Sony RX1R vs Sony S980

Here is a in-depth overview of the Sony RX1R and Sony S980, one being a Large Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are created by Sony. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the RX1R (24MP) and S980 (12MP) and the RX1R (Full frame) and S980 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The RX1R was manufactured 4 years later than the S980 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Sony RX1R being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the RX1R grades against the S980 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The entire galleries are available at Sony RX1R Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Sony RX1R has external measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") and a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Sony S980 has dimensions of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Contrast the Sony RX1R and Sony S980 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the RX1R and the S980.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the RX1R and S980 is 79 and 94 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to envision the gap between sensor sizing simply by reading through technical specs. The visual here will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the RX1R and S980.

As you can tell, both cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The RX1R due to its bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Sony RX1R will resolve more detail due to its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The more modern RX1R is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.