Canon SX500 IS vs Sony S980
80 Imaging
39 Features
40 Overall
39
94 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27
Canon SX500 IS vs Sony S980 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 24-720mm (F3.4-5.8) lens
- 341g - 104 x 70 x 80mm
- Launched August 2012
- Successor is Canon SX510 HS
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 3200
- 1280 x 720 video
- 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
- 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
- Revealed February 2009
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards Canon SX500 IS vs Sony S980 Overview
Below is a complete assessment of the Canon SX500 IS versus Sony S980, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Canon and Sony. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the SX500 IS (16MP) and S980 (12MP) but both cameras boast the identical sensor size (1/2.3").
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideThe SX500 IS was announced 3 years later than the S980 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).
Before getting right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short summary of how the SX500 IS matches up versus the S980 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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The following is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot SX500 IS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The whole galleries are available at Canon SX500 IS Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SX500 IS over the Sony S980
| SX500 IS | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | August 2012 | February 2009 | More recent by 43 months | |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 461k | 230k | Clearer screen (+231k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Canon SX500 IS
| S980 | SX500 IS |
|---|
Common features in the Canon SX500 IS and Sony S980
| SX500 IS | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | Dial exact focus | |||
| Screen type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed screen | |
| Selfie screen | Absent selfie screen | |||
| Touch screen | Absent Touch screen |
Canon SX500 IS vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is going to lug around your camera often, you have to factor its weight and proportions. The Canon SX500 IS comes with outside measurements of 104mm x 70mm x 80mm (4.1" x 2.8" x 3.1") having a weight of 341 grams (0.75 lbs) whilst the Sony S980 has measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).
See the Canon SX500 IS versus Sony S980 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the SX500 IS against the S980.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the SX500 IS and S980 is 80 and 94 respectively.
Canon SX500 IS vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it's hard to picture the difference in sensor measurements purely by looking through specifications. The photograph here will help give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the SX500 IS and S980.
Plainly, the two cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit different resolution. You should expect the Canon SX500 IS to render greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The fresher SX500 IS should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.
Canon SX500 IS vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder
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Canon SX500 IS vs Sony S980 Specifications
| Canon PowerShot SX500 IS | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Canon | Sony |
| Model type | Canon PowerShot SX500 IS | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 |
| Category | Small Sensor Superzoom | Small Sensor Compact |
| Launched | 2012-08-21 | 2009-02-17 |
| Physical type | Compact | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | Digic 4 | - |
| Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Highest native ISO | 1600 | 3200 |
| Minimum native ISO | 80 | 80 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| Center weighted AF | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect focusing | ||
| Contract detect focusing | ||
| Phase detect focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 1 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
| Lens zoom range | 24-720mm (30.0x) | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
| Maximal aperture | f/3.4-5.8 | f/3.3-5.2 |
| Macro focusing range | 1cm | 10cm |
| Crop factor | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display sizing | 3 inch | 2.7 inch |
| Display resolution | 461 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch operation | ||
| Display tech | TFT Color LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 15s | 2s |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/1600s | 1/1600s |
| Continuous shutter rate | 1.0fps | 1.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 5.00 m | 3.50 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | 1/1600s | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (25 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
| Video data format | H.264 | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 341 gr (0.75 pounds) | 167 gr (0.37 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 104 x 70 x 80mm (4.1" x 2.8" x 3.1") | 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 195 photographs | - |
| Style of battery | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery ID | NB-6L | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Retail pricing | $299 | $300 |