Sony A9 has a
24.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized Stacked BSI-CMOS sensor and features BIONZ X 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 27MP more than Sony A9'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 A9 and 5DS sensor size comparison.
Sony A9 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 Sony A9 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, A9 has scored 92, 5 points higher than 5DS.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Sony A9 |
92 |
24.9 bits |
13.3 Evs |
3517 ISO |
Canon 5DS |
87 |
24.7 bits |
12.4 Evs |
2381 ISO |