Sony α6500 Troubleshooting

Device fails to turn on when the power switch is flipped to “on.”

A faulty battery can prevent your device from turning on. Try replacing the battery.

The battery currently inserted into the camera may have no charge. Try removing the battery and charging it using a proprietary Sony charger or replace it with a charged one.

Device automatically shuts off after a period of use.

Firstly, set the Auto Power OFF Temp. setting to High instead of Standard, which is located inside the Setup menu. This step will increase the camera body’s temperature tolerance so that you can shoot for longer before the unit has to shut down and cool off.

Open up the LCD screen and move it away from the camera body, allowing hot air to dissipate out of the device more easily. Alternatively, using an external recorder can take the workload off the camera’s processor, enabling you to shoot for longer.

The LCD screen is showing visual distortions, incorrect colors, or flickering.

Your LCD screen may be damaged if it is showing visual distortions or flickering. Try replacing the LCD screen.

Verify that the cables connecting the LCD screen to the motherboard are disconnected. Follow the LCD screen replacement guide until step 10 to identify the state of the cables. If they are disconnected, connect the LCD cables to the motherboard using a set of tweezers and rebuild the camera by following the guide in the reverse order.

Camera Shake occurs when the camera is moved or shaken during exposure. The function SteadyShot will help reduce the effect of camera shake. Enable the SteadyShot function by navigating to Camera Settings 2 from the menu.

There are two ways to clean the image sensor. You can enable cleaning mode in the camera, which will cause the sensor shake the dust off. The other option it to do it manually. Remove the lens and blow off any dust or debris (preferably using a manual mini blower).

If there are significant smudges or scratches, consider having the cleaning done professionally.

Camera cannot connect to the computer to transfer photos through a USB cable.

Check to see if the camera is compatible with your computer. If the camera is not compatible with the current software of your computer, please upgrade your operating system and camera drivers to the latest version.

The Official Sony Drivers can be found here.

Disconnect all other USB devices from the computer. Try connecting to a different USB port. In the camera settings go to menu -> USB connection -> USB connect and set it to Normal, mass storage, or PTP.

Remove the screws holding the lens. Examine the screws; if the threads are stripped, see the guide to replace the lens mount. Carefully replace the screws, making sure that they enter straight and fully tighten them down.

If the lens does not easily fit onto the camera, it may be incompatible. Discontinue attempting to attach the lens onto your camera until you have verified compatibility. The a6500 can mount any e-mount lens without any additional equipment, but other types require special adapters; a-mount lenses will require a Sony A-mount to E-mount adapter, and third-party lenses may require their own proprietary adapter.

The lens cap is stuck on the camera.

Try pressing the two buttons on the cap and turn the cap to the right. Use a blunt-faced object to remove the lens cap.

Camera will not focus/respond to wherever you touch on the LCD screen.

Dirty screen, smudges and debris can interfere with the touchscreen. Try cleaning the screen with a microfiber cloth.

Make sure the camera is on and the lens cap is removed. If the touchscreen continues to malfunction, turn the camera off and clean the LCD screen carefully with a microfiber cloth.

The camera does not automatically switch between the LCD Screen and Viewfinder

Switch to viewfinder mode by pressing the finder/LCD button located on the top of the camera body.

The camera viewfinder is equipped with a light sensor to turn off the LCD display when the user is looking through the viewfinder. Make sure the eyepiece sensor is clean by wiping it with a microfiber cloth.