Sony rang, and we answered the call. Editor-in-Chief Chris Gampat and I headed over to the Museum of Natural History for an invite-only press event for Sony’s new line of consumer electronics. There were upcoming television, audio, and photo offerings on display, and it was the latter of the three that particularly interested us. Following a presentation by COO Phil Molyneux and several product specialists, we signed out cameras and went on a small tour of three exhibits. Chris took the new NEX-3N and I had the a58, Sony’s latest addition to its SLT line. In summary, it’s something you’re either going to like or not.
Tech Specs
Courtesy of the Adorama listing:
| Lens Compatibility | Sony A-mount, operation with Minolta/Konica Minolta Maxxum lenses |
| Lens Mount | Sony A-mount |
| Camera Type | Interchangeable Lens Digital SLT camera |
| Imaging Sensor | Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor (23.5 X 15.6mm) |
| Processor | BIONZ image processor |
| Anti Dust | Charge protection coating on Low-Pass Filter and electromagnetic vibration mechanism |
| Pixel Gross | Approx. 20.4M pixels |
| Effective Picture Resolution | Approx. 20.1M pixels |
| Focal Length Conversion Factor | 1.5x |
| Color Filter System | RGB primary color filters |
| Media Type | Memory Stick PRO Duo /Pro-HG Duo media; SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card |
| Color Space | sRGB standard (with sYCC gamut) and Adobe RGB standard compatible with TRILUMINOS Color |
| Still Image Mode | JPEG (Standard, Fine), RAW, RAW+JPEG |
| Still Image Max Effective Resolution | L (20 MP) 5456 x 3632 |
| Still Image Size 16:9 | L (17 MP) 5456 x 3064, M (8.4 MP) 3872 x 2176, S (4.2 MP) 2736 x 1536 |
| Still Image Size 3:2 | L (20 MP) 5456 x 3632, M (10 MP) 3872 x 2576, S (5 MP) 2736 x 1824 |
| Panorama Still Image Size | Horizontal Wide: 12,416 x 1,856 (23M) Horizontal Std.: 8,192 x 1,856 (15M) Vertical Wide: 2,160 x 5,536 (12M) Vertical Std.: 2,160 x 3,872 (8.4M) |
| Video Format | AVCHD / MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)) |
| Video Mode AVCHD | FX – 1920 x 1080/60i@24Mbps FH – 1920 x 1080/60i@17Mbps FX – 1920 x 1080/24p@24Mbps FH – 1920 x 1080/24p@17Mbps |
| Video Mode MP4 | HD – 1440 x 1080/ 30p@12Mbps VGA – 640 x 480/ 30p@3Mbps |
| Video Signal | NTSC color, EIA standards |
| Audio Format | Dolby Digital (AC-3) / MPEG-4 AAC-LC, 2ch |
| Microphone/Speaker | Built-in Stereo Microphone |
| Still Image File Format | JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver.2.3, MPF Baseline compliant), RAW (Sony ARW 2.3 format), RAW & JPEG |
| Type | 1/2″ SVGA EVF (Electronic viewfinder) (1,440k dots)” |
| Diopter Adjustment | -4.0m to +4.0m-1 |
| Field of View | 100% |
| LCD Type | 2.7″ TFT Clear Photo LCD (460,800 pixels) |
| Angle Adjustment | Tilt angle: Up approx. 135 degrees, downward approx. 55 degrees |
| Brightness Control | Auto, Manual (5 steps between -2 to +2) |
| Coverage | 100% |
| Live View | Continuous Live View (LCD/EVF Auto, selectable) |
| Real-time Image Adjustment Display | Yes(On/Off) |
| Histogram | Yes(On/Off) |
| Peaking | Yes (Level setting: High/Mid/Low/Off, Color: White/Red/Yellow) |
| Grid Display | Yes (Rule of thirds, Diagonal, 4×6 Square Grids, Off) |
| Customization | Grid, Histogram display, Grid Line, Magnified display for playback |
| Focus System | TTL phase detection AF (CCD line sensors) |
| Focus Points | 15 points (3 points cross type) |
| AF Modes | Single-shot AF(AF-S), Continuous AF(AF-C), Automatic AF(AF-A) selectable, Direct Manual Focus (DMF), Manual Focus |
| Focus Area | Wide (Auto,15 points)/ Zone/Spot/Local selectable |
| Focus Sensitivity | EV -1 to 18 EV (at ISO100 equivalent, with F2.8 lens attached) |
