Canon 1Ds has a
11.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sony A7R IV has a
61.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.
Sony A7R IV's sensor provides 50MP more than Canon 1Ds'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 Sony A7R IV'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 1Ds and A7R IV sensor size comparison.
Canon 1Ds and Sony A7R IV have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Canon 1Ds has 447% larger pixel area compared to Sony A7R IV, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
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 and Sony A7R IV sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A7R IV has a better overall score of 99, 36 points higher compared to 1Ds's score of 63.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Canon 1Ds |
63 |
21.8 bits |
11.0 Evs |
954 ISO |
Sony A7R IV |
99 |
26.0 bits |
14.8 Evs |
3344 ISO |