners, no matter the quality of the focal reducer.

    Maybe with one of the cheap clones, or maaayyybe the first-gen Metabones. But with an Ultra or XL you won't find soft anything, anywhere, unless it's the lens' fault.

  • caveportcaveport

    For general well lit situations: GH5. For low light or Sony enthusiasts: A6500

  • apefosapefos

    A6500 does not overheat so much. There is a "high temperature" option in the menu. It is a fix from Sony. It can record more than 100 minutes without overheating.

    http://www.newsshooter.com/2016/10/14/sony-fix-overheating-issue-with-new-setting-on-the-a6500/

    http://sonyalphalab.com/sony-a6500-overheat-testing-4k-video-recording/

    http://www.jasonlanier.com/blog/4ksonya6500overheatingtest

  • 19171917

    @apefos it depend on outside temperature. Do not know for sure about 6500, but a7sii works well at 20 celsius but overheat after 5-7 minutes at 30 celsius.

  • MckiniseMckinise

    That is not really a fix. It is like car manufacturers turning off the Check Engine light. Still overheating. It just continues recording despite the high temperatures.

  • balazerbalazer

    I have heard varying claims about the $600 18-105...

    The Sony SELP18105G is mechanically parfocal.

  • DrDaveDrDave

    6500 has a notch better IQ for both photo and video, and better color, but it may overheat.
    Supposedly, the overheating is better, but I have definitely had issues after half an hour of continuous vid.

  • jleojleo

    NEW heatsink for Sony 6500!! :)

    • When they shot Slumdog Millionaire in India, SI-2K cameras were tethered to backpacks with Macbook Pros wrapped in dry ice packs.

    image

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    600 x 461 - 71K
  • apefosapefos

    A6500 solution: Buy two bodies. While you use one, the other cools.

  • brudneybrudney

    About the focal reducers in 4k... I still shoot in HD (GH2) but thinking about finally upgrading to GH5 - is it really true? are they useless in 4k (lens turbo, rj)? any tests anyone?

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