Sony Unveils New Alpha 560 and 580 Digital SLRs

Alongside its new fixed-mirror Alpha 33 and 55 cameras, Sony has also refreshed its mid-range Alpha SLRs with the new Alpha 560 and 580, which replace the Alpha 500 and 550.  They're largely composed of familiar elements, but add the video that was until now sorely lacking in this range.

You can play spot the difference all afternoon if you like, but apart from the model numbers, these two new cameras (like their predecessors) are identical down to the smallest detail.  The only difference is the resolution, where one of them gets a 14 Megapixel sensor (the same one as in the NEX-3 and NEX-5) while the other gets 16 Megapixels.

There aren't many big technical innovations, and both cameras borrow heavily from their predecessors.  The very thin, 920 000 pixel screen is the same as on the Alpha 550 and rotates in the same way, while the penta-mirror viewfinder has the same slightly stingy 0.8 enlargement but is squashed by the Live View sensor.  Both live view modes are still there, using either the viewfinder's secondary sensor (allowing all of the SLR equipment to function normally), or using the main sensor but without autofocus.

The autofocus sensor has been redesigned, with the eleven points now laid out more traditionally, and three cross-shaped collimators now in the centre.

On the outside, the family inheritance is very obvious, despite a few light modifications.  The ISO and burst mode buttons, for instance, have been moved behind the shutter release so you can reach them with our index finger, making them much easier to use than on the Alpha 500 and 550.

We're also glad to see that the different scene modes have been brought together in a 'SCN' option, which frees up space on the mode dial for new modes like sweep panorama, something Sony has got the hang of on its compacts and NEX-3 and NEX-5, but which had yet to appear on SLRs.  More exciting still, though, is that big red button under your thumb.

Full HD Video

This is the big news on the new Alphas, which have benefited from the work Sony put into the NEX-3 and NEX-5.  Both new cameras can film in 1080i HD using the AVCHD codec.  If that puts you off—editing can require some hefty hardware—then Mpeg-4 is also an option, but only at 1440 x 1080 pixels.

Disappointingly, the focus in video is still manual because Sony hasn't included the contrast-detection autofocus found on its interchangeable-lens compacts.  If you do want to keep filming with continuous autofocus, then the new Alpha 33 and 55 are a much better choice.

Sony has put more effort into making sure the audio is taken care of, no doubt spotting an opportunity that some other manufacturers have recently neglected.  The Alpha 560 and 580 record stereo sound, but their rivals, headed up by the Canon EOS 550D, only offer mono.  Sony's new cameras also have a 3.5 mm stereo input allowing you to use any external mic.  All that's missing is a headphone jack so you can listen to what you're recording ...

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