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, Nikon S5200 has a
16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.16 x 4.62 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .
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 S5200 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sigma SD1 Merrill and Nikon S5200 Cameras
As seen above, Sigma SD1 Merrill has a 13.5x Larger sensor area than Nikon S5200. 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
Nikon S5200 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(APS-C versus 1/2.3-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.
