Sony a580 vs Canon EOS R8

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a580 and Canon EOS R8. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a580 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS R8 is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a580 were released 2010 and Canon EOS R8 was released 2023. That is a 13 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a580 2010
Canon EOS R8 2023

Type of camera

Sony a580 is a DSLR camera while Canon EOS R8 is a Mirrorless camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a580 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS R8 has a "Canon Full Frame"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a580 75 mm
Sony APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Canon EOS R8 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Sony a580 has a 16 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS R8 has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a580 16 MP
16032768 pixels
4912 x 3264
Canon EOS R8 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000

Canon EOS R8 has a 50 % larger resolution than Sony a580. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Canon EOS R8 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a580. Canon EOS R8 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 102400 while Sony a580 has 100 to 12800.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a580 100-12800
Canon EOS R8 100-102400

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Worth mentioning is that Canon EOS R8 belongs to the Canon EOS R-system and needs an adapter to work with Canons EF, EF-S, MP-E, and TS-E lenses. You can read more about this adapter here:
Canon Lens Mount Adapter EF-EOS R

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a580
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS R8

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a580 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS R8 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a580 5
Canon EOS R8 6

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Sony a580 and Canon EOS R8 can shoot movies.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Sony a580 weighs 599 gr (equal to 1.32 lb) which is 30% heavier than Canon EOS R8 and its 461 gr (or 1.02 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a580 599 gr
1.32 lb
Canon EOS R8 461 gr
1.02 lb

Sony a580 vs Canon EOS R8 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a580 and Canon EOS R8, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
Name Sony a580 Canon EOS R8
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
Release Year 2010 2023
Release Date 2010-08-24 2023-02-08
MSRP 799 USD 1499 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
Camera Type DSLR Mirrorless
Sensor
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
Sensor Size APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm) Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 4912 x 3264 pixels 6000 x 4000 pixels
Megapixels 16 MP 24 MP
Image Processor Bionz DIGIC X
Image
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
ISO Range 100 - 12800 100 - 102400
White Balance Presets 6 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift)
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 15 1053
Lens Mount Sony A

See Compatible Lenses
Canon RF

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier APS-C Sensor (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
Articulated LCD Tilting Fully articulated
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 921600 1620000
Touch screen No Yes
Screen type N/A N/A
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Optical (pentamirror) Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage 95% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.8× (0.53× 35mm equiv.) 0.7×
Viewfinder Resolution N/A 2360000
Photography features
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
Frames per second 5 fps 6 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash Yes No
Built-in Flash Range 12 meters N/A
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No Yes
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Partial
Exposure Compensation +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV steps) +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
H.264
AVCHD
H.264
H.265
Video resolution 1440 x 1080
1920 x 1080
1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers No Yes
Storage
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port No Yes
Headphone Port No Yes
Wireless Yes
Eye-Fi Connected
Yes
Built-in (Wireless LAN (IEEE802.11b/g/n) (2.4 GHz)32, with Bluetooth 4.2 support)
Remote Control Yes (Optional) Yes. RS-60E3-type terminal (remote control terminal)
GPS No Yes
Optional via GP-E2
Body & Dimensions
Sony a580
Canon EOS R8
Enviromentally sealed No Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details Rechargeable NP-FM500H battery & charger
Rechargeable Li-ion Battery LP-E17
Battery Life (CIPA) 1050 shots 220 shots
Width 137 mm 133 mm
Height 104 mm 86 mm
Depth 84 mm 70 mm
Weight 599 gram 461 gram