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Sony A58

 
Sony SLT-A58 front
 
  • 20MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 16000 (Boost to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 492g - 129 x 95 x 78mm
  • Revealed November 2013
  • Replaced the Sony A57
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
68
Imaging
63
Features
72
Overall
66

Sony A58 summary

Sony A58 is Sony's Entry-Level DSLR camera originally launched on November of 2013. The camera comes with a 20MP, CMOS APS-C size sensor with a full resolution of 5456 x 3632.

Sony introduced this camera as a way to replace the previous Sony A57 (Read Full Comparison)

The A58 is positioned #24 out of 80 in Entry-Level DSLR cameras and over-all #216 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. Please check our Advanced camera filter to find camera ratings based on your customized factors.

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Here is a diagram of different factors used in the rating system.

Sony A58 family

The Sony A58 is part of a family of cameras. You can read the full list below.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Sony-SLT-A68 front thumbnailSony A68
A58 vs A68
24MPAPS-C8.0 fps2015
Sony-SLT-A58 front thumbnailSony A5820MPAPS-C8.0 fps2013
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Sony-SLT-A57 front thumbnailSony A57
A58 vs A57
16MPAPS-C12.0 fps2012
Sony-SLT-A37 front thumbnailSony A37
A58 vs A37
16MPAPS-C6.0 fps2012
Sony-SLT-A65 front thumbnailSony A65
A58 vs A65
24MPAPS-C10.0 fps2011
Sony-SLT-A35 front thumbnailSony A35
A58 vs A35
16MPAPS-C6.0 fps2011
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Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A580 front thumbnailSony A580
A58 vs A580
16MPAPS-C7.0 fps2011
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A560 front thumbnailSony A560
A58 vs A560
14MPAPS-C5.0 fps2010
Sony-SLT-A55 front thumbnailSony A55
A58 vs A55
16MPAPS-C10.0 fps2010
Sony-SLT-A33 front thumbnailSony A33
A58 vs A33
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2010
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A390 front thumbnailSony A390
A58 vs A390
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2010
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Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A290 front thumbnailSony A290
A58 vs A290
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2010
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A450 front thumbnailSony A450
A58 vs A450
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2010
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A550 front thumbnailSony A550
A58 vs A550
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A500 front thumbnailSony A500
A58 vs A500
12MPAPS-C5.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A380 front thumbnailSony A380
A58 vs A380
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A330 front thumbnailSony A330
A58 vs A330
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A230 front thumbnailSony A230
A58 vs A230
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A200 front thumbnailSony A200
A58 vs A200
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2008
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Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A350 front thumbnailSony A350
A58 vs A350
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2008
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A300 front thumbnailSony A300
A58 vs A300
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2008
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A100 front thumbnailSony A100
A58 vs A100
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2006

Sony A58 Pros and Cons

Here is a shortlist of pluses and minuses of the Sony A58 based on aspects that are typically regarded as necessary in a camera.

comes with HDMI port
comes with mic port
delivers RAW formats
flash built-in
good battery life (690 shots)
good resolution (20MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
great video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detect focus
includes tracking focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
screen tilts up and down
supports phase detect auto focus
very good minimum ISO (100)
you can focus manually
display is not selfie friendly
does not have headphone port
does not have Time Lapse function
low resolution screen (460 k dot)
small screen (2.7 inch)
Photography Glossary

Sony A58 Sensor specs

The dimension of the sensor on the Sony A58 is 23.2mm x 15.4mm (APS-C). The 357 mm² sensor can capture 5456 x 3632 pixels . The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Sensor based). Optical stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization since the latter can easily cause cropping.

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The CMOS sensor boasts 20MP and gives a native ISO range of 100 to 16000. The ISO can also be increased digitally to a maximum of 25600. RAW files are saved which means that the user has more margin for error.

The image below shows the A58's sensor size compared to other common sizes. The A58 sensor comes with a crop factor of 1.6 and is presented in green.

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

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony A58 dimensions

Sony A58 weighs around 1.08 lb (492g or 17.35 oz) and the dimensions of the camera is 129mm x 95mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1"). The weight of average Entry-Level DSLR camera is 540g and the Sony A58 is similar in comparison with various competitors.

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Listed below is a photo of the Sony A58 besides a soda to help you to have a sense of its size.

Sony SLT-A58 dimensions scale

The top view here will illustrate the button arrangement on the A58.

Sony SLT-A58 topview buttons dials

Sony A58 Lens details

The A58 uses the Sony/Minolta Alpha mount and has 145 lenses on the market today. Here is some of the lenses we have in our collection that will fit the A58.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Sony-Carl-Zeiss-Planar-T-50mm-F1.4-ZA-SSM lensSony Carl Zeiss Planar T 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM50mmf/1.4 518g
Sony-DT-18-55mm-F3.5-5.6-SAM-II lensSony DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM II18-55mmf/3.5-5.6 222g
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Sigma-17-70mm-F2.8-4-DC-MACRO-OS-HSM-C-Sony-Alpha lensSigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM C17-70mmf/2.8-4.0 465g
Sigma-18-200mm-F3.5-6.3-DC-Macro-OS-HSM-C-Sony-Alpha lensSigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM C18-200mmf/3.5-6.3 430g
Sony-100mm-F2.8-Macro lensSony 100mm F2.8 Macro100mmf/2.8 505g
Sony-500mm-F8-Reflex lensSony 500mm F8 Reflex500mmf/8.0 665g
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Tamron-SP-24-70mm-F2.8-Di-VC-USD-Sony-Alpha lensTamron SP 24-70mm F2.8 Di VC USD24-70mmf/2.8 825g
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Sony A58 Connectivity

The A58 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras which include NFC or Bluetooth connectivity can be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You can easily transfer pictures and usually change camera settings with no need to connect directly with the camera.

