What is the pixel pitch of the Canon 1D?

The Canon EOS-1D provides 4.1 megapixels from an APS-H sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 11.56µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Canon 1D measures 28.7mm in width and 19.1mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 548 mm². Moreover, the 1D has 2 496 horizontal pixels and 1 662 vertical pixels, for a total of 4.1 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (548 mm²) to the MP count (4 148 352).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Canon 1D to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon 1D	APS-H	4.1	2496	1662	none	..	..	..	..
2.		Canon 1D Mark II	APS-H	8.2	3504	2336	none	22.3	11.1	1003	66
3.		Canon 1D Mark II N	APS-H	8.2	3504	2336	none	22.3	11.2	975	66
4.		Canon 1D Mark III	APS-H	10.1	3888	2592	none	22.7	11.7	1078	71
5.		Canon 1D Mark IV	APS-H	16.0	4896	3264	1080/30p	22.8	12.0	1320	74
6.		Canon 1Ds	Full Frame	11.0	4064	2704	none	21.8	11.0	954	63
7.		Canon 1Ds Mark III	Full Frame	21.0	5616	3744	none	24.0	12.0	1663	80
8.		Canon 1D C	Full Frame	17.9	5184	3456	4K/24p	24.3	13.0	2155	85
9.		Canon 1D X	Full Frame	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	23.8	11.8	2786	82
10.		Canon 1D X Mark II	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	4K/60p	24.1	13.5	3207	88
11.		Canon 1D X Mark III	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	4K/60p	24.2	14.5	3248	91
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Further information on the sensor in the Canon 1D and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the 1D was initially launched in September 2001 at a price of $6,499.

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Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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