Sony a3500 vs Sony S980

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Sony a3500 and Sony S980, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are sold by Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the a3500 (20MP) and S980 (12MP) and the a3500 (APS-C) and S980 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizes.

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The a3500 was announced 5 years after the S980 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a in depth comparison, here is a quick view of how the a3500 grades vs the S980 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha a3500 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The whole galleries are available at Sony a3500 Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and size. The Sony a3500 has physical dimensions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs) while 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).

Examine the Sony a3500 and Sony S980 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using at the time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the a3500 vs the S980.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the a3500 and S980 is 69 and 94 respectively.

Often, it can be tough to envision the contrast in sensor sizes merely by seeing a spec sheet. The picture underneath will offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the a3500 and S980.

Clearly, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The a3500 with its bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF easier and the Sony a3500 will show greater detail with its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The newer a3500 is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.