In-Depth Comparison: Samsung NX30 vs Sony DSC-S980 - A Tale of Two Eras and Systems

In the sprawling world of digital cameras, few comparisons illuminate the rapid evolution of technology as starkly as a mirrorless advanced camera versus a small sensor compact from an earlier generation. Here, we pit the Samsung NX30, an ambitious 2014 mirrorless contender, against the 2009 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 compact. At first glance, they serve distinct markets - one advanced and flexible, the other convenient and pocketable - but getting granular helps us understand how far camera tech has come, and what each type still offers today.

Having personally tested thousands of cameras across genres, I’m excited to walk through the nuances, performance details, and practical recommendations for these two cameras. Along the way, I’ll illustrate their strengths, quirks, and best use cases to help you decide if either might still be relevant or worth considering for your photographic ambitions.

Form and Feel: Ergonomics and Handling that Shape Your Experience

Handling a camera is about more than specs; it’s about the tactile connection photographers crave during shooting.

The Samsung NX30 presents as a robust APS-C mirrorless camera with an SLR-style body. It measures 127mm wide, 96mm tall, and 58mm deep, weighing about 375g (without lens). The body features pronounced grip contours and an electronic viewfinder (EVF) that invites traditional composition styles. Its AMOLED fully articulated 3-inch touchscreen is a major plus, offering fluid framing from unusual angles - invaluable for macro, videography, and street photography alike.

The Sony DSC-S980, meanwhile, is a compact from a very different era. At 93mm × 56mm × 24mm and just 167g, it’s truly pocketable, resembling a larger point-and-shoot from the late 2000s. Its fixed 2.7-inch LCD lacks touchscreen capability and its resolution is comparatively low, making image review less pleasant today.

In real-world use, the NX30’s SLR-style body lends excellent handling comfort for extended shooting sessions, while the S980’s compactness serves casual snapshooting or travel scenarios where minimizing bulk is paramount. For professionals and enthusiasts accustomed to manual controls, the NX30’s layout offers far superior ergonomics, whereas the S980 feels more utilitarian and sometimes fiddly in comparison.

Design and Control Layout: Where Manual Meets Minimalism

Controls profoundly influence shooting speed and creative freedom.

Samsung’s NX30 features a top-plate layout with multiple dedicated dials and buttons, including exposure compensation, mode dial, and customizable buttons. Its tilting screen and sizeable EVF complement this with a highly interactive feel. The processor - Samsung’s DRIMe IV - underpins smooth menu navigation and quick responsiveness.

Sony’s S980 sums up simplicity: minimal buttons, no external dials, and a fixed screen. An absence of an EVF means relying exclusively on the LCD in daylight, and menu navigation typically requires more button presses.

From my extensive tests, especially under fast-paced conditions like street or sports photography, the NX30’s physical controls allow me to quickly adapt settings, while the S980’s interface slows me down. This is particularly noticeable when switching between ISO, exposure compensation, or focus modes.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Quality imaging starts at the sensor; here, the differences are substantial.

The Samsung NX30 sports a 20.3-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor measuring 23.5 x 15.7 mm, yielding approximately 368.95 mm² sensor area. This sensor size and pixel count provide excellent resolution, color depth, and dynamic range for its time. The camera includes an antialiasing filter, which slightly softens images to reduce moiré, but the overall sharpness remains impressive.

By contrast, the Sony DSC-S980 uses a 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD sensor with 12 megapixels and roughly 28.07 mm² sensor area - dramatically smaller with less light-gathering capability and lower resolution. Its antialiasing filter is also present.

DxOMark scores affirm this disparity: the NX30 achieves a solid overall score of 77 points, reflecting excellent color depth (23.5 bits), dynamic range (12.4 EV), and low-light ISO (1014 equivalent). The S980 lacks official DxOMark results, but given its sensor size and technology (CCD rather than CMOS), one can expect lower dynamic range, reduced high-ISO performance, and less color fidelity.

Practically, this means the NX30 produces richer, cleaner images with more detail in shadows and highlights, superior skin tone rendering for portraiture, and greater versatility in challenging lighting.

Viewing and Screen Technology: Composition and Playback Tools

An intuitive and detailed display encourages confident framing and critical image review.

