Sony RX1 vs Sony S980

Its time to take a closer look at the Sony RX1 versus Sony S980, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are designed by Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the resolutions of the RX1 (24MP) and S980 (12MP) and the RX1 (Full frame) and S980 (1/2.3") come with different sensor dimensions.

Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

The RX1 was announced 4 years after the S980 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Sony RX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a simple summation of how the RX1 matches up vs the S980 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The whole galleries are provided at Sony RX1 Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Sony RX1 enjoys exterior measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") and a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs) whilst the Sony S980 has measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Contrast the Sony RX1 versus Sony S980 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the RX1 and the S980.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the RX1 and S980 is 79 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizes just by reading a spec sheet. The pic below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the RX1 and S980.

As you can see, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The RX1 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Sony RX1 will deliver more detail with its extra 12MP. Greater resolution will help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The fresher RX1 provides an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.