Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Nikon S6500 and Sony A580 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon S6500 has external dimensions of and weighs 250 g (0.55 lb / 8.82 oz) (including batteries). Sony A580 has external dimensions of 137 x 104 x 84 mm (5.39 x 4.09 x 3.31″) and weighs 599 g (1.32 lb / 21.13 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Nikon S6500 and the Sony A580. Nikon S6500 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 42mm narrower, 46mm shorter and 58mm thinner than Sony A580. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon S6500 has a built-in lens but Sony A580 doesn't. Once you put a lens on A580, its thickness will increase significantly.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S6500 and Sony A580.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Nikon S6500 is significantly lighter (349g ) than the Sony A580 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A580, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither the Nikon Coolpix S6500 nor Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections: Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Nikon S6500 and Sony A580's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.
On the other hand, Sony A580 features a
Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels whereas the Nikon S6500 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A580.