Nikon D700 has a
12.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor. On the other hand, Canon 1D X II has a
20.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual DIGIC 6+ processor.
Canon 1D X II's sensor provides 8MP more than Nikon D700'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 D700 and 1D X MII sensor size comparison.
Nikon D700 and Canon 1D X II 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 Nikon D700 has 65% larger pixel area compared to Canon 1D X II, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Nikon D700 and Canon 1D X II sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 1D X MII has a better overall score of 88, 8 points higher compared to D700's score of 80.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Nikon D700 |
80 |
23.5 bits |
12.2 Evs |
2303 ISO |
Canon 1D X II |
88 |
24.1 bits |
13.5 Evs |
3207 ISO |