Confused between Nikon D5200 and Sony SLT A58?

I'm a beginner in photography and looking for a nice entry level camera. I'm very technical so I did plenty of research on internet about DSLR cameras and initially finalized D5200 by Nikon but I also like the Sony STL A58.

I like in A58:-
1. Can be charged via any USB power supply
2. I like the flip out screen of A58
3. Inbuilt stabilization and AF motor (not required to buy techie lens like of nikon AF/VR)

Since I've no experience in photography the following points are confusing me:-
1. A58 is 10% lesser in image quality than D5200
2. Its 20mp approx so 20% lesser in resolution than D5200(I can accept it if the overall output is as good as of Nikon D5200.)
3. Low light performance is not good as of D5200 (around 40% of difference) but its still better than entry level Canon.

Please help me with this, I can only accept if A58 if the image quality is approximately or similar to D5200, the other feature of A58 attracting me with its cheaper price

The Sony does better video than the Nikon, but they use the same (Sony) sensor.

Check out how they feel in your hands.

Your research seems to be very good. Now you need to spend some time at a proper camera shop holding both cameras in your hands.

What may help you decide which is best for you is whether or not you shoot sports or action. The slight delay from what the camera sensor sees and the electronic viewfinder shows you can lead to missed shots. This is why sports and action shooters use cameras with optical viewfinders.

The other thing mentioned by users of the Sony SLT cameras is that some of the buttons on the rear of the camera can be accidentally activated when using the viewfinder with the camera pressed against the users face, the most stable way to hold a dSLR, SLT or similar camera. This can become very aggravating to say the least

Slow down,

I wouldn't spend too much time on the 'technical specification' of entry level cameras, all the offerings from Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony are of a high quality, the best thing for you would be to pop into your local camera store and have a quick look at the different models within your price range, after handling the cameras you will find that you prefer the feel and layout of one camera compared to the others… That's a good way to start, then you could decide what spec is suited to your interests, no point in having all the latest bells and whistles if you don't use them…

I'm personally not keen on the Sony electronic viewfinder, my sister uses these cameras and they can produce some top notch images… The quality gets my interest, I'd like to play with the A99 for a month or two… Definitely make a point of handling the Sony before buying one, the electronic viewfinder might put you off… It's my only gripe, for me it's a big one though.

Nikon D5200 24.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR NIKKOR Zoom Lens
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