Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980
80 Imaging
61 Features
88 Overall
71


94 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 4096 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 414g - 125 x 85 x 50mm
- Announced October 2019
- Older Model is Olympus E-M5 II
- Replacement is OM System OM-5
(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

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 Overview
Following is a complete review of the Olympus E-M5 III versus Sony S980, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the E-M5 III (20MP) and S980 (12MP) and the E-M5 III (Four Thirds) and S980 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

The E-M5 III was unveiled 10 years after the S980 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.
Before delving through a complete comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-M5 III grades versus the S980 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M5 III and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-M5 III Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 III over the Sony S980
E-M5 III | S980 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | October 2019 | ![]() | February 2009 | More modern by 130 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen dimension | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Screen resolution | 1040k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer screen (+810k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Olympus E-M5 III
S980 | E-M5 III |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony S980
E-M5 III | S980 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very precise focus |
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 III features exterior measurements of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") with a weight of 414 grams (0.91 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).
Compare the Olympus E-M5 III versus Sony S980 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using during that time. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-M5 III vs the S980.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 III and S980 is 80 and 94 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison
Often, it is difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by going through technical specs. The picture underneath should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 III and S980.
As you can tell, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-M5 III with its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 III will provide more detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-M5 III should have a benefit in sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M5 III | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M5 III | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 |
Type | Advanced Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
Announced | 2019-10-17 | 2009-02-17 |
Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic VIII | - |
Sensor type | MOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.4 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 226.2mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 20 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 4000 x 3000 |
Highest native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 80 |
RAW format | ||
Min enhanced ISO | 64 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 121 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
Maximum aperture | - | f/3.3-5.2 |
Macro focusing distance | - | 10cm |
Number of lenses | 107 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
Resolution of screen | 1,040 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | None |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360 thousand dots | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.68x | - |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60s | 2s |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/1600s |
Fastest silent shutter speed | 1/32000s | - |
Continuous shutter rate | 30.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 3.50 m |
Flash options | Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash synchronize | 1/250s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 4096x2160 | 1280x720 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 414 grams (0.91 pounds) | 167 grams (0.37 pounds) |
Dimensions | 125 x 85 x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") | 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 | 310 shots | - |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Battery ID | BLN-1 | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
Card slots | One | One |
Pricing at release | $1,199 | $300 |