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Sony A58 PDF User Manual

Did you lose or misplace the instruction manual that came with your Sony Alpha SLT-A58? It happens all too easily, but fortunately Sony makes a soft copy available that you can browse through online, print out, or download (see the pdf file below). It is certainly good practice to carefully familiarize oneself with the many different functionalities and options that the A58 offers, and the official user manual is without doubt an authoritative and comprehensive source of respective information.

That said, the instruction booklet can be a dry read, so that a dedicated camera guide book from a professional photographer that illustrates the camera's core functions in a real life photography context can be a very helpful complement. Yes, getting one of these camera guides (see here at amazon) would involve an additional expense, but if that book helps to exploit the camera's potential to the full, the (small) additional investment may well be worth it.

Also, you might want to check out the video tutorial on the Sony Alpha SLT-A58 below.

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In any case, the A58 is an advanced imaging tool, whose many features merit serious attention. This DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera was officially introduced on February 20th, 2013, which means that, as of today, the camera is 4054 days old (young?). The camera has meanwhile been discontinued and was succeeded by the Sony A68 as a replacement in the same line of cameras.

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Sony's handbook for the A58

The camera's handbook is 215 pages long. The pdf version is embedded below. As you browse through, you will hopefully find the information you are looking for. You can also print out a hard copy by right clicking on the manual and then choosing the respective menu option. For convenience, a summary of the key specs of the A58 is included towards the bottom of this webpage.

Don't forget to bookmark this page for future reference (Ctrl-Shift-D on a Windows PC; Cmd-Shift-D on a Mac). Happy browsing!

Click on the button below to download the pdf version of the Sony Alpha SLT-A58 manual to your computer. The file will open in a new browser window.

Download the Manual

If you prefer to read the user guide in another language, please check the respective availability on Sony's support site. That site also provides complementary online resources, such as information on the compatibility of various camera accessories or the availability of firmware updates that are not necessarily comprehensively covered in the instruction manual.

Printed, hardcopy versions of the Sony A58 manual can sometimes be found online. You can check the availability on amazon and ebay via the buttons below.

amazon.com ebay.com

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Video tutorial for the Sony Alpha SLT-A58

Perhaps instead of reading through a manual or operations guide, you might prefer to better familiarize yourself with your A58 by watching a video tutorial. It can notably help to quickly get to know the key functions and to set up your camera according to your particular preferences and needs.

Once again, the Sony A58 is a sophisticated imaging tool and not exploiting its capabilities to the full would be a pity. Hence, taking the time to study online information material or to read through a well-written camera guide book is highly recommended to make the most of your purchase.

Find A58 guide book at
amazon.com

Sony A58 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the A58.

What type of imaging sensor is used in the Sony A58?

The camera has a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor at its core.

Which image processing chip is used in the Sony A58 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Sony equipped the A58 with the BIONZ image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Sony A58?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 16000.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Sony Alpha SLT-A58?

Sony mentions a shutter rating of 100 000 actuations for the A58. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the A58 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 100 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Sony A58?

Sony embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your A58 has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Sony A58?

The A58 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Sony A58 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Sony A58 for flash photography?

The A58's flash sync speed is 1/160 sec.

Which battery does the Sony A58 use?

The camera gets its power from the Sony NP-FM500H (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Sony A58?

Sony does not offer an optional battery grip, but third party suppliers do (see here on ebay).

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Further reading

How does the A58 stack up against available alternatives? If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just make your choice using the following search menu. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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    Core camera specifications

    Here is a list of the main features and technical characteristics of the Sony Alpha SLT-A58.

    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Sony A58
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Sony A mount lenses
    Launch Date February 2013
    Launch Price USD 599
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 23.5 x 15.6 mm
    Sensor Area 367 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 28.2 mm
    Crop Factor 1.5x
    Sensor Resolution 19.8 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 5 456 x 3 632 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.31 μm
    Pixel Density 5.41 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/60i Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 16 000 ISO
    ISO Boost 100 - 25 600 ISO
    Image Processor BIONZ
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 74
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 23.3
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 12.5
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 753
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.57x
    Viewfinder Resolution 1440k dots
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 2.7 inch
    LCD Resolution 460k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen
    V-logging Friendliness No front-flip
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 5 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy100 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium MS or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    UHS card support no
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Wifi Support no Wifi
    Body Specs
    Battery Type Sony NP-FM500H power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)690 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 129 x 95 x 78 mm
    (5.1 x 3.7 x 3.1 in)
    Camera Weight 492 g (17.4 oz)

    Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.

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