Sony A9 II vs Sony S980
62 Imaging
74 Features
93 Overall
81
94 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27
Sony A9 II vs Sony S980 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 51200 (Raise to 204800)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 678g - 129 x 96 x 76mm
- Launched October 2019
- Old Model is Sony A9
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 3200
- 1280 x 720 video
- 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
- 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
- Introduced February 2009
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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.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe 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.
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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.
Reasons to pick Sony A9 II over the Sony S980
| A9 II | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | October 2019 | February 2009 | More modern by 130 months | |
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen | |
| Screen sizing | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 1440k | 230k | Clearer screen (+1210k dot) | |
| Touch friendly screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Sony A9 II
| S980 | A9 II |
|---|
Common features in the Sony A9 II and Sony S980
| A9 II | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | More exact focusing | |||
| Selfie screen | Neither comes with selfie screen |
Sony A9 II vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison
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.
Sony A9 II vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison
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.
Sony A9 II vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder
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Sony A9 II vs Sony S980 Specifications
| Sony Alpha A9 Mark II | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Sony | Sony |
| Model | Sony Alpha A9 Mark II | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 |
| Type | Pro Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
| Launched | 2019-10-03 | 2009-02-17 |
| Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | BIONZ X | - |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Full frame | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 35.6 x 23.8mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor surface area | 847.3mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 24MP | 12MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 6000 x 4000 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Max native ISO | 51200 | 3200 |
| Max boosted ISO | 204800 | - |
| Min native ISO | 100 | 80 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Min boosted ISO | 50 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Tracking autofocus | ||
| Selective autofocus | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Autofocus live view | ||
| Face detection focus | ||
| Contract detection focus | ||
| Phase detection focus | ||
| Number of focus points | 693 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | Sony E | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | - | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
| Maximal aperture | - | f/3.3-5.2 |
| Macro focus distance | - | 10cm |
| Available lenses | 121 | - |
| Crop factor | 1 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Tilting | Fixed Type |
| Screen size | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
| Screen resolution | 1,440k dots | 230k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch operation | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | None |
| Viewfinder resolution | 3,686k dots | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.78x | - |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 30 secs | 2 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/1600 secs |
| Highest silent shutter speed | 1/32000 secs | - |
| Continuous shooting rate | 20.0fps | 1.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | no built-in flash | 3.50 m |
| Flash options | Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 3840x2160 | 1280x720 |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 678g (1.49 lb) | 167g (0.37 lb) |
| Dimensions | 129 x 96 x 76mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.0") | 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 | 690 photos | - |
| Battery type | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery model | NP-FZ100 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2, 5, 10 secs + continuous, 3 or 5 frames) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage type | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible) | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
| Card slots | 2 | 1 |
| Cost at launch | $4,498 | $300 |