Sony a77 vs Sony a580

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a77 and Sony a580. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a77

Sony a580

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony a77 were released 2011 and Sony a580 was released 2010. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a77	2011
Sony a580	2010

Type of camera

Sensors / crop factor

Both these cameras have the same sorts of sensor (called "Sony APS-C") which means that if you compare these cameras side by side the lenses will also have the same experienced focal length. Neither of the cameras has a Full frame sensor which means that you will get a "crop factor" where the camera's sensor size affect the focal length with a multiplier.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a77	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Sony a580	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** 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)

Resolution

Sony a77 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a580 has 16 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a77	24 MP 24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000
Sony a580	16 MP 16032768 pixels 4912 x 3264

Sony a77 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

Sony a77 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a580. Sony a77 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 16000 while Sony a580 has 100 to 12800.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a77	100-16000
Sony a580	100-12800

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.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a77
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a580

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a77 can shoot up to 12 pictures per seconds and Sony a580 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a77	12
Sony a580	5

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a77 and Sony a580 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 a77 weighs 732 gr (equal to 1.61 lb) which is 22% heavier than Sony a580 and its 599 gr (or 1.32 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a77	732 gr 1.61 lb
Sony a580	599 gr 1.32 lb