How does a 1-inch 20MP sensor compare with a 1/2.3-inch 12MP sensor for low light and image quality?
Asked 9/9/2017
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I’m comparing compact cameras and want to understand how much sensor size matters. If all else were equal, would a 1-inch 20MP sensor perform about the same as a 1/2.3-inch 12MP sensor, or is the larger sensor clearly better?
I’m mainly interested in low-light performance and overall image quality, not zoom range. In that context, how would a camera like the Canon G9 X with a 1-inch 20MP sensor compare with a Panasonic ZS50 using a 1/2.3-inch 12MP sensor?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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A 1" sensor has a surface area of about 116mm². A 1/2.3" sensor has an area of about 28mm². That's over 4× the light-gathering area. This is a huge advantage that is pretty much impossible to overcome — see Why does it seem like large sensors are necessary for good low-light performance?. Or also see the last part of this answer: Can a smaller sensor's "crop factor" be used to calculate the exact increase in depth of field?
Perhaps you are wondering about the density of pixels, with 20mp vs 12mp. Generally, either of these provide enough pixels to produce high-quality large prints, so the sheer number isn't really an issue. While it's theoretically true that larger-sized individual pixels can provide higher quality, at similar print sizes in the real world, this isn't a huge factor (see Do megapixels matter with modern sensor technology?) — and more importantly, any differences here are usually less important than generational differences in sensor technology, and completely dwarfed by differences in sensor size — there may be a 20% improvement or whatever, but that's nothing compared to the fourfold improvement from 4× the sensor size.
And of course in this case, the individual pixel size advantage goes to the larger sensor anyway.
But, I should stress that this is only going to be a big factor when looking for high technical quality in challenging conditions. In most circumstances, both of these cameras are capable of producing amazing photographs.
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
8y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
No—those sensors are not basically the same. A 1-inch sensor has roughly 4× the surface area of a 1/2.3-inch sensor, so it can gather much more light. That gives the larger sensor a strong advantage for low-light shooting, with less noise and generally better overall image quality.
The megapixel difference does not cancel that out. Both 12MP and 20MP are already enough for good-sized prints, so pixel count is usually less important here than sensor size. In real use, the larger sensor’s light-gathering advantage matters more than the smaller sensor having fewer pixels.
So for your stated priorities—low light and image quality rather than zoom—the 1-inch 20MP camera is the better choice. A 1/2.3-inch camera may still make sense if you want a much longer zoom in a compact body, but if zoom is not the issue, the larger sensor is the clear win.
Between the two models you named, the Canon G9 X should have the edge for low-light performance and image quality because of its 1-inch sensor.
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