Sony A580 Review
Image Quality
All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 16.2 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 5Mb.
The Sony A580 produced images of excellent quality during the review period. The Sony A580's has an extensive and very usable ISO range of 100-12800. ISO 100-800 is noise-free, whilst ISO 1600 and 3200 produce more than acceptable results, and even ISO 6400 and 12800 are OK for emergency use. The impressive Multi-Frame Noise Reduction mode, which combines six frames together into one image, offers a two-stop advantage over the regular ISO mode, with noise not appearing until ISO 6400 - note that you should use a tripod when using this mode to maintain image sharpness, so it's not that well-suited to hand-held shots. Chromatic aberrations are very well controlled, only appearing in areas of high contrast.
The effective Dynamic Range Optimizer function extracts more detail from the shadow and highlight areas in an image, without introducing any unwanted noise or other artifacts. The High Dynamic Range mode combines two shots taken at different exposures to produce one image with greater dynamic range than a single image would produce. It only works for JPEGs and for still subjects, but does produce some very effective results.
The 16 megapixel images are a little soft straight out of the camera using the default creative style and ideally require some further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera sharpening level. The built-in flash worked well indoors with no red-eye and good overall exposure. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds and the Bulb mode offering lots of scope for creative night photography. The built-in SteadyShot anti-shake system works well when hand-holding the camera at slower shutter speeds.
Noise
There are 8 ISO settings available on the Sony A580. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, comparing JPEG, JPEG with multi-frame noise reduction, and RAW:
| JPEG | JPEG - Multi-Frame Noise Reduction | RAW |
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ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 3200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 3200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 3200 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 6400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 6400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 6400 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 12800 (100% Crop) |
ISO 12800 (100% Crop) |
ISO 12800 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 25600 (100% Crop) |
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Sharpening
Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default sharpening setting. You can change the in-camera sharpening level if you don't like the default look.
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Original (100% Crop) |
Sharpened (100% Crop) |
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File Quality
The Sony A580 has 2 different image quality settings available, with Fine being the highest quality option. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.
| 14M Fine (3.93Mb) (100% Crop) | 14M Standard (2.81Mb) (100% Crop) |
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| 14M RAW (16.1Mb) (100% Crop) | |
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Chromatic Aberrations
The Sony A580's 18-55 kit lens handled chromatic aberrations well during the review, with limited purple fringing mainly present around the edges of objects in high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.
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Example 1 (100% Crop) |
Example 2 (100% Crop) |
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Flash
The flash settings on the Sony A580 are Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow sync, Rear flash sync. and High Speed sync., with Red-eye reduction available in the Main Menu. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.
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Flash Off - Wide Angle (27mm) |
Flash On - Wide Angle (27mm) |
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Flash Off - Telephoto (82.5mm) |
Flash On - Telephoto (82.5mm) |
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And here are a couple of portrait shots. Neither the Auto setting or the Red-eye reduction mode caused any amount of red-eye.
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Flash On |
Flash On (100% Crop) |
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Red-eye reduction |
Red-eye reduction (100% Crop) |
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Night
The Sony A580's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there's also a Bulb mode for even longer exposures, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 20 seconds at ISO 100.
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Night Shot |
Night Shot (100% Crop) |
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Dynamic Range Optimizer
D-Range Optimiser (DRO) is Sony's solution to improve shadow detail in photos taken in contrasty light. There are 4 different levels and an Auto option.
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Off |
Auto |
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| Level 1 | Level 2 |
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| Level 3 | Level 4 |
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| Level 5 | |
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High Dynamic Range
High Dynamic Range Optimiser (HDR) is Sony's solution for capturing more contrast than a single exposure can handle by combining two exposures into one image. There are 6 different EV settings and an Auto option.
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Off |
Auto |
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| 1EV | 2EV |
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| 3EV | 4EV |
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| 5EV | 6EV |
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Creative Styles
There are 6 Creative Style preset effects that you can use to change the look of your images.
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Standard |
Vivid |
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Portrait |
Landscape |
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Sunset |
B/W |
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Sweep Panorama Mode
The Sony A580 allows you to take panoramic images very easily, by 'sweeping' with the camera while keeping the shutter release depressed. The camera does all the processing and stitching and even successfully compensates for moving subjects. The main catch is that the resulting image is of fairly low resolution.
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3D Sweep Panorama Mode
The Sony A580 also offers a 3D Sweep Panorama mode. If you're lucky enough to own a compatible 3D HDTV, download the sample below to experience the full 3D effect.