| Focus Features | Predictive control (AF-A, AF-C), Focus Lock, Eye-start AF |
| AF Illuminator | Built-in LED, Range: approx. 3′ – 21′ (1m-7m) |
| Metering | Advanced 1200-zone evaluative metering |
| Metering Modes | Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot |
| Metering Sensitivity | -2EV to 17EV (at ISO 100 equivalent w/ f/1.4 lens) |
| Exposure Compensation | Still images: +/-3.0 EV(1/3EV steps selectable) Movies: +/-2.0 EV(1/3EV steps selectable) |
| Exposure Settings | iAUTO, Flash Off, Superior Auto, Scene Selection, Sweep Panorama, Continuous Advance Priority AE, Movie, Picture Effect, Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed priority (S), Manual (M) |
| Scene Mode(s) | Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports Action, Sunset, Night Portrait, Night View, Handheld Twilight |
| Picture Effect(s) | 11 types (15 variations): Posterization (Color, B/W), Pop Color, Retro Photo, Partial Color (R,G,B,Y), High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera, Soft High-key, Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Monochrome, Miniature |
| D-Range Optimizer | Yes: (Auto, Level, Off) |
| Auto Exposure Lock | Yes (AE Lock button) |
| Color Temperature | 2500 – 9900K with 15-step each Magenta/Green compensation (G7 to M7), AWB micro adjustment |
| Creative Style | Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Black & White (Contrast (-3 to +3steps), Saturation(-3 to +3steps), Sharpness(-3 to +3steps)) |
| Exposure Bracketing | Cont./Single, w/ 1/3 EV,1/2 EV,2/3 EV,2.0EV,3.0 EV incmnts,3/5 frames (2.0EV,3.0EV:only 3 frs) sel |
| ISO | Stills: ISO 100-16000 selectable in 1 EV steps, Auto (100-3200) Movies: ISO 100-3200 selectable in 1 EV steps, Auto (200-3200) |
| Noise Reduction | Long Exposure NR: (On/Off, available at shutter speeds longer than 1 second) High ISO NR: (High/Normal/Low) |
| White Balance Mode | Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent (Warm white, Cool white, Day white, Daylight) , Flash, Setting the color temperature, Color Filter, Custom |
| Burst Buffer | Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE: Fine: 16 frames, Standard: 19 frames Continuous shooting: Fine: 7 frames, Standard: 8 frames, RAW & JPEG: 5 frames, RAW: 6 frames |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE: Maximum 8 frames per second Hi: Maximum 5 frames per second, Lo: Maximum 2.5 frames per second |
| Drive Mode | Single Shooting, Continuous Shooting (Hi/Lo selectable), Self-timer (10/2 sec. delay selectable) Bracketing (Cont., Single, White Balance) |
| Self-timer | 2-sec. or 10-sec. delay |
| Shutter Speeds | Still images: 1/4000 to 30 sec/Bulb, Movies: 1/4000 to 1/4 (1/3 step), up to 1/30 in AUTO mode |
| Shutter Type | Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane shutter |
| Flash Compensation | +/-2.0 EV (switchable between 1/3 and 1/2 EV steps) |
| Flash Coverage | Field of view coverage up to 16 mm (in the focal length) |
| Recycling Time | Approx. 4 sec. |
| Flash Bracketing | 0.3/0.5/0.7/2.0/3.0EV steps, 3 frames(2.0/3.0EV : only 3 frames) selectable |
| Flash Metering System | ADI flash/ Pre-flash TTL |
| Flash Modes | Auto, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Hi-speed sync., Red-eye reduction (on/off selectable for Auto flash and fill-flash mode), Wireless, Off |
| Flash Type | Built-in, Pop-up Auto |
| Guide Number | 10 (in meters at ISO100) |
| Self Timer | Yes, 10/2 second delay selectable |
| Shutter Speeds | Still images: 1/4000 to 30 sec/Bulb, Movies: 1/4000 to 1/4 (1/3 step), up to 1/30 in AUTO mode |
| Shutter Type | Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane shutter |
| Flash Compensation | +/-2.0 EV (switchable between 1/3 and 1/2 EV steps) |
