Sony Alpha A580 DSLR Review (Part II)
Sony Alpha A580 Review (Part II)
December 2010, Carl Garrard
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Sony Alpha A580 Review- Part II
Our A580 review is again a bit different than our other reviews. This is primarily because Sony made so many improvements to the A580 compared to the A550 that there was a lot to talk about this time in comparison to past models. So I felt it was my duty here on AMW to bring you the most comprehensive review I could, given my time and resource constraints. This means I had to break up the review in two parts in order to publish it in a decent amount of time. I've spent an extensive amount of time with the A580 (two copies of it) and since I've purchased mine It hasn't yet left my side. Truly, it is a fun camera to use. Read on as the rest of the review commences starting with the General Performance of the A580. For part one of the review, go here: http://www.alphamountworld.com/reviews/sony-alpha-a580-dslr-review
A580 Review- General Performance
Here I tour the A580 through your typical features. Starting the menu system and working my way through to comments on video use and quality. Basically this section of the review is a rundown on how it performs on commonly used features as a still and video tool for the photographer.
A580- Menu Tour
Below I've created an 88 image .GIF file touring the A580's menu systems. Navigating the menu is generally limited to using a combination of the Menu button, center AF button, main and front control wheels, FN button, and/or the multi controller pad. The variables on which you'll use most often are contingent on what mode you are shooting in- example: QAFLV, FCLV, or Optical Viewfinder modes.
While this may seem sort of complex, as soon as you get used to it it's a pretty good system and eventually becomes second nature. I've resisted this menu system layout in the past preferring Sony's Quick Navi style Menu system, but I've begrudgingly become used to it over time. The main difference with the A580 and A500/550 cameras is that there seems to be less road blocks (pop up errors and warning screens) than in the past. Some of the error and warning screens you'll encounter I've taken the time to put in a .GIF file below. Typically they are encountered when you have the A580 set to raw image capture and try to use some of the features that don't allow for raw recording.
What I can't verify at this time is whether or not you could exit the warning screens on the A500/550 cameras with a half press of the shutter button. I seem to recall that you couldn't. You can with the A580 though, and that makes a heck of a difference in use. I don't mind a warning screen telling me that I can't use a particular mode or feature based on my current settings, but I don't like having to press a specified button in order to do so. If I'm wrong about the A500/550 in this regard, my apologies in advance to those users.
A580-Battery Life
If Sony have mastered anything with the 5 series DSLRS it's low draw of power from the NP-FM500H battery. This is a battery that is compatible with many of Sony's DSLRS, and the same one used in the higher end A700/850/950 models. The A580 has some seriously excellent battery life, even when using the live view modes and video mode liberally. On a single charge of this battery, I don't find myself having to be concerned at all about how long I'm using the A580 in any mode, or whether or not I leave it on by accident.
This is one of the pro's I mentioned in the A500/550 before and the same continues for the A580 here, yet I do believe that the A580 with it's new sensor is even outperforming those models (note that the CIPA isn't higher than the A500 though).
Not only does the A580 give me "all day shooting confidence", with just a quick glance Sony's InfoLithium battery tells me (without a menu dive) what the percentage of battery life remains at all times. Obviously the battery life will vary for each user, but at least you'll know you have one of the best performing DSLRS in this aspect to start with. I guess you could carry a spare battery with you, but I doubt most users will ever have to go to it.
Compared to the retired A700, the A580 is a superstar and also bests the old workhorse A100 in this regard by quite a margin (a camera that has better battery life than the A700 did). Compared to the A900/850 cameras even, again the A580 pretty much tramples them in battery life.
I'm pretty sure even with minimal management that I can get 1,000 to 1,500 shots out of the A580 on a consistent basis before it needs a recharge. And when I use the A580 on a tripod and do finally need to remove the battery, I can easily change it out without having to remove the camera from it's tripod mount. This is something I couldn't do with the last Sony camera that I reviewed. Anyone doing extensive tripod work appreciates being able to change a battery without removing the camera, especially those who use video.
Compared to other DSLR's such as the Canon 7D or Pentax K7/Kx for
example, the A580 outperforms them too. This is no doubt do to how well
the A580 manages power draw in all modes, not just live view. When using
either live view mode in the A580, there is simply a night and day
difference compared to these cameras.