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| Download the Full Size Image |
Sample Images
This is a selection of sample images from the Sony A580 camera, which were all taken using the 16.2 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.
Sample RAW Images
The Sony A580 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Sony RAW (ARW) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).
1/125s · f/8 · ISO 100
82mm
Download original
1/200s · f/8 · ISO 100
27mm
Download original
1/40s · f/8 · ISO 100
27mm
Download original
1/30s · f/8 · ISO 400
27mm
Download original
1/100s · f/11 · ISO 100
36mm
Download original
1/80s · f/11 · ISO 100
39mm
Download original
1/100s · f/8 · ISO 200
82mm
Download original
1/100s · f/8 · ISO 12800
42mm
Download original
1/50s · f/8 · ISO 6400
42mm
Download original
1/25s · f/8 · ISO 3200
42mm
Download original
1/13s · f/8 · ISO 1600
42mm
Download original
1/6s · f/8 · ISO 800
42mm
Download original
1/250s · f/8 · ISO 100
82mm
Download original
1/100s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
60mm
Download original
1/60s · f/8 · ISO 100
27mm
Download original
Sample Movie & Video
This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1920 x 1080 pixels at 25 frames per second. Please note that this 16 second movie is 31.8Mb in size.
As of February 2025, we are no longer providing full size sample images or videos for download.
Please contact us if you have any feedback on our new policy.
Product Images
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Front of the Camera |
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Front of the Camera / Flash Raised |
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Front of the Camera |
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Isometric View |
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Isometric View |
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Isometric View |
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Isometric View |
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Rear of the Camera |
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Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed |
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Rear of the Camera / Turned On |
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| Rear of the Camera / Function Menu |
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| Rear of the Camera |
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| Rear of the Camera |
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| Rear of the Camera |
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| Top of the Camera |
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| Bottom of the Camera |
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| Side of the Camera |
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| Side of the Camera |
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| Front of the Camera |
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| Front of the Camera |
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| Memory Card Slot |
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| Battery Compartment |
Conclusion
The Sony A580 is a more traditional alternative to the headline-grabbing A55 model, and an excellent DSLR camera in its own right. It doesn't offer the continuous auto-focus during video recording or the small size and light weight of the A55, but its optical viewfinder and more comfortable handling make it well worth a look.
Despite its reliance on more traditional technologies, the A580 is certainly no slouch in the performance stakes, matching the A55's fastest 7fps continuous burst shooting rate, albeit without the ability to focus for each individual frame. The same 15 point AF system delivers fast auto-focus for both stills and video, while the refined and intuitive Live View system is still market-leading, although the optical viewfinder can only provide 95% frame coverage. The addition of Full HD video importantly brings the A580 up to speed with its main rivals, although its reliance on manual focusing may put some potential buyers off.
Image quality is very good, with noise not rearing its ugly head until ISO 1600 for JPEGs and not until 6400 if you use the innovative Multi Frame Noise Reduction mode, although the A580 does apply some pretty aggressive noise reduction to keep the files clean, resulting in a loss of fine detail. The myriad assortment of clever effects such as HDR, Dynamic Range Optimisation, creative styles and the innovative 2D/3D sweep panorama mode really help to get the most out of the A580.
When Sony launched the A55 and A580 cameras alongside each other, many questioned why they needed two such similar cameras in their line-up. While they do share a lot of common ground, the larger and easier-to-use A580 with its trusty optical viewfinder is a great DSLR, and thanks to its 16 megapixel sensor, full HD video and improved AF system, also a real rival to similar offerings from Canon and Nikon.
| Ratings (out of 5) | |
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| Design | 4.5 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Ease-of-use | 4.5 |
| Image quality | 4.5 |
| Value for money | 4 |
Review Roundup
Reviews of the Sony A580 from around the web.
imaging-resource.com »
Being announced alongside Sony's attention-grabbing Translucent Mirror cameras, the A33 and A55, the launch of the Sony A580 will perhaps be robbed of some attention -- and that's maybe a little unfair, because when compared to its predecessor, the A580 sports some genuinely useful changes.
