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Sony A200 vs Sony S980

Portability
66
Imaging
49
Features
38
Overall
44
Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 front
Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
17
Overall
27

Sony A200 vs Sony S980 Key Specs

Sony A200
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 572g - 131 x 99 x 71mm
  • Launched July 2008
  • Refreshed by Sony A230
Sony S980
(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
  • Revealed February 2009
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Sony A200 vs Sony S980 Overview

Following is a complete comparison of the Sony A200 and Sony S980, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Sony. The resolution of the A200 (10MP) and the S980 (12MP) is relatively comparable but the A200 (APS-C) and S980 (1/2.3") posses different sensor sizes.

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The A200 was announced 7 months before the S980 so they are of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Sony A200 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the A200 scores vs the S980 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Sony A200 over the Sony S980

 A200 S980 

Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Sony A200

 S980 A200 
RevealedFebruary 2009July 2008More modern by 7 months

Common features in the Sony A200 and Sony S980

 A200 S980 
Focus manually Dial accurate focus
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen dimensions2.7"2.7"Equal screen dimensions
Screen resolution230k230kThe same screen resolution
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Absent Touch friendly screen

Sony A200 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison

In case you're looking to carry around your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Sony A200 has physical measurements of 131mm x 99mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 2.8") having a weight of 572 grams (1.26 lbs) and the Sony S980 has proportions of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Look at the Sony A200 and Sony S980 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the A200 vs the S980.

Sony A200 vs Sony S980 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the A200 and S980 is 66 and 94 respectively.

Sony A200 vs Sony S980 top view buttons comparison

Sony A200 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it can be difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes purely by going through a spec sheet. The image below will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the A200 and S980.

Clearly, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The A200 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh simpler and the Sony S980 will produce more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged A200 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.

Sony A200 vs Sony S980 sensor size comparison

Sony A200 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A200 vs Sony S980 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A200 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony S980 as a Portrait photography camera
53
manual focus
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
supports RAW files
doesn't have liveview
megapixel count low (10MP)
27
manual focus
manual mode not available
external flash not possible
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Sony A200
Street photography with Sony S980
65
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
supports RAW files
screen is fixed
47
screen is fixed
lack of image stabilization
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sony A200 Sports photography highlights
Sony S980 Sports photography highlights
49
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
has phase detect auto focus
doesn't have liveview
max fps very slow (3.0 fps)
megapixel count low (10 megapixels)
17
slow frames per second (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
lack of image stabilization
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Sony A200 Travel photography highlights
Sony S980 Travel photography highlights
46
has built in flash
lack of Timelapse function
megapixel count low (10 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
51
has built in flash
missing Time Lapse mode
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not great (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony A200 Landscape photography features
Sony S980 Landscape photography features
53
manual focus
change lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
supports RAW files
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inches)
doesn't have liveview
megapixel count low (10 megapixels)
lack of Timelapse function
27
manual focus
cannot change lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not great (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
screen is small (2.7 inch)
manual mode not available
lack of image stabilization
megapixel count low (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
missing Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A200 Vlogging features
Sony S980 Vlogging features
9
no video recording
22
wide angle not great (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
display isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
low res video (1280 x 720 resolution)
missing mic socket
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Sony A200 vs Sony S980 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A200 and Sony S980
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A200Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
General Information
Brand Name Sony Sony
Model Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
Category Entry-Level DSLR Small Sensor Compact
Launched 2008-07-17 2009-02-17
Physical type Compact SLR Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size APS-C 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 23.6 x 15.8mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 372.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio - 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 3872 x 2592 4000 x 3000
Max native ISO 3200 3200
Lowest native ISO 100 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Number of focus points 9 9
Lens
Lens mount Sony/Minolta Alpha fixed lens
Lens focal range - 33-132mm (4.0x)
Largest aperture - f/3.3-5.2
Macro focus range - 10cm
Available lenses 143 -
Crop factor 1.5 5.8
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 2.7" 2.7"
Resolution of display 230 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) None
Viewfinder coverage 95% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.55x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 30 secs 2 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/1600 secs
Continuous shooting rate 3.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 12.00 m (at ISO 100) 3.50 m
Flash modes Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain, wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution None 1280x720
Video file format - Motion JPEG
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 572 gr (1.26 lbs) 167 gr (0.37 lbs)
Physical dimensions 131 x 99 x 71mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 2.8") 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 63 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 22.3 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 11.3 not tested
DXO Low light score 521 not tested
Other
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage type Compact Flash Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Card slots 1 1
Cost at launch $100 $300