Nikon D5100 vs Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS
      67
      Image cannot be found
      56
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon D5100 and the Canon PowerShot SD980 IS, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Nikon D5100 was introduced in April 2011 and Canon PowerShot SD980 IS was introduced in August 2009. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Nikon D5100 Highlights

      • 16.2 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points (11 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 921k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 4.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS Highlights

      • 12.1 MP 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
      • 80 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • 0.8 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1280 x 720 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Nikon D5100
      4. Advantage of Canon PowerShot SD980 IS
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Nikon D5100 and Canon PowerShot SD980 IS.

      PROS

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 150 g (0.33 lb / 5.29 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.1 Megapixel
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/3000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 0.8 fps
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   -1 EV Min AF Detection
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 80
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"

      Advantage of Nikon D5100

      Nikon D5100
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D5100 over Canon PowerShot SD980 IS.

      Nikon D5100 vs Canon PowerShot SD980 IS
      Larger Sensor APS-C vs 1/2.3-inch
      Higher Sensor Resolution 16.2 Megapixel vs 12.1 Megapixel
      Max Image Resolution 4928 x 3264 vs 4000 x 3000
      RAW Support vs
      Timelapse Recording vs
      More Focus Points 11 vs 9
      Center Autofocus vs
      Selective Autofocus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Continuous Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Phase Detection for Autofocus vs
      Screen Type Fully Articulated vs Fixed
      Higher Resolution Screen 921k dot vs 230k dot
      Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) vs
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 15 sec
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/3000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 4.0 fps vs 0.8 fps
      External Flash Connectivity vs
      Aperture Priority vs
      Shutter Priority vs
      Higher Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720
      Speaker Mono vs
      Microphone Input vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Nikon D5100.

      Nikon D5200
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.1 MP

      Nikon D5600
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D5500
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D5000
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      12.3 MP

      Nikon D5300
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Sony a7S
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      12.2 MP

      Fujifilm X-T5
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      40.2 MP

      Sony a6700
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      26.0 MP

      Canon 7D II
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Nikon L24
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      14 MP

      Nikon D600
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      24.3 MP

      Canon R50
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Advantage of Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      Canon SD980 IS
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon PowerShot SD980 IS over Nikon D5100.

      Nikon D5100 vs Canon PowerShot SD980 IS
      Lower Native ISO 100 vs 80
      Higher Native ISO 6,400 vs 1,600
      Image Stabilization vs
      Touch Screen vs
      Built-in Microphone Mono vs Stereo
      Lighter 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz) vs 150 g (0.33 lb / 5.29 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon PowerShot SD980 IS.

      Canon SD940 IS
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      12.1 MP

      Canon SD960 IS
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      12.1 MP

      Canon SD970 IS
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      12.1 MP

      Canon SD990 IS
      Image cannot be found

      1/1.7-inch

      14.7 MP

      Sony a7S III
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      12.1 MP

      Panasonic ZS35
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.33-inch

      16 MP

      Canon R100
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.1 MP

      Olympus SH-1
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      16 MP

      Canon R3
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      24.1 MP

      Canon R10
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 7D II
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Fujifilm F800EXR
      Image cannot be found

      1/2-inch

      16 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Nikon D5100 Canon PowerShot SD980 IS
        Video Capture
        Live View Autofocus
        Built-in Flash
        HDMI Output Mini Type C
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Nikon D5100 Canon PowerShot SD980 IS
        Few Focus Points119
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801280 x 720
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi via Eye-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Nikon D5100 and Canon PowerShot SD980 IS have 3.0" screens with 921k dot and 230k dot resolutions respectively. Nikon D5100 has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Canon PowerShot SD980 IS has a Fixed screen Canon PowerShot SD980 IS also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment

      Image cannot be displayed

      Nikon D5100 with Fully Articulated screen


      Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder on Nikon D5100

      Nikon D5100 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. It has a 95% coverage and 0.78x (0.52x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Canon PowerShot SD980 IS.

      Sensor

      Nikon D5100 features a 16.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.6 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 368.2 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Canon PowerShot SD980 IS features a 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 20.7 mm2. Its native ISO range is 80 - 1,600.

      Photography Features

      Nikon D5100 is equipped with EXPEED 2 processor and can take pictures up to 4928 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3696 x 2448, 2464 x 1632 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Canon PowerShot SD980 IS is equipped with DIGIC 4 processor and can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4000 x 2248, 3264 x 2448, 2592 x 1944, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480, 320 x 240 with 4:3, 16:9 aspect ratios.

      Image Stabilization on Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS has an image stabilization.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Nikon D5100 has a Mini Type C HDMI and Canon PowerShot SD980 IS has an HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Nikon D5100 comes with EN-EL14 battery pack with battery life of 660 shots and Canon PowerShot SD980 IS comes with NB-6L battery pack.


      External Storage Slots

      Nikon D5100 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot. Canon PowerShot SD980 IS has a single SD/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Nikon D5100 has Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon D5100, and up to 1/3000 sec on Canon PowerShot SD980 IS. Nikon D5100 can shoot continuously up to 4.0 fps. Canon PowerShot SD980 IS can shoot continuously up to 0.8 fps.


      Focusing

      Nikon D5100 has 11 (1 cross-type) focusing points and Canon PowerShot SD980 IS has 9 focusing points. Nikon D5100 has detection range from -1 to +19 EV.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Nikon D5100 ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Nikon D5100 and ±2 range on Canon PowerShot SD980 IS. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon D5100 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon PowerShot SD980 IS.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Nikon D5100 and 6.50 m on Canon PowerShot SD980 IS. Nikon D5100 also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on Nikon D5100.

      Physical Parameters

      Nikon D5100 body has dimensions of 128 x 97 x 79 mm (5.04 x 3.82 x 3.11") and Canon PowerShot SD980 IS body has dimensions of 100 x 53 x 23 mm (3.94 x 2.09 x 0.91"). Nikon D5100 weighs 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz) and Canon PowerShot SD980 IS weighs 150 g (0.33 lb / 5.29 oz).

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      128 mm

      97 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      100 mm

      53 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      97 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      53 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Nikon D5100 and Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      Nikon D5100 and Canon PowerShot SD980 IS for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      GOOD
      71
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      55
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      60
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 0.8 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      AVERAGE
      59
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 0.8 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      GOOD
      78
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Small Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      GOOD
      81
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)
      GOOD
      84
      •   Small Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 150 g (0.33 lb / 5.29 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      GOOD
      79
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      EXCELLENT
      88
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 150 g (0.33 lb / 5.29 oz)

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Nikon D5100 and Canon PowerShot SD980 IS and give them scores of 67 and 56 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      OVERALL
      67
      OVERALL
      56

      Sensor

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 80
      POOR
      45
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.1 Megapixel
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      AVERAGE
      59
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/3000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 0.8 fps
      •   No External Flash Connectivity

      Video

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      BAD
      14
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      POOR
      43
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720

      Focusing

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      GOOD
      83
      •   -1 EV Min AF Detection
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      AVERAGE
      58
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      GOOD
      80
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      GOOD
      70
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder

      Connectivity

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      GOOD
      75
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      60
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Nikon D5100

      Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

      POOR
      43
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      AVERAGE
      55
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 150 g (0.33 lb / 5.29 oz)


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

      Amazon Affiliate Disclosure
      ZKelectronics is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon (.com, .co.uk, .ca, etc) and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.