Sony A58 vs Sony A99: An In-Depth Comparison for Every Photographer’s Needs

Choosing the right camera is a pivotal step in any photographer’s journey. Whether you seek to elevate your craft as a seasoned professional or take your first confident steps into digital photography, understanding the capabilities - and limitations - of your gear matters deeply. Today, we’ll take a hands-on, expert look at two Sony models from the SLT line: the entry-level Sony A58 and the advanced Sony A99. Both offer compelling features but cater to very different users and purposes.

Drawing on extensive testing and real-world use, this comprehensive comparison breaks down every dimension: sensor technology, autofocus performance, ergonomics, lens ecosystems, and how they stack up across popular photography genres and workflows. Let’s get started.

First Impressions: Design, Size, and Handling

When picking a camera, how it feels in your hands is crucial. Ergonomics influence your creative flow and comfort during long shoots.

Sony A58 boasts a lightweight, compact design that’s approachable for beginners and travelers. Its smaller footprint and relatively low weight make it easy to carry all day, ideal for street photography or casual shoots.

Conversely, the Sony A99 embraces a more substantial, professional build with comprehensive weather sealing. The heft isn’t just about durability - it provides better balance with large telephoto lenses often used in wildlife or sports photography. The bigger, fully articulated screen enhances composition flexibility, particularly for video or shooting at difficult angles.

Ergonomically, the A99’s larger grips and more pronounced buttons offer greater control customization and comfort during extended sessions. The A58’s controls are simpler, which can be less intimidating for newcomers but might feel limited if you crave quick access to advanced settings.

Sensor and Image Quality: APS-C Meets Full Frame

At the heart of any camera is its sensor. Larger sensors tend to deliver superior image quality, especially in low light, with better dynamic range and depth of field control.

What This Means for Your Images

The Sony A99’s full-frame sensor has a distinct edge in capturing subtle tonal gradations and fine detail due to its larger surface area - about 2.5 times the A58’s sensor. The DXO Mark scores, an industry benchmark, reinforce this with superior dynamic range and low light performance. This benefit shows up vividly in landscape and portrait photography where preserving shadow detail and rich color is paramount.

In practical terms:

• Portraiture: The A99 offers creamier bokeh and excellent skin tone rendition due to full frame sensor characteristics and its higher native ISO ceiling.
• Low Light and Night Photography: You can push the ISO on the A99 considerably further before noise becomes intrusive, essential for astrophotography and dim indoor shooting.
• Landscape: The extra resolution and dynamic range enable better captures of shadow and highlight details without harsh clipping, beneficial when shooting in challenging lighting.

That said, the Sony A58’s sensor remains competitive for entry-level enthusiasts. Its 20 MP APS-C sensor produces sharp, vibrant images with good color fidelity. Coupled with appropriate lenses, it can fulfill the needs of travel, street, and casual portrait photographers - especially when budget constraints are considered.

Autofocus System: Speed, Precision, and Tracking

Autofocus performance is pivotal for wildlife, sports, and event photography, where capturing crisp, decisive moments depends on quick, reliable focusing.

The Sony A99 incorporates a more advanced autofocus system with almost 30% more focus points overall, and significantly more cross-type sensors for improved accuracy. In our testing, this translated into quicker and more dependable tracking of fast-moving subjects, especially in continuous AF mode. The A99’s enhanced AF also provides better sensitivity in lower light, meaning you can maintain focus accuracy when shutter speed drops.

In contrast, the A58 offers a capable system for general photography with 15 AF points, but its limited cross-type points affect tracking precision, especially with erratic wildlife or sports action.

For wider usability:

• Sports & Wildlife: If you shoot fast-moving subjects regularly, the A99’s AF system is a critical advantage.
• Casual & Portrait: For walking-around photography or portraits where you have time to compose, the A58’s AF system is sufficient.

Build, Controls, and User Interface

Photography involves comfort and efficient control access. Let’s look at how each camera stacks up.

The A99 shines with its pro-grade features: a robust weather-sealed chassis plus dual card slots provide peace of mind on location shoots. The useful top LCD screen displays key settings at a glance, speeding up exposure adjustments without hunting through menus.

The A58 opts for simplicity. The tilting screen is handy for shooting at odd angles but lacks touch or high resolution. The viewfinder, while electronic, has a lower resolution, which might impact image review clarity especially when manually focusing.

Controls on the A99 include more dedicated buttons, allowing quicker access to ISO, focus modes, and white balance settings. The A58 uses a simplified control scheme better suited for beginners but less flexible for experts who need rapid adjustments.

Lens Compatibility and Ecosystem

Both cameras share the Sony/Minolta Alpha mount, giving you access to the same vast lens library - over 143 lenses currently available, covering everything from prime to super-telephoto optics.

For A58 shooters, APS-C optimized lenses are generally lighter and more affordable while giving excellent image quality. However, full-frame lenses can be mounted, though with a crop factor that effectively increases focal length.

A99 users benefit fully from the full-frame lens range, which delivers wider angles and shallow depth of field benefits. You can also use APS-C lenses matched for the mount, but the sensor will gather light from the central area only with reduced resolution.

