Sigma SD15 vs. Nikon D300s
Comparison
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| Sigma SD15 | Nikon D300s | ||||
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Megapixels
4.70
12.30
Max. image resolution
2640 x 1760 x 3
4288 x 2848
Note: Sigma SD15 uses Foveon X3 image sensor, which is a new type of sensor that
has 3 layers of photoelements stacked together in 1 pixel location. Traditional
CCD/CMOS sensors have 1 pixel for 1 color, whereas Foveon sensor captures all
3 colors (blue, green, and red) at every pixel.
Sensor
Sensor type
Foveon
CMOS
Sensor size
20.7 x 13.8 mm
23.6 x 15.8 mm
Sensor size comparison
Sensor size is generally a good indicator of the quality of the camera.
Sensors can vary greatly in size. As a general rule, the bigger the
sensor, the better the image quality.
Bigger sensors are more effective because they have more surface area to capture light. An important factor when comparing digital cameras is also camera generation. Generally, newer sensors will outperform the older.
Learn more about sensor sizes »
Bigger sensors are more effective because they have more surface area to capture light. An important factor when comparing digital cameras is also camera generation. Generally, newer sensors will outperform the older.
Learn more about sensor sizes »
Actual sensor size
Note: Actual size is set to screen → change »
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| 1 | : | 1.31 |
| (ratio) | ||
| Sigma SD15 | Nikon D300s | |
Surface area:
| 285.66 mm² | vs | 372.88 mm² |
Difference: 87.22 mm² (31%)
D300s sensor is approx. 1.31x bigger than SD15 sensor.
Pixel pitch tells you the distance from the center of one pixel (photosite) to the center of the next. It tells you how close the pixels are to each other.
The bigger the pixel pitch, the further apart they are and the bigger each pixel is. Bigger pixels tend to have better signal to noise ratio and greater dynamic range.
The bigger the pixel pitch, the further apart they are and the bigger each pixel is. Bigger pixels tend to have better signal to noise ratio and greater dynamic range.
Pixel or photosite area affects how much light per pixel can be gathered.
The larger it is the more light can be collected by a single pixel.
Larger pixels have the potential to collect more photons, resulting in greater dynamic range, while smaller pixels provide higher resolutions (more detail) for a given sensor size.
Larger pixels have the potential to collect more photons, resulting in greater dynamic range, while smaller pixels provide higher resolutions (more detail) for a given sensor size.
Relative pixel sizes:
vs
Pixel area difference: 30.48 µm² (100%)
A pixel on Sigma SD15 sensor is approx. 100% bigger than a pixel on Nikon D300s.
Pixel density tells you how many million pixels fit or would fit in one
square cm of the sensor.
Higher pixel density means smaller pixels and lower pixel density means larger pixels.
Higher pixel density means smaller pixels and lower pixel density means larger pixels.
To learn about the accuracy of these numbers,
click here.
Specs
Sigma SD15
Nikon D300s
Total megapixels
4.70
13.10
Effective megapixels
4.70
12.30
Optical zoom
Digital zoom
No
No
ISO sensitivity
Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
200 - 3200 in 1, 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps (100 - 6400 with boost)
RAW
Manual focus
Normal focus range
Macro focus range
Focal length (35mm equiv.)
Aperture priority
Yes
Yes
Max. aperture
Metering
Center-weighted average, Centre weighted, Evaluative, Spot
3D Matrix metering II, Centre weighted, Spot
Exposure compensation
±3 EV (in 1/3 EV steps)
±5 EV (in 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 1 EV steps)
Shutter priority
Yes
Yes
Min. shutter speed
B+30 sec
30 sec
Max. shutter speed
1/4000 sec
1/8000 sec
Built-in flash
External flash
Viewfinder
Optical (pentaprism)
Optical (pentaprism)
White balance presets
8
12
Screen size
3"
3"
Screen resolution
460,000 dots
920,000 dots
Video capture
Max. video resolution
Storage types
SDHC, Secure Digital
CompactFlash type I, CompactFlash type II, Microdrive, SDHC Secure Digital
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
HDMI
Wireless
GPS
Battery
Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery
Lithium-Ion EN-EL3e rechargeable battery
Weight
750 g
938 g
Dimensions
144 x 107.3 x 80.5 mm
147 x 114 x 74 mm
Year
2010
2009
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Diagonal
Diagonal is calculated by the use of Pythagorean theorem:
where w = sensor width and h = sensor height
| Diagonal = √ | w² + h² |
Sigma SD15 diagonal
w = 20.70 mm
h = 13.80 mm
h = 13.80 mm
| Diagonal = √ | 20.70² + 13.80² | = 24.88 mm |
Nikon D300s diagonal
w = 23.60 mm
h = 15.80 mm
h = 15.80 mm
| Diagonal = √ | 23.60² + 15.80² | = 28.40 mm |
Surface area
Surface area is calculated by multiplying the width and the height of a sensor.
