Sony A290 vs Sony S980

Following is a extended comparison of the Sony A290 and Sony S980, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are sold by Sony. The sensor resolution of the A290 (14MP) and the S980 (12MP) is relatively well matched but the A290 (APS-C) and S980 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The A290 was unveiled 16 months after the S980 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. The two cameras offer different body type with the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the A290 grades against the S980 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The full galleries are available at Sony A290 Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Sony A290 provides outer dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Sony S980 has measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Compare the Sony A290 and Sony S980 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the A290 and the S980.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the A290 and S980 is 66 and 94 respectively.

Normally, its difficult to see the gap between sensor sizes simply by checking a spec sheet. The pic below will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the A290 and S980.

As you can see, the 2 cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The A290 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony A290 will resolve extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more modern A290 will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.