Sony Alpha A58 Translucent Mirror Interchangeable Lens Camera with 18-55mm Lens (20MP) Black

I have had this camera in use now for 3 days and as an avid photographer I am positively surprised regarding the features and the ease of use both in manual and automatic settings. This is my 3rd Sony with interchangeable lenses and while the Alpha 100 was noisy and clumsy this A58 feels more like a camera for semi-pros and certainly a nice camera for beginners. I bought this camera for the sole purpose to use existing lenses of which I have many but also because my Nikon D800 is to complex and heavy for day-to-day use and I rather break this Sony than the Nikon considering the price which is quite nice for a camera with almost all preferences one may need, professional or a hobby photographer. So it feels a bit plastic… and it is mostly plastic, but it fits my hand like a glove and does not feel slippery at all. Actually it feels surprisingly solid although its quite light I weight. Many have complained about the lens mount. The metal lens mount is now replaced with plastic and it might not be as durable as the metal mount. Well, that is not quite true. The mount is not plastic as in He-Man, but rather a composite material not unlike the materials used in high end racing cars and space exploration. It is lighter, but as hard and durable as you ever might need. I don’t think that Sony would put their reputation on the line because of a bit of plastic. It has been tested and it has passed. I’m satisfied and can’t feel any difference between the metal mount on my Nikon and this composite mount. Actually the kit lens slides very easily and effortlessly in place and even the kit lens feels solid and produces some quite stunning pictures. Certainly the best ones I have ever managed to snap “right out of the box”. I will not go into technical specifications but must emphasise that the OLED viewfinder is magnificent and the tilting rear LCD screen is adequate. It is not the fastest camera on the market and the auto focus might have some difficulties in focusing in poorly lit conditions. However, you may always use a manual focusing and then you see how good the OLED viewfinder is. In normal daylight I have seen no problems at all and fast moving objects (dogs) freeze nicely and in perfect focus. I like to experiment a lot with all the possibilities the camera offers and one can do magic, but in the end it’s the composition and your own abilities that determine the outcome of a nice picture. Certainly my Nikon is a “better camera”, but having had this in use both professionally and fooling around a bit, I must say that one gets quite a lot of value for money. As it happens the size and the weight is perfect even for me with I bit large hands, so at this point I’m actually quite astonished regarding the picture quality and the robust feel of this camera and do indeed recommend it to anyone who’s keen on wanting more than just compact camera holiday shots.

I purchased the a58 in a bit of a panic to replace an Alpha a350 which my nephew had managed to drop just a few days before we were about to go on holiday! As I already have a number of Alpha lenses/attachments I needed something in a hurry that would be compatible. The plastic lens mount (as many others have said) is a bit offputting and the electronic viewfinder takes a bit of getting used to but, in all fairness, this is an entry-level camera (the a350 was more up-range) and, bearing this in mind, at £290 the price/performance is quite remarkable. Obviously, for this price you aren't going to get the same results as a camera costing mega-bucks - the pics aren't quite as rich as the a350 but, then again, the a350 was (in 2008 when I bought it) much more expensive - but the camera is aimed (no pun intended) more at the hobbyist/snapper than the serious photographer and, as such, performs absolutely fine. The only slight disappointment has been with flash-free low-light shooting which yields very grainy/noisy resultsbut, other than that, I would thoroughly recommend it.

I've been using a Sony A200 since I bought it in 2009 and decided it was time for an upgrade since I've got into product photography. My main needs included a good quality, tiltable liveview so that the camera could be set up at a low level on tripod without me having to crouch down to look through a viewfinder. I was also looking for better low-light performance and an incremental step up in picture quality both from the higher pixel count and improved technology. After attempting to buy a second hand A390 I gave up and plumped for the more expensive, but brand new, A58 - and I'm glad I did. This is a cracker. First and foremost, whilst it's technically not an SLR since the mirror doesn't "Reflex" when a photo is taken, this makes absolutely no difference whatsoever - except that the clunky sound the A200 made when taking a photo has been replaced with a quieter click. I've experienced very good low light performance and I absolutely love the LCD viewfinder- something I wasn't sure about before I began using the camera. I've found a new love of photography simply by using this camera. I enjoyed and appreciated my A200 very much but the A58 produces better photos more consistently and with the minimum of fuss. I was able to use my Sony 50mm Prime lens and Sony 55-200mm telephoto without problems. I only have two reservations. Firstly, the kit lens isn't top drawer. In fact, it's inferior to the A200's kit lens which, in fairness, is famously excellent - so I use my new camera with the old lens. Having said that, it's possible to get the official 55-200mm telephoto refurbished on Amazon for around £90 and that's a great investment - although the 50mm prime is my favourite for product photography. My second reservation is that the A58 uses a new remote connector and the remote itself is hideously expensive - this is awkward for astrophotography and self portraits. Hopefully a cheap clone will come out at some point. Overall, however, this is a superb camera and offers astonishing value. I was prepared to look at Canon and Nikon alternatives but nothing from either of those manufacturers touches the A58 at this price point. So I got a better camera and was able to reuse my lenses.

First of all, I do advise everyone who's taking the first steps into photohgraphers life to buy the Sony Alpha 58. Why? Taking all the details out, the camera has a good price / perfomance ratio and is very easy to use. Now, things more specific ... This camera is one of the few on the market that shoots at 8 fps (when shooting in bright light environment). Also, the camera has Full HD Video recording and 20.1mpx. I think that there isn't many cameras at this price with 8fps shooting, Full HD Video recording, 20.1mpx , and other technical matters. That's all Happy Customer.

read and check any of the A58 limitations are good for you before purchase. I already had experience with SLT technology. It has no GPS and the LCD display only tilts in one direction. There is a very wide auto-bracketing range which is useful in difficult light especially if you know how to stitch them together using photoshop or lightroom, a much better solution than built in HDR. Pick a good lens and it will take truly excellent photos the way you want them with very little effort to learn its tricks. Not as many megapixels as some, but again if you know what you are doing you can take multiple 'panoramic' exposures and blend them together with photoshop.

Good camera but too heavy really

Have had this camera for a month or so now. Wanted to purchase it just before I went on holiday and as a beginner, I have to say I was incredibly impressed with the shots I was able to capture with this camera. It was easy to use, comfortable to hold and has an array of features - some of which I am yet to try out. The battery lasted with continuous use over a whole day. I am happy with my purchase and would definitely recommend it to others.

Having owned this camera for 14 months with multiple purchases or batteries and lenses I can safely say I would not buy nor recommend ever buying a Sony camera ever again.If you are considering this camera - my advice is forget it. There have been numerous issues with the firmware of the camera which is extremely difficult to get support on. Finally after 14 months, despite multiple newly charged batteries, the camera refuses to power on. The Camera was returned to an authorised Sony specialist and I was informed it is >£400 to repair the device after 14 months of ownership which having spent over £1500 on the camera an components is a step to far. This camera is riddled with issues and hugely unreliable. DO NOT BUY IT. You have been advised. I will never buy another Sony camera again. The camera is absolutely rubbish - the support takes this several levels lower. Your money will be totally wasted - you have been warned. Buy another brand as I will.