Samsung ST100 vs Sony S980

Samsung ST100 vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980: Which Compact Companion Fits Your Style and Needs?

When it comes to ultracompact and small sensor compacts from the tail end of the 2000s and early 2010s, picking the perfect pocket-friendly shooter is a bit like choosing your favorite espresso blend at a café: subtle differences, personal preferences, and a splash of expectations. Today, we're diving deep into a head-to-head between the Samsung ST100 and Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-S980 - two entry-level shooters aimed at casual snappers craving convenience without sacrificing all control.

Having spent hours shooting, measuring, and fiddling with both, I’ll share the nitty-gritty on everything from image clarity and autofocus quirks to ergonomics and how these cameras hold up across diverse photography genres. Whether you’re stalking city streets, capturing fleeting wildlife moments, or just want a no-brainer travel buddy, this guide is tailored for photographers who want to understand what they’re really getting, beyond the marketing fluff.

Let’s unpack what these cameras bring to the table.

Sizing Up: Physical Form and Ergonomics

Size and hand feel can make or break your willingness to haul a camera around. The Samsung ST100, branded as an “ultracompact,” measures a svelte 100 x 60 x 20 mm and weighs a light 155 grams. The Sony S980, a “small sensor compact,” is slightly chunkier and heavier at 93 x 56 x 24 mm and 167 grams respectively. Both are pocket-friendly, but this dimension difference means the ST100 feels a tad slimmer, closer to slipping unnoticed into coat pockets.

Beyond dimensions, button layout and grip comfort significantly influence shooting experience. Both cameras lack an optical or electronic viewfinder, which nudges you toward their LCDs for composition. The Samsung takes a modern spin with a 3.5-inch touchscreen, a generous real estate aimed at previewing shots and tapping controls swiftly. Meanwhile, Sony sticks to a 2.7-inch fixed-type LCD with rather modest 230k-dot resolution and no touchscreen capability.

Handling-wise, the ST100’s touchscreen and minimalist front accent grip offer a sleek but less tactile interface, which may irk photographers used to tangible dials or buttons. Sony’s S980 eschews touch in favor of a more traditional button setup, with a dedicated manual focus ring, delivering better precision if you like getting under the lens hood manually.

Once you get past form factor, let’s talk about the heart of image capture - the sensor and optics.

Sensor and Image Quality: Raw Data from a Modest Engine

Both cameras deploy a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor - a size notorious for limiting low-light prowess and dynamic range compared to APS-C or full-frame sensors, but common in compact cameras of their era. Samsung’s ST100 pushes 14 megapixels versus Sony’s 12 MP offering, a slight edge in resolution that might tempt pixel-peepers, but be wary: more pixels on a small sensor can translate to increased noise if the tech doesn’t compensate well.

My testing with carefully controlled ISO ramps and exposure brackets reveals that Samsung’s ST100 images bear sharper detail at base ISO 80 but start showing chroma noise more aggressively beyond ISO 400. Sony’s S980, despite its lower resolution, yields smoother images at moderate ISO levels with marginally better color rendition, likely due to Sony’s image processing pipeline tuned for natural skin tones.

Neither camera supports RAW, so in-camera JPEG processing heavily influences final output. Samsung goes for more vibrant, punchy colors with a slight cool bias, which could please casual sharing users but might require retouching for professional portraiture. Sony favors a more muted, warmer palette, delivering pleasant but sometimes flat skin tones - less wow factor but more neutral groundwork if you archive images for post-processing later.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of sample images from both cameras at default settings:

Samsung ST100 screen back Sony S980 front Sony S980 screen back

Autofocus Systems: Speed vs. Precision

Autofocus (AF) is often ignored in spec sheets but is crucial for dependability, especially in unpredictable shooting environments. Both cameras employ contrast detection AF due to limited hardware and cost constraints, but with different strategies.

Samsung’s ST100 features face detection and central AF point emphasis, with touch-based AF activation thanks to its touchscreen. This provides quicker lock on faces in well-lit scenarios. However, the AF struggles under low contrast or dim lighting, frequently hunting before locking focus.

Sony’s S980 maps nine AF points with center-weighted priority but lacks face detection entirely. Manual focus is available here, a godsend for macro or landscape shooters desiring precise control. AF speed is slower than Samsung’s and less reliable on fast-moving subjects, which probably explains the meager 1 fps continuous shooting rate - hardly ideal for sports or wildlife.

That said, neither camera is geared for action shooters, but if you want to capture relaxed portraits or static scenes, their AF systems can suffice, albeit sometimes frustratingly slow.

Composition and Interface: LCD Wizardry and Viewfinders

We’ve touched on LCD sizes and touchscreen capabilities; now, let’s consider how these attributes influence framing shots and navigating menus.

Samsung ST100 uses a 3.5-inch 1152k-dot touchscreen LCD, one of the larger and higher resolution displays in its class, providing sharp previews and easy menu taps. This improves usability drastically, particularly in bright daylight where the screen’s brightness and resolution help evaluate sharpness and exposure on the fly.

Sony S980’s 2.7-inch, 230k-dot LCD feels cramped and dim in harsh light. Non-touch UI means multiple button presses to tweak settings, which slows workflow and can distract from the moment. Neither offers an electronic viewfinder, which means composing outdoors often demands a flexible wrist or squinting at overly reflective screens.

In the grand scheme, Samsung edges out Sony on live view usability and touch input, while Sony’s offering feels a bit quaint, harkening to 2007-era compacts.

Handling the Outdoors: Weather Sealing and Durability

Neither camera boasts any environmental sealing or rugged durability - no waterproofing, no dustproofing - which is typical of budget compacts. Both are delicate in the face of moisture or rough use. The slight advantage lies in Samsung’s slimmer body, which can more easily fit under jackets or in zip pockets, reducing exposure.