Indeed the A580 is one of the best performers you can buy in this regard, a real practical highlight of the camera that you'll appreciate every time you use the A580.
A580-Auto Focus Performance
The A580 has a snappy quick 15 point autofocus system overall. In use I found the in-body auto focus motor to be slightly quicker than the SAM focus motor, also it is quieter depending on the lens you use. This could be because the amount of screw turns on SAM lenses may be more than say the Sony 50mm f/1.4 lens I tested, however it just sounds like its turning faster and isn't as 'labored' as the SAM micro motor sounds. Since I cannot measure the amount of screw turns due to a lack of a metal turning screw on SAM lenses, its hard to find a definitive answer to this impression.
Shooting in the continuous mode is very similar to how the A200/500/550/700 performed. Tracking isn't top notch, but it does an adequate job in good light, especially with lenses that have SSM. I used the A580 to track cats, cars, and people. Typically the average hit rate (super sharp dead on) was about 50% in series bursts, 75% were within acceptable limits. With some more practice using the A580 that rate could go up. Helping matters here is that it has a good continuous frame speed (5fps w/auto focus and metering).
Tracking Pokey our AMW mascot at a good jog. ISO 1600, center AF point, Continuous Auto Focus
Auto focus "Single" and "Automatic" modes I found to be pretty spot on when using the center AF point. I tested it on my AMW chart with 10 frames (focusing away in between each frame) and the results were always similar. I found that in real life shooting, the A580 would sometimes focus on subject near the AF point that had a higher contrast signature than the point you were aiming for, but this was not a common occurrence.
A580-Metering/Exposure
Sony's 40 Segment Metering (in OVF mode) has gone unchanged since the A100 showcased it in 2006. It has been used in every Alpha DSLR since the A100 that Sony has produced (less the SLT/NEX models of course), and therefore I am intimately familiar with it. You can count on Multi-Segment metering to under expose with evenly divided lighting by about -.3EV-.7EV, slightly over expose when a scene is dominated by shadows by about .3-.7EV, and under expose scenes dominated by by highlights by about .7-1.0 EV.
Overall it is a pretty accurate or I should say; it is at least a consistent metering system. My experience with the A580 has been exactly similar to all of the other Alpha DLSRS I've tested or owned.
1,200 zone metering in either live view mode gives nearly the same results as OVF mode stated above. I find less of a tendency to clip highlights in certain situations, but the difference is mainly very subtle. Using the live histogram in either live view mode assures you of accurate exposure- something you can't do using an optical viewfinder.
A580-Buffer Depth
Buffer depth is excellent on the A580 for a camera of its price. If you plan on doing any action sequence shooting with the A580 in raw image capture, then I recommend getting it for that reason alone vs. the A560. I was able to get 21 images with the Raw/Jpeg setting on the A580, and also 21 images with Raw only. Sony claims 22 Raw and 20 Raw/Jpeg.
Fine Jpegs were practically unlimited for my shooting style, Sony says 44, but I stop well before that. They are probably right. Shooting with the Speed Priority setting, 7 frames per second goes quick, so you might want to opt for the 5 frames per second Hi continuous advance mode.
A580-Reviewing Images
Reviewing images on playback with the A580 is quick. This is one aspect of Sony DSLR's I've always liked. From my memory the A100 has the fastest fast forwarding and rewinding through all of your images until the 5 series Alphas came along, which are very similar to the A100.
When inspecting images close up and moving around the image, I think Sony could speed this up this process a bit more. Sometimes I want to check my immediate foreground when reviewing landscape photographs, and it seems to take longer to get to that point than I'd like.
Also when you have the A580 set up to view the histograms and thumbnails at the same time, going from shot to shot takes just under a second from going from one to the next. If you want to go through these quick you have to back out to the full image view screen to make things faster.
Otherwise, the A580 is pretty quick getting through things here.
Tip: Using the front control wheel is more convenient to me when scrolling images than using the multi-controller pad on the rear of the camera. Try it.
