Sony A500 vs Sony S980
63 Imaging
52 Features
52 Overall
52
94 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27
Sony A500 vs Sony S980 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Revealed August 2009
- Refreshed by Sony A560
(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
- Released February 2009
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On this page, we will be looking at the Sony A500 versus Sony S980, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are designed by Sony. The resolution of the A500 (12MP) and the S980 (12MP) is pretty close but the A500 (APS-C) and S980 (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe A500 was introduced 7 months after the S980 and they are of a similar generation. Both cameras have different body design with the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.
Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief overview of how the A500 scores versus the S980 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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The following is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The whole galleries are viewable at Sony A500 Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Sony S980
| A500 | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | August 2009 |  | February 2009 | More modern by 7 months |
| Screen type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting screen |
| Screen dimensions | 3" |  | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Sony A500
| S980 | A500 |
|---|
Common features in the Sony A500 and Sony S980
| A500 | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus |  | More exact focus | ||
| Screen resolution | 230k |  | 230k | Identical screen resolution |
| Selfie screen |  | No selfie screen | ||
| Touch friendly screen |  | No Touch friendly screen |
Sony A500 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to carry around your camera, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Sony A500 has outside measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs) whilst the Sony S980 has specifications of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).
Check the Sony A500 versus Sony S980 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the A500 vs the S980.
Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A500 and S980 is 63 and 94 respectively.
Sony A500 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison
Normally, its tough to visualize the difference in sensor sizes only by viewing specs. The picture below will help offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the A500 and S980.
All in all, both of those cameras provide the same megapixels albeit different sensor sizes. The A500 has got the bigger sensor which should make achieving shallower depth of field easier. The newer A500 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.
Sony A500 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder
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Sony A500 vs Sony S980 Specifications
| Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Sony | Sony |
| Model | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 |
| Type | Entry-Level DSLR | Small Sensor Compact |
| Revealed | 2009-08-27 | 2009-02-17 |
| Physical type | Compact SLR | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | Bionz | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | APS-C | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor dimensions | 23.5 x 15.6mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor surface area | 366.6mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 4272 x 2848 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Max native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
| Minimum native ISO | 200 | 80 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Tracking autofocus | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect focus | ||
| Contract detect focus | ||
| Phase detect focus | ||
| Number of focus points | 9 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Sony/Minolta Alpha | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | - | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
| Highest aperture | - | f/3.3-5.2 |
| Macro focus range | - | 10cm |
| Total lenses | 143 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 1.5 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Tilting | Fixed Type |
| Display sizing | 3" | 2.7" |
| Display resolution | 230 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch capability | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95% | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.53x | - |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 30 seconds | 2 seconds |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/1600 seconds |
| Continuous shooting rate | 5.0fps | 1.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash range | 12.00 m | 3.50 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Highest flash synchronize | 1/160 seconds | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | - | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | None | 1280x720 |
| Video data 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 | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 630g (1.39 lb) | 167g (0.37 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") | 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 64 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | 21.8 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 11.6 | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | 772 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 520 photos | - |
| Style of battery | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery model | NP-FM500H | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage type | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Pricing at launch | $638 | $300 |