Sony A9 vs Sony S980

Below is a detailed comparison of the Sony A9 versus Sony S980, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are manufactured by Sony. There is a considerable difference between the resolutions of the A9 (24MP) and S980 (12MP) and the A9 (Full frame) and S980 (1/2.3") boast different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The A9 was announced 8 years later than the S980 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief overview of how the A9 matches up against the S980 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha A9 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The whole galleries are provided at Sony A9 Gallery & Sony S980 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to think about its weight and measurements. The Sony A9 has outside measurements of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") along with a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs) whilst the Sony S980 has proportions of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Check the Sony A9 versus Sony S980 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is a front view scale comparison of the A9 and the S980.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the A9 and S980 is 65 and 94 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to imagine the gap between sensor measurements purely by reading specs. The visual underneath will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the A9 and S980.

All in all, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The A9 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Sony A9 will offer more detail with its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more recent A9 provides an edge with regard to sensor tech.