Canon 5D has a
13.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic II processor. On the other hand, Canon 1Ds MIII has a
21.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Canon 1Ds MIII's sensor provides 8MP more than Canon 5D'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 and 1Ds MIII sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 5D and Canon 1Ds MIII Cameras
Canon 5D and Canon 1Ds MIII 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 5D has 65% larger pixel area compared to Canon 1Ds MIII, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence 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 and Canon 1Ds MIII sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 1Ds MIII has a better overall score of 80, 9 points higher compared to 5D's score of 71.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Canon 5D
71
22.9 bits
11.1 Evs
1368 ISO
Canon 1Ds MIII
80
24.0 bits
12.0 Evs
1663 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
or the
Canon 1Ds MIII ,
including hyperfocal distance.
