Pentax K-01 has a
16.0MP APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Canon S95 has a
10.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Digic 4 processor.
Pentax K-01's sensor provides 6MP more than Canon S95'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 K-01 and S95 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Pentax K-01 and Canon S95 Cameras
As seen above, Pentax K-01 has a 9.0x Larger sensor area than Canon S95. 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 Pentax K-01 and Canon S95 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, K-01 has scored 79, 32 points higher than S95.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Pentax K-01
79
23.7 bits
12.9 Evs
1135 ISO
Canon S95
47
20.4 bits
11.3 Evs
153 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
Pentax K-01
or the
Canon S95 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(APS-C versus 1/1.7-inch),
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.
