Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980
72 Imaging
46 Features
60 Overall
51
94 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27
Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 Key Specs
(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- Superseded the Panasonic G1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
(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
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban 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.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesThe 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 Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic G2 Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic G2 over the Sony S980
| G2 | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | July 2010 | February 2009 | Newer by 17 months | |
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating display | |
| Display dimensions | 3" | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") | |
| Display resolution | 460k | 230k | Crisper 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.
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.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the G2 and S980 is 72 and 94 respectively.
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 Screen and ViewFinder
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Panasonic G2 vs Sony S980 Specifications
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 | Sony 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 |