Nikon Z7 II has a
46.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Dual Expeed 6 processor. On the other hand, Nikon D5 has a
21.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 5 processor.
Nikon Z7 II's sensor provides 25MP more than Nikon D5'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.
Another difference between these two cameras is that Nikon Z7 II's sensor lacks 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 Z7 Mark II and D5 sensor size comparison.
Nikon Z7 II and Nikon D5 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 Z7 II and Nikon D5 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, Z7 Mark II has scored 100, 12 points higher than D5.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Nikon Z7 II |
100 |
26.3 bits |
14.7 Evs |
2841 ISO |
Nikon D5 |
88 |
25.1 bits |
12.3 Evs |
2434 ISO |