Sony A230 has a
10.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Bionz processor. On the other hand, Canon 1D MIV has a
16.0MP APS-H (27.9 x 18.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 4 processor.
Canon 1D MIV's sensor provides 6MP more than Sony A230'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.
Below you can see the A230 and 1D MIV sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A230 and Canon 1D MIV Cameras
As seen above, Canon 1D MIV has a 1.4x Larger sensor area than Sony A230. 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
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 A230 and Canon 1D MIV sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 1D MIV has a better overall score of 74, 11 points higher compared to A230's score of 63.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A230
63
22.3 bits
11.4 Evs
531 ISO
Canon 1D MIV
74
22.8 bits
12.0 Evs
1320 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 A230
or the
Canon 1D MIV ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(APS-C versus APS-H),
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.