| Flash Coverage | Field of view coverage up to 16 mm (in the focal length) |
| Recycling Time | Approx. 4 sec. |
| Flash Bracketing | 0.3/0.5/0.7/2.0/3.0EV steps, 3 frames(2.0/3.0EV : only 3 frames) selectable |
| Flash Metering System | ADI flash/ Pre-flash TTL |
| Flash Modes | Auto, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Hi-speed sync., Red-eye reduction (on/off selectable for Auto flash and fill-flash mode), Wireless, Off |
| Flash Type | Built-in, Pop-up Auto |
| Guide Number | 10 (in meters at ISO100) |
| Self Timer | Yes, 10/2 second delay selectable |
| Red-Eye Reduction | Yes, On/ Off selectable |
| Media/Battery Indicator | Yes |
| View & Index | Single (with or without shooting information), RGB histogram and highlight/shadow warning4/9-frame index view, Enlarged display mode (L: 13.6x, M: 9.9x, S: 6.8x), Auto Review (10/5/2 sec, Off)Image orientation (On/Off), Slideshow, Panorama scrolling, Folder selection (still)
Forward/Rewind (movie), Delete, Protect |
| Advanced User Interface | Easy-to-understand Graphic Display and on-screen Help Guide User-friendly function menu |
| Anti Motion Blur | 6-image layering |
| Auto High Dynamic Range | Yes, (Auto Exposure Difference, Exposure difference Level (1-6 EV at 1.0 EV step), off) |
| Sweep Panorama | Horizontal (Wide/Standard), Vertical (Wide/Standard) |
| Face Detection | On, Off, Face Registration, Face Selection; maximum eight faces detected |
| Smile Shutter Technology | Smile shutter (selectable from 3 steps) |
| Tracking Focus | Yes |
| Image Stabilization | For still images: SteadyShot INSIDE Image Sensor-Shift mechanism, For movies: Electronic |
| Priority Setting (for Face Detection) | Yes (eight faces max) |
| Microphone Input | Yes (3.5mm Stereo minijack) |
| Remote Commander | Yes (via optional RM-VPR1) |
| Accessory Shoe | Yes (Multi Interface) |
| BRAVIA Sync | Yes, via HDMI with compatible BRAVIA HDTV |
| DC IN | Yes via AC-PW10AM (sold separately) |
| HD Output | HDMI mini connector (Type D) |
| Memory Card Slot | Dual compatibility slot: Memory Stick PRO Duo /Pro-HG Duo /PRO-HG HX Duo media – SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card |
| PhotoTV HD | Yes, with BRAVIA Sync enabled HDTV and HDMI cable |
| Tripod Mount | Yes (1/4″ diameter, 20 threads per inch) |
| USB Port(s) | Multi/Micro USB Terminal, Hi-speed USB (USB2.0): Mass-storage, MTP/ Multi (REMOTE)/ Micro USB Type B |
| Battery Type | InfoLITHIUM NP-FM500H (7.2V) |
| Battery Capacity | 1600 mAh |
| Number of Still Images | Approx. 690 images with viewfinder, 700 images with LCD monitor (CIPA standard) |
| Power Consumption (Using EVF) | Approx. 690 images with viewfinder (CIPA standard) |
| Supplied Software | Supplied Software: PlayMemories Home, Image Data Converter Version 4 |
| Operating System Compatibility | Operating System Compatibility: Windows® XP SP3 (64-bit and Starter Editions are not supported, Windows Image Mastering API(IMAPI) Ver.2.0 or later is required to use the function for creating discs.) Windows Vista® SP2 (Starter Edition is not supported) Windows 7 SP1; Windows 8; Mac OS X(v10.5 -v10.8) (Image Data Converter, PlayMemories Home is not Mac compatible) |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 5.1 x 3.8 x 3.1″ (128.6 x 95.5 x 77.7mm) |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (573g) |
Ergonomics
This camera is slightly smaller than my a580–the company’s last DSLR with an optical mirror built in. Sony’s SLT technology affords this slightly smaller form factor. Given what they’re accustomed to, my large hands felt a bit cramped on the a58, but it wasn’t terribly uncomfortable. The more I shot with it, the better it felt in my hands.
