Panasonic S5 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Nikon D4 has a 16.0MP Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor.
Panasonic S5's sensor provides 8MP more than Nikon D4'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 Panasonic S5'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 moire occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the S5 and D4 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Nikon D4 Cameras
Panasonic S5 and Nikon D4 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Panasonic S5 and Nikon D4 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, S5 has scored 94, 5 points higher than D4.
| Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
|
Panasonic S5 |
94 |
25.1 bits |
14.5 Evs |
2697 ISO |
|
Nikon D4 |
89 |
24.7 bits |
13.1 Evs |
2965 ISO |