Canon 400D has a
10.0MP APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sigma DP1 has a
5.0MP APS-C (20.7 x 13.8 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor .
Canon 400D's sensor provides 5MP more than Sigma DP1'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 400D and DP1 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 400D and Sigma DP1 Cameras
As seen above, Canon 400D has a 1.2x Larger sensor area than Sigma DP1. 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 400D
or the
Sigma DP1 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
