lpeck

I was about to pull the trigger on a new Canon 80D (new hobby and grandchildren on the way) but the salesman thinks the Sony 6500 would be a better choice. I'm totally confused.

Any thoughts?

Thank you,

Larry

TB4 Loc: TX

Suggest you hold both and determine how extensive of a system you want to create. You can take equally great photos with each.

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

A lot depends on what you want to do. DSLR and mirrorless are different animals, with different strengths and weaknesses. I am not a big fan of the a6xxx series. I find them very hard to manage with the fiddly little buttons, which always seem to change settings without me intending to do so. I like the EVF in some ways, but I find it much more difficult to use than the OVF of a DSLR--especially because the EVF is tiny and the optical lens to magnify the EVF is pretty wretched. The Sony feels cheap to me in many ways, and I have had a number of problems with my a6000.

I know a lot of amateurs like mirrorless because they think that they actually see what the picture looks like since it is a direct readout of the sensor, but in practice it is so highly tweaked to make the image pop that the real file doesn't look much like what you see in the EVF. It is certainly nice in the dark, but then if you need exposure compensation and dial that in, the EVF becomes quite dark.

If you like light and small, the Sony might be a good choice; personally I like big and heavy--find a large camera much more stable and easier to work with.

You should really try both and see which appeals to you. Both will give you excellent results.

Just Trying To Focus Loc: Jackson County, Michigan

While I have no experience with the A6500, I do have an A6000 and I also have an 80D. As previously stated, they're two different animals. I've been using Canon dslr's for 12 years and Sony mirrorless cameras for about 5 years.

I find there are far fewer lenses that I can afford for my Sony A6000 than for the Canon 80D. I don't have a lot of money to spend on lenses. There also aren't any super zoom (i.e. 150-600mm) lenses for the little Sony mirrorless like there are for the 80D. (Although you can buy an adapter to make lenses for the larger cameras fit, but then you give up much of the portability.)

Sigma has some excellent third parties lenses for the Sony mirrorless cameras, and I have three of them (19mm F2.8, 30mm F2.8 and 60mm F2.8). I also have a Sony 50mm F1.8, which is a great lens. I have a Tamron 18-200mm lens for the Sony A6000 but I find it very mediocre and don't use it much at all.

I use my Sony A6000 for indoor things or for outside when a zoom isn't needed. It takes great photos and is very portable and easy to travel with.

When it comes to photographing my grandkids' sports, I use my 80D, because the lenses needed for those things are more readily available and/or less expensive for my 80D.

If you are planning to need a lot of zoom I'd go with the 80D, because long zoom lenses are more abundant and cheaper for it. If you think you'll mostly shoot things closer up, then the A6500 would be fine.

Both cameras are capable of excellent images, but the 80D and lenses will be much more cumbersome for toting around.

Sandy

RWCRNC Loc: Pennsylvania

Both good cameras. Sony is smaller and lighter. Handle both if you can.

TommiRulz Loc: Corpus Christi, TX

In my opinion - there is no comparison - the 80D is a much better camera - but you pay in WEIGHT. If the weight doesn't bother you than the 80D is the obvious choice. But that being said - I do have a mirrorless camera too, for days I don't want to schlep my 7Dmii. My mirrorless is very fun to use and super easy to carry - but I pay in picture quality.
To me it comes down to: Weight vs. picture quality

TommiRulz Loc: Corpus Christi, TX

ALSO - were you in Best Buy? Those aren't salesmen working for Best Buy - those guys are Reps from Sony. All Best Buys have Sony Reps on the weekends - putting pressure on you to buy the A series cameras. So he may not have had your actual best interest at heart.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It's not the job of salesman to tell you what you want.

I bought a Sony A6000 on sale just because I wanted a compact. Whenever possible, I use a DSLR.

Read comparisons and specs, and decide what features are important to you.
(Reviews) https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCameraStoreTV/videos
http://www.cameradecision.com/
http://cameras.reviewed.com/
http://camerasize.com/
http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM
http://snapsort.com/compare
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/cameras?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=mainmenu&utm_medium=text&ref=mainmenu

leftj Loc: Texas

If you really want to consider mirrorless you should look at Fugifilm. They are light years ahead of Sony. If you want to stick with tried and true DSLR The Canon 80D is a great APS-C camera.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

markjay

Besides the significant differences. Eternal mirrorless and optical - the Sony menu's are incomprehensible. It will take yiu 3 years to become used to them.
If you like small and mirrorless - check the small Canon M5. Almost the identical specs as the 80D in a much smaller package.

shredmandan

Have a look at the the new Panasonic GH5 camera it does phenomenal video as well.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Funny! Yes, Sony does have its own way of doing things. I suppose if someone started with Sony, they'd learn the Menu system and like it.

markjay

Nobody likes the Sony system !!
Except those who buy a Sony not knowing how terrible it is - and are then forced to learn it because they bought the camera !

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Ha! Ha! Ha!