The NX30’s 3-inch AMOLED touchscreen offers 1036k dots resolution and fully articulates for shooting at unconventional angles – sunglasses-friendly AMOLED contrast and rich color depth enhance brightness and clarity, invaluable outdoors.

Sony’s S980 screen is 2.7 inches, fixed, and only 230k dots resolution - noticeably grainier and dimmer in bright light. Lack of touch also reduces usability.

During testing, the NX30’s touchscreen allowed seamless touch-to-focus and menu navigation, speeding workflow especially during event, portrait, or macro shoots. The S980’s screen was adequate for casual capture but proved frustrating in dynamic conditions or critical focusing requirements.

Lens Ecosystem and Focusing Systems: Shaping Creative Freedom

Lens compatibility often guides photographers’ system choices.

Samsung NX30 utilizes the Samsung NX mount with a respectable selection of 32 native lenses available during its prime - from fast primes to telephoto zooms. The lens ecosystem, while not as extensive as Nikon or Canon, still offered good diversity, including macro and wide-angle options, suitable for various genres. Furthermore, the 1.5x crop factor offers a flexible telephoto reach.

Sony’s DSC-S980 has a fixed lens: 33-132mm equivalent (4× zoom) with an aperture range from F3.3 to F5.2, limiting creative control and low-light capability. Macro focus down to about 10cm is respectable for casual close-ups.

The NX30’s autofocus is hybrid PDAF+contrast detection with 247 points, face detection, and touch AF. This yields quick, accurate focus, beneficial for wildlife, sports, or portraiture. Sony’s S980 provides single-point contrast detection AF over 9 points, no advanced tracking or face detection, resulting in slower, less reliable AF.

The NX30 also supports continuous AF tracking, vital for action shooting, whereas the S980 lacks continuous AF capacity.

Burst Shooting and Responsiveness: Capturing the Decisive Moment

For sports, wildlife, or candid street photography, frame rate and buffer depth matter.

The Samsung NX30 offers up to 9fps continuous shooting - notably rapid for its class and generation - letting photographers capture fleeting moments with confidence. This tested well in various shooting scenarios, maintaining sharp focus between frames.

Sony’s S980 is limited to 1fps burst rate - more of a snapshot camera, better suited to still life or posed shots than dynamic action.

Video Capabilities: Moving Beyond Stills

Video is essential for multimedia storytellers demanding integrated still and motion capture.

Samsung NX30 shoots full HD 1080p at 60fps with H.264 codec, featuring external microphone input (though no headphone jack). The fully articulated AMOLED screen aids creative angles, while steady autofocus helps maintain focus during pans or tracking shots.

Sony S980 can shoot HD 720p video at 30fps using MJPEG format, which is less efficient and results in larger file sizes. No external mic input limits serious videography potential.

While both lack advanced video features like 4K or in-body stabilization, the NX30 undeniably offers more usable video functionality, including better codecs and mic input.

Build Quality and Weather Sealing: Reliability Under Stress

Professional and adventurous photographers demand cameras that can endure various environments.

Neither the Samsung NX30 nor the Sony S980 offer environmental sealing, waterproofing, or freezeproofing. The NX30’s SLR-style mirrorless build is more robust and durable by design, while the S980’s compact plastic body is slim but more susceptible to wear.

For fieldwork, the NX30 can withstand more handling abuse; the S980 is better suited for benign conditions.

Battery Life and Storage: Staying Powered and Organized

Battery endurance impacts multi-day shooting, especially when traveling or remote shooting.

Samsung NX30 uses BP1410 rechargeable battery rated for approximately 360 shots per charge. This is moderate for mirrorless cameras of the era but can be extended with spares.

Sony S980’s battery life specification is unspecified in official literature, typical of compact cameras with smaller batteries. Expect roughly 200-300 shots before recharge.

Storage options differ: NX30 accepts SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, widely available and fast; S980 uses Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo cards - less common today, affecting convenience.

Connectivity Features: Instant Sharing in a Wireless World

The Samsung NX30 includes built-in Wi-Fi and NFC for wireless image transfer and remote control. This integration, while primitive by today’s standards, still empowers shooting connected to smartphones - great for travel or social users.

Sony’s S980 has no wireless capabilities, relegating connectivity to USB or HDMI ports only.

This difference is significant for workflow efficiency.

