Olympus E-M1 III vs Sony S980

Following is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus E-M1 III and Sony S980, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and S980 (12MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and S980 (1/2.3") have different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M1 III was brought out 11 years after the S980 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-M1 III matches up versus the S980 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 III Gallery & Sony S980 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 III enjoys outside measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) and the Sony S980 has specifications of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-M1 III and Sony S980 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have during that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-M1 III compared to the S980.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 III and S980 is 67 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizes merely by going through technical specs. The image below should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 III and S980.

As you can tell, the two cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 III featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-M1 III will produce more detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The fresher E-M1 III provides an advantage in sensor tech.