Sony A7 IV has a
33.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz XR processor. On the other hand, Canon 1Ds has a
11.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Sony A7 IV's sensor provides 22MP more than Canon 1Ds'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 Sony A7 IV'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 A7 IV and 1Ds sensor size comparison.
Sony A7 IV and Canon 1Ds have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Canon 1Ds has 199% larger pixel area (77.53µm2 vs 25.88µm2) compared to Sony A7 IV, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Sony A7 IV and Canon 1Ds 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, A7 IV has scored 97, 34 points higher than 1Ds.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Sony A7 IV |
97 |
25.4 bits |
14.7 Evs |
3379 ISO |
Canon 1Ds |
63 |
21.8 bits |
11.0 Evs |
954 ISO |