A580- Video
The A580's video is simple and quite excellent quality wise. Best results come if you shoot on a tripod or keep hand held movement to a minimum to help minimize rolling shutter effects. I don't personally miss autofocusing during video because I like to have audio engaged when shooting small clips and have no personal desire to purchase the external optional mic. The noise from the autofocus from either the SAM or internal focus motor kinda ruin the experience for me. Therefore I prefer manual focus or setting a small aperture and pre-setting my focus point before I make a video clip.
Note that I am a still image photographer and have little interest in video other than to document some family or weather related events. Therefore my requirement for video features is practically next to nothing. The A580 provides all I personally need for video in a DSLR. Except of course that it isn't bundled with a mini HDMI cable, that is a separate purchase.
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Outstanding Review!
Hi carl.. I absolutely enjoyed this review. I definitely go for A580 after got full refunds for my A33. Two questions. First, is the plastic used in A580's body similar with in A33/A55? I think A33/A55 body is not bad at all if compared with Canon 550D. I never found creaking sound or feeling when i used A33. Second, why you mentioned that dust reduction mechanism is behind the competition??
Bottom line...
4 thumbs up for this review!!! :))
Very good review Carl
Sounds like Sony is headed in the right direction again!
I have a question about the video and the ability to take a still. Can you take a still while the video is running, like you can with the Canon 7D? If so, how much of a pause is there in the video? I'm thinking for wedding purposes.
Answers
The plastic is similar to the A33, but the camera is larger so there's more space giving it a sense of being more hollow. The grip isn't as "stiff" as the A33, or A100 models, but it gets the job done. The creak is coming from the sensor cover in the grip, and is intermittent. It's faint but I'm a stickler for rattles and creaks, I go out of my way to find them.
You cannot take a still image while recording video like you can with the Canon's.
That's too bad
Is there a reason it wouldn't work on this camera or was it just left off? I hope you can on the 700 replacement. That's almost a requirement for that level....note to Sony. They even have it on the NEX-VG10 but it pauses the video for a moment. I would have thought you could do that on this camera. Could that be taken care of on a firmware update?
It was left off
not sure why it was left off, or if it can be done with a firmware update or not. It's a good question for Sony though :).
Carl
Dreaming aside
---
"Dreaming aside, for the very first time we may finally be seeing the closest DSLR body from Sony that truly replaces the venerable multi purpose A100 that brought Sony into the DSLR world. It nearly pulls this title off without a hitch, nearly."
---
So once nice to know after meny years something like this. Thanks, Carl!
It is a mystery....
Why SONY, having a gem of a sensor and a very good camera to use as a base (according to this review and others), do not add the "goodies" of the a700 (handling/buttons/VF etc), name it a6xx, sell it for $999, and no one will complain for a while there is not an a700/advanced camera replacement. Then release the a77 with a few more goodies and EVF.
Absolutely. Really
Absolutely. Really dismaling. This is again proof, that Sony is taking A700 as a big mistake :(
Fantastic Review!!!
It was a first class review Carl with an incredible attention to fascinating fine details!
It is a good idea to review printing quality as well.
I think I will buy one of these beauties when I visit the US next year!
You mentioned at some point that one need a higher resolving glass for this camera.
What do you think of the Tamorn 17-50, the Sony Sam 55-200 or the Sony 1.8 50mm in this respect?
Ferdinand
A500, A100, Tamron 17-50, Sony 55-200, Sony 1.8 50mm, Minolta 35-105, Nex-3, Sel 16mm
Great finish Carl. Well
Great finish Carl. Well worth the wait. Now if someone can do me a favor and buy the A100, I can get this bad boy. LOL.
Thanks Royston
Hopefully it is helpful (you never really know).
I can't help but think that I could have just saved myself a bunch of time/effort and just said "the A580 is the A500/550 I wanted them to be", and provided a couple of image samples instead.
grin, just kidding- I've enjoyed doing this write up immensely
My hope is that Sony doesn't abandon the traditional DSLR, I don't like hearing those rumors at all. On the Sonystyle page in the US, they changed the format again separating DSLR from SLT from NEX. So hopefully they plan on keeping all 3 running. I did my best to point out how the A500/550 models could be improved as well given the A580 it's due respect here on AMW. That's all I can personally do!
