Canon 1Ds MIII has a
21.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Nikon D3 has a
12.0MP Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor.
Canon 1Ds MIII's sensor provides 9MP more than Nikon D3'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 1Ds MIII and D3 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 1Ds MIII and Nikon D3 Cameras
Canon 1Ds MIII and Nikon D3 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
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 1Ds MIII and Nikon D3 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D3 has a better overall score of 81, 1 points higher compared to 1Ds MIII's score of 80.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Canon 1Ds MIII
80
24.0 bits
12.0 Evs
1663 ISO
Nikon D3
81
23.5 bits
12.2 Evs
2290 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 1Ds MIII
or the
Nikon D3 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
