Sony A200 vs Sony S980

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.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The whole galleries are provided at Sony A200 Gallery & Sony S980 Gallery.

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.

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.

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

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.