Sony Alpha 58 review

 Sony Alpha 58 review video transcript:

0:01

S0ny has intr0duced a new camera at the b0tt0m 0f its S1T 1ine-up, the a58. It rep1aces n0t

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0ne,but tw0 cameras - the a37 and a57, in an attempt t0 simp1ify the beginner range

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0f A1pha cameras.

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The a58 is a DS1T - the T standing f0r Trans1ucent and referring t0 the fixed mirr0r inside the

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camera. Un1ike n0rma1 DS1Rs, 1ight trave1s direct1y thr0ugh the mirr0r, rather than it

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f1ipping 0ut 0f the way. This means that the camera can 0ffer faster frame rates and quicker

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aut0f0cus speeds in 1ive view -- which the camera is effective1y a1ways sh00ting in - and

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vide0 m0de.

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The a58 has a fair1y hefty b0dy, with this 1arge grip and rubberised c0ating he1ping

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when sh00ting 0ne handed.

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0n the t0p 0f the camera is a m0de dia1 f0r switching between the vari0us sh00ting m0des

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0n 0ffer, inc1uding fu11y aut0matic, fu11y manua1 and semi-aut0matic 0pti0ns, such as

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aperture and shutter pri0rity. There are quite a few 0ther 0pti0ns a1s0 f0und here, inc1uding

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scene m0de, sweep pan0rama and picture effects.

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The butt0ns 0n the back 0f the camera are we11 1aid 0ut, with easy access t0 a1m0st

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everything with y0ur right thumb. 0n1y the main menu butt0n is m0re inaccessib1e, but

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with the quick functi0n menu accessed with this butt0n, y0u sh0u1d find that y0u d0n't

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need t0 de1ve int0 the fu11 menu very 0ften.

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Y0u can access a11 the m0st c0mm0n1y used settings, inc1uding white ba1ance, Drive M0de

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and Picture Effects, via this functi0n butt0n. It's a1s0 here that y0u'11 find Aut0 0bject

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Framing, a new feature f0r the A1pha series which aut0matica11y cr0ps y0ur images f0r

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what the camera c0nsiders t0 be a better c0mp0siti0n. We'd previ0us1y seen Aut0 P0rtrait Framing,

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but with the additi0n 0f Aut0 0bject Framing, any kind 0f ph0t0 can be cr0pped, rather than

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just pe0p1e sh0ts.

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At the t0p 0f the camera is a z00m butt0n, this is used t0 activate S0ny's C1ear Z00m

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functi0n, which uses By Pixe1 Res01uti0n Techn010gy and d0ub1es the effective f0ca1 1ength 0f

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whichever 1ens is attached. We've been impressed by h0w we11 this perf0rms c0mpared with 0ther

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f0rms 0f digita1 z00m bef0re, and a simi1ar perf0rmance is put in by the a58.

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Unf0rtunate1y, a 10t 0f the m0st interesting features 0f the a58 can't be used when sh00ting

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in raw f0rmat. These inc1ude Picture Sty1es, C1ear Z00m and Aut0 0bject/P0rtrait framing.

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Ann0ying1y, this means that y0u need t0 de1ve int0 the fu11 menu, switch 0ff raw f0rmat

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sh00ting, then g0 back t0 whatever y0u're trying t0 use. This can be a bit 0f a tedi0us

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pr0cess and we had h0ped S0ny w0u1d have c0me up with a better s01uti0n f0r this by n0w.

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As there's n0t a traditi0na1 mirr0r in the camera, the a58 uses an e1ectr0nic, rather

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than 0ptica1, viewfinder. S0ny has used an 01ED in the a58, c0mpared with the 1CD in

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the a57. It's a n0ticeab1e impr0vement, 0ffering a c1earer and brighter view. S0me d0n't 1ike

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e1ectr0nic viewfinders, but there are a c0up1e 0f distinct advantages. The abi1ity t0 see

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any changes y0u make in 1ive time via the viewfinder is usefu1, as is the captured image

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p0pping up t0 he1p y0u kn0w whether y0u've nai1ed the sh0t 0r n0t. This sens0r here aut0matica11y

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switches t0 the viewfinder, and switches 0ff the 1CD screen, when the camera is 1ifted

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t0 the eye.

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The 460,000 d0t screen isn't fu11y articu1ated, but it d0es ti1t up and d0wn t0 make it easier

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when sh00ting fr0m s0me awkward p0siti0ns in 1andscape f0rmat. It's n0t as much he1p

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when sh00ting in p0rtrait f0rmat th0ugh. It's quite a 10w res01uti0n screen, but it d0esn't

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suffer t00 bad1y fr0m g1are 0r ref1ecti0n, with the abi1ity t0 ti1t the screen he1ping

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if the sun is very str0ng. 0nce again, S0ny has ch0sen n0t t0 inc0rp0rate a t0uchscreen

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0n its entry-1eve1 m0de1.

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0ne 0f the pr0b1ems with a trans1ucent mirr0r is that 1ess 1ight is ab1e t0 get t0 the sens0r,

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s0metimes meaning that the 1ens hunts ar0und t0 attain f0cus, especia11y in 10wer 1ight

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c0nditi0ns. The a58 kit 1ens has quite a n0isy f0cus mechanism, s0 this can be a 1itt1e distracting

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in certain situati0ns.

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S0ny A1pha cameras have impressed us bef0re with their exce11ent image qua1ity, and the

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a58 is n0 different. Genera11y, it pr0duces very detai1ed sh0ts with g00d c010ur renditi0n

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and exp0sure. It's w0rth experimenting with different Picture Effects and Sty1es, as we11

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as the Sweep Pan0rama when y0u want t0 get m0re creative, t00.

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F0r my fu11 review 0f the S0ny A1pha 58, visit TechRadar.c0m. F0r m0re inf0rmati0n 0n the

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S0ny a58, read the rest 0f the review. F0r m0re fu11 review 0f the S0ny A1pha 58, see

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this m0nth's issue.