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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980

Portability
80
Imaging
61
Features
88
Overall
71
Olympus OM-D E-M5 III front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 front
Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
17
Overall
27

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5 III
(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
Sony S980
(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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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.

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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.

Photography Glossary

				

Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 III over the Sony S980

 E-M5 III S980 
IntroducedOctober 2019February 2009More modern by 130 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1040k230kClearer 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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 size comparison

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 top view buttons comparison

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 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Portrait photography info
Sony S980 Portrait photography info
76
you can focus manually
megapixel count decent (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides face detect focusing
supports RAW formats
27
has manual focus
no manual exposure
cannot use external flash
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Street photography advice
Sony S980 Street photography advice
83
screen articulates fully
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
provides touch focus
environment sealing
good high ISO (25,600)
47
no articulating screen
lack of image stabilization
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III as a Sports photography camera
Sony S980 as a Sports photography camera
75
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
silent shutter (1/32,000 seconds)
high fps (30.0 frames/s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides tracking focus
environment sealing
comes with phase detect AF
not so great battery pack (310 per charge)
17
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Travel photography details
Sony S980 Travel photography details
77
environment sealing
connects via bluetooth
provides touch focus
megapixel count decent (20MP)
screen is selfie friendly
not so great battery pack (310 per charge)
51
flash built-in
no Timelapse recording
MP count low (12 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (33mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III as a Landscape photography camera
Sony S980 as a Landscape photography camera
77
you can focus manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is decent (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
good high ISO (25,600)
supports RAW formats
environment sealing
not so great battery pack (310 CIPA)
27
has manual focus
can't switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (33mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
no manual exposure
lack of image stabilization
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
no Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III as a Vlogging camera
Sony S980 as a Vlogging camera
84
screen is selfie friendly
built-in touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
provides face detect focusing
video resolution high (4096 x 2160 resolution)
does have mic jack
22
wide angle not the best (33mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen is not selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
low quality video (1280 x 720 pixels)
no external microphone support
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony S980 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 III and Sony S980
 Olympus OM-D E-M5 IIISony 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