Sony S980 vs Sony A37

Here is a in depth overview of the Sony S980 and Sony A37, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and they are both built by Sony. There is a big difference between the image resolutions of the S980 (12MP) and A37 (16MP) and the S980 (1/2.3") and A37 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The S980 was launched 4 years prior to the A37 and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Sony S980 being a Compact camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the S980 matches up versus the A37 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 and Sony SLT-A37. The complete galleries are available at Sony S980 Gallery and Sony A37 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and size. The Sony S980 provides exterior 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) while the Sony A37 has specifications of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).

Look at the Sony S980 and Sony A37 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. The following is the front view size comparison of the S980 versus the A37.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the S980 and A37 is 94 and 67 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to see the gap between sensor sizing simply by reading technical specs. The graphic here might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the S980 and A37.

As you have seen, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The S980 featuring a tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony A37 will offer extra detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos far more aggressively. The older S980 is going to be behind in sensor tech.