Carl
Thank you again Carl!!
Thank you again Carl!! Lots of great info and pictures from you in your review!! You sure are enjoying your new a580 huh??!!
bye
p
Yeah I'm enjoying it
quite surprised because upon initially hearing the news of it, I honestly didn't expect the A580 to impress.
Funny now though thinking back about my initial assumption and expectations of the A580, it doesn't make any sense for me to be surprised. The A580 pretty much addressed all the niggles I had with the A500, and is the camera I wanted that one to be originally. It just took a year+ to get it.
I look forward to an even more refined model of the A580 in the future.
Carl
Well Done
Very nicely done Carl, glad to hear you enjoy the new camera. I like the breakdown of the review, it gave a very comprehensive understanding of how this camera performs. Kinda makes throwing the a700 to ground and breaking it sound like a good idea....I have accident insurance for another year. "That'd be wrong..." I particular liked your section on printing, thought this is something that needs to be mentioned a whole lot more. Anyways thanks for the wonderful review. Hope to see many more reviews like this in the future.
Charlie
"quite surprised because
"quite surprised because upon initially hearing the news of it, I honestly didn't expect the A580 to impress."
I just don't think Sony marketed the A580 right. They are spending resources on the SLT, which is fine, but are neglecting their best non-full frame release since the A700.
Evangelos
"Why SONY, having a gem of a sensor and a very good camera to use as a base (according to this review and others), do not add the "goodies" of the a700 (handling/buttons/VF etc), name it a6xx, sell it for $999, and no one will complain for a while there is not an a700/advanced camera replacement. Then release the a77 with a few more goodies and EVF."
That could have happened but why not just go ahead and release the 750. There are still a lot of people that want an OVF camera in that level, myself included. I'm not so sure the a77 will be as big of a seller some people think. I could almost bet more people will buy the OVF version in that level of camera. I do understand what you meant about the 6xx filling the gap until it is released but I for one, also want an OVF version in the 700 level. I keep hearing about the a77 all the time but nobody is mentioning anything about the a750 version. I would like the live-view this camera (580) has but I just don't like the EVF at all and if they don't release an OVF version, I think they will regret it. I hope Sony is listening to this review and the comments. I did try the EVF out in a store and while I was doing that, I remember thinking how photography wouldn't be as fun if this was the only option. There's just something about looking through an OVF that does it for me. I'm sure there are a lot more photographers out there that feel the same. Sony has proven with this camera that an OVF camera can be good and can do fast FPS and still have good live view and video. I hope they improve on that instead of the a77 as an only choice. I still think they should offer both because as sales have shown, both types of cameras are selling out! It would help their profits if they keep the choice out there. That way, they wouldn't lose any of their followers and would pick up some new ones at the same time. There would also be some that would want both. Evan, I'm not saying anything against what you posted, I'm just adding to it. I agree it could have filled the gap until the 700 level comes out but I think this one will do that the way it is. I'm not sure if Sony can handle a 600 level, they haven't been able to handle the 700 level yet. If they have a 600 level, the 700 level may be pushed further out like the 850 did to the 950. I apologize, Carl, for going off topic and will gladly move this to a new thread because this was one of your best reviews and I don't want to take away from that.
rkane- I agree 100% about the marketing!
Very impressive review
Very impressive review Carl.
Will have to try one out in the store to see how it feels in the hands. Looking at the dimensions, it looks close to the A700 which is perfect for me as I have fairly large hands.
The high ISO shots blew me away. I would love to try this camera with an f/2.8 lens for my indoor sports stuff at 1600 or so ISO.
This may become my "other" camera. If the new whenever A7x shows up with an EVF, and video, then what I have stays in the bag.
Thanks again for the outstanding work.
Jim
Thanks for the good review
Thanks for the good review on the 580. Pretty much agrees with what I'd found out on my own and adds to it. My conclusion is interesting but still not up to what the a700 can do in some areas so I do not consider it a replacement.
Now for the real super camera Sony needs to take all this new stuff the a580 has and way improve it to add to a proper Pentaprism OVF a700 series.
