Canon G5 X has a
20.0MP 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 6 processor. On the other hand, Nikon 1 S1 has a
10.0MP 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Canon G5 X's sensor provides 10MP more than Nikon 1 S1'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 G5 X and 1 S1 sensor size comparison.
Canon G5 X and Nikon 1 S1 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 Nikon 1 S1 has 98% larger pixel area (11.57µm2 vs 5.82µm2) compared to Canon G5 X, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Canon G5 X and Nikon 1 S1 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, G5 X has scored 62, 6 points higher than 1 S1.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Canon G5 X |
62 |
21.4 bits |
12.3 Evs |
471 ISO |
Nikon 1 S1 |
56 |
21.4 bits |
11.1 Evs |
397 ISO |