Nikon L31 vs Sony S980 Comparison

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Nikon L31

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Sony S980

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

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Nikon L31 vs Sony S980 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing L31 and S980, two Compact cameras from Nikon and Sony. Nikon Coolpix L31 is a Ultracompact class camera and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 is a Small Sensor Compact class camera.

Nikon L31 was introduced to the market in January 2015 and Sony S980 was launched in February 2009. As you can see, S980 is 6 years older than L31. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Nikon L31 and Sony S980 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon L31 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2015-01-14

16MP - 1/2.3' CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 1600

26-130 mm F3.2-6.5 Zoom Lens

2.70" Fixed Type Screen

fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

160g. 96 x 59 x 29 mm

Sony S980 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-02-17

12MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 3200

33-132 mm F3.3-5.2 Zoom Lens

2.70" Fixed Type Screen

1.0fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

167g. 93 x 56 x 24 mm

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Nikon L31 and Sony S980 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

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Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L31 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 12 MP	33% more pixels
Max Mech. Shutter	1/2000s vs 1/1600s	faster mechanical shutter
Weight	160 g vs 167 g	7 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide	26mm vs 33mm	7 mm wider coverage
Optical Zoom	5× vs 4×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	3.20 vs 3.30	faster lens at wide
Selfie & Vlogger LCD	Yes vs No	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

CHECK L31 PRICE

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 over Nikon Coolpix L31

Max ISO	3.200 vs 1.600	100% higher Max ISO
Focal Length - Tele	132mm vs 130mm	2 mm longer tele reach
Max Aperture - Tele	5.20 vs 6.50	faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area	2.34µm2 vs 1.76µm2	32% larger pixel area

CHECK S980 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L31 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L31 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980

In-body Image Stabilization	Digital only vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
LCD Screen Size	2.70" vs 2.70"	Small display
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 230k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Nikon L31 vs Sony S980: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Nikon L31 and Sony S980 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon L31 has external dimensions of 96 x 59 x 29 mm (3.78 x 2.32 x 1.14″) and weighs 160 g (0.35 lb / 5.64 oz) (including batteries). Sony S980 has external dimensions of 93 x 56 x 24 mm (3.66 x 2.2 x 0.94″) and weighs 167 g (0.37 lb / 5.89 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Nikon L31 and the Sony S980. Sony S980 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 3mm narrower, 3mm shorter and 5mm thinner than Nikon L31.

Comparison image of the Nikon L31 and the Sony S980 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon L31 is 7g lighter than the Sony S980 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

L31

S980

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

L31

S980

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither the Nikon Coolpix L31 nor Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon L31 and Sony S980's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 2.70 inches.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Nikon L31 vs Sony S980: Sensor Comparison

Nikon L31 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3' (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sony S980 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the L31 and S980 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L31 and Sony S980 Cameras

Nikon L31 and Sony S980 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Sony S980 has 32% larger pixel area (2.34µm² vs 1.76µm²) compared to Nikon L31, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.

Nikon L31 vs Sony S980 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon L31 features a 26-130 mm F3.2-6.5 5× zoom lens whereas Sony S980 features a 33-132 mm F3.3-5.2 4× zoom lens.

Nikon L31 has 7mm wider coverage than the Sony S980. At f3.20, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Sony S980 has 2mm longer reach than the Nikon L31. At f5.20, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

L31

S980

Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

L31

S980

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

L31

S980

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

L31

S980

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon L31 and Sony S980 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L31 and Sony S980 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon L31 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Sony S980 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon L31 for Street Photography

POOR

Sony S980 for Street Photography

POOR

Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
33 mm - Not so Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon L31 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sony S980 for Sports Photography

POOR

Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
130 mm Tele Lens
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 200 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.50
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
132 mm Tele Lens
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1600s
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon L31 for Daily Photography

POOR

Sony S980 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Compact Body
160g
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Compact Body
167g
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon L31 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony S980 for Landscape Photography

POOR

26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
33 mm - Not so Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon L31 vs Sony S980: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far, but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon L31 and Sony S980, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon L31 and Sony S980 scores compare:

Nikon L31

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #105 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #1132 out of 1259 in all Cameras

Sony S980

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #384 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1092 out of 1259 in all Cameras

Sony S980 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon L31 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Sony S980 vs Nikon L31 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix L31	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
Brand	Nikon	Sony
Announced	2015-01-14	2009-02-17
Body Type	Ultracompact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CCD
Size	1/2.3'	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	28.07mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4608 x 3456	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	80 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	n/a	9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	26-130 mm (5×)	33-132 mm (4×)
Max Aperture	F3.2-6.5	F3.3-5.2
Macro Focus Range	10cm	10cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.70"	2.70"
Resolution	230k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/1600s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	Digital only	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	3.60 m	3.50 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	n/a	1.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	1280 x 720
Video Formats	Motion JPEG	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	160g	167g
Dimensions	96 x 59 x 29mm	93 x 56 x 24mm
Battery Life	200 shots	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction