Sony A9 II vs Sony S980

In this write-up, we will be analyzing the Sony A9 II and Sony S980, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are built by Sony. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the A9 II (24MP) and S980 (12MP) and the A9 II (Full frame) and S980 (1/2.3") come with different sensor size.

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The A9 II was manufactured 10 years after the S980 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Sony A9 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a complete comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the A9 II grades vs the S980 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha A9 Mark II and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The entire galleries are provided at Sony A9 II Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera often, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Sony A9 II comes with exterior dimensions of 129mm x 96mm x 76mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.0") and a weight of 678 grams (1.49 lbs) whilst the Sony S980 has measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

See the Sony A9 II and Sony S980 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the A9 II compared to the S980.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A9 II and S980 is 62 and 94 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to imagine the gap between sensor sizes only by reading a spec sheet. The pic below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the A9 II and S980.

Clearly, the two cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The A9 II featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Sony A9 II will deliver greater detail due to its extra 12MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs far more aggressively. The younger A9 II provides an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.