Real-World Image Quality Comparison: Galleries and Subject Tests

Let’s look at sample images illustrating the cameras’ output - including portraits, landscapes, and street shots.

Samsung NX30 front Samsung NX30 screen back Sony S980 front Sony S980 screen back

• Portraits: The NX30 renders pleasing skin tones with natural bokeh, courtesy of its large APS-C sensor and quality lenses. The S980’s images show less depth and more noise in low light.

• Landscapes: NX30’s superior dynamic range captures wider tonal graduations, preserving highlight and shadow detail. S980 photos tend to clip highlights and lose subtle shadow textures.

• Street photography: NX30’s articulating screen and silent shutter modes improve shooting discretion; S980's bulkier zoom and slower AF make capturing moments challenging.

Which Photography Genres Favor Each Camera?

The difference in sensor size, controls, and features shapes their suitability:

Portraiture

Samsung NX30 excels with eye/face detection AF, larger sensor for skin tone fidelity, and fast lenses for subject isolation.

Landscape

NX30’s dynamic range and resolution dominate; weather sealing is absent but tripod usage mitigates concerns.

Wildlife and Sports

NX30’s burst rate and autofocus tracking enable effective action capture; 1.5x crop extends telephoto reach.

Street Photography

NX30 is bulkier but quieter; S980's pocketability helps, but limited AF and image quality blunt performance.

Macro Photography

NX30’s lens options and focus precision outstrip S980's fixed lens, though neither offers advanced focus stacking.

Night and Astro

NX30’s high-ISO performance and better noise handling make it more capable under starry skies.

Video

NX30’s Full HD 60fps and mic input make it a credible hybrid option. S980 is basic and not recommended for modern video.

Travel

S980 remains handy for casual tourists desiring point-and-shoot simplicity. NX30 is bulkier but a better one-camera solution.

Professional Work

NX30 supports RAW files, extensive manual controls, and ‘pro-grade' workflow integration. S980 is unsuitable for professional demands.

Performance Scores and Genre Ratings

Synthesizing all measurements and field trials, here’s a visual breakdown:

We see the NX30 leading emphatically in core image quality, autofocus, video, and versatility categories. The S980 scores only on size and casual convenience.

Price and Value Considerations Today

At their launch, Samsung's NX30 carried a premium (~$700 new), reflective of advanced APS-C mirrorless capabilities. The Sony S980 retailing at ~$300 targeted budget-conscious consumers craving a simple all-in-one.

Today, both models are typically available used or refurbished. The NX30’s comparatively modern sensor and features make it a better long-term investment for serious photographers or those wanting a stepping stone into mirrorless systems.

In contrast, the S980 serves a niche as an ultra-portable point-and-shoot for non-serious shooters or those seeking a backup camera.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Reflecting on my time with each camera in varied fields, the Samsung NX30 emerges as a superior tool offering greater control, image quality, and creative freedom. It is ideally suited for enthusiasts, hobbyists, and semi-professionals targeting portraits, landscapes, or action photography.

The Sony DSC-S980, though charmingly compact and easy-to-use, is firmly a relic of the point-and-shoot era. Its compromises in sensor size, speed, and control render it best for casual users or collectors rather than seasoned photographers.

If you want a camera to grow with your skills, invest in an interchangeable lens system like the NX30’s. For simple snapshots and ultimate portability - perhaps as a fun throw-in for vacations - the S980 fulfills that niche.

Summary Table: Key Specs Side-by-Side

Conclusion

The Samsung NX30 and Sony DSC-S980 stand at two ends of a technological and use-case spectrum. While the S980 was a competent compact for casual photography in 2009, its capabilities are modest by today's standards. The NX30, as an advanced mirrorless system camera, packs a significantly stronger punch for versatile photography needs - especially when it comes to image quality, autofocus performance, and creative control.

For anyone pursuing serious stills and video work - from portraits and landscapes to wildlife and beyond - the Samsung NX30 offers a flexible, capable platform that can still deliver satisfying results. The Sony S980, meanwhile, may suit the simplex minded or those needing an ultra-light travel point-and-shoot, but it is less suitable for evolving photographic ambitions.

As with all gear choices, consider your photography objectives, preferred handling style, and budget carefully. I hope this detailed comparison sheds light on these two cameras’ qualities and aids you in charting a course through the camera market’s vast options.

Happy shooting!