PCMag UK Reviews Consumer Electronics Digital Cameras Lenses
Sony Alpha 58 (SLT-A58K)
byJim Fisher Mar 26, 2014
The Sony Alpha 58 (SLT-A58K) offers an upgraded OLED EVF and kit lens, but it isn't the top D-SLR in Sony's lineup.
OLED EVF.
Full-resolution 5fps burst shooting.
Cropped JPG shooting at 7.3fps.
Good performance at high ISO settings.
Hinged rear display.
Good control layout.
EVF not as sharp as other Sony models.
Rear LCD could be larger and sharper.
Only one control dial.
Disappointing kit lens.
The Sony Alpha 58 ($599.99 direct with 18-55mm lens) is the current entry-level D-SLR in the company's catalog. The 20-megapixel camera offers a few modest upgrades over the previous-generation Alpha 57, including an OLED viewfinder, but takes a step backwards in terms of burst shooting speed. If you're in the market for a D-SLR with an EVF, we think the Alpha 65£899.99 at Amazon UK is a better buy, though it is a bit more money. Traditionalists who prefer an optical finder are better off with our Editors' Choice, the Nikon D5200.
Design and Features
The Alpha 58 is pretty typical in size for an entry-level D-SLR. It measures just 3.9 by 5.1 by 3.1 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.3 pounds without a lens. The Canon EOS Rebel T5i is about the same size (3.9 by 5.2 by 3.1 inches), but a bit lighter at 1.1 pounds. Like other Sony D-SLRs, the viewfinder is an EVF rather than an optical design. The camera still has a mirror, but it's semi-transparent and doesn't move. Most of the light hits the image sensor, but some is directed down to a dedicated phase detect autofocus sensor. This provides a seamless transition between the EVF and the rear LCD, and fast, accurate focus for both stills and video.
View All 12 Photos in Gallery
The EVF is an OLED design with a 1,440k-dot resolution. It's a step up in quality from the LCD found in the Alpha 57, but it's not the equal of the 2,336k-dot OLED viewfinder that Sony packs into its Alpha 65 and Alpha 77See it at Amazon UK cameras. That EVF is noticeably sharper, giving you a better idea of what you're shooting. The rear LCD on the Alpha 58 is a little lacking as well; it's a 2.7-inch panel with a hinged design so that it can tilt up or down. The resolution is 460k-dots, which is only half that of others in this class like the Pentax K-50.
The small LCD does leave a bit of extra room on the body for controls. On the rear you'll find buttons to record movies, activate exposure lock, and adjust exposure compensation. Below those, directly to the right of the LCD, you'll find the Fn button, which lets you control shooting settings via an on-screen menu, and a four-way control pad with directional buttons to adjust the information displayed over the live view feed, change the drive mode and activate the self-timer, adjust white balance, and control color output. The center AF button enables tracking focus, and there are also the standard image playback and delete buttons. The latter doubles as an on-screen guide that contains tips for the best settings for different types of photos. The menu button is located above the LCD, to the left of the EVF's eyecup.
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About Jim Fisher
Senior digital camera analyst for the PCMag consumer electronics reviews team, Jim Fisher is a graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he concentrated on documentary video production. Jim's interest in photography really took off when he borrowed his father's Hasselblad 500C and light meter in 2007.
He honed his writing skills at retailer B&H Photo, where he wrote thousands upon thousands of product descriptions, blog posts, and reviews. Since then he's shot with hundreds of camera models, ranging from pocket point-and-shoots to medium format digital cameras. And he's reviewed almost all of them. When he's not testing cameras and gear for PCMag, he's likely out and about shooting with …
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