Read the full review »
Specifications
| Sony α mount | YES |
| Compatibility with A-Mount bayonet lenses from Minolta and Konica Minolta | YES |
| All types of Sony α lenses | YES |
| Minolta & Konica Minolta α/MAXXUM/DYNAX lenses | YES |
| Image sensor type | CMOS Sensor |
| Image sensor colour filter | R, G, B, Primary color |
| Size (mm) | 23.5 x 15.6mm (APS-C size) |
| Total sensor Pixels (megapixels) | Approx. 16.7 |
| Effective Pixels (megapixels) | Approx. 16.2 |
| Automatic White Balance | YES |
| White balance: preset selection | Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash |
| White balance: custom setting | YES |
| White balance: types of color temperature | 2500 - 9900 k with 19-step Magenta / Green compensation |
| White balance bracketing | 3 frames, Selectable 2 steps |
| ISO Sensitivity Setting | ISO100 - 12800 equivalent |
| System: Sensor-shift mechanism | YES |
| SteadyShot INSIDE scale (in viewfinder) | YES |
| Camera-Shake warning (in viewfinder) | YES |
| SteadyShot INSIDE capability | Approx. 2.5 EV - 4 EV decrease in shutter speed (varies according to shooting conditions and lens used) |
| SteadyShot INSIDE compatibility | All Sony DSLR lenses and A-Mount bayonet lenses from Minolta and Konica Minolta |
| *SteadyShot INSIDE was previously known as Super SteadyShot |
| Charge protection coating on Low-Pass Filter and electromagnetic vibration mechanism | YES |
| TTL phase-detection system | YES |
| Contrast AF system | YES - selectable in focus check live view mode |
| Sensor | 15 points (3 points cross type) |
| Sensitivity Range (at ISO 100 equivalent); EV | -1 - 18 |
| Eye Start AF System (on off selectable) | YES |
| AF Area: Wide focus area | YES (auto with 15 areas) |
| AF Area: Spot | YES |
| AF Area: Local focus area selection | YES (15 local areas) |
| AF Area: Multi Point | NO |
| AF Area: Center Weighted | YES |
| AF Area: Flexible Spot | YES |
| AF Modes | Continuous, Single Shot, Automatic, Manual Focus |
| Predictive Focus Control | YES (AF-A and AF-C) |
| Focus Lock | YES |
| AF Illuminator | YES (with built-in flash) |
| AF Illuminator range (meters) | Approx. 1-5 |
| Light metering type | TTL metering (OVF), 1200-zone evaluative metering (LV) |
| Light metering cell | 40-segment honeycomb-pattern SPC (OVF) |
| Light metering: Multi segment | YES |
| Light metering: Spot | YES |
| Light metering: Center weighted | YES |
| Exposure: Automatic | YES |
| Exposure: Program Auto | YES |
| Exposure: iAUTO | NO |
| Exposure: AUTO+ | NO |
| Exposure: Shutter priority | YES |
| Exposure: Aperture priority | YES |
| Exposure: Manual | YES |
| Exposure: Scene selection | YES |
| Sweep Panorama | YES (2D, 3D) |
| Anti Motion Blur | NO |
| AE Lock | YES |
| Exposure compensation | YES (+/-2.0 EV, 1/3 EV step) |
| AE Bracketing | With 1/3 EV / 2/3 EV increments, 3 frames |
| Type | Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type |
| Shutter Speed Range (seconds) | 1/4000 - 30 and bulb |
| Flash Sync Speed; second | 1/160 |
| Flash Sync Speed (With Steady Shoot On); second | 1/160 |
| Built-in-Flash Guide Number (in meters at ISO 100) | 12 |
| Flash Metering System | ADI / Pre-flash TTL flash metering |
| Flash Compensation | +/-2.0 EV (1/3 EV steps) |
| Built-in-Flash Recycling Time (approx. time in seconds) | 4 |
| Flash Mode | Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow sync, Rear flash sync. High Speed sync. |
| Wireless flash mode | YES (with optional compatible accessory flash) |
| Slow Synchronization | YES |
| Red-Eye Reduction | YES |
| Flash Popup | Auto |
| Automatic Flash | YES |
| Type | Fixed eye-level, penta-Dach-mirror |
| Focusing Screen | Spherical Acute Matte |
| Field of View (%) | 95 |
| Magnification (with 50mm lens at infinity) | 0.80x |
| Eye Relief | Approx. 19mm from the Eyepiece lens |
| Diopter Adjustment | -2.5 to +1.0 diopter |
| Type | YES - Quick AF and Manual Focus Check Live View |
| Other | Face detection / Smile shutter *with Quick AF and Focus Check LV mode |
