Canon 1Ds has a
11.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sony A99 has a
24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Sony A99's sensor provides 13MP 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.
Below you can see the 1Ds and A99 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 1Ds and Sony A99 Cameras
Canon 1Ds and Sony A99 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 118% larger pixel area compared to Sony A99, 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 A99 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A99 has a better overall score of 89, 26 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 A99
89
25.0 bits
14.0 Evs
1555 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
or the
Sony A99 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
