Nikon D700 has a
12.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor. On the other hand, Canon 5DS has a
51.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual DIGIC 6 processor.
Canon 5DS's sensor provides 39MP more than Nikon D700'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 D700 and 5DS sensor size comparison.
Nikon D700 and Canon 5DS 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 D700 has 317% larger pixel area compared to Canon 5DS, 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 D700 and Canon 5DS sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 5DS has a better overall score of 87, 7 points higher compared to D700's score of 80.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Nikon D700 |
80 |
23.5 bits |
12.2 Evs |
2303 ISO |
Canon 5DS |
87 |
24.7 bits |
12.4 Evs |
2381 ISO |