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Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980

Portability
89
Imaging
52
Features
79
Overall
62
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 front
Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
17
Overall
27

Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980 Key Specs

Sony RX100 IV
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 12800 (Increase to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 24-70mm (F1.8-2.8) lens
  • 298g - 102 x 58 x 41mm
  • Released June 2015
  • Succeeded the Sony RX100 III
  • Refreshed by Sony RX100 V
Sony S980
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • 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 RX100 IV vs Sony S980 Overview

Below, we will be analyzing the Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Sony. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the RX100 IV (20MP) and S980 (12MP) and the RX100 IV (1") and S980 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The RX100 IV was released 6 years after the S980 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Sony RX100 IV being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a complete comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the RX100 IV matches up vs the S980 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Sony RX100 IV over the Sony S980

 RX100 IV S980 
IntroducedJune 2015February 2009More modern by 77 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1229k230kClearer screen (+999k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Sony RX100 IV

 S980 RX100 IV 

Common features in the Sony RX100 IV and Sony S980

 RX100 IV S980 
Focus manually Dial accurate focusing
Touch screen Absent Touch screen

Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is intending to carry around your camera often, you need to think about its weight and size. The Sony RX100 IV has exterior measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") and a weight of 298 grams (0.66 lbs) while the Sony S980 has specifications of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Check out the Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the RX100 IV versus the S980.

Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980 size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the RX100 IV and S980 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980 top view buttons comparison

Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it can be hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizes merely by going through technical specs. The pic underneath may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the RX100 IV and S980.

As you can tell, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The RX100 IV due to its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Sony RX100 IV will provide greater detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots much more aggressively. The younger RX100 IV is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.

Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980 sensor size comparison

Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony RX100 IV Portrait photography info
Sony S980 Portrait photography info
65
has manual focus
high flash sync (1/2,000s)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (1")
provides face detection focus
exports RAW files
no external flash support
27
manual focus
manual exposure not possible
cannot use external flash
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Street Comparison

Sony RX100 IV Street photography factors
Sony S980 Street photography factors
85
screen tilts
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor size is good (1")
exports RAW files
lighter than competition in class (298g)
47
screen does not articulate
no image stabilization
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Sony RX100 IV
Sports photography with Sony S980
68
silent shooting (1/32,000s)
high max fps (16.0 frames/s)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
sensor size is good (1")
provides tracking autofocus
lacks phase detect auto focus
17
slow fps (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
low resolution sensor (12MP)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Sony RX100 IV Travel photography features
Sony S980 Travel photography features
86
lighter than competition in class (298 grams)
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
built-in flash
screen is selfie friendly
really wide (24mm)
very good maximum aperture (f1.8)
51
has built in flash
lack of Time Lapse function
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony RX100 IV Landscape photography features
Sony S980 Landscape photography features
74
has manual focus
really wide (24mm)
very good maximum aperture (f1.8)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (1")
exports RAW files
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
27
manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
manual exposure not possible
no image stabilization
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
lack of Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony RX100 IV Vlogging info
Sony S980 Vlogging info
81
really wide (24mm)
very good maximum aperture (f1.8)
screen is selfie friendly
image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detection focus
high res video (3840 x 2160 pxls)
lighter than competition in class (298 grams)
doesn't have external mic port
22
wide angle not the best (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
low video resolution (1280 x 720 resolution)
lack of mic jack
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Sony RX100 IV vs Sony S980 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony RX100 IV and Sony S980
 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IVSony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
General Information
Brand Sony Sony
Model type Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
Category Large Sensor Compact Small Sensor Compact
Released 2015-06-10 2009-02-17
Body design Large Sensor Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Bionz X -
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 13.2 x 8.8mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 116.2mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 5472 x 3648 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 12800 3200
Highest enhanced ISO 25600 -
Min native ISO 125 80
RAW images
Min enhanced ISO 80 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 25 9
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 24-70mm (2.9x) 33-132mm (4.0x)
Maximum aperture f/1.8-2.8 f/3.3-5.2
Macro focusing distance 5cm 10cm
Crop factor 2.7 5.8
Screen
Range of screen Tilting Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3" 2.7"
Screen resolution 1,229 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,359 thousand dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.59x -
Features
Min shutter speed 30 seconds 2 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/1600 seconds
Max silent shutter speed 1/32000 seconds -
Continuous shutter speed 16.0fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance - 3.50 m
Flash settings - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash sync 1/2000 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p/60i/24p), 1280 x 720 (60p/30p/24p/120p), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 3840x2160 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 298g (0.66 lbs) 167g (0.37 lbs)
Dimensions 102 x 58 x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 70 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 22.9 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.6 not tested
DXO Low light rating 562 not tested
Other
Battery life 280 photographs -
Battery format Battery Pack -
Battery ID NP-BX1 -
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature With downloadable app
Storage media SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Storage slots One One
Price at release $898 $300