Nikon D4 has a
16.0MP Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor. On the other hand, Sony A99 has a
24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Sony A99's sensor provides 8MP more than Nikon D4's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the D4 and A99 sensor size comparison.
Nikon D4 and Sony A99 have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
At Camera Decision, we also look at Dxo Mark sensors when available as we think it is a good indicator of image quality.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Nikon D4 |
89 |
24.7 bits |
13.1 Evs |
2965 ISO |
Sony A99 |
89 |
25.0 bits |
14.0 Evs |
1555 ISO |