SD15 sensor area
Width = 20.70 mm
Height = 13.80 mm
Surface area = 20.70 × 13.80 = 285.66 mm²
Height = 13.80 mm
Surface area = 20.70 × 13.80 = 285.66 mm²
D300s sensor area
Width = 23.60 mm
Height = 15.80 mm
Surface area = 23.60 × 15.80 = 372.88 mm²
Height = 15.80 mm
Surface area = 23.60 × 15.80 = 372.88 mm²
Pixel pitch
Pixel pitch is the distance from the center of one pixel to the center of the
next measured in micrometers (µm). It can be calculated with the following formula:
| Pixel pitch = | sensor width in mm | × 1000 |
| sensor resolution width in pixels |
SD15 pixel pitch
Sensor width = 20.70 mm
Sensor resolution width = 2655 pixels
Sensor resolution width = 2655 pixels
| Pixel pitch = | 20.70 | × 1000 | = 7.8 µm |
| 2655 |
D300s pixel pitch
Sensor width = 23.60 mm
Sensor resolution width = 4281 pixels
Sensor resolution width = 4281 pixels
| Pixel pitch = | 23.60 | × 1000 | = 5.51 µm |
| 4281 |
Pixel area
The area of one pixel can be calculated by simply squaring the pixel pitch:
You could also divide sensor surface area with effective megapixels:
Pixel area = pixel pitch²
You could also divide sensor surface area with effective megapixels:
| Pixel area = | sensor surface area in mm² |
| effective megapixels |
SD15 pixel area
Pixel pitch = 7.8 µm
Pixel area = 7.8² = 60.84 µm²
Pixel area = 7.8² = 60.84 µm²
D300s pixel area
Pixel pitch = 5.51 µm
Pixel area = 5.51² = 30.36 µm²
Pixel area = 5.51² = 30.36 µm²
Pixel density
Pixel density can be calculated with the following formula:
One could also use this formula:
| Pixel density = ( | sensor resolution width in pixels | )² / 1000000 |
| sensor width in cm |
One could also use this formula:
| Pixel density = | effective megapixels × 1000000 | / 10000 |
| sensor surface area in mm² |
SD15 pixel density
Sensor resolution width = 2655 pixels
Sensor width = 2.07 cm
Pixel density = (2655 / 2.07)² / 1000000 = 1.65 MP/cm²
Sensor width = 2.07 cm
Pixel density = (2655 / 2.07)² / 1000000 = 1.65 MP/cm²
D300s pixel density
Sensor resolution width = 4281 pixels
Sensor width = 2.36 cm
Pixel density = (4281 / 2.36)² / 1000000 = 3.29 MP/cm²
Sensor width = 2.36 cm
Pixel density = (4281 / 2.36)² / 1000000 = 3.29 MP/cm²
Sensor resolution
Sensor resolution is calculated from sensor size and effective megapixels. It's slightly higher
than maximum (not interpolated) image resolution which is usually stated on camera specifications.
Sensor resolution is used in pixel pitch, pixel area, and pixel density formula.
For sake of simplicity, we're going to calculate it in 3 stages.
1. First we need to find the ratio between horizontal and vertical length by dividing the former with the latter (aspect ratio). It's usually 1.33 (4:3) or 1.5 (3:2), but not always.
2. With the ratio (r) known we can calculate the X from the formula below, where X is a vertical number of pixels:
3. To get sensor resolution we then multiply X with the corresponding ratio:
Resolution horizontal: X × r
Resolution vertical: X
1. First we need to find the ratio between horizontal and vertical length by dividing the former with the latter (aspect ratio). It's usually 1.33 (4:3) or 1.5 (3:2), but not always.
2. With the ratio (r) known we can calculate the X from the formula below, where X is a vertical number of pixels:
| (X × r) × X = effective megapixels × 1000000 → |
|
Resolution horizontal: X × r
Resolution vertical: X
SD15 sensor resolution
Sensor width = 20.70 mm
Sensor height = 13.80 mm
Effective megapixels = 4.70
Resolution horizontal: X × r = 1770 × 1.5 = 2655
Resolution vertical: X = 1770
Sensor resolution = 2655 x 1770
Sensor height = 13.80 mm
Effective megapixels = 4.70
| r = 20.70/13.80 = 1.5 |
|
Resolution vertical: X = 1770
Sensor resolution = 2655 x 1770
D300s sensor resolution
Sensor width = 23.60 mm
Sensor height = 15.80 mm
Effective megapixels = 12.30
Resolution horizontal: X × r = 2873 × 1.49 = 4281
Resolution vertical: X = 2873
Sensor resolution = 4281 x 2873
Sensor height = 15.80 mm
Effective megapixels = 12.30
| r = 23.60/15.80 = 1.49 |
|
Resolution vertical: X = 2873
Sensor resolution = 4281 x 2873
Crop factor
Crop factor or focal length multiplier is calculated by dividing the diagonal
of 35 mm film (43.27 mm) with the diagonal of the sensor.
| Crop factor = | 43.27 mm |
| sensor diagonal in mm |
SD15 crop factor
Sensor diagonal in mm = 24.88 mm
| Crop factor = | 43.27 | = 1.74 |
| 24.88 |
D300s crop factor
Sensor diagonal in mm = 28.40 mm
| Crop factor = | 43.27 | = 1.52 |
| 28.40 |
35 mm equivalent aperture
Equivalent aperture (in 135 film terms) is calculated by multiplying lens aperture
with crop factor (a.k.a. focal length multiplier).
SD15 equivalent aperture
Aperture is a lens characteristic, so it's calculated only for
fixed lens cameras. If you want to know the equivalent aperture for
Sigma SD15, take the aperture of the lens
you're using and multiply it with crop factor.
Crop factor for Sigma SD15 is 1.74
Crop factor for Sigma SD15 is 1.74
D300s equivalent aperture
Aperture is a lens characteristic, so it's calculated only for
fixed lens cameras. If you want to know the equivalent aperture for
Nikon D300s, take the aperture of the lens
you're using and multiply it with crop factor.
Crop factor for Nikon D300s is 1.52
Crop factor for Nikon D300s is 1.52
More comparisons of Sigma SD15:
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