Certain apps also enable a Liveview and release the shutter when you are not near the camera. If the camera features a HDMI out, it can be connected to an external display. Virtually all cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Sony A58 Video details

The highest possible video quality on the Sony A58 is 1920 x 1080 and it can record in MPEG-4, AVCHD and H.264 format. 1080p quality will provide a decent balance in quality vs file size but 1080p is not going to give you much room to crop. Although the body features a mic jack, it is unfortunately missing a headphone jack which means that you will not have the capability to check your sound levels.

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Sony A58 Weather Sealing

Sony A58 does not have environment sealing so rainy conditions might affect the camera.

Sony A58 Display and Viewfinder

The Sony A58 comes with a 2.7" tilting display having a resolution of 460k dots.

Please be aware that the display screen offers no touch support.

Sony SLT-A58 screen and viewfinder Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing

The ViewFinder specs regarding Sony A58 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder Electronic
  • Resolution 1,440k dots
  • Coverage 100 percent
  • Magnification 0.65x

Viewfinders are very handy in bright outdoor conditions which might make the camera display washed out and difficult to view.

Sony A58 Shutter details

Sony A58 can shoot continuously at 8.0 frames per second. The highest shutter speed is 1/4000 sec.

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Sony A58 Flash and Hot shoe details

Sony A58 boasts both integrated flash and also external flash support. The highest flash sync speed is 1/160 sec.

Sony A58 Autofocus details

Sony A58 boasts both Phase Detect Auto Focus along with Contrast Based Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster and precise as compared to Contrast Based focusing. The camera comes with Face detect making it valuable for portraits.

It comes with 15 focus points to pick from. It also comes with Tracking Auto Focus for moving objects. Sony A58 boasts manual focusing if required in low light scenarios or you want to have more exact focusing control.

Photography Glossary

Sony A58 Battery life

The battery life (NP-FM500H) in the Sony A58 is built to last for 690 photographs with respect to the CIPA measurements which is above average when compared to its category. The average Entry-Level DSLR camera battery life is 589. Pentax K-x has got the best (1900) battery life in this type of cameras.

Underneath is a list of Entry-Level DSLR cameras that have the strongest battery life:

Sony A58 for different forms of photography

The following chart shows a rundown of the Sony A58 for different forms of photography. To understand more, browse to the specific section below.

Sony A58 Portrait photography info

The Sony A58 has a rating of 77 which is fantastic, meaning that it is a wonderful option for portrait photography. Photographing portrait photos leans heavily to sensor specs, RAW support and capability to use off-camera lighting.

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focusing manually
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
offers face detection focusing
exports RAW formats

Sony A58 Street photography features

Coming in at a tremendous rating of 78, the Sony A58 is a great pick to buy for street photography. A decent street photography camera has a perfect balance of picture quality plus portability.

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tilting screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW formats

Sony A58 Sports photography factors

A outstanding sports photography score of 81 means the Sony A58 is a excellent fit for photographing sports. A camera needs fantastic focusing and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
has tracking autofocus
better than average battery (690 CIPA)
supports phase detect AF

Sony A58 Travel photography info

Portability is super critical in picking a camera for travel. Over-all, the Sony A58 gets a nice 63 for a travel camera which makes it a respectable fit for your holidays.

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better than average battery (690 shots)
good MP (20MP)
has built in flash
does not have Time Lapse function
display is not selfie friendly

Landscape photography with Sony A58

For anybody looking to purchase a digital camera for landscape photographs, the most vital factor will be image quality. The Sony A58 and it's above average rating of 70 as a landscape camera is a very decent choice amongst it's competition.

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has manual focus
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW files
good battery pack (690 shots)
tiny screen (2.7")
missing Time Lapse recording

Sony A58 as a Vlogging camera

A vlogging camera ought to come with a moving display screen, microphone port and if possible IBIS. Taking everything into account, the Sony A58 is not really good for vlogging as it comes to a lousy rating of 35.

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built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
comes with face detect focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does have mic jack
screen is not selfie friendly

Sony A58 Alternatives

If you are trying to find alternatives to the A58, here is a selection of the highest ranked cameras that fall under the category of Entry-Level DSLR.

The line chart underneath shows you an overview of the A58 compared to it's top scored rivals mentioned above.

Here are a handful of other cameras you may view as alternative options. To check out a extensive comparison, just click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Sony
Model type
Sony SLT-A58
Category
Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed
2013-11-27
Body design
Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Sensor size
APS-C
Sensor dimensions
23.2 x 15.4mm
Sensor surface area
357.3mm²
Sensor resolution
20 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Peak resolution
5456 x 3632
RAW files
Highest native ISO
16000
Highest enhanced ISO
25600
Minimum native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points
15
Cross type focus points
3
Lens
Lens support
Sony/Minolta Alpha
Available lenses
143
Focal length multiplier
1.6
Screen
Range of display
Tilting
Display sizing
2.7 inch
Display resolution
460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Electronic
Viewfinder resolution
1,440k dot
Viewfinder coverage
100 percent
Viewfinder magnification
0.65x
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
74
DXO Color Depth rating
23.3
DXO Dynamic range rating
12.5
DXO Low light rating
753
Features
Minimum shutter speed
30s
Fastest shutter speed
1/4000s
Continuous shutter speed
8.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
10.00 m (@ ISO 100)
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Fastest flash sync
1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080
Highest video resolution
1920x1080
Video file format
MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
492g (1.08 pounds)
Physical dimensions
129 x 95 x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1")
Other
Battery life
690 photos
Battery form
Battery Pack
Battery ID
NP-FM500H
Time lapse recording
Storage media
SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots
Single
Retail pricing
$645