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Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980

Portability
72
Imaging
46
Features
60
Overall
51
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 front
Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
17
Overall
27

Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 Key Specs

Panasonic G2
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 428g - 124 x 84 x 74mm
  • Released July 2010
  • Superseded the Panasonic G1
  • Newer Model is Panasonic G3
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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Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 Overview

On this page, we are looking at the Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The resolution of the G2 (12MP) and the S980 (12MP) is fairly comparable but the G2 (Four Thirds) and S980 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

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The G2 was launched 17 months after the S980 making them a generation away from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic G2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a in-depth comparison, here is a short highlight of how the G2 scores against the S980 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Photography Glossary

        

Reasons to pick Panasonic G2 over the Sony S980

 G2 S980 
LaunchedJuly 2010February 2009Newer by 17 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display dimensions3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kCrisper display (+230k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Panasonic G2

 S980 G2 

Common features in the Panasonic G2 and Sony S980

 G2 S980 
Manually focus Very precise focusing

Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison

When you are going to travel with your camera, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic G2 offers physical measurements of 124mm x 84mm x 74mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.9") and a weight of 428 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Sony S980 has sizing of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the G2 against the S980.

Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the G2 and S980 is 72 and 94 respectively.

Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it's difficult to picture the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by going through specs. The picture here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the G2 and S980.

All in all, both of those cameras have the same MP but different sensor dimensions. The G2 features the larger sensor which is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier. The newer G2 should have an edge in sensor technology.

Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 sensor size comparison

Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic G2 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony S980 as a Portrait photography camera
59
focusing manually
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports face detect focus
saves RAW formats
sensor resolution low (12MP)
27
has manual focus
no manual control
cannot use external flash
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Panasonic G2 Street photography advice
Sony S980 Street photography advice
64
screen can move to multiple angles
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
boasts touch to focus
no image stabilization
more heavy than others in class (428 grams)
47
screen does not articulate
does not have image stabilization
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Panasonic G2 as a Sports photography camera
Sony S980 as a Sports photography camera
39
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports tracking focus
continuous shooting slow (3.0 frames/s)
no image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
no phase detect auto focus
17
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic G2 Travel photography info
Sony S980 Travel photography info
58
boasts touch to focus
built-in flash
selfie friendly screen
missing Timelapse recording
more heavy than others in class (428g)
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
51
built-in flash
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Panasonic G2 Landscape photography info
Sony S980 Landscape photography info
56
focusing manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is decent (3 inches)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
no image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12MP)
missing Timelapse recording
27
has manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
small screen (2.7 inches)
no manual control
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic G2 Vlogging info
Sony S980 Vlogging info
60
selfie friendly screen
touchscreen
supports face detect focus
includes microphone socket
no image stabilization
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
more heavy than others in class (428 grams)
22
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
does not have image stabilization
low res video (1280 x 720 pxls)
doesn't have external mic jack
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Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic G2 and Sony S980
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
General Information
Brand Name Panasonic Sony
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Released 2010-07-12 2009-02-17
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Chip Venus Engine HD II -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4000 x 3000 4000 x 3000
Max native ISO 6400 3200
Min native ISO 100 80
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points - 9
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 33-132mm (4.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.3-5.2
Macro focusing distance - 10cm
Amount of lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Display type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display sizing 3 inches 2.7 inches
Display resolution 460k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display technology TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 1,440k dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.55x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 secs 2 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/1600 secs
Continuous shooting speed 3.0fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 11.00 m 3.50 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/160 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1280x720 1280x720
Video data format AVCHD Lite, Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
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 seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 428 gr (0.94 pounds) 167 gr (0.37 pounds)
Physical dimensions 124 x 84 x 74mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.9") 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 53 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 21.2 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 10.3 not tested
DXO Low light rating 493 not tested
Other
Battery life 360 images -
Battery format Battery Pack -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Storage slots One One
Price at launch $1,000 $300