Sony A580 vs Sony RX100 V

Lets look more closely at the Sony A580 and Sony RX100 V, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and both are produced by Sony. The resolution of the A580 (16MP) and the RX100 V (20MP) is pretty similar but the A580 (APS-C) and RX100 V (1") boast totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The A580 was unveiled 6 years before the RX100 V and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony RX100 V being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting right into a detailed comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the A580 matches up versus the RX100 V in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V. The full galleries are available at Sony A580 Gallery and Sony RX100 V Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Sony A580 offers physical measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs) whilst the Sony RX100 V has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") with a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

Compare the Sony A580 and Sony RX100 V in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using during that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the A580 against the RX100 V.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the A580 and RX100 V is 64 and 89 respectively.

Often, it's difficult to visualise the gap between sensor measurements only by reading specs. The visual below will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the A580 and RX100 V.

All in all, both cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The A580 having a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony RX100 V will offer extra detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older A580 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.