Nikon AW100 vs Sony S980
93 Imaging
39 Features
28 Overall
34


94 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27
Nikon AW100 vs Sony S980 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 125 - 3200
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-140mm (F3.9-4.8) lens
- 178g - 110 x 65 x 23mm
- Launched August 2011
- Updated by Nikon AW110
(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
- Announced February 2009

Nikon AW100 vs Sony S980 Overview
Below, we are reviewing the Nikon AW100 vs Sony S980, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Nikon and Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the resolutions of the AW100 (16MP) and S980 (12MP) but they use the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

The AW100 was brought out 2 years after the S980 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).
Before delving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a brief summary of how the AW100 grades versus the S980 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Nikon AW100 vs Sony S980 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon Coolpix AW100 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The entire galleries are available at Nikon AW100 Gallery & Sony S980 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon AW100 over the Sony S980
AW100 | S980 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | August 2011 | ![]() | February 2009 | Newer by 31 months |
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper display (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Nikon AW100
S980 | AW100 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More accurate focusing |
Common features in the Nikon AW100 and Sony S980
AW100 | S980 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither provides selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Lacking Touch friendly display |
Nikon AW100 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison
In case you're planning to travel with your camera, you have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Nikon AW100 provides physical dimensions of 110mm x 65mm x 23mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 0.9") along with a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs) while the Sony S980 has dimensions of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).
Analyze the Nikon AW100 vs Sony S980 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the AW100 compared to the S980.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the AW100 and S980 is 93 and 94 respectively.

Nikon AW100 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it's difficult to envision the difference in sensor dimensions simply by researching specs. The image here will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the AW100 and S980.
As you can plainly see, both of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same resolution. You can anticipate the Nikon AW100 to result in greater detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more modern AW100 will have an edge in sensor innovation.

Nikon AW100 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon AW100 vs Sony S980 Specifications
Nikon Coolpix AW100 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Nikon | Sony |
Model type | Nikon Coolpix AW100 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 |
Category | Waterproof | Small Sensor Compact |
Launched | 2011-08-24 | 2009-02-17 |
Body design | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CMOS | 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 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | - | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4000 x 3000 |
Maximum native ISO | 3200 | 3200 |
Minimum native ISO | 125 | 80 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Total focus points | - | 9 |
Cross type focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 28-140mm (5.0x) | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
Maximum aperture | f/3.9-4.8 | f/3.3-5.2 |
Macro focusing distance | - | 10cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
Resolution of screen | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Screen tech | TFT LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 4s | 2s |
Max shutter speed | 1/2000s | 1/1600s |
Continuous shutter speed | 3.0fps | 1.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | - | 3.50 m |
Flash options | - | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720 (60 fps),640 x 480 (120 fps), 320 x 240 (240 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | BuiltIn | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 178g (0.39 lb) | 167g (0.37 lb) |
Dimensions | 110 x 65 x 23mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 0.9") | 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 ID | EN-EL12 | - |
Self timer | - | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SD / SDHC/SDXC | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Launch cost | $299 | $300 |