Nikon D700 has a
12.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 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.
Sony A850's sensor provides 13MP 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 A850 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D700 and Sony A850 Cameras
Nikon D700 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 D700 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, D700 has scored 80, 1 points higher than A850.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon D700
80
23.5 bits
12.2 Evs
2303 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 D700
or the
Sony A850 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
