Sony S980 vs Sony A55

In this write-up, we are contrasting the Sony S980 and Sony A55, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and they are both built by Sony. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the S980 (12MP) and A55 (16MP) and the S980 (1/2.3") and A55 (APS-C) use different sensor measurements.

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The S980 was unveiled 18 months prior to the A55 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Sony S980 being a Compact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the S980 grades vs the A55 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 and Sony SLT-A55. The full galleries are available at Sony S980 Gallery and Sony A55 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera, you are going to need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Sony S980 comes with outer measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs) while the Sony A55 has proportions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Look at the Sony S980 and Sony A55 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached during that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the S980 against the A55.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the S980 and A55 is 94 and 67 respectively.

Often, it is very hard to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions purely by looking at a spec sheet. The image here might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the S980 and A55.

Clearly, the 2 cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The S980 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony A55 will give you extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more aged S980 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.