Nikon D800 has a
36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor. On the other hand, Panasonic G6 has a
16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Nikon D800's sensor provides 20MP more than Panasonic G6'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 D800 and G6 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D800 and Panasonic G6 Cameras
As seen above, Nikon D800 has a 3.8x Larger sensor area than Panasonic G6. 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
Both Nikon D800 and Panasonic G6 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, D800 has scored 95, 34 points higher than G6.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon D800
95
25.3 bits
14.4 Evs
2853 ISO
Panasonic G6
61
21.3 bits
11.5 Evs
639 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 D800
or the
Panasonic G6 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(Full frame versus Four Thirds),
so compare them at the same framing rather than the same focal length.
Put the same focal length on the smaller sensor and it will show less depth of
field, not more, because it also crops tighter. The calculator shows the
full frame equivalent focal length for each body so you can match the framing.
