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Sony S980 vs Sony A35

Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
17
Overall
27
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 front
 
Sony SLT-A35 front
Portability
69
Imaging
56
Features
70
Overall
61

Sony S980 vs Sony A35 Key Specs

Sony S980
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
  • 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
  • Revealed February 2009
Sony A35
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 415g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
  • Announced September 2011
  • Superseded the Sony A33
  • Successor is Sony A37
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Sony S980 vs Sony A35 Overview

Below, we are matching up the Sony S980 and Sony A35, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and both of them are produced by Sony. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the S980 (12MP) and A35 (16MP) and the S980 (1/2.3") and A35 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

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The S980 was brought out 3 years prior to the A35 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Sony S980 being a Compact camera and the Sony A35 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the S980 grades vs the A35 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Sony A35

 S980 A35 

Reasons to pick Sony A35 over the Sony S980

 A35 S980 
AnnouncedSeptember 2011February 2009More recent by 31 months
Display dimension3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution921k230kCrisper display (+691k dot)

Common features in the Sony S980 and Sony A35

 S980 A35 
Focus manually More exact focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch friendly display No Touch friendly display

Sony S980 vs Sony A35 Physical Comparison

In case you're looking to lug around your camera, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Sony S980 has physical measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs) whilst the Sony A35 has dimensions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 415 grams (0.91 lbs).

Contrast the Sony S980 and Sony A35 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the S980 against the A35.

Sony S980 vs Sony A35 size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the S980 and A35 is 94 and 69 respectively.

Sony S980 vs Sony A35 top view buttons comparison

Sony S980 vs Sony A35 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, its difficult to imagine the difference between sensor measurements purely by reviewing specs. The visual underneath should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the S980 and A35.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The S980 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony A35 will deliver more detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will let you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older S980 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.

Sony S980 vs Sony A35 sensor size comparison

Sony S980 vs Sony A35 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony S980 vs Sony A35 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony S980 Portrait photography factors
Sony A35 Portrait photography factors
27
has manual focus
manual mode not possible
external flash not possible
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
73
has manual focus
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
has face detect focusing
exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Sony S980 Street photography features
Sony A35 Street photography features
47
no articulating screen
does not have image stabilization
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
71
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
lighter than competition in class (415g)
good ISO range (25,600)
screen is fixed
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Sony S980
Sports photography with Sony A35
17
low fps (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect auto focus
61
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (16MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
supports phase detect AF
low frames per second (6.0 frames/s)
low battery power (440 CIPA)
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Travel Comparison

Sony S980 as a Travel photography camera
Sony A35 as a Travel photography camera
51
has built in flash
does not have Timelapse mode
MP count low (12MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (33mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
58
lighter than competition in class (415g)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
no Time Lapse mode
low battery power (440 per charge)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Sony S980 Landscape photography advice
Sony A35 Landscape photography advice
27
has manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (33mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
small screen (2.7 inches)
manual mode not possible
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
does not have Timelapse mode
69
has manual focus
switch lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (16MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
good ISO range (25,600)
exports RAW formats
low battery power (440 shots)
no Time Lapse mode
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Sony S980 Vlogging details
Sony A35 Vlogging details
22
wide angle not the best (33mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
low video resolution (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have microphone socket
36
image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detect focusing
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
comes with mic jack
lighter than competition in class (415g)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
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Sony S980 vs Sony A35 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony S980 and Sony A35
 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980Sony SLT-A35
General Information
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Model type Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 Sony SLT-A35
Category Small Sensor Compact Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed 2009-02-17 2011-09-20
Body design Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Bionz
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 16 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4000 x 3000 4912 x 3264
Maximum native ISO 3200 25600
Lowest native ISO 80 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points 9 15
Cross type focus points - 3
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 33-132mm (4.0x) -
Highest aperture f/3.3-5.2 -
Macro focusing range 10cm -
Total lenses - 143
Crop factor 5.8 1.5
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 2.7 inch 3 inch
Resolution of display 230 thousand dot 921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,150 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.73x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 2s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/1600s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting speed 1.0fps 6.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 3.50 m 12.00 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None 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 167g (0.37 pounds) 415g (0.91 pounds)
Dimensions 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 74
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.3
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.7
DXO Low light rating not tested 763
Other
Battery life - 440 pictures
Style of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Single Single
Cost at launch $300 $598