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, Sony NEX-7 has a
24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Below you can see the 5D MIII and NEX-7 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 5D MIII and Sony NEX-7 Cameras
As seen above, Canon 5D MIII has a 2.4x Larger sensor area than Sony NEX-7. 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.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
At Camera Decision, we also look at Dxo Mark sensors when available as we think it is a good indicator of image quality.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Canon 5D MIII
81
24.0 bits
11.7 Evs
2293 ISO
Sony NEX-7
81
24.1 bits
13.4 Evs
1016 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
Sony NEX-7 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(Full frame versus APS-C),
so compare them at the same framing rather than the same focal length.
Put the same focal length on the smaller sensor and it will show less depth of
field, not more, because it also crops tighter. The calculator shows the
full frame equivalent focal length for each body so you can match the framing.
