Sony A100 vs Sony S980

Here is a in depth assessment of the Sony A100 vs Sony S980, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Sony. The sensor resolution of the A100 (10MP) and the S980 (12MP) is fairly comparable but the A100 (APS-C) and S980 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The A100 was manufactured 3 years earlier than the S980 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the A100 scores against the S980 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The entire galleries are viewable at Sony A100 Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Sony A100 has outer dimensions of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs) while the Sony S980 has specifications of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Check out the Sony A100 vs Sony S980 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the A100 vs the S980.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the A100 and S980 is 64 and 94 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to see the contrast in sensor sizing just by checking out technical specs. The photograph here might give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the A100 and S980.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The A100 featuring a larger sensor will make achieving bokeh easier and the Sony S980 will provide more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images more aggressively. The older A100 will be behind in sensor technology.