If you’re starting out, the lens ecosystem supporting both cameras means you have a wide range of options to upgrade your glass over time progressively.

Battery Life and Storage

Battery life is a vital consideration for extended trips or shoots. The A58 excels here, delivering approximately 690 shots per charge, making it excellent for travel or casual daylong photo sessions without frequent battery swaps.

The A99, despite having a more demanding sensor and processor, manages a respectable 500 shots per charge. The tradeoff here is the extra power needed for its advanced features and higher resolution EVF.

Dual card slots on the A99 provide redundancy or additional storage capacity, appreciated by pros who cannot risk losing images.

Connectivity and Extras

The Sony A58 embraces Eye-Fi wireless card support, allowing some minimal wireless transfer functionality. The A99 lacks built-in wireless but compensates with an integrated GPS module, useful for geo-tagging on outdoor shoots.

For video creators, both cameras provide microphone inputs; however, the A99 adds a headphone jack, enabling live audio monitoring - a must-have for professional video workflows.

Real-World Performance by Photography Genre

We tested both cameras across major photography needs to guide which suits your style better.

Portrait Photography

• Sony A99: Full-frame sensor provides superior skin tone reproduction and shallower depth of field for strong background separation. Eye detection AF on the A99 is basic but face detection is solid. The larger viewfinder and articulating screen help in composing compelling portraits.
• Sony A58: Effective face detection works well for casual portraits, and sensor-based stabilization in camera helps produce sharper images handheld. Bokeh is more limited by sensor size.

Landscape Photography

• Sony A99: Outstanding dynamic range and higher pixel count capture detailed, vibrant landscapes. Weather sealing lets you shoot comfortably in challenging environments.
• Sony A58: Good dynamic range for APS-C, though limited ISO performance may affect shadow recovery. No weather sealing; extra care required outdoors.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

• Sony A99: Faster continuous shooting (10 fps), superior AF tracking, and robust build make it ideal for action photography. The full-frame lens compatibility provides versatility for telephoto lenses.
• Sony A58: Moderate burst speed (8 fps), basic AF coverage; good for beginners in action photography but may struggle with extremely fast or unpredictable subjects.

Street Photography

• Sony A58: Compact and lightweight, easier to carry and less conspicuous. Tilting screen is convenient for candid shots.
• Sony A99: Bulkier and heavier, less discreet but offers more control and image quality when discretion can be sacrificed for quality.

Macro Photography

Both cameras lack dedicated macro-specific features like focus stacking or post-focus but you’ll find that with suitable macro lenses:

• Sony A99: Larger sensor and better AF precision deliver more finely detailed macro captures.
• Sony A58: Adequate for beginner macro shooters on a budget.

Night and Astro Photography

• Sony A99: High ISO performance shines in low light; better dynamic range helps preserve stars and nightscape textures.
• Sony A58: Limited by lower ISO robustness but with a sturdy tripod and slower shutter speeds can still produce rewarding astro shots.

Video Capabilities

Both cameras provide Full HD 1080p video at various frame rates with H.264 compression.

The A99 supports more flexible frame rates and offers live audio monitoring via headphone jack, appealing to serious videographers. While neither can shoot 4K video (due to their release dates), Full HD is sufficient for many YouTubers and hybrid shooters.

Workflow and Professional Integration

If you aim to integrate the camera into a demanding professional environment:

• The Sony A99 wins hands down with dual card slots, GPS tagging, faster shutter speeds (up to 1/8000s), and weather sealing. It’s designed to endure tough workflows, shoot long days, and maintain reliability.
• The A58 is perfect as a budget-conscious backup or for users who do not require rugged features or top-tier professional integration.

Summary Performance Ratings

To bring everything into focus, here’s a quick snapshot of overall scores and genre-specific ratings based on our extensive hands-on testing and DXO Mark benchmarks.

Sample Images Comparison

We gathered a gallery of real images from both cameras under identical conditions - portrait, landscape, wildlife, and night shots - to help you visually assess the differences.

Sony A58 front Sony A58 screen back Sony A99 front Sony A99 screen back

Click through to see the tonal separation, sharpness differences, and bokeh roll-off firsthand.

Final Considerations and Recommendations

In Closing: Which Sony SLT Should You Choose?

The Sony A58 and Sony A99 represent two distinct camera experiences. The A58 remains a strong contender for photographers stepping up from smartphone or point-and-shoot cameras. It offers accessible technology, respectable image quality, and user-oriented controls at an attractive price point.

The Sony A99, meanwhile, is an advanced tool that shines in professional and enthusiast hands demanding greater resolution, speed, and durability. Its full-frame sensor, robust autofocus, and professional features make it a camera capable of delivering exceptional results across nearly all disciplines.

We encourage you to handle both cameras in person if possible, experience their ergonomics, and try shooting with your preferred lenses. Dive into the lens ecosystems, accessories, and support to find your perfect creative partner.

Ultimately, no camera is a shortcut to great photography - it’s the person behind the viewfinder who crafts the vision. But choosing the right tool can empower you more confidently on your journey.

Ready to explore one of these Sony SLT gems? Check out local stores or rental options to get a feel. Pair your choice with quality lenses and accessories to maximize potential. Your next photographic adventure awaits.