Sony A6000 versus Sony A58

The Sony Alpha A6000 and the Sony Alpha SLT-A58 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in February 2014 and February 2013. The A6000 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the Sony A58 is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The A6000 has a resolution of 24 megapixel, whereas the Sony A58 provides 19.8 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Sony A6000 vs Sony A58

The physical size and weight of the Sony A6000 and the Sony A58 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter. If you prefer, you can also use the toggle button to switch to a comparison in percentage terms (in this case, the camera on the left side – the A6000 – represents the basis for the calculations across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A58 is considerably larger (52 percent) than the Sony A6000. Moreover, the Sony A58 is substantially heavier (43 percent) than the A6000. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the A6000 nor the Sony A58 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the A6000 gets 360 shots out of its NP-FW50 battery, while the Sony A58 can take 690 images on a single charge of its NP-FM500H power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, just click on the right or left arrow next to the camera that you would like to inspect. Alternatively, you can also use the CAM-parator to select your camera combination among a larger number of options.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Sony A6000»	4.7 in	2.6 in	1.8 in	12.1 oz	360	n	Feb 2014	599	-		Sony A6000
	Sony A58«	5.1 in	3.7 in	3.1 in	17.4 oz	690	n	Feb 2013	599	-		Sony A58
	Canon SL1« »	4.6 in	3.6 in	2.7 in	14.4 oz	380	n	Mar 2013	549	-		Canon SL1
	Canon T5i« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	20.5 oz	440	n	Mar 2013	649	-		Canon T5i
	Nikon D5600« »	4.9 in	3.8 in	2.8 in	16.4 oz	970	n	Nov 2016	699			Nikon D5600
	Nikon D3300« »	4.9 in	3.9 in	3.0 in	15.2 oz	700	n	Jan 2014	499	-		Nikon D3300
	Sony A6300« »	4.7 in	2.6 in	1.9 in	14.3 oz	400	Y	Feb 2016	999	-		Sony A6300
	Sony A7 II« »	5.0 in	3.8 in	2.4 in	21.1 oz	350	Y	Nov 2014	1,999	-		Sony A7 II
	Sony A5000« »	4.3 in	2.5 in	1.4 in	9.5 oz	420	n	Jan 2014	449	-		Sony A5000
	Sony A5100« »	4.3 in	2.5 in	1.4 in	10.0 oz	400	n	Aug 2014	549			Sony A5100
	Sony A3000« »	5.0 in	3.6 in	3.3 in	14.5 oz	470	n	Aug 2013	329	-		Sony A3000
	Sony NEX-3N« »	4.3 in	2.4 in	1.4 in	9.5 oz	480	n	Feb 2013	499	-		Sony NEX-3N
	Sony NEX-6« »	4.7 in	2.6 in	1.7 in	12.2 oz	360	n	Sep 2012	999	-		Sony NEX-6
	Sony NEX-F3« »	4.6 in	2.6 in	1.7 in	11.1 oz	470	n	May 2012	599	-		Sony NEX-F3
	Sony NEX-7« »	4.7 in	2.6 in	1.7 in	14.1 oz	430	n	Aug 2011	1,349	-		Sony NEX-7
	Sony NEX-3« »	4.6 in	2.4 in	1.3 in	10.5 oz	330	n	May 2010	599	-		Sony NEX-3
	Sony NEX-5« »	4.4 in	2.3 in	1.5 in	10.1 oz	330	n	May 2010	699	-		Sony NEX-5
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The camera’s price is obviously a critical decision-making factor. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison: Sony A6000 vs Sony A58

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the A6000 offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixel, compared with 19.8 MP of the Sony A58. This megapixel advantage translates into a 10 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the A6000 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 4.31μm for the Sony A58). In this context, it should be noted, however, that the A6000 is a somewhat more recent model (by 11 months) than the Sony A58, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The A6000 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in relatively fast and reliable autofocus acquisition during video recording.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). Of the two cameras under review, the A6000 has a notably higher overall DXO score than the Sony A58 (overall score 8 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 0.8 bits higher color depth, 0.6 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.8 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the A6000 provides a higher frame rate than the Sony A58. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the Sony A58 is limited to 1080/60i.

Feature comparison: Sony A6000 vs Sony A58

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The A6000 and the Sony A58 are similar in the sense that both feature an electronic viewfinder, which is helpful when framing images in bright sunlight. Moreover, their viewfinders offer an identical resolution of 1440k dots. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony A6000, the Sony A58, and comparable cameras. If needed, the dpreview camera hub, for example, contains further detail on the cameras' specs.

One feature that differentiates the Sony A58 and the A6000 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The Sony A58 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the A6000 has to rely on optical image stabilization in OIS-equipped lenses to achieve the same effect.

Both the A6000 and the Sony A58 write their imaging data to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.

Both the A6000 and the Sony A58 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The Sony A58 was replaced by the Sony A68, while the A6000 was followed by the Sony A6300.

Review summary: Sony A6000 vs Sony A58

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Sony A6000 and the Sony A58? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha A6000:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (24 vs 19.8MP) with a 10% higher linear resolution.
• Better image quality: Scores markedly higher (8 points) in the DXO overall assessment.
• More dynamic range: Captures a larger spectrum of light and dark details (0.6 EV of extra DR).
• Better low-light sensitivity: Requires less light for good images (0.8 stops ISO advantage).
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p versus 1080/60i).
• Better video autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident movie autofocus.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.7") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (922k vs 460k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (11 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More compact: Is smaller (120x67mm vs 129x95mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 148g or 30 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi build in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 11 months after the Sony A58).

Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha SLT-A58:

• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (690 versus 360) out of a single battery charge.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology build-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in February 2013).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the A6000 is the clear winner of the match-up (15 : 4 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the A6000 and the Sony A58 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The full reviews are available by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Sony A6000»	Rec	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	599	-		Sony A6000
	Sony A58«	-	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	599	-		Sony A58
	Canon SL1« »	Rec	78/100	4/5	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	549	-		Canon SL1
	Canon T5i« »	-	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2013	649	-		Canon T5i
	Nikon D5600« »	-	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	699			Nikon D5600
	Nikon D3300« »	Rec	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	499	-		Nikon D3300
	Sony A6300« »	Rec	85/100	5/5	5/5	5/5	Feb 2016	999	-		Sony A6300
	Sony A7 II« »	Rec	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	5/5	Nov 2014	1,999	-		Sony A7 II
	Sony A5000« »	Rec	-	4.5/5	rev	4.5/5	Jan 2014	449	-		Sony A5000
	Sony A5100« »	Rec	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2014	549			Sony A5100
	Sony A3000« »	Rec	-	4/5	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2013	329	-		Sony A3000
	Sony NEX-3N« »	-	-	4.5/5	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	499	-		Sony NEX-3N
	Sony NEX-6« »	HiRec	78/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	999	-		Sony NEX-6
	Sony NEX-F3« »	-	74/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	May 2012	599	-		Sony NEX-F3
	Sony NEX-7« »	HiRec	81/100	4.5/5	5/5	5/5	Aug 2011	1,349	-		Sony NEX-7
	Sony NEX-3« »	-	70/100	4.5/5	5/5	4/5	May 2010	599	-		Sony NEX-3
	Sony NEX-5« »	HiRec	71/100	4.5/5	4/5	4/5	May 2010	699	-		Sony NEX-5

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

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