Canon 1D C has a
18.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual Digic 5+ processor. On the other hand, Pentax K-3 III Mono has a
26.0MP APS-C (23 x 15.5 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features PRIME V processor.
Pentax K-3 III Mono's sensor provides 8MP more than Canon 1D C'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.
One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Pentax K-3 III Mono's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the 1D C and K-3 III Monochrome sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 1D C and Pentax K-3 III Mono Cameras
As seen above, Canon 1D C has a 2.4x Larger sensor area than Pentax K-3 III Mono. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Canon 1D C
or the
Pentax K-3 III Mono ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(Full frame versus APS-C),
so compare them at the same framing rather than the same focal length.
Put the same focal length on the smaller sensor and it will show less depth of
field, not more, because it also crops tighter. The calculator shows the
full frame equivalent focal length for each body so you can match the framing.
