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Sony A560

 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 front
 
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Increase to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 599g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
  • Revealed August 2010
  • Succeeded the Sony A500
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
64
Imaging
54
Features
78
Overall
63

Sony A560 summary

Sony A560 is Sony's Entry-Level DSLR digital camera initially launched on August of 2010. The camera comes with a 14MP, CMOS APS-C size sensor with a max resolution of 4592 x 3056.

Sony introduced this model as a way to update the earlier Sony A500 (Read Full Comparison)

The A560 is ranked #34 out of 80 in Entry-Level DSLR cameras and over all #265 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. You should try our Advanced camera search to see camera ratings based on your personalized requirements.

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Here is a chart of multiple factors used in the rating system.

Sony A560 history

The Sony A560 comes with a history of related digital cameras. Here, you can discover all older and latest models as well as main specs.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Sony-SLT-A68 front thumbnailSony A68
A560 vs A68
24MPAPS-C8.0 fps2015
Sony-SLT-A58 front thumbnailSony A58
A560 vs A58
20MPAPS-C8.0 fps2013
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes
Sony-SLT-A57 front thumbnailSony A57
A560 vs A57
16MPAPS-C12.0 fps2012
Sony-SLT-A37 front thumbnailSony A37
A560 vs A37
16MPAPS-C6.0 fps2012
Sony-SLT-A65 front thumbnailSony A65
A560 vs A65
24MPAPS-C10.0 fps2011
Sony-SLT-A35 front thumbnailSony A35
A560 vs A35
16MPAPS-C6.0 fps2011
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A580 front thumbnailSony A580
A560 vs A580
16MPAPS-C7.0 fps2011
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A560 front thumbnailSony A56014MPAPS-C5.0 fps2010
Sony-SLT-A33 front thumbnailSony A33
A560 vs A33
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2010
Sony-SLT-A55 front thumbnailSony A55
A560 vs A55
16MPAPS-C10.0 fps2010
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A390 front thumbnailSony A390
A560 vs A390
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2010
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Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A290 front thumbnailSony A290
A560 vs A290
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2010
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A450 front thumbnailSony A450
A560 vs A450
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2010
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A550 front thumbnailSony A550
A560 vs A550
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A500 front thumbnailSony A500
A560 vs A500
12MPAPS-C5.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A380 front thumbnailSony A380
A560 vs A380
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A330 front thumbnailSony A330
A560 vs A330
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A230 front thumbnailSony A230
A560 vs A230
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A200 front thumbnailSony A200
A560 vs A200
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2008
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Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A350 front thumbnailSony A350
A560 vs A350
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2008
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A300 front thumbnailSony A300
A560 vs A300
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2008
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A100 front thumbnailSony A100
A560 vs A100
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2006

Sony A560 Pros and Cons

Here is a list of advantages and drawbacks of the Sony A560 based on criterias that are oftentimes considered crucial in a digital camera.

built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sized screen (3")
flash built-in
focusing manually
good minimum ISO (100)
great battery pack (1,050 shots)
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
has dual storage slots
high resolution screen (922 thousand dot)
includes face detect autofocus
includes HDMI support
includes mic jack
nice sensor size (APS-C)
screen tilts up and down
sensor has phase detect autofocus
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
supports RAW formats
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
does not have selfie friendly screen
max frames per second low (5.0 frames per second)
no headphone jack
no Time Lapse mode
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Sony A560 Sensor features

The Sony A560 is powered by the Bionz processor chip. The sensor specification on the Sony A560 is 23.5mm x 15.6mm (APS-C). The 367 mm² sensor can capture 4592 x 3056 pixels with aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9. The camera includes Image Stabilization (Sensor based). Optical stabilization is superior than digital stabilization since the latter may cause cropping.

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The CMOS sensor boasts 14 megapixels and gives a standard ISO range of 100 to 12800. The ISO can also be increased digitally to a maximum of 25600. RAW format is saved therefore the user has more room to maneuver in post.

