Sony S980 vs Sony A99

Lets look a little more in depth at the Sony S980 versus Sony A99, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR and both are offered by Sony. There is a considerable difference among the resolutions of the S980 (12MP) and A99 (24MP) and the S980 (1/2.3") and A99 (Full frame) provide totally different sensor sizes.

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The S980 was announced 4 years earlier than the A99 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Sony S980 being a Compact camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a complete comparison, here is a brief summary of how the S980 grades versus the A99 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 & Sony SLT-A99. The whole galleries are viewable at Sony S980 Gallery & Sony A99 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Sony S980 has got outer measurements 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 A99 has dimensions of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") along with a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

Examine the Sony S980 versus Sony A99 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the S980 compared to the A99.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the S980 and A99 is 94 and 57 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to envision the difference in sensor sizing just by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph here will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the S980 and A99.

As you can see, both of these cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The S980 with its smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Sony A99 will result in extra detail with its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos more aggressively. The older S980 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.