Sony A580 vs Sony RX100 II

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Sony A580 and Sony RX100 II, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and they are both built by Sony. The image resolution of the A580 (16MP) and the RX100 II (20MP) is pretty comparable but the A580 (APS-C) and RX100 II (1") possess different sensor sizing.

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The A580 was launched 3 years prior to the RX100 II and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony RX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go through a detailed comparison, below is a simple summary of how the A580 scores versus the RX100 II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. The complete galleries are viewable at Sony A580 Gallery and Sony RX100 II Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you have to factor its weight and measurements. The Sony A580 has got physical 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 II has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 281 grams (0.62 lbs).

Analyze the Sony A580 and Sony RX100 II in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the A580 against the RX100 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the A580 and RX100 II is 64 and 89 respectively.

Usually, it is tough to imagine the gap in sensor measurements only by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the A580 and RX100 II.

As you can see, each of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The A580 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF easier and the Sony RX100 II will produce more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures far more aggressively. The older A580 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.