Nikon D80 has a
10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Canon 20D has a
8.0MP APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Below you can see the D80 and 20D sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Canon 20D Cameras
As seen above, Nikon D80 has a 1.1x Larger sensor area than Canon 20D. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.
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 D80 and Canon 20D sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 20D has a better overall score of 62, 1 points higher compared to D80's score of 61.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon D80
61
22.1 bits
11.2 Evs
524 ISO
Canon 20D
62
21.9 bits
11.0 Evs
721 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 D80
or the
Canon 20D ,
including hyperfocal distance.
