Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony S980

The following is a extended review of the Sigma DP3 Merrill and Sony S980, former is a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Sigma and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the DP3 Merrill (15MP) and S980 (12MP) and the DP3 Merrill (APS-C) and S980 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The DP3 Merrill was announced 3 years after the S980 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a simple overview of how the DP3 Merrill matches up against the S980 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sigma DP3 Merrill & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The whole galleries are viewable at Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery & Sony S980 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Sigma DP3 Merrill comes with physical dimensions of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") having a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs) and the Sony S980 has measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Look at the Sigma DP3 Merrill and Sony S980 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. The following is the front view size comparison of the DP3 Merrill compared to the S980.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the DP3 Merrill and S980 is 83 and 94 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by researching a spec sheet. The image below may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the DP3 Merrill and S980.

As you can see, both the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The DP3 Merrill having a bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF easier and the Sigma DP3 Merrill will result in more detail with its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a little more aggressively. The more recent DP3 Merrill will have a benefit in sensor innovation.