Canon 5D MIII has a
22.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5+ processor. On the other hand, Canon 1D X has a
18.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual Digic 5+ processor.
Below you can see the 5D MIII and 1D X sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 5D MIII and Canon 1D X Cameras
Canon 5D MIII and Canon 1D X 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 1D X has 23% larger pixel area (48.21µm 2 vs 39.06µm 2 ) compared to Canon 5D MIII, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to 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 5D MIII and Canon 1D X sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 1D X has a better overall score of 82, 1 points higher compared to 5D MIII's score of 81.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Canon 5D MIII
81
24.0 bits
11.7 Evs
2293 ISO
Canon 1D X
82
23.8 bits
11.8 Evs
2786 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 5D MIII
or the
Canon 1D X ,
including hyperfocal distance.
