9 Reasons the Sony a580L Camera Is Built for Active Photographers

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sony_a580 image 1. The Sony a580L DSLR camera came to the marketplace during late 2010, and has already proven to be a worthy alternative choice in the mid-range of available DSLRs. Sony clearly designed and manufactured the a580L to match an active photography lifestyle as well as giving its owners the features and capabilities to capture more action shots.

Read real customer reviews of the Sony a580L here.

2. To this end, Sony retained the use of two live-view modes that was initially seen in the a580L’s predecessor, the a550. The a580L has the conventional higher-resolution, main-sensor live-view system found on most of its competitors, plus a small, secondary sensor in the viewfinder that creates a live view with fast phase-detection AF (auto-focus). This unusual configuration eliminates the focus delay of competitive models with only a conventional live-view system. Select manual focus live-view and you’re presented with an accurate 100% perspective and a choice of 7x and 14x focus magnification for macro and tripod shots.

The dual live-view feature is an advantage worth buying if most of your photography will be shot in live-view. You’ll also benefit if you shoot a significant amount of video.

3. You won’t be limited to standard framing with the Sony a580L in your hands. Its 921,000-dot, 3-inch LCD tilts 90 degrees in both directions of the vertical plane from the back of the camera. It’s another excellent tool to help you compose more interesting action images and many on-the-go pictures you might miss without the LCD’s tilt feature.

4. The a580L’s superb image quality is the equal of other DSLRs at this price point. This quality is a result of a 16.2-megapixel Exmor^™ APS HD CMOS sensor combined with the power of a BIOINZ^™ image processor. You’ll also have more opportunities to take pictures where the light is low, with an ISO sensitivity range to 12,800, which then can be kicked to 25,600 in Multi-Frame Noise Reduction mode.

5. With so much image-capture power, it is no wonder the Sony a580L is also a very good video camera. Its specs are 1080/60i Full HD, plus a rather astounding distinction. The resolution and frame rate of video recorded with the a580L is equal to the specs of most HDTV production cameras, which are used to record broadcast and cable TV content. You may have noticed the “HD” in the name of the sensor. It delivers 19.5 times more area than the average camcorder. Not only can you be more creative, approaching pro-level video, but also shoot a wider image of all the activities in your life.

6. For active photographers to consider any other DSLR as the perfect choice, it would have to compete with the a580L’s continuous shooting function. If most of your subject matter is always in motion, then you need the 7fps (in Speed Priority mode) for exciting sports images or simply chasing non-stop kids with your camera.

7. The Sony a580L camera is also well suited for active travelers. Instead of bringing home the typical images, use the Sweep Panorama^™ and 3D Sweep Panorama^™ modes. In the first mode, the camera automatically shoots a series of images, as you pan the camera horizontally or vertical, and then combines them into a single panorama. The 3D mode captures separate views of your composition from the right-eye and left-eye perspectives. Again, the camera creates a single 3D photo from the multiple images that will jump from your 3D TV screen.

8. Another nifty feature of the Sony a580L is the handheld Twilight mode. The camera’s excellent sensor and extended ISO sensitivity already make it easier to shoot at night outdoors or inside, where the light is low, without using a flash. The Twilight mode helps even more, as it directs the camera to shoot six images in less than a second. They are thoroughly analyzed and the best parts of these, in terms of sharpness, details, etc., are then incorporated into a single image. The Twilight mode is even more meaningful when you consider that the pros consider twilight the magic hour, generally the best light of the day.

9. The Sony a580L DSLR comes as a kit, with a 3x DT 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 zoom lens, from B&H Photo Video for $849.99. Visit http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/735406-REG/Sony_DSLRA580L_Alpha_DSLR_A580_Digital_SLR.html.

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