Sony Alpha SLT-A58 vs Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Sony Alpha SLT-A58 and the Canon PowerShot SX510 HS, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 was introduced in November 2013 and Canon PowerShot SX510 HS was introduced in August 2013. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 Highlights

      • 20.1 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 16,000 Native ISO
      • 15 Focus Points (15 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 2.7" 460k dot Tilting Screen
      • 1,440k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 8.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS Highlights

      • 12.1 MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor
      • 80 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 1 Focus Points (1 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 461k dot Fixed Screen
      • 3.8 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      • Built-In Wi-Fi

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Sony Alpha SLT-A58 and Canon PowerShot SX510 HS.

      PROS

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 492 g (1.08 lb / 17.35 oz)
      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Light - 349 g (0.77 lb / 12.31 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.1 Megapixel
      •   1 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/1600 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.8 fps
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 250 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 74
      •   Battery Life - 690 shots
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"

      Advantage of Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha SLT-A58 over Canon PowerShot SX510 HS.

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 vs Canon PowerShot SX510 HS
      Larger Sensor APS-C vs 1/2.3-inch
      Higher Sensor Resolution 20.1 Megapixel vs 12.1 Megapixel
      RAW Support vs
      More Focus Points 15 vs 1
      More Cross-type Focus Points 3 vs 0
      Selective Autofocus vs
      Continuous Autofocus vs
      Phase Detection for Autofocus vs
      Screen Type Tilting vs Fixed
      Viewfinder Electronic vs
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 15 sec
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/1600 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 8.0 fps vs 3.8 fps
      External Flash Connectivity vs
      Microphone Input vs
      Longer Battery Life 690 shots vs 250 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sony Alpha SLT-A58.

      Advantage of Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon PowerShot SX510 HS over Sony Alpha SLT-A58.

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 vs Canon PowerShot SX510 HS
      Lower Native ISO 100 vs 80
      Higher Native ISO 16,000 vs 3,200
      Max Image Resolution 5456 x 3632 vs 4608 x 3456
      Timelapse Recording vs
      Center Autofocus vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Larger Screen 2.7" vs 3.0"
      Higher Resolution Screen 460k dot vs 461k dot
      Built-In Wi-Fi Eye-Fi is possible vs
      Lighter 492 g (1.08 lb / 17.35 oz) vs 349 g (0.77 lb / 12.31 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon PowerShot SX510 HS.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Sony Alpha SLT-A58 Canon PowerShot SX510 HS
        Video Capture
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Image StabilizationSensor Shift
        Built-in Flash
        HDMI Output Mini Type C Mini
        Light492 g (1.08 lb / 17.35 oz)349 g (0.77 lb / 12.31 oz)
      WEAKNESSES Sony Alpha SLT-A58 Canon PowerShot SX510 HS
        Few Cross-type Focus Points30
        Low Resolution Screen460k dot461k dot
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 has a 2.7" Tilting screen with 460k dot resolution and Canon PowerShot SX510 HS has a 3.0" Fixed screen with 461k dot resolution. Tilting screen makes Sony Alpha SLT-A58 very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting.

      Image cannot be displayed

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 with Tilting screen


      Electronic Viewfinder on Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 1,440k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 0.97x (0.65x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Canon PowerShot SX510 HS.

      Sensor

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 features a 20.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.2 x 15.4 mm and a total area of 357.3 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 16,000 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Canon PowerShot SX510 HS features a 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 20.7 mm2. Its native ISO range is 80 - 3,200.

      Photography Features

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 can take pictures up to 5456 x 3632 resolution. Canon PowerShot SX510 HS is equipped with DIGIC 4 processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution.


      Image Stabilization

      The cameras have a built-in image stabilization. On Sony Alpha SLT-A58 it means that you are still getting vibration reduction when it is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in Wi-Fi on Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS has a built-in Wi-Fi which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
        Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Sony Alpha SLT-A58 has a Mini Type C HDMI and Canon PowerShot SX510 HS has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 comes with NP-FM500H battery pack with battery life of 690 shots and Canon PowerShot SX510 HS comes with NB-6LH battery pack with battery life of 250 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo card slot. Canon PowerShot SX510 HS has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Sony Alpha SLT-A58, and up to 1/1600 sec on Canon PowerShot SX510 HS. Sony Alpha SLT-A58 can shoot continuously up to 8.0 fps. Canon PowerShot SX510 HS can shoot continuously up to 3.8 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 10.00 m (@ ISO 100) on Sony Alpha SLT-A58 and 5.00 m on Canon PowerShot SX510 HS. Sony Alpha SLT-A58 also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on Sony Alpha SLT-A58.

      Physical Parameters

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 body has dimensions of 129 x 95 x 78 mm (5.08 x 3.74 x 3.07") and Canon PowerShot SX510 HS body has dimensions of 104 x 70 x 80 mm (4.09 x 2.76 x 3.15"). Sony Alpha SLT-A58 weighs 492 g (1.08 lb / 17.35 oz) and Canon PowerShot SX510 HS weighs 349 g (0.77 lb / 12.31 oz).

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      129 mm

      95 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      104 mm

      70 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      95 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      70 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Sony Alpha SLT-A58 and Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58 and Canon PowerShot SX510 HS for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      GOOD
      70
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      POOR
      49
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      GOOD
      71
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 690 shots
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   1 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.8 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 250 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      AVERAGE
      64
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 690 shots
      AVERAGE
      62
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   1 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.8 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 250 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      GOOD
      80
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      GOOD
      70
      •   Small Sensor
      •   1 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      GOOD
      83
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 492 g (1.08 lb / 17.35 oz)
      GOOD
      80
      •   Small Sensor
      •   1 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 349 g (0.77 lb / 12.31 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      GOOD
      81
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 492 g (1.08 lb / 17.35 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 690 shots
      GOOD
      84
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 349 g (0.77 lb / 12.31 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 250 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Sony Alpha SLT-A58 and Canon PowerShot SX510 HS and give them scores of 68 and 58 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      OVERALL
      68
      OVERALL
      58

      Sensor

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 74
      POOR
      51
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.1 Megapixel
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      GOOD
      72
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/1600 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.8 fps
      •   No External Flash Connectivity

      Video

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      POOR
      46
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080

      Focusing

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      GOOD
      73
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   1 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      GOOD
      70
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      POOR
      53
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No Viewfinder

      Connectivity

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      GOOD
      78
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      GOOD
      75
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Sony Alpha SLT-A58

      Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

      POOR
      45
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 492 g (1.08 lb / 17.35 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 690 shots
      POOR
      43
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 349 g (0.77 lb / 12.31 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 250 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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