Yes to preserve their LV and video Sony would have to learn how to do those without messing up the Pentaprism OVF at all. If they want their line to compete in the upper end that's pretty much required. Of course for me they can leave out video and a lot of the LV stuff and I'd not miss it.
Just think what the combination of the best of the a580 and best of the a700 could be like.
Unfortunately I don't think we will see such a camera. But here's wishing.
Walt
Outstanding job
Outstanding job Carl,
professional yet easy to read and understand.
A perfect extensive review.
I almost feel we should be paying you for this info!...well almost ;)
seriously Carl, thank you for your hard work on this.
Excellant review
Carl and if the A580 is anything to go by, I am looking forward to the A7**
Agree with
allanbower and if the A580 to go by, I am probably looking forward to the A7* (or A7**).
Carl's reviews are outstanding standard of good reading and understanding.
Carl! Please send your hard-post address for chocolate delivery :)
Seriously!
Thanks for the Review; Camera Plate Question
Carl,
Thanks for the great job on the review, and the obvious time and effort you put into it.
I have my A580 ordered, and it is supposed to arrive on Wednesday, just in time for Christmas and the time I have away from work until the new year.
You mentioned several times in your review about using a tripod, and I was wondering if you had run across an Acra-Swiss type camera plate that works with the A580 that is not prone to twisting? The new Really Right Stuff print catalog lists some camera plates for Sony models, but none for the A5XX series. And they don't seem to be interested in producing any L-Brackets beyond what they already have (A100, A700, A850/A900). I have some Acratech products that I really like, and they have a "universal" L-brackets that seem interesting, but they still require the camera to already have an Acra-Swiss type camera plate. So if you have already found something that works well with the A580, it would be great if you could share that information.
Thanks.
Really great review....
Makes it even easier to wait for a possible a700 upgrade. And if not, this camera would be pretty close for me. :)
The only snag for me is the auto focus because moving objects are still on my list. It looks like they are working on the noise, now get going on the auto focus!
Thanks for your hard work on the review,
SKB
Pros and Cons
Carl: Great review of the A580. However, I would add one item to the "cons" list .... lacks GPS of A55. Happy Holidays. Bob
Hi Bob
Thank you!
In regards to GPS, I don't consider the lack of that feature as a con. Otherwise I could think of many features found on many other cameras that I'd list as a con- each camera is unique in it's feature set. Notice I didn't give any other DSLR reviews a con for not having a gps for example.
GPS comment
Carl ... I agree, it it not issue per se with the A580. However, so much of the discussion about the new Sony cameras has been centered around the comparisons of the A55 and the A580 (same sensor, many functions etc .... forget the viewfinder issue) and one of the other differences is the GPS capability. I will let you know how the A55 GPS does in few months after my trip to Australia. But ... I also consider my A900s to have "cons" with the lack of GPS ... I would LOVE that feature in a next generation FF Sony camera! Bob
Ah ok
I understand where you are coming from now. Not sure why they didn't implement it on the A580 but I can tell you this: the A580 costs more to produce than the A55 does because of the nature of the DSLR mirror/viewfinder alone. In order to keep the price down I'm sure they had to think of ways to cut corners.
Looking forward to your impressions of the GPS though, for sure!
C
Camera Plates
Carl: A few "comments" ago someone asked about Arca-Swiss-type camera plate for the A580 etc... I have been using generic base plates (Model P5) from Wimberley (Winchester, Virginia). I doubt that Really Right Stuff will come out with an "L" type plate for the A580 or my A55 anytime soon (I have them for my A700 and A900), but this one from Wimberley has a rubber textured lower surface and does not seem to move or twist (never had a problem). Unfortunately, as least for the A55, the plate is just a bit too long, and I have to loosen it and turn it to change the battery. I don't know if the same problem would occur on the slightly larger A580. I have contacted Wimberley and they are in the process or creating a smaller generic base plate like the P5, but it probably will not be available for a while (several months at least). Cheers, Bob
A580 3D mode
Carl, did you try out the 3D mode of the A580?
Sure didn't
No 3D TV in our household, unfortunately. Also the A580 doesn't come with an HDMI cable and I haven't ordered one.
Carl