Nikon P300 vs Sony S980
92 Imaging
35 Features
44 Overall
38


94 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27
Nikon P300 vs Sony S980 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 160 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-100mm (F1.8-4.9) lens
- 189g - 103 x 58 x 32mm
- Introduced May 2011
- Later Model is Nikon P310
(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
- Announced February 2009

Nikon P300 vs Sony S980 Overview
Let's look a bit more closely at the Nikon P300 and Sony S980, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by rivals Nikon and Sony. The sensor resolution of the P300 (12MP) and the S980 (12MP) is relatively well matched and they possess the exact same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

The P300 was manufactured 2 years later than the S980 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).
Before getting straight into a full comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the P300 grades vs the S980 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Nikon P300 vs Sony S980 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix P300 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The entire galleries are provided at Nikon P300 Gallery & Sony S980 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon P300 over the Sony S980
P300 | S980 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | May 2011 | ![]() | February 2009 | More recent by 28 months |
Screen dimension | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Screen resolution | 922k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper screen (+692k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Nikon P300
S980 | P300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focusing |
Common features in the Nikon P300 and Sony S980
P300 | S980 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither has selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Absent Touch friendly screen |
Nikon P300 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison
When you are aiming to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Nikon P300 has exterior measurements of 103mm x 58mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 189 grams (0.42 lbs) whilst the Sony S980 has dimensions 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 Nikon P300 and Sony S980 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the P300 and the S980.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the P300 and S980 is 92 and 94 respectively.

Nikon P300 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it can be difficult to visualise the gap between sensor measurements simply by checking a spec sheet. The photograph below will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the P300 and S980.
Clearly, both of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the same MP therefore you can expect similar quality of files however you will want to consider the launch date of the products into consideration. The fresher P300 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.

Nikon P300 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon P300 vs Sony S980 Specifications
Nikon Coolpix P300 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Nikon | Sony |
Model | Nikon Coolpix P300 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 |
Type | Small Sensor Compact | Small Sensor Compact |
Introduced | 2011-05-31 | 2009-02-17 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | Expeed C2 | - |
Sensor type | BSI-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 | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4000 x 3000 |
Max native ISO | 3200 | 3200 |
Minimum native ISO | 160 | 80 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 9 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 24-100mm (4.2x) | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
Highest aperture | f/1.8-4.9 | f/3.3-5.2 |
Macro focus range | 3cm | 10cm |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3" | 2.7" |
Resolution of screen | 922 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen tech | TFT-LCD with anti-reflection coating | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 8 secs | 2 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/1600 secs |
Continuous shutter rate | 7.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 6.50 m | 3.50 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (15, 30fps), 1280 x 720p (15, 30, 60 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 120 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video data format | H.264, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
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 sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 189 grams (0.42 lbs) | 167 grams (0.37 lbs) |
Dimensions | 103 x 58 x 32mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") | 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall 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 | 240 pictures | - |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Battery model | EN-EL12 | - |
Self timer | Yes (10 or 2 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Cost at release | $500 | $300 |