Clicky

Pentax XG-1 vs Sony S980

Portability
66
Imaging
40
Features
37
Overall
38
Pentax XG-1 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 front
Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
17
Overall
27

Pentax XG-1 vs Sony S980 Key Specs

Pentax XG-1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-1248mm (F2.8-5.6) lens
  • 567g - 119 x 89 x 98mm
  • Released July 2014
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
  • Announced February 2009
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Pentax XG-1 vs Sony S980 Overview

Here is a in depth analysis of the Pentax XG-1 and Sony S980, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Pentax and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the XG-1 (16MP) and S980 (12MP) but they possess the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The XG-1 was brought out 5 years later than the S980 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Pentax XG-1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple summary of how the XG-1 grades vs the S980 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video
	
	

Reasons to pick Pentax XG-1 over the Sony S980

 XG-1 S980 
AnnouncedJuly 2014February 2009Fresher by 66 months
Display sizing3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kClearer display (+230k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Pentax XG-1

 S980 XG-1 

Common features in the Pentax XG-1 and Sony S980

 XG-1 S980 
Manual focus More exact focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither includes Touch friendly display

Pentax XG-1 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison

If you are planning to carry your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Pentax XG-1 features exterior dimensions of 119mm x 89mm x 98mm (4.7" x 3.5" x 3.9") having a weight of 567 grams (1.25 lbs) and the Sony S980 has sizing of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Examine the Pentax XG-1 and Sony S980 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the XG-1 versus the S980.

Pentax XG-1 vs Sony S980 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability score of the XG-1 and S980 is 66 and 94 respectively.

Pentax XG-1 vs Sony S980 top view buttons comparison

Pentax XG-1 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison

Often, it is tough to see the contrast in sensor sizing only by researching specs. The graphic below will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the XG-1 and S980.

All in all, each of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Pentax XG-1 to render extra detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics far more aggressively. The younger XG-1 will have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.

Pentax XG-1 vs Sony S980 sensor size comparison

Pentax XG-1 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax XG-1 vs Sony S980 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Pentax XG-1
Portrait photography with Sony S980
40
manual focus
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
external flash not possible
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
27
focusing manually
no manual mode
external flash not possible
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Street Comparison

Pentax XG-1 Street photography factors
Sony S980 Street photography factors
43
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
no moving screen
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
more heavy than competition (567 grams)
47
screen is fixed
does not have image stabilization
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Sports Comparison

Pentax XG-1 Sports photography highlights
Sony S980 Sports photography highlights
45
excellent zoom range (24-1248mm 52.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent megapixels (16MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
bad battery (240 CIPA)
lack of phase detect autofocus
17
max frames per second low (1.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Pentax XG-1
Travel photography with Sony S980
52
decent megapixels (16MP)
has built in flash
pretty wide (24mm)
great zoom (1248mm)
missing Timelapse recording
bad battery (240 per charge)
more heavy than competition (567g)
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
51
flash built-in
does not have Timelapse mode
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not good (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Landscape Comparison

Pentax XG-1 Landscape photography factors
Sony S980 Landscape photography factors
45
manual focus
pretty wide (24mm)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent megapixels (16MP)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
bad battery (240 per charge)
missing Timelapse recording
27
focusing manually
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not good (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
small screen (2.7")
no manual mode
does not have image stabilization
low megapixels (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
does not have Timelapse mode
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Pentax XG-1 Vlogging details
Sony S980 Vlogging details
25
pretty wide (24mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
missing external microphone jack
more heavy than competition (567 grams)
22
wide angle not good (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
screen isn't selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
video res low (1280 x 720 pixels)
does not have microphone port
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Pentax XG-1 vs Sony S980 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax XG-1 and Sony S980
 Pentax XG-1Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
General Information
Brand Pentax Sony
Model Pentax XG-1 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
Type Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Compact
Released 2014-07-15 2009-02-17
Body design SLR-like (bridge) Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Max native ISO 3200 3200
Min native ISO 100 80
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points - 9
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 24-1248mm (52.0x) 33-132mm (4.0x)
Highest aperture f/2.8-5.6 f/3.3-5.2
Macro focus range 1cm 10cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inches 2.7 inches
Screen resolution 460k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 200k dot -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 4s 2s
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000s 1/1600s
Continuous shooting speed 9.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 6.00 m 3.50 m
Flash modes Force Off, Flash Auto, Force Flash, Slow Sync., Slow Sync. + Red-Eye, Red-Eye Reduction Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (120 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video file format Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Microphone 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 proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 567g (1.25 pounds) 167g (0.37 pounds)
Dimensions 119 x 89 x 98mm (4.7" x 3.5" x 3.9") 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 240 photographs -
Type of battery Battery Pack -
Battery model LB-060 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Launch cost $599 $300