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Sony A900 vs Sony S980

Portability
54
Imaging
66
Features
62
Overall
64
Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 front
Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
17
Overall
27

Sony A900 vs Sony S980 Key Specs

Sony A900
(Full Review)
  • 25MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 895g - 156 x 117 x 82mm
  • Released October 2008
  • Updated by Sony A99
Sony S980
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
  • 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
  • Introduced February 2009
Photography Glossary

Sony A900 vs Sony S980 Overview

The following is a comprehensive review of the Sony A900 vs Sony S980, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are manufactured by Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the A900 (25MP) and S980 (12MP) and the A900 (Full frame) and S980 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

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The A900 was released 3 months before the S980 which means that they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Sony A900 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a full comparison, here is a quick view of how the A900 scores against the S980 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Sony A900 over the Sony S980

 A900 S980 
Display dimensions3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution922k230kCrisper display (+692k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Sony A900

 S980 A900 

Common features in the Sony A900 and Sony S980

 A900 S980 
IntroducedOctober 2008February 2009Similar generation
Manual focus Dial exact focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Neither features selfie screen
Touch display Neither features Touch display

Sony A900 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison

In case you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Sony A900 enjoys physical dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") and a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs) while the Sony S980 has dimensions of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Check the Sony A900 vs Sony S980 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the A900 versus the S980.

Sony A900 vs Sony S980 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the A900 and S980 is 54 and 94 respectively.

Sony A900 vs Sony S980 top view buttons comparison

Sony A900 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is very tough to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions just by reviewing specifications. The image below might give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the A900 and S980.

To sum up, each of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The A900 due to its larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Sony A900 will offer extra detail as a result of its extra 13MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images more aggressively.

Sony A900 vs Sony S980 sensor size comparison

Sony A900 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A900 vs Sony S980 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A900 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony S980 as a Portrait photography camera
71
focusing manually
fantastic sensor resolution (25MP)
great sensor size (Full frame)
saves RAW files
doesn't have liveview
27
has manual focus
manual exposure not available
no external flash support
low MP (12 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
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Street Comparison

Sony A900 Street photography info
Sony S980 Street photography info
66
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
great sensor size (Full frame)
saves RAW files
environment sealing
screen does not articulate
47
no articulating screen
no image stabilization
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sony A900 Sports photography factors
Sony S980 Sports photography factors
70
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
fantastic sensor resolution (25MP)
great sensor size (Full frame)
environment sealing
sensor has phase detect auto focus
doesn't have liveview
slow continuous shooting (5.0 frames per second)
17
low frames per second (1.0 fps)
lack of shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
low MP (12MP)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Sony A900
Travel photography with Sony S980
54
environment sealing
fantastic sensor resolution (25MP)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
51
built-in flash
does not have Timelapse recording
low MP (12 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not good (33mm)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony A900 Landscape photography details
Sony S980 Landscape photography details
72
focusing manually
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
fantastic sensor resolution (25 megapixels)
great sensor size (Full frame)
saves RAW files
environment sealing
has double storage slots
doesn't have liveview
doesn't have Timelapse recording
27
has manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not good (33mm)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
screen is small (2.7 inch)
manual exposure not available
no image stabilization
low MP (12 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
does not have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A900 Vlogging factors
Sony S980 Vlogging factors
9
no video shooting
22
wide angle not good (33mm)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
screen isn't selfie friendly
no image stabilization
low quality video (1280 x 720 pxls)
does not have external microphone socket
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Sony A900 vs Sony S980 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A900 and Sony S980
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A900Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
General Information
Company Sony Sony
Model Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
Category Advanced DSLR Small Sensor Compact
Released 2008-10-22 2009-02-17
Physical type Mid-size SLR Compact
Sensor Information
Chip Bionz -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Full frame 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 35.9 x 24mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 861.6mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 25 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 6048 x 4032 4000 x 3000
Max native ISO 6400 3200
Lowest native ISO 100 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points 9 9
Lens
Lens mounting type Sony/Minolta Alpha fixed lens
Lens focal range - 33-132mm (4.0x)
Maximum aperture - f/3.3-5.2
Macro focus distance - 10cm
Amount of lenses 143 -
Crop factor 1 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3" 2.7"
Screen resolution 922 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Screen tech TFT Xtra Fine color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 30s 2s
Highest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/1600s
Continuous shooting rate 5.0 frames per sec 1.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range no built-in flash 3.50 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/250s -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions - 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution None 1280x720
Video format - Motion JPEG
Microphone 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 895g (1.97 lb) 167g (0.37 lb)
Physical dimensions 156 x 117 x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 79 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 23.7 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 12.3 not tested
DXO Low light score 1431 not tested
Other
Battery life 880 photographs -
Type of battery Battery Pack -
Battery model NP-FM500H -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II), Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, UDMA Mode 5, Supports FAT12 / FAT16 / FAT32 Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Card slots Two One
Launch pricing $2,736 $300