Sony A9 III has a
24.6MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized Global Shutter sensor and features BIONZ XR processor. On the other hand, Panasonic S1R has a
47.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor.
Panasonic S1R's sensor provides 22.4MP more than Sony A9 III'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 similarity between these two cameras is that both Panasonic S1R and Sony A9 III sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. 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 A9 Mark III and S1R sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A9 III and Panasonic S1R Cameras
Sony A9 III and Panasonic S1R have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It 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. Sony A9 III and Panasonic S1R sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that S1R has a better overall score of 100, 13 points higher compared to A9 Mark III's score of 87.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A9 III
87
24.1 bits
13.0 Evs
3224 ISO
Panasonic S1R
100
26.4 bits
14.1 Evs
3525 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
Sony A9 III
or the
Panasonic S1R ,
including hyperfocal distance.