If outdoor adventure or inclement weather shooting tops your list, neither camera passes muster without a protective case.

Zoom and Macro: Lens Versatility Explored

Samsung packs a fixed 5× optical zoom lens covering 35-175 mm equivalent focal length with a maximum aperture range of f/3.6–4.8, while Sony offers a 4× zoom spanning 33-132 mm at f/3.3–5.2 aperture. Samsung’s extra telephoto reach and wider zoom ratio give it an edge in framing flexibility, especially for portraits or detail shots at a distance.

On macro capability, Samsung impresses with a close focus distance of 5 cm versus Sony’s more modest 10 cm. This means the ST100 can get you tighter close-ups with more pronounced subject isolation, especially useful when photographing flowers or small objects.

Autofocus precision at minimum focusing distances, however, is variable - Samsung’s touch AF helps nail critical focus quicker. Sony’s manual focus ring is a boon here if patience and skill are on your side.

Burst and Video: Can They Capture the Action?

Expectations should be grounded. Samsung hasn’t provided continuous shooting specs (likely minimal or none), and Sony officially supports a single frame per second. So forget rapid-fire sports or wildlife bursts with either camera.

For video, both deliver 720p HD (1280×720) at 30 fps in Motion JPEG format, an outdated codec by modern standards prone to large file sizes and limited editing flexibility. Neither supports 4K or advanced video features like external microphone input or in-body stabilization during recording.

Samsung’s built-in optical image stabilization should help steady handheld video slightly, whereas Sony lacks any stabilizer, leading to more shakiness.

Photography Genres: Breaking Down Real-World Performance

How do these cameras fare across the diverse worlds of portraiture, landscapes, wildlife, and beyond? I’ve used them in various environments to compile these impressions:

Portraits
Samsung’s face detection AF and touchscreen ease nail quick focusing on faces, delivering sharp eyes and pleasing bokeh at its telephoto end, although lens max aperture caps the shallow depth ability. Skin tones are punchier but require mild color corrections. Sony’s images are technically softer, and without face tracking, a patient shooter is needed.

Landscapes
Both cameras produce adequately sharp images given their sensor size, but neither impresses in dynamic range. Shadows clip easily, and highlights blow out in bright conditions. The Samsung’s higher resolution and macro capacity offer more versatility. Neither camera has weather sealing, so be cautious outdoors.

Wildlife
Neither camera was designed for wildlife; slow AF and poor burst rates mean missing the moment is common. Samsung’s longer zoom helps reach subjects, but focus hunting is frequent.

Sports
Forget it. The lack of continuous AF and low fps kill any hopes for sports action photography on these.

Street
Both cameras are discreet, but Samsung’s slimmer body and touchscreen provide quicker operation ideal for street candid shots. Sony’s bulk and fiddly controls slow responsiveness.

Macro
Samsung dominates here with closer focusing distance and touch focus control. Great for detail lovers.

Night and Astro
Low light performance is poor across the board owing to small sensors and limited ISO scaling. Neither camera offers advanced exposure modes beneficial for night shooters.

Video
Basic 720p video with limited stabilization. Use only for casual clips.

Travel
Samsung’s slimness, longer zoom, and better screen make it my travel pick, though neither offers extended battery life or wireless connectivity.

Professional Workflow
No RAW support, limited manual controls, and modest image quality exclude both cameras from professional use. Consider these as casual snapshot companions.

Connectivity, Battery, and Storage

Neither camera offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, or GPS, which is expected for their class and age. Both have HDMI for external display and USB 2.0 for data transfer.

Storage-wise, Samsung uses MicroSD/SDHC cards, while Sony employs Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo - a slightly less common format today, which could pose hassles finding replacements.

Battery performance data is sparse, but both compact batteries typically yield modest shots per charge - taking spares is recommended.

Top Performance Scores and Genre-Specific Ratings

Wrapping up the data-driven analysis, here’s an at-a-glance visual summary of their overall and specialized scores:

And here the genre-specific performance reveals clear strengths and weaknesses:

Price-to-Performance Verdict

Retailing around $250 for Samsung and $300 for Sony (at respective launches), both cameras are budget-friendly, but the Samsung ST100 steers better value given its sharper LCD, touch interface, longer zoom, and macro prowess.

Sony may appeal to those craving manual focus and slightly gentler colors but accepts compromises in usability and lens reach.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

So, which compact champion earns your pocket?

Go Samsung ST100 if:

• You prioritize larger, sharper touchscreen interfaces for quick framing and menu navigation
• You want longer zoom range and closer macro shots
• You shoot mostly static subjects like portraits or travel snaps in good light
• You value better stabilization for video and general shooting steadiness
• You prefer modern SD card compatibility

Lean Sony DSC-S980 if:

• You wish to experiment with manual focusing occasionally
• You like a more traditional button interface over touchscreens
• You don’t mind shorter zoom and slightly lower resolution for smoother colors
• You’ve already invested in Memory Stick cards
• You’re less concerned about zoom versatility and more about simplicity

In no universe would I recommend either camera for serious sports, wildlife, night/astro photography, or professional workflows due to their limited specs and lack of raw support. But for beginners or casual users seeking straightforward compact cameras with decent image quality and intuitive interfaces, these contenders hold their own.

I hope this deep dive helps you balance specs, feel, and real-world use cases toward your next pocket camera decision. After all, the best camera is the one you actually carry - and enjoy using.

Happy shooting!

• A seasoned photographer who’s been there, shot that, and understands the small sensor compact conundrum intimately.