Nikon D5 has a
21.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 5 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.
Below you can see the D5 and A850 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D5 and Sony A850 Cameras
Nikon D5 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 Nikon D5 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, D5 has scored 88, 9 points higher than A850.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon D5
88
25.1 bits
12.3 Evs
2434 ISO
Sony A850
79
23.8 bits
12.2 Evs
1415 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
Nikon D5
or the
Sony A850 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
