# Sony Alpha 580 - In Depth Hands on Review



## jason324 (Jan 3, 2012)

In this Hands On Review of the Sony Alpha 580 I will go over all the real world stuff you need to know! The A580 is the latest and possible last traditional SLR in the Sony Alpha line. The A580 is one the least expensive and best quality studio cameras on the market in my opinion, and after reading this review and seeing the photos this camera can take, you will understand why I feel that way.

Sony Alpha 580 - Hands on Review | sonyalphalab.com

Best,
Jay


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## VintageSight (Jan 3, 2012)

I too agree that this will be a stellar addition to the Sony Alpha line of great cameras. Good for Sony!


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## Sw1tchFX (Jan 3, 2012)

but at the end of the day it's still a sony..


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## VintageSight (Jan 3, 2012)

Sw1tchFX said:


> but at the end of the day it's still a sony..


 
Exactly what I said as the rep was showing it to me. And then... I starting shooting and was blown away. Zeiss glass too! Granted Nikon & Canon have the market but bang for the buck is really good.


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## Derrel (Jan 3, 2012)

Sw1tchFX said:


> but at the end of the day it's still a sony..



...and what exactly is THAT supposed to mean???


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## skieur (Jan 3, 2012)

Derrel said:


> Sw1tchFX said:
> 
> 
> > but at the end of the day it's still a sony..
> ...



What he means is that he hates the company,(his previous posts)  which is understandable.  I don't disagree with his view of the company either, which probably surprises you. 

skieur


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## Sw1tchFX (Jan 5, 2012)

I don't HATE Sony...it's just that Sony makes Tape Decks, CD players, and TV's. 


They may make the greatest camera the world has ever seen, but I don't see them as a serious player in the professional or fine art market. It's a totally biased and romanticized view. 



Paul Simon wrote a famous song about shooting Kodachrome in his Nikon. Do you really think anyone would make a song about Sony? I didn't think so...


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## unpopular (Jan 5, 2012)

I don't think the fine art market really cares about the brand as much. Plus it is a minuscule market, if we're talking about professional gallery artists.

As for the professional market, Sony knows it's position. Though I am unsure that they fully appreciate the influence which the professional market has in brand recognition. This isn't to say sony can't perform, but I think Sony's choice to market as an enthusiasts' platform does make some degree of sense.

What I think Sony needs is to somehow break into the market of people who would like to shoot Leica if only they could afford it. Something stylish and sexy, that is well built yet priced more reasonably. Guessing by the marketing of the NEX-7 that is the goal for this body.


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## skieur (Jan 6, 2012)

Sw1tchFX said:


> I don't HATE Sony...it's just that Sony makes Tape Decks, CD players, and TV's.
> 
> 
> They may make the greatest camera the world has ever seen, but I don't see them as a serious player in the professional or fine art market. It's a totally biased and romanticized view.
> ...



Hey, you are mellowing.

skieur


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## 2WheelPhoto (Jan 6, 2012)

Current Zeiss glass <---consumer grade being mass produced for Sony/Bestbuy, or is there something I need to be aware of?


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2012)

jason324 said:


> In this Hands On Review of the Sony Alpha 580 I will go over all the real world stuff you need to know! The A580 is the latest and possible last traditional SLR in the Sony Alpha line. The A580 is one the least expensive and best quality studio cameras on the market in my opinion, and after reading this review and seeing the photos this camera can take, you will understand why I feel that way.
> 
> Sony Alpha 580 - Hands on Review | sonyalphalab.com
> 
> ...



lol! Can't say you are unbiased, at least! Words like "awesome" and "best" are opinions.. not facts.


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## unpopular (Jan 6, 2012)

2WheelPhoto said:


> Current Zeiss glass <---consumer grade being mass produced for Sony/Bestbuy, or is there something I need to be aware of?



I am quite certain that Sony produces some, if not all Zeiss lenses. Kyocera produced about half of the Zeiss glass for Contax, and there was all sorts of speculation if it mattered.

We're not in the age any longer where you'd grind down lenses by hand over a casted form, it does not matter much where the lenses were made, provided that they are made with a degree of precision and quality assurance. This whole Japanese-made Zeiss Lenses v. German-made Zeiss lenses is like saying that the Japanese are inherently incapable of producing lenses of German quality; there is a certain level of racism that comes with this assertion.

A Zeiss lens isn't a Zeiss lens because of who built it, but rather who designed it and what materials it is made with. I am pretty sure that Zeiss also has manufacturing standards which must be met to label a lens under their name.

Though I don't think you can accurately determine that Sony Zeiss isn't "really Zeiss" simply because of the color of the skin of the factory workers who assembled the lenses, I am also not 100% convinced that the zooms are the highest quality Zeiss designs, either and comparing them objectively against Kyocera/Contax lenses of similar design would be interesting.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2012)

unpopular said:


> 2WheelPhoto said:
> 
> 
> > Current Zeiss glass <---consumer grade being mass produced for Sony/Bestbuy, or is there something I need to be aware of?
> ...



I doubt very much that 2WheelPhoto was talking in any way about skin color.. but more about Sony's commitment to making a profit, even at the cost of quality.


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## unpopular (Jan 6, 2012)

cgipson1 said:


> I doubt very much that 2WheelPhoto was talking in any way about skin color.. but more about Sony's commitment to making a profit, even at the cost of quality.



I agree. But I think the sentiment of "inferior Japanese Zeiss lenses" is inherently racist, not that 2wheel is a "racist person" by any means.

I am pretty sure that Sony did cut costs on their Zeiss optics, selecting specifications that fit their profit goals; though this is regardless of who assembles them or where. I think that Sony Zeiss is very good, but also overpriced.

----

ETA: I misread the original post as "produced _by_ sony..." the bestbuy part makes more sense now.


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## skieur (Jan 7, 2012)

2WheelPhoto said:


> Current Zeiss glass <---consumer grade being mass produced for Sony/Bestbuy, or is there something I need to be aware of?



Stop making up information.:thumbdown:

skieur


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## jason324 (Jan 16, 2012)

Thanks for all the comments guys and I appreciatte the livley discussion you got going here  

That Ziess rumor I never heard before.

I own all Canon equipment and onlt review sony stuff, so I guess I must be biased towards Canon 

In all seriousness, the A580 is an excellent camera for the Money and if you don't already have a huge investment of lenses from Brand X, It's worth checking out. That is all I'm saying and I think the image quality speaks for itself.

Best,
Jay


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