Nikon D90 has a
12.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Samsung NX1 has a
28.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features DRIMe 5 processor.
Samsung NX1's sensor provides 16MP more than Nikon D90'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.
One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Samsung NX1's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the D90 and NX1 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D90 and Samsung NX1 Cameras
Nikon D90 and Samsung NX1 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
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 D90 and Samsung NX1 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that NX1 has a better overall score of 83, 10 points higher compared to D90's score of 73.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon D90
73
22.7 bits
12.5 Evs
977 ISO
Samsung NX1
83
24.2 bits
13.2 Evs
1363 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 D90
or the
Samsung NX1 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
