What is the pixel pitch of the Nikon D780?

The Nikon D780 provides 24.3 megapixels from a full frame sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 5.94µm.

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 Nikon D780 measures 35.9mm in width and 23.9mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 858 mm². Moreover, the D780 has 6 048 horizontal pixels and 4 024 vertical pixels, for a total of 24.3 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 (858 mm²) to the MP count (24 337 152).

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 Nikon D780 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.		Nikon D780	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/30p	25.3	14.3	2877	95
2.		Canon 6D	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.8	12.1	2340	82
3.		Canon 6D Mark II	Full Frame	26.0	6240	4160	1080/60p	24.4	11.9	2862	85
4.		Nikon D5	Full Frame	20.7	5588	3712	4K/30p	25.1	12.3	2343	88
5.		Nikon D6	Full Frame	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	25.3	14.3	2886	95
6.		Nikon D500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.0	14.0	1324	83
7.		Nikon D600	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/30p	25.1	14.2	2980	94
8.		Nikon D610	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/30p	25.1	14.4	2925	94
9.		Nikon D750	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/60p	24.8	14.5	2956	93
10.		Nikon Df	Full Frame	16.2	4928	3280	none	24.6	13.1	3279	89
11.		Nikon Z6 II	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/60p	25.0	14.4	3303	94
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Further information on the sensor in the Nikon D780 and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the D780 was initially launched in January 2020 at a price of $2,299.

Check D780 price at
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Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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