| Screen Size | 7.5cm / 3" |
| Monitor Type | Xtra Fine LCD |
| LCD Total Dot Number | 921.600 |
| LCD on/off | YES |
| Brightness adjustable | YES |
| Tilting screen | YES - 2 way tilt |
| Drive Mode | Single, Continuous, Speed-priority Continuous, 10 seconds and 2 seconds Self-timer |
| Continuous-Advance Rate (approx. frames per second at maximum) | Max.5 fps with Viewfinder, max.3 fps in live view mode (approx.), max.7 fps in Speed-priority Continuous mode |
| Number of Continuous Advance | JPEG (L size, Fine): 44 images, RAW: 22 images, RAW+JPEG: 20 images |
| Recording Media | Memory Stick PRO Duo™, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo™, SD, SDHC, SDXC memory cards |
| Recording Format | JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver. 2.3, MPF Baseline) compliant, DPOF compatible, RAW (Sony ARW 2.2 format), RAW + JPEG |
| Image Size L - JPEG (pixels) | 4912 X 3264 (16M) |
| Image Size M (pixels) | 3568 X 2368 (8.4M) |
| Image Size S (pixels) | 2448 X 1624 (4M) |
| Panorama size:Max. degrees of sweep angle(focal length 16mm/18mm) | Image Size: Std Horizontal: 8,192 x 1,856(135deg/120deg) / Vertical: 3,872 x 2,160(101deg/90deg) Image Size: Wide Horizontal: 12,416 x 1,856(202deg/180deg) / Vertical: 5,536 x 2,160(142deg/126d |
| 3D Panorama size:Max. degrees of sweep angle(Focal length:16mm/18mm) | Image Size: 16:9 Horizontal: 1920 X 1080(69deg/62deg) Image Size: Std Horizontal: 4912 X 1080(178deg/158deg) Image Size: Wide Horizontal: 7152 X 1080(259deg/230deg) |
| Still Image quality | RAW, RAW + JPEG, JPEG (Fine, Standard) |
| Movie Recording Format | AVCHD / MP4 |
| Video Compression | MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 |
| Audio recording Format | Dolby® Digital (AC-3) / MPEG-4 AAC-LC |
| Movie recording mode - AVCHD | YES, 1920 x 1080(50i, Interlace), Approx.17Mbps(Average bit-rate) (PAL) |
| Movie recording mode - MP4 | YES, 1440 x 1080(Approx.25fps, Progressive), Approx.12Mbps(Average bit-rate) (PAL) / VGA(640 x 480, Approx.25fps, Progressive), Approx.3Mbps(Average bit-rate) (PAL) |
| Noise Reduction (Long exp.NR) | On / Off, available at shutter speeds longer than 1 second |
| Noise Reduction (High ISO NR) | YES |
| Delete Function | YES |
| Color Space (sRGB) | YES |
| Color Space (Adobe RGB) | YES |
| Color mode/DEC/Creative styles | Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, B/W |
| Dynamic Range Optimizer | Off, Auto, Advanced: Level |
| Date/Time Print | YES |
| Information Display | YES |
| White/Black Out Alert | YES |
| Index Playback | YES (9,4) |
| Enlarge (Maximum magnification) | L size: 11.8x, M size: 8.8x, S size: 6x |
| Image Rotation | YES |
| Auto Image Rotation | YES |
| Battery Remaining Indicator | YES |
| InfoLITHIUM Battery Indicator | YES (in %) |
| Histogram Indicator | YES |
| Exif | 2.3 |
| Exif Print | YES |
| PictBridge | NO |
| Menu Language | English / French / German / Spanish / Italian / Portuguese / Dutch / Russian / Swedish / Danish / Norwegian / Finish / Polish / Czech / Hungarian / Greek / Turkish |
| Zone Matching | NO |
| Depth-of-Field Preview | YES |
| PRINT Image Matching III | YES |
| Remote Release Terminal | YES |
| IR Remote Control | YES (with RMT-DSLR1) |
| DPOF(Digital Print Order Format) | YES |
| Indicator of remaining memory space (CF) | YES |
| Beep Sound | On/Off selectable |
| File Number Memory | On/Off selectable |
| Folder Name Mode | Standard and Date |
| Operating Temperature (degrees C) | 0 - 40 |
| Video Out | NO |
| HD/HDMI® Out | HDMI® mini connector (Type C), BRAVIA® Sync (Sync menu), Photo TV HD |
| USB 2.0 Hi-Speed | YES |
| USB Mode | Mass Storage (PC connection) / PTP |
| Battery System | NP-FM500H |
| Supplied Battery | NP-FM500H |
| Stamina (battery life in CIPA condition) | Approx. 1050 images with Viewfinder, approx. 560 images in live view mode |
| Weight (g) | Approx. 599 |
| Width (mm) | 137 |
| Height (mm) | 104 |
| Depth (mm) | 84 |
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