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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980

Portability
85
Imaging
37
Features
67
Overall
49
Olympus XZ-2 iHS front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 front
Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
17
Overall
27

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980 Key Specs

Olympus XZ-2 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-112mm (F1.8-2.5) lens
  • 346g - 113 x 65 x 48mm
  • Launched December 2012
Sony S980
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
  • 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
  • Launched February 2009
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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980 Overview

Let's look a little more in depth at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the S980 (12MP) is very comparable but the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and S980 (1/2.3") use different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-2 iHS was released 3 years after the S980 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before going in to a in-depth comparison, below is a concise view of how the XZ-2 iHS scores versus the S980 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus XZ-2 iHS over the Sony S980

 XZ-2 iHS S980 
LaunchedDecember 2012February 2009More modern by 47 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display sizing3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution920k230kClearer display (+690k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Olympus XZ-2 iHS

 S980 XZ-2 iHS 

Common features in the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony S980

 XZ-2 iHS S980 
Focus manually Dial precise focusing
Selfie screen No selfie screen

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison

If you are going to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS has got outer dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") along with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) while the Sony S980 has measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use at that moment. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the XZ-2 iHS and the S980.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-2 iHS and S980 is 85 and 94 respectively.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980 top view buttons comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it is very hard to picture the difference in sensor sizes purely by checking out specifications. The picture here will give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-2 iHS and S980.

To sum up, each of these cameras offer the same exact MP but different sensor sizes. The XZ-2 iHS includes the larger sensor which should make achieving shallow DOF simpler. The younger XZ-2 iHS should have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980 sensor size comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Portrait photography highlights
Sony S980 Portrait photography highlights
46
focusing manually
offers face detect focusing
exports RAW formats
low resolution sensor (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
27
you can focus manually
manual exposure not available
cannot use external flash
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS as a Street photography camera
Sony S980 as a Street photography camera
66
screen tilts
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
exports RAW formats
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
heavier than competitors (346g)
47
no moving screen
does not have image stabilization
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus XZ-2 iHS
Sports photography with Sony S980
43
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
offers tracking focus
better than average battery power (340 shots)
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
has no phase detect AF
17
continuous shooting slow (1.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Travel photography features
Sony S980 Travel photography features
61
better than average battery power (340 CIPA)
has built in flash
rather wide (28mm)
good maximum aperture (f1.8)
missing Time Lapse recording
heavier than competitors (346 grams)
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
51
flash built-in
does not have Time Lapse mode
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Landscape photography information
Sony S980 Landscape photography information
55
focusing manually
rather wide (28mm)
good maximum aperture (f1.8)
screen size is decent (3")
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
exports RAW formats
better than average battery power (340 CIPA)
can't switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
low resolution sensor (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
missing Time Lapse recording
27
you can focus manually
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
small screen (2.7 inch)
manual exposure not available
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
does not have Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Vlogging features
Sony S980 Vlogging features
36
rather wide (28mm)
good maximum aperture (f1.8)
touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
offers face detect focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
has mic jack
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
heavier than competitors (346g)
22
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
low res video (1280 x 720 pxls)
does not have external mic port
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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony S980 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony S980
 Olympus XZ-2 iHSSony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus XZ-2 iHS Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
Category Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Compact
Launched 2012-12-18 2009-02-17
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/1.7" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 7.44 x 5.58mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 41.5mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 3968 x 2976 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 12800 3200
Min native ISO 100 80
RAW data
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
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 35 9
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 28-112mm (4.0x) 33-132mm (4.0x)
Maximal aperture f/1.8-2.5 f/3.3-5.2
Macro focusing distance 1cm 10cm
Focal length multiplier 4.8 5.8
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inches 2.7 inches
Resolution of screen 920 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) None
Features
Min shutter speed 60s 2s
Max shutter speed 1/2000s 1/1600s
Continuous shutter speed - 1.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 8.60 m (ISO 800) 3.50 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 346 gr (0.76 pounds) 167 gr (0.37 pounds)
Dimensions 113 x 65 x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 49 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 20.4 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 11.3 not tested
DXO Low light rating 216 not tested
Other
Battery life 340 images -
Battery form Battery Pack -
Battery ID Li-90B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Storage slots One One
Launch cost $450 $300