If The Fujifilm X-H2 Was A Full Frame Camera, How Many Pixels Would It Have?

The Fujifilm X-H2 with the 16-80mm f/4 lens. (Press Image)

Based on the "first in class" 40.2mp* sensor size of the new Fujifilm X-H2, I wondered just how many pixels would this camera have if the sensor was full frame (24mm X 36mm)?  How small are those pixels and how much smaller are they as compared to other popular cameras?  I thought it would be interesting to understand just how dense the pixels are packed, how small the pixels actually are and how this camera compares to full frame digital cameras.  Let's do a little math.  If you see that I erred in my logic or math, please let me know. 

—The X-H2's APS-C sensor is 23.5mm X 15.6mm (from Fujifilm).

—A full frame sensor is optimally 24mm X 36mm (some may vary a mm on either side).

—The Fujifilm X-H2's sensor has pixel dimensions of 5152 X 7728 (from Fujifilm).

We then need to determine the multiplier needed to upsize the 15.6mm side to equal 24mm and the 23.5mm side to equal 36mm.

—24mm is 1.538x larger than 15.6mm

—36mm is 1.532x larger than 23.5mm

If we then multiply 5152 X 1.53 (rounding to two places) we get 7882.56 pixels

If we then multiply 7728 X 1.53 (rounding to two places) we get 11,823.84 pixels

To then determine the number of pixels the X-H2 would have if it was a full frame sensor (only using full pixel dimensions and not the fractions since we can't have a fraction of a pixel on a sensor) we would have 93.18mp. (7882px X 11,823 px)

Therefore Fujifilm X-H2 has the same pixel density as a full frame camera with a 93mp sensor.  Wow!  This camera has more pixels per area than any full frame camera currently on the market.  I believe the Sony A7R IV holds the honors at 61mp.  The X-H2 may have a greater pixel density than any ILC on the market today.  Let's find out.

Taking this geeky stuff one step farther.  The distance between the center of a pixel to the center of an adjacent pixel is called pixel pitch.  In a way it is a measurement or a way of comparing the approximate size of an individual pixel or photosite.  What is the pixel pitch of this new sensor as compared to other cameras?  For Example;

Nikon Z7II has a pixel pitch of 4.35 µm (45mp)

Canon R5 has a pixel pitch of 4.39 µm (45mp)

Sony A7R IV has a pixel pitch of 3.76 µm (61mp)

Olympus E-M1 MKIII has a pixel pitch of 3.36 microns (20mp)

Fujifilm X-T4 has a pixel pitch of 3.77 µm (26mp)

iPhone 13 (main camera) has a pixel pitch of 1.7µm (12mp)

iPhone 14 PRO (main camera) has a pixel pitch of 1.9µm (12mp binned) (1.22µm @ 48mp)

According to the ephotozine.com website (here), a 20mp APS-C sensor would have a pixel pitch of 4.3 microns.  If we then halve that to interpolate to a 40mp APS-C sensor, that would give the Fujifilm X-H2 sensor a pixel pitch of approximately 2.15 microns.  By far the smallest pixels in the current ILC market.  The pixels are less than 1/2 the size of a Nikon Z7 or Canon R5!  They are also only 2/3 the size of the pixels in an Olympus E-M1 Mark III!  You all know how much disrespect the micro4/3 sensors get (undeservingly)!

As the X-H2 becomes prevalent in the market, I will be interested in what the non-manufacturer related reviewers (ones that don't get the camera for free to test) will have to say about the noise profiles at higher ISOs, the camera's dynamic range and which lenses seem to resolve all 40mp.

If noise and dynamic range are somewhat comparable to, say, a 45mp full frame camera, then kudos to Fujifilm for really designing and engineering a groundbreaking product!

*NOTE:  On Fujifilm's specification page for this camera, they state the camera has "40.2 Effective Pixels."  However if you multiply the above dimensions they provide for pixels on this particular sensor, it only accounts for 39.8mp.  Typically a manufacturer will state overall pixel count and then "effective" pixel count, with the effective count being a bit smaller due to some pixels used for other than imaging tasks.  In this case Fujifilm is claiming 40.2 "effective pixels" but the numbers they provide don't show that.  Just sayin'.

UPDATE;  a reader contacted me in July, 2023 to kindly advise that the way I calculated pixel pitch for the X-H2 was in error.  He advised the correct figure is 3.04µm.  My thanks to him.

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Dennis A. Mook  

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