Sony A99 II has a
42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Nikon D2X has a
12.0MP APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Sony A99 II's sensor provides 30MP more than Nikon D2X'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 A99 II'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 A99 II and D2X sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A99 II and Nikon D2X Cameras
As seen above, Sony A99 II has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Nikon D2X. 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 Sony A99 II and Nikon D2X 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, A99 II has scored 92, 33 points higher than D2X.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A99 II
92
25.4 bits
13.4 Evs
2317 ISO
Nikon D2X
59
22.1 bits
10.9 Evs
476 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 A99 II
or the
Nikon D2X ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(Full frame versus APS-C),
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.
