Sony QX100 vs Sony S980: A Hands-On Comparison for Curious Photographers

When Sony shook up the camera world with the lens-style QX100 in 2013, it was an unusual proposition - a compact but powerful lens unit that relied entirely on your smartphone for controls and display. Contrast that with the more traditional compact camera approach of the earlier 2009 Sony S980, a ready-to-shoot point-and-shoot ensemble. Each serves a different niche, yet they both bear the Sony Cyber-shot badge.

Having spent the better part of two decades rigorously testing cameras across genres and evolving tech landscapes, I find their direct comparison fascinating from a practical, performance, and usability viewpoint. So, if you’re figuring out which Sony suits your style - or simply love contrasting quirky tech approaches - you’re in the right place. Let’s dive deep.

First Impressions: Size, Handling, and Physical Presence

Start by looking at these two side by side:

The QX100’s lens-style design is unlike almost anything else on the market - it’s essentially a thick lens with a built-in sensor but no body, screen, or viewfinder. Measuring just 63 x 63 x 56 mm and weighing 179 grams, it’s pocket-friendly, but you’ll always need a smartphone to manage it.

The S980, a small compact from an earlier era, has a classic rectangular shape with integrated controls and a screen. It’s larger in footprint (93 x 56 x 24 mm) but roughly the same weight (167 g), boasting a more traditional, one-piece feel.

Ergonomically, I found the S980 easier to grip and shoot with under the wrist without an accessory; the QX100, by contrast, feels abstract until paired with a phone mount or comfortable hand grip. If you want quick access and simplicity, the S980’s body is tried and tested. However, the QX100’s modular idea lets you combine it with whatever smartphone you own, turning your phone into a live viewfinder and control panel via Wi-Fi.

Design and Control Layout: What’s Under Your Fingers?

Control handling matters hugely in real shooting. Let’s peek from above:

The S980 has dedicated buttons, a power switch, mode dial, and a zoom toggle - all familiar and satisfying to use. There’s definite tactile feedback and no complicated menus to wade through.

The QX100 has no physical controls beyond a shutter button and zoom lever on the lens body itself; everything else is handled on your smartphone interface. This hands-off approach means you get clean hardware with less to wear out but rely entirely on a good companion app - which sometimes drops responsiveness or lags in demanding situations.

For fast action or landscape, the physical buttons on the S980 give it an edge if you want swift adjustments on the fly without pulling out your phone. On the flip side, the QX100’s minimalism is quite freeing if you love tech integration, though you’ll want a solid phone holder for stability.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Sony’s cameras often impress with their sensor technology, so let’s zoom in on specs:

The QX100 sports a significantly larger 1" BSI-CMOS sensor measuring 13.2 x 8.8 mm - approx. 116 mm² sensor area - shooting at 20 MP. This sensor size is what you’d find in premium compacts and mirrorless interchangeable lenses of that era. The BSI (back-side illuminated) design helps with sensitivity and noise control, allowing the camera to perform well into moderate ISO levels.

The S980, meanwhile, has a much smaller 1/2.3" CCD sensor at 6.17 x 4.55 mm, around 28 mm² sensor area, with 12 MP resolution. Smaller sensors often struggle with noise at higher ISOs and have less dynamic range overall.

In real-world testing, the QX100 produces images with noticeably better clarity, color fidelity, and low-light performance. Portraits reveal smoother skin tones and richer gradients, while landscapes show more impressive shadow detail and vibrancy. The S980’s images can be sharp under good daylight but lose detail and show color noise and highlight clipping quicker as conditions get tougher.

If image quality is your priority, the QX100’s sensor advantage is a decisive factor, especially for enthusiasts wanting crisp results without post-processing headaches.

Screen and Interface: Viewing Your Shot with Comfort or Convenience?

Viewing your composition and reviewing images is central to shooting decisions, so screens count.

The S980 features a 2.7-inch LCD with 230k dots - a modest but straightforward display built into the camera body. There’s no touchscreen, so navigation relies on physical buttons and menus.

The QX100 has no integrated screen at all. Instead, it uses your smartphone’s screen, which could be anything from a small old phone LCD to a vibrant, large OLED panel. While this lets you leverage the best displays available, the experience varies heavily based on which phone you pair it with. The touchscreen interface is responsive and intuitive through the Sony PlayMemories app, enabling tap-to-focus, exposure adjustments, and live histogram viewing in a way the S980 can’t match.

If you like flexibility and don’t mind tethering to a phone, the QX100 wins here hands-down. Casual shooters or those wanting simple setups may prefer the S980’s standalone kennel-camera approach without external dependencies.

Autofocus, Burst, and Performance: Fast Hands or Lazy Snaps?

Autofocus speed and accuracy can make or break wildlife and sports photography moments.

The QX100 offers contrast-detection AF with face detection, but no continuous AF or tracking. The lack of dedicated autofocus points or phase-detection AF means acquiring focus can be slower than modern mirrorless cams, but better than average for a lens-style unit.

The S980 uses 9 contrast-detection AF points and can operate in single AF mode only. It has a very slow burst speed - essentially one frame per second - so it’s unsuitable for fast action.

Neither camera is designed for sports or wildlife: if you chase animals or players, you’ll quickly find both are limited by sluggish autofocus and low burst frame rates. The QX100’s advantage is a modestly faster AF system and the ability to manually focus via the app - helpful for macro and deliberate compositions.

Lens Quality and Versatility: Zooming In on Your Frame

Both cameras have fixed zoom lens designs, but the specifications spell different stories.

• QX100: 28-100 mm equivalent (3.6x zoom), fast aperture from f/1.8 to f/4.9, and a macro focus as close as 5 cm.
• S980: 33-132 mm equivalent (4x zoom), narrower apertures f/3.3 to f/5.2, macro starting at 10 cm.

