Canon S120 vs Sony S980
92 Imaging
37 Features
57 Overall
45
94 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27
Canon S120 vs Sony S980 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 12800
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-120mm (F1.8-5.7) lens
- 217g - 100 x 59 x 29mm
- Revealed November 2013
- Succeeded the Canon S110
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200
- 1280 x 720 video
- 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
- 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
- Released February 2009
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide Canon S120 vs Sony S980 Overview
Let's examine more in depth at the Canon S120 vs Sony S980, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by manufacturers Canon and Sony. The resolution of the S120 (12MP) and the S980 (12MP) is very close but the S120 (1/1.7") and S980 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor measurements.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe S120 was released 4 years after the S980 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).
Before getting straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a concise view of how the S120 matches up against the S980 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
Mastering Nature Photography with a Digital Microscope Camera Canon S120 vs Sony S980 Gallery
Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot S120 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The complete galleries are viewable at Canon S120 Gallery & Sony S980 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon S120 over the Sony S980
| S120 | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | November 2013 | February 2009 | Newer by 59 months | |
| Display dimension | 3" | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") | |
| Display resolution | 922k | 230k | Crisper display (+692k dot) | |
| Touch display | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Canon S120
| S980 | S120 |
|---|
Common features in the Canon S120 and Sony S980
| S120 | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | More exact focusing | |||
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Selfie screen | Lacking selfie screen |
Canon S120 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison
If you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Canon S120 provides external dimensions of 100mm x 59mm x 29mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 217 grams (0.48 lbs) and the Sony S980 has specifications of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).
Analyze the Canon S120 vs Sony S980 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using during that time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the S120 compared to the S980.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the S120 and S980 is 92 and 94 respectively.
Canon S120 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it can be difficult to envision the difference in sensor dimensions simply by researching technical specs. The pic underneath should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the S120 and S980.
As you have seen, each of the cameras posses the exact same MP but not the same sensor dimensions. The S120 offers the larger sensor which will make achieving shallow depth of field easier. The newer S120 will have a benefit in sensor innovation.
Canon S120 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder
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Canon S120 vs Sony S980 Specifications
| Canon PowerShot S120 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Canon | Sony |
| Model | Canon PowerShot S120 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 |
| Class | Small Sensor Compact | Small Sensor Compact |
| Revealed | 2013-11-26 | 2009-02-17 |
| Physical type | Compact | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | Digic 6 | - |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/1.7" | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor dimensions | 7.44 x 5.58mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor surface area | 41.5mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Highest native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
| Lowest native ISO | 80 | 80 |
| RAW data | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Selective autofocus | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Autofocus live view | ||
| Face detection autofocus | ||
| Contract detection autofocus | ||
| Phase detection autofocus | ||
| Number of focus points | 9 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | 24-120mm (5.0x) | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
| Max aperture | f/1.8-5.7 | f/3.3-5.2 |
| Macro focus distance | 3cm | 10cm |
| Focal length multiplier | 4.8 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen diagonal | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 922 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Screen technology | TFT PureColor II G Touch screen LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 15s | 2s |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/2000s | 1/1600s |
| Continuous shooting rate | 12.0fps | 1.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash range | 7.00 m | 3.50 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, on, slow synchro, off | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
| External flash | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 or 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
| Mic support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | Optional | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 217 gr (0.48 lbs) | 167 gr (0.37 lbs) |
| Dimensions | 100 x 59 x 29mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.1") | 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 56 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | 21.3 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 11.9 | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | 246 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 230 shots | - |
| Battery style | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery model | NB-6LH | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Launch cost | $449 | $300 |