2 replies to this topic

[alden]

If a 24mm sensor can hold 24 megs of pixels, why doesn't a 35mm sensor hold 35? I have noticed that a Nikon DF has a fill sized sensor, but only holds 16 mps.

 

Is there no corollation between sensor size and the number of pixels?

 

Please, try to explain in layman's terms, if you are a tech guy. I am an art guy, not an electrical engineer.

 

Thanks!

[Merco_61]

It is a matter of optimizing the sensor for different types of photography. The Df is optimized for light gathering, so every cell on the sensor is larger. This means that there isn't room for as many cells on the sensor wafer. The 36 MP sensor in the D810 on the other hand is optimized for maximal resolution to make every twig in a landscape photo as detailed as possible. The D6x0 and D750 sensor sits in between these extremes. The 24 MP DX sensors are optimized for tele use, where the reach is never enough and you might need to crop on the already smaller sensor. The sports cameras (D5 and D500) are optimized for readout speed, so they have a lower resolution than the others (D810 and D7200) to keep the file size down. This is simplified, but I hope it works as an explanation.

[alden]

It is a matter of optimizing the sensor for different types of photography. The Df is optimized for light gathering, so every cell on the sensor is larger. This means that there isn't room for as many cells on the sensor wafer. The 36 MP sensor in the D810 on the other hand is optimized for maximal resolution to make every twig in a landscape photo as detailed as possible. The D6x0 and D750 sensor sits in between these extremes. The 24 MP DX sensors are optimized for tele use, where the reach is never enough and you might need to crop on the already smaller sensor. The sports cameras (D5 and D500) are optimized for readout speed, so they have a lower resolution than the others (D810 and D7200) to keep the file size down. This is simplified, but I hope it works as an explanation.

 

klar som krystal           

 

Thanks Peter, as always, I can rely on you for answers to questions like this.                 

Also, this may help to explain why I don't see any real difference in clarity between my D7100 and D610 (which both have 24mp sensors) but the FX sensor in the 610 picks up low light better.