Sony HX80 vs Sony S980

Here, we will be looking at the Sony HX80 vs Sony S980, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are produced by Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the HX80 (18MP) and S980 (12MP) but both cameras provide the identical sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The HX80 was revealed 7 years after the S980 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving into a full comparison, here is a brief view of how the HX80 matches up versus the S980 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The full galleries are available at Sony HX80 Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to take into account its weight and size. The Sony HX80 provides exterior measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") along with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 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).

Check out the Sony HX80 vs Sony S980 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the HX80 vs the S980.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the HX80 and S980 is 91 and 94 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizes simply by reading through a spec sheet. The image underneath will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the HX80 and S980.

Clearly, both of these cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit not the same megapixels. You should expect the Sony HX80 to give you more detail because of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more modern HX80 is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.