Canon 1D MII N has a
8.0MP APS-H (28.7 x 19.1 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sony A65 has a
24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Sony A65's sensor provides 16MP more than Canon 1D MII N'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 1D MII N and A65 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 1D MII N and Sony A65 Cameras
As seen above, Canon 1D MII N has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Sony A65. 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.
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. Canon 1D MII N and Sony A65 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A65 has a better overall score of 74, 8 points higher compared to 1D MII N's score of 66.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Canon 1D MII N
66
22.3 bits
11.2 Evs
975 ISO
Sony A65
74
23.4 bits
12.6 Evs
717 ISO
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 MII N
or the
Sony A65 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(APS-H 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.