The graphic below illustrates the A560's sensor size in comparison to other popular sizes. The A560 sensor comes with a crop factor of 1.5 and is highlighted in green.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 sensor size President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

To get a sense of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony A560 dimensions

Sony A560 weighs 1.32 lb (599g / 21.13 ounces) and the size of the camera is 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3"). The weight of typical Entry-Level DSLR camera is 540g and the Sony A560 is heavier compared to other rivals.

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Listed below is a pic of the Sony A560 besides a soda to help you to have a sense of its size.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 dimensions scale

The top view here will illustrate the button layout on the A560.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 topview buttons dials

Sony A560 Lens features

The A560 uses the Sony/Minolta Alpha mount and has 145 lenses on sale. Here is some of the lenses we have in our collection that will fit the A560.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Sigma-18-125mm-F3.8-5.6-DC-HSM-Sony-Alpha lensSigma 18-125mm F3.8-5.6 DC HSM18-125mmf/3.8-5.6 490g
Samyang-50mm-F1.4-AS-UMC--Rokinon-50mm-F1.4-AS-IF-UMC-A-Mount lensSamyang 50mm F1.4 AS UMC50mmf/1.4535g
Photography Glossary
Sony-20mm-F2.8 lensSony 20mm F2.820mmf/2.8 285g
Sony-50mm-F2.8-Macro lensSony 50mm F2.8 Macro50mmf/2.8 295g
Sony-16-35mm-F2.8-ZA-SSM-Carl-Zeiss-Vario-Sonnar-T lensSony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T16-35mmf/2.8 900g
Tokina-AT-X-Pro-11-16mm-f2.8-DX-II-Sony-Alpha lensTokina AT-X Pro 11-16mm f2.8 DX II11-16mmf/2.8 560g
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Tamron-SP-90mm-F2.8-Di-VC-USD-1-1-Macro-Sony-Alpha lensTamron SP 90mm F2.8 Di VC USD 1-1 Macro90mmf/2.8 550g
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Sony A560 Connectivity

The A560 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras with NFC and / or Bluetooth support are able to be controlled wirelessly via smartphones. You can transfer files and in some cases change settings without the hassle of connecting straight with the camera.

Certain apps also allow a Liveview and hit the shutter when you are not near the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it can easily be attached to an external monitor. A lot of cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack using the USB port.

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Sony A560 Video features

The max video quality on the Sony A560 is 1920 x 1080 and it can save in MPEG-4, AVCHD and H.264 file format. 1080p quality will provide a decent balance in video quality versus file size but 1080p is not going to give you much room to crop. Even though the body includes a mic socket, it is missing a headphone socket which means you will not be able to keep an eye on your sound levels.

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Sony A560 Weather Sealing

There is no environment sealing for the Sony A560 so you have to be careful in rainy and dusty conditions.

Sony A560 Screen and Viewfinder

The Sony A560 comes with a 3 inch tilting display with a resolution of 922 thousand dots.

Unfortunately the display isn't a touch screen.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 screen and viewfinder Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The ViewFinder specs regarding Sony A560 are below:

  • ViewFinder Optical (pentamirror)
  • ViewFinder Coverage 95%
  • ViewFinder Magnification 0.53x

Viewfinders can be very helpful in bright outdoor conditions which will make the camera screen washed out and difficult to view.

Sony A560 Shutter features

Sony A560 continuous shooting speed is 5.0 frames per second. The maximum shutter speed is 1/4000s.

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Sony A560 Flash and Hot shoe features

Sony A560 includes both built in flash plus external flash support. The maximum flash sync speed is 1/160s.

Sony A560 Autofocus features

Sony A560 includes both Phase Detect Auto Focus and Contrast Based Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more quicker & exact compared to Contrast Based focusing. The camera comes with Face detection making it valuable for people photography.

