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, Sony A850 has a
25.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Canon 5D MIV's sensor provides 5MP more than Sony A850'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 5D MIV and A850 sensor size comparison.
Canon 5D MIV and Sony A850 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
Both Canon 5D MIV and Sony A850 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark 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. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, 5D MIV has scored 91, 12 points higher than A850.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Canon 5D MIV |
91 |
24.8 bits |
13.6 Evs |
2995 ISO |
Sony A850 |
79 |
23.8 bits |
12.2 Evs |
1415 ISO |