Sony A300 vs Sony S980

On this page, we are evaluating the Sony A300 vs Sony S980, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are created by Sony. The sensor resolution of the A300 (10MP) and the S980 (12MP) is very well matched but the A300 (APS-C) and S980 (1/2.3") have different sensor dimensions.

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The A300 was launched 12 months prior to the S980 so they are both of a similar generation. Both the cameras have different body design with the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a more detailed comparison, here is a short highlight of how the A300 scores against the S980 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A300 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The complete galleries are available at Sony A300 Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and volume. The Sony A300 comes with outer measurements of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) while the Sony S980 has sizing of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Check out the Sony A300 vs Sony S980 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use at the time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the A300 compared to the S980.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the A300 and S980 is 64 and 94 respectively.

Generally, it can be difficult to imagine the gap between sensor measurements simply by checking a spec sheet. The visual below will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the A300 and S980.

Clearly, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The A300 featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Sony S980 will give you extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos more aggressively. The older A300 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.