Canon 5D MIV has a
30.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 6+ processor. On the other hand, Nikon D810 has a
36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features EXPEED 4 processor.
Nikon D810's sensor provides 6MP more than Canon 5D MIV'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 Nikon D810'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 5D MIV and D810 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 5D MIV and Nikon D810 Cameras
Canon 5D MIV and Nikon D810 have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the same focal length and aperture.
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 MIV and Nikon D810 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D810 has a better overall score of 97, 6 points higher compared to 5D MIV's score of 91.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Canon 5D MIV
91
24.8 bits
13.6 Evs
2995 ISO
Nikon D810
97
25.7 bits
14.8 Evs
2853 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 MIV
or the
Nikon D810 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
