Nikon D3 has a
12.0MP Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor. On the other hand, Nikon D4s has a
16.0MP Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 4 processor.
Below you can see the D3 and D4s sensor size comparison.
Nikon D3 and Nikon D4s 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 D3 has 34% larger pixel area compared to Nikon D4s, 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. Nikon D3 and Nikon D4s sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D4s has a better overall score of 89, 8 points higher compared to D3's score of 81.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Nikon D3 |
81 |
23.5 bits |
12.2 Evs |
2290 ISO |
Nikon D4s |
89 |
24.4 bits |
13.3 Evs |
3074 ISO |