Sony A850 has a
25.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor. On the other hand, Canon 6D has a
20.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5+ processor.
Sony A850's sensor provides 5MP more than Canon 6D'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 A850 and 6D sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A850 and Canon 6D Cameras
Sony A850 and Canon 6D 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 A850 and Canon 6D sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 6D has a better overall score of 82, 3 points higher compared to A850's score of 79.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A850
79
23.8 bits
12.2 Evs
1415 ISO
Canon 6D
82
23.8 bits
12.1 Evs
2340 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 A850
or the
Canon 6D ,
including hyperfocal distance.
