Nikon D800 has a
36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor. On the other hand, Canon 5DS has a
51.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual DIGIC 6 processor.
Canon 5DS's sensor provides 15MP more than Nikon D800'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 D800 and 5DS sensor size comparison.
Nikon D800 and Canon 5DS 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
Both Nikon D800 and Canon 5DS sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark 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. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, D800 has scored 95, 8 points higher than 5DS.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Nikon D800 |
95 |
25.3 bits |
14.4 Evs |
2853 ISO |
Canon 5DS |
87 |
24.7 bits |
12.4 Evs |
2381 ISO |