Sigma SD1 Merrill has a
15.0MP APS-C (24 x 16 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor and features Dual True II processor. On the other hand, Canon 550D has a
18.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 4 processor.
Another difference between these two cameras is that Sigma SD1 Merrill'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 SD1 Merrill and 550D sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sigma SD1 Merrill and Canon 550D Cameras
As seen above, Sigma SD1 Merrill has a 1.2x Larger sensor area than Canon 550D. 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.
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
Sigma SD1 Merrill
or the
Canon 550D ,
including hyperfocal distance.