The button layout is remarkably similar to the a580. This makes sense as it’s a part of the Alpha line. You’ve got the standard Menu, Movie, AEL, Exposure compensation, Function, AF, Preview, and ? buttons. This Sony event was my first time with any of the SLT cameras. I had five minutes with the A99 when Chris reviewed it, but that was it until I took the a58 around the museum.
OLED Tru-Finder EVF is the name of the game here, and it’s a game I’m wholly personally unfamiliar with. Consider me a bit optically biased as I began with a Minolta Maxxum Htsi-Plus, and I bought into the Sony alpha with one of its last OVF offerings before going with translucent mirror technology. The lighting in the event area wasn’t conducive to good images, so the EVF was a bit rough. Once we moved into the exhibit areas, the EVF was clearer, but I wasn’t fully on-board with it by the end of it. I understand the advantages of an EVF, but I can’t shake my preference for an optical viewfinder. I can talk at length about this, but I won’t digress. The camera takes nice images, and that’s what matters in the end.
Build Quality
The camera felt sturdy, as do all of Sony’s Alpha offerings. Smaller than its OVF ancestors, the a58 takes a bit of getting used to if you’re accustomed to larger form factors. That’s not to say the camera is lacking in any regard, but in forgoing a mirror and a pentaprism in favor of the SLT technology, Sony can pack the same punch, if not a stronger one, in a smaller package. This also means some more space in your camera bag.
Autofocus
The a58 had the stock 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 mounted, and the AF was smooth. There was an uptick in speed when I changed out the kit lens for my Minolta 50mm AF f1.7. It hunted a bit in some areas of the exhibit where lighting was lacking, but other than that, it performed very well.
Ease of Use
The camera is very easy to use, particularly so if you’re already in the Alpha family as I am. If you aren’t, this camera makes for a solid entry point into the DSLR world. That’s doubly true if you don’t mind EVFs. I have my grievances, but I’m somewhat of a curmudgeon when it comes to my ocular preferences.
Image Quality
With approximately 20.1 effective MP, the a58 puts out great images, and it’s important to note that image quality in the models Chris and I spent some time with is final. While Chris had the NEX 3N, he spent a bit of time with the a58, too. Here are some sample shots:
First Impressions
This is a solid addition to Sony’s Alpha SLT line. It did feel a bit basic for my tastes. In its heyday, the a580 went toe-to-toe with other offerings in the mid-level camera market. Marketed as “an ideal choice for consumers eager to explore the world of DSLR-style interchangeable lens technology”, I take it that the a58 is an entry level option. If you’ve already got an RX1 or an A99 in your bag, you’d probably wouldn’t give this a chance. If you are, however, looking to make your point and shoot past-tense, this would be a great step-up. You’ll enter into a great selection of first and third party glass, as well as a whole back-catalogue of Minolta AF lenses. The estimated release date is sometime in April 2013 with a retail price of about $600.
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