Sony turns video star with a580 and a560 DSLRs
HD video shooting updates Alpha range
Sony has announced the arrival of two new video-enabled DSLRs, the a580 and a560.
The range comes equipped with HD video shooting facilities, joining the recently revealed a33 and a55 cameras.
Video comes in the form of 1080i HD and is stored in either AVCHD or MP4 format. And for those who like to get arty with their movies, you will be pleased to know that you can do background defocus while shooting video with both the a580 and a560.
Speed demon
Both snappers come with Sony's latest sensor – a Exmor APS HD CMOS – and offer a number of new functions, including Speed Priority Continuous Advance mode.
This is where users can fire of seven frames in a second to capture fast-moving action.
The a580 and a560 have also been given the Quick AF Live View system, so the whole process from start-up to shot is speeded up.
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The a580 is the more powerful imaging wise, with a 16.2MP sensor, but the a560 isn't far behind, bringing 14.2MP to the table.
Other than this, specs are very similar, including 15-point phase-detection autofocus, 3-inch LCD, 3D Sweep Panorama and multi-frame noise reduction.
UK release date for the Sony a580 and a560 is October, with pricing to be announced.
Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.