Camera Labs

Hello shutterbugs well i am upgrading from my a300 and i have my eye on the A580 unfortunatly i live in canada and it was not released here and the closest camera shop south of the border is 4 hours away so thats out, so i'm hoping to get other 580 owners to give me there opinion is it smaller or larger than my 300 etc, i was going to wait for the a77 but i am not to sure about the EVF I had the a55 for a weekend and it seemed a bit weird to me,I'm leaning more towards the 580 your opinions would help thanks

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sony a300 |sony A580 sony 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 G SSM sony DT18-70f/3.5-5.6 / sony HVL-F42am flash / velbon tripod / lowepro nova 200aw
Canon powershot A720 IS

I'm in exactly the same boat.

I covered the air show of the year (to put it that way), Flying Legends at Duxford, with my now three year old A350, because there simply wasn't an A580 available anywhere anymore. I seriously contemplated getting one, but I guess I'll have to wait even longer before the A77 will be here .

Bottom line: wait and be (very) patient. Personally I've been waiting for this camera since late 2009...

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Sony α77V/VG-C77AM/α350/18-70/70-400 G SSM/NEX-5/18-55 OSS/Lowepro Pro Trekker 600 AW/CompuTrekker AW/Nova 140 AW/Street & Field gear/Toploader Pro 75 AW. And a huge wishlist...

My photos on Flickr...

yea patient is the key word it's (a77)suppose to be announced last week of august i'm still up in the air about ordering the 580 it looks and sounds like like a nice camera from gordons review

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sony a300 |sony A580 sony 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 G SSM sony DT18-70f/3.5-5.6 / sony HVL-F42am flash / velbon tripod / lowepro nova 200aw
Canon powershot A720 IS

I moved from the A300 to the A550, which is almost the same size and weight as the A580, since the A580 is a follow up body in the same line. The A5xx series is about the same overall size as the A300 in your hand - though it is a slight bit lighter. The button layout to me is much improved, and more controls as well, which is a nice addition. The viewfinder is slightly larger too, with a slightly brighter view to my eye and I love the active grid matrix in the viewfinder. The live view system is also quite superior, in modes, LCD resolution, and tiltability of the screen. Of course, the camera is much faster to focus, as well as much better burst capability, and the buffer is nice and large too. High ISO ability is out of this world better - huge improvements from the A300 to A550, and the A580 is even a little better than that. Battery life is extraordinary, and again the A580 even slightly betters the A550, which is already impressive.

As for waiting on the A77 or going with the A580 - tough call. I guess it depends on how much you feel you need the upgrade - if you can wait it out, and see what the A77 has to bring, then I'd probably do so. I personally have not been enamored of the EVF cameras, or EVFs in general, so based on how they sit today, I'd go with the A580 every time. But the A77 is a future camera - we don't know if it will be the same, better, or worse than the A33/55, or if the EVF technology has evolved enough to be a legitimate replacement for an OVF without compromising key areas the current EVFs still do. I'm holding for the moment myself in upgrading my A550 - I hold judgment on the A77 until I've seen and tested it. If I feel they've addressed all the EVF shortcomings and issues, I may go that route next - if not, I'll hunt down a bargain A580.

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Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

well i did it i ordered the a580 and can't wait untill it gets here, should be around august 4th combine this with the tamron 17-50 f/2.8 i think it will be a nice unit, my main decission for the 580 was i had the a55 for a week and took it back cause i couldn't get used to the EVF i know it's probably the future of all cameras so i hope i get many years from the 580

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sony a300 |sony A580 sony 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 G SSM sony DT18-70f/3.5-5.6 / sony HVL-F42am flash / velbon tripod / lowepro nova 200aw
Canon powershot A720 IS