Nikon L810 vs Sony S980
74 Imaging
39 Features
38 Overall
38
94 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27
Nikon L810 vs Sony S980 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1280 x 720 video
- 23-585mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
- 430g - 111 x 76 x 83mm
- Revealed February 2012
- Successor is Nikon L820
(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
- Introduced February 2009
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Let's take a deeper look at the Nikon L810 versus Sony S980, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Nikon and Sony. There is a large difference among the image resolutions of the L810 (16MP) and S980 (12MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor dimensions (1/2.3").
Photography GlossaryThe L810 was revealed 2 years later than the S980 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature the same body design (Compact).
Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a concise summation of how the L810 grades versus the S980 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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The following is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix L810 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The full galleries are provided at Nikon L810 Gallery & Sony S980 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon L810 over the Sony S980
| L810 | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | February 2012 | February 2009 | More recent by 36 months | |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 921k | 230k | Clearer screen (+691k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Nikon L810
| S980 | L810 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | More accurate focus |
Common features in the Nikon L810 and Sony S980
| L810 | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed screen | |
| Selfie screen | No selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly screen | No Touch friendly screen |
Nikon L810 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison
If you are planning to lug around your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Nikon L810 provides outside measurements of 111mm x 76mm x 83mm (4.4" x 3.0" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 430 grams (0.95 lbs) while the Sony S980 has measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).
Compare the Nikon L810 versus Sony S980 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have attached at that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the L810 vs the S980.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the L810 and S980 is 74 and 94 respectively.
Nikon L810 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison
Generally, its difficult to envision the contrast in sensor measurements just by seeing specs. The visual underneath should give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the L810 and S980.
As you can plainly see, both the cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit not the same resolution. You can expect the Nikon L810 to produce extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The fresher L810 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.
Nikon L810 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder
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Nikon L810 vs Sony S980 Specifications
| Nikon Coolpix L810 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Nikon | Sony |
| Model | Nikon Coolpix L810 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 |
| Class | Small Sensor Superzoom | Small Sensor Compact |
| Revealed | 2012-02-01 | 2009-02-17 |
| Body design | Compact | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| 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 area | 28.1mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16MP | 12MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Highest native ISO | 1600 | 3200 |
| Lowest native ISO | 80 | 80 |
| RAW files | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| AF touch | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Number of focus points | - | 9 |
| Cross focus points | - | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | 23-585mm (25.4x) | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | f/3.1-5.9 | f/3.3-5.2 |
| Macro focus distance | 1cm | 10cm |
| Crop factor | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen sizing | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 921 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Screen tech | TFT-LCD with Anti-reflection coating | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 30 secs | 2 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/1600 secs |
| Continuous shooting speed | 1.2 frames per sec | 1.0 frames per sec |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | - | 3.50 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow-sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720p (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
| Video file format | MPEG-4 | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 430 gr (0.95 lbs) | 167 gr (0.37 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 111 x 76 x 83mm (4.4" x 3.0" x 3.3") | 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 300 photos | - |
| Battery form | AA | - |
| Battery model | 4 x AA | - |
| Self timer | Yes | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Pricing at launch | $280 | $300 |