The Sensor comes with 15 focus points to choose from. Sony A560 supports manual focusing when needed in low light conditions or you want more exact control on focusing.

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Sony A560 Battery life

The battery pack (NP-FM500H) for the Sony A560 is built to last for 1050 photographs as per the CIPA measurements which is above the usual for its category. The usual Entry-Level DSLR camera battery life is 589. Pentax K-x has the maximum (1900) battery life in this range of cameras.

Underneath is a collection of Entry-Level DSLR cameras with the strongest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth
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Canon-EOS-Rebel-SL3 front thumbnailCanon SL3
A560 vs SL3
1070 yesnoyes

Sony A560 for specific types of photography

The following bar chart indicates a summary of the Sony A560 for specific types of photography. To find out more, browse to the specific section below.

Sony A560 Portrait photography info

The Sony A560 has a score of 72 which is above average, meaning that it is a good choice for portrait photography. Taking portrait images favors heavily to sensor size, RAW support and flexibility to use external lighting.

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has manual focus
decent MP (14 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
features face detection focus
exports RAW files

Sony A560 as a Street photography camera

With a very good score of 75, the Sony A560 is a good fit to use in street photography. A good street photography camera provides a good balance of image quality and portability.

Photography Glossary
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW files

Sony A560 as a Sports photography camera

A above average sports photography score of 68 suggests the Sony A560 is a respectable choice for taking pictures of sports. A camera must have fantastic autofocus plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count decent (14MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
better than average battery life (1,050 CIPA)
has phase detect auto focus
max fps low (5.0 frames per second)

Sony A560 Travel photography advice

Size is super crucial when choosing a travel camera. All things considered, the Sony A560 gets a decent 60 as a travelling camera which is reasonably suited to purchase for your holidays.

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good battery (1,050 per charge)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
has built in flash
no Timelapse mode
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen

Sony A560 Landscape photography information

For anyone planning to buy a camera for landscape pictures, the most significant aspect is going to be image quality. The Sony A560 at it's very good grade of 73 as a landscape camera is a good option among its rivals.

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you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good resolution (14 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
great battery power (1,050 shots)
2 card slots
lack of Timelapse function

Sony A560 Vlogging advice

A vlogging camera preferably should have a moving display, mic port and ideally IBIS. Considering all things, the Sony A560 is not good for vlogging as it receives a terrible rating of 34.

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built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
provides face detection focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
comes with external mic port
screen is not selfie friendly

Sony A560 Alternatives

If you are in the market for alternatives to the A560, here is a range of the top placed cameras that fall into the class of Entry-Level DSLR.

The graph listed below gives you an overview of the A560 compared to it's highest scored competitors suggested previously.

There are more cameras you may look into as alternatives. To go through a extensive comparison, click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Sony
Model type
Sony Alpha DSLR-A560
Class
Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed
2010-08-24
Body design
Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Processor Chip
Bionz
Sensor size
APS-C
Sensor dimensions
23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area
366.6mm²
Sensor resolution
14 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution
4592 x 3056
RAW format
Maximum native ISO
12800
Maximum enhanced ISO
25600
Minimum native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points
15
Cross type focus points
3
Lens
Lens support
Sony/Minolta Alpha
Total lenses
143
Crop factor
1.5
Screen
Range of screen
Tilting
Screen sizing
3"
Screen resolution
922 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage
95%
Viewfinder magnification
0.53x
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
70
DXO Color Depth rating
22.5
DXO Dynamic range rating
12.3
DXO Low light rating
817
Features
Min shutter speed
30 seconds
Max shutter speed
1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed
5.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation
Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
12.00 m
Flash options
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Max flash sync
1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Maximum video resolution
1920x1080
Video data format
MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
599g (1.32 lb)
Dimensions
137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3")
Other
Battery life
1050 shots
Form of battery
Battery Pack
Battery ID
NP-FM500H
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media
SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots
Two
Launch pricing
$650