The QX100’s lens can gather more light, meaning better low-light and shallow depth-of-field capabilities, which is critical for portraits with creamy bokeh. The close macro focusing distance adds creative scope for intimate detail, albeit without focus stacking.

The S980’s longer zoom can capture more distant subjects but at the expense of brightness and image quality, as you’ll notice softness creeping in at longer focal lengths.

In practice, the QX100’s faster, sharper lens makes it suitable for portraits, street, and macro work, while the S980 favors casual snapshots where zoom reach matters more than artistic rendering.

Video Quality and Features: Moving Pictures Show?

For video shooters, specs reveal:

• QX100 records Full HD 1080p at 30 fps using MPEG-4, has optical image stabilization (a boon when handholding), but lacks 4K support or external mic inputs.
• S980 maxes out at HD 720p at 30 fps, records in Motion JPEG (less efficient), and offers a built-in flash but no stabilization.

In my hands-on tests, the QX100’s video output is cleaner with less jitter thanks to stabilization, while the S980’s clips seem softer and noisier. The absence of true manual video controls on both limits professional use, but for casual shooting or social media, the QX100 undeniably delivers higher quality and smoother footage.

Battery, Storage, and Wireless Connectivity: Powering Your Shoots

Battery life can frustrate as much as sensor performance, and storage options influence workflow.

The QX100 uses a rechargeable NP-BN battery pack, rated for around 200 shots per charge, and stores photos on microSD cards or Memory Stick Micro formats. Its wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi for the smartphone interface and NFC for quick pairing - super convenient if you’re mobile and want hassle-free transfers. USB 2.0 supports charging and data.

The S980 lacks wireless altogether, depending on internal or Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo cards (Sony’s legacy format). Battery details are thin, but expect fair consumer compact endurance. The USB 2.0 port and a mini HDMI output cater to basic data offloading and video playback.

If you prize wireless workflow and modern storage standards, the QX100 wins out - especially if shooting tethered to your phone and demanding efficient transfers.

Durability and Weather Resistance: Ready for Real-World Use?

Neither camera offers environmental sealing, waterproofing, shock, or freeze-proofing. Both are strictly consumer-grade in build quality.

If you shoot outdoors in rough conditions, both need careful handling or protection gear. The QX100’s accessory compatibility lets you rig with stabilizers or cases more easily, if you’re serious.

Image Quality and Sample Gallery: A Picture’s Worth…

Seeing is believing, so here are direct samples from both:

Sony QX100 front Sony QX100 screen back Sony S980 front Sony S980 screen back

The QX100’s images show noticeably smoother gradations, tighter details, and better color reproduction. Skin tones render naturally with pleasant warmth, and bokeh separation on portraits feels creamy. The S980 outputs good daylight images but looks flatter and more pixelated on 100% crops.

Landscape shots from the QX100 preserve dynamic range with better shadows and highlights than the S980, which suffers clipped skies and muddier colors.

These distinctions hold true across various scene types - solid proof of the sensor and lens combo’s importance.

How Do They Score? Overall and Genre-Specific Performance

Zooming out, analyzing their broad performance:

The QX100 outperforms in nearly every major category: image quality, autofocus, video, connectivity, and low light. The S980’s limited capabilities weigh it down, though it scores decently for casual point-and-shoot ease.

Breaking it down further:

• Portraits: QX100 wins with bokeh and skin tone accuracy.
• Landscape: Larger sensor and aperture range favor QX100.
• Wildlife & Sports: Both struggle, but QX100 slightly better AF speed.
• Street & Travel: Portability and wireless make QX100 preferred.
• Macro: Sharper lens and closer minimum focus on QX100.
• Night/Astro: QX100’s ISO advantage is crucial.
• Video: QX100 delivers superior HD quality and stabilization.
• Professional Use: Neither fully professional, but QX100 approaches entry-level prosumer level.

Practical Recommendations: Who Should Choose Which?

If you want my direct advice after testing them extensively:

Choose the Sony QX100 if:

• You desire image quality that punches well above compact cameras.
• You’re comfortable integrating your smartphone into your shooting experience.
• You shoot in varied conditions - portraits, street, travel, or low-light scenes.
• You want hassle-free wireless sharing and control flexibility.
• You enjoy shooting video with decent stabilization.
• You want a compact, pocketable yet technically capable device.

Choose the Sony S980 if:

• You want a simple, all-in-one camera that doesn’t rely on extra hardware.
• Budget is tight, and you want an uncomplicated point-and-shoot.
• You shoot casual photos in good light and don’t prioritize image quality.
• You appreciate traditional controls and don’t like smartphone dependency.
• Your needs are limited to easy snapshots with modest zoom.

The Bottom Line: Innovation vs Tradition in the Sony Compact Universe

The Sony Cyber-shot lineup is a museum of evolving camera concepts: the S980 is an honest snapshot soldier of the late 2000s, while the QX100 dared to redefine the lens-camera relationship by blurring lines between smartphone and standalone gear.

From technical testing, field shoots, and side-by-side comparisons, the QX100 clearly offers superior output and versatile features, if you’re willing to embrace its unusual form factor and the necessity of a paired smartphone. Its 1" sensor, faster lens, and Wi-Fi interface make it relevant even in a modern context.

The S980 remains an accessible option for those seeking simplicity and legacy solidness but will disappoint photographers demanding higher image quality and flexibility.

Whichever route you take, understanding their strengths lets you align your choice with photographic goals rather than marketing hype.

Happy shooting!

If you want to explore related models or need help tailoring your next camera purchase for sports, wildlife, or professional workflows, just reach out - I love helping photographers make smart choices based on real experience, not just specs sheets.