Sony A500 has a
12.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor. On the other hand, Canon 70D has a
20.0MP APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5+ processor.
Canon 70D's sensor provides 8MP more than Sony A500'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 A500 and 70D sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A500 and Canon 70D Cameras
Sony A500 and Canon 70D 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 A500 and Canon 70D sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 70D has a better overall score of 68, 4 points higher compared to A500's score of 64.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A500
64
21.8 bits
11.6 Evs
772 ISO
Canon 70D
68
22.5 bits
11.6 Evs
926 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 A500
or the
Canon 70D ,
including hyperfocal distance.
