Sony A580 vs Sony RX100

On this page, we are reviewing the Sony A580 and Sony RX100, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Large Sensor Compact and both are manufactured by Sony. The sensor resolution of the A580 (16MP) and the RX100 (20MP) is very close but the A580 (APS-C) and RX100 (1") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The A580 was announced 15 months prior to the RX100 making them a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting into a detailed comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the A580 grades against the RX100 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The whole galleries are viewable at Sony A580 Gallery & Sony RX100 Gallery.

If you're planning to travel with your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Sony A580 has got outside dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs) while the Sony RX100 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") having a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Check out the Sony A580 and Sony RX100 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the A580 against the RX100.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A580 and RX100 is 64 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions just by viewing a spec sheet. The pic below will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the A580 and RX100.

Clearly, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The A580 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field easier and the Sony RX100 will render extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The more aged A580 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.