By James Artaius
Copyright digitalcameraworld
Skip to main content
Close main menu
Digital Camera World
THE HOME OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
View Profile
Search Digital Camera World
Accessories
Buying Guides
The Photography & Video Show
Digital Camera
Australian Camera
Australian ProPhoto
Photography Magazines
Why subscribe?
Issues filled with product reviews, latest updates, expert advice and more
Delivered to your Android or IOS device
Every issue is packed with photo tips, kit reviews and inspiration
From$12Subscribe now
Camera news
Camera rumors
Photography & Video Show
Cheatsheets
Photo mag deals
Prime Day deals
Don’t miss these
The best lenses for the Nikon Z8 and Z9 in 2025: top-flight lenses for these top-of-the-range cameras
The best lenses for the Nikon Z50 & Z50 II in 2025: explore your camera’s full potential
The best full frame cameras: from budget bodies to compact cameras to high-end pro systems
The best lenses for the Nikon Z6 III, Z6 II, and Z6 in 2025: these truly versatile cameras deserve lenses that follow suit
Mirrorless Cameras
This camera continues to win hearts and wallets in Japan and globally
Digital Cameras
The best Fujifilm cameras: from retro X-mount mirrorless to affordable medium format
Digital Cameras
These are the cheapest full-frame cameras: get yourself a big sensor on a small budget!
Digital Cameras
The best medium format cameras: 100MP monsters for supreme image quality
Mirrorless Cameras
Hasselblad’s US$7,000 medium format surprise shakes up Japan’s camera sales amid Fujifilm’s dominance
Mirrorless Cameras
The Nikon Z9 is the most important Nikon camera of the mirrorless era (so far…)
Mirrorless Cameras
Torn between the Nikon Z5 II and the Nikon Z6 III? Here’s which one I’d choose…
Film Cameras
This “fake” Nikon camera changed everything. Here’s the curious tale of the Nikkorex F…
Cinema Cameras
Nikon ZR vs Sony FX3: This fight is WAY closer than you might expect!
Mirrorless Cameras
Canon who? Sony rules Japan’s July camera sales taking all 7 top spots
Mirrorless Cameras
Talk of a Nikon Zf II has got me writing my wishlist to jolly old Saint Nikon!
Who makes the sensor inside your Nikon camera? (Hint: it isn’t just Sony!)
James Artaius
27 September 2025
Everyone thinks that Nikon’s camera sensors are all made by Sony – but this isn’t completely true. So… wanna know who makes them?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: James Artaius)
Who makes Nikon’s sensors?
Nikon camera sensors by manufacturer
Ever wondered who makes the image sensor inside your camera?
If you shoot with Canon or Sony it’s easy, as those are the only two brands that fabricate their own sensors. For everyone else, though – whether it’s Nikon, Fujifilm, OM System or any other company – sensor production is handled by external foundries.
To be clear, while some brands do buy off-the-shelf sensors, many do in fact engineer their own designs – they just have them manufactured by someone else. And in the case of Nikon, everyone assumes that they’re all made by Sony… but this isn’t the case!
You may like
The Nikon Z9 is the most important Nikon camera of the mirrorless era (so far…)
Torn between the Nikon Z5 II and the Nikon Z6 III? Here’s which one I’d choose…
This “fake” Nikon camera changed everything. Here’s the curious tale of the Nikkorex F…
During the launch of the Nikon ZR, when chatting about who fabs the sensor, I found myself in an interesting exchange. “It’s not who you think it is,” I was told. “Everyone thinks it’s Sony, but it’s not.”
Nikon itself remains very tightlipped about what’s under the hood in each camera, so I did a little digging to see what I could uncover…
The Nikon Z6 III / ZR sensor is speculated to be made by TowerJazz (Image credit: Nikon)
Who makes Nikon’s sensors?
While Sony doesn’t make all of Nikon’s sensors, it has certainly made lots of them dating all the way back to the DSLR days.
From what I can tell, of the modern mirrorless lineup, Sony makes the sensors for the full-frame Z7, Z7 II, Z8 and Z9. (There is an assumption that the Z6 and Z6 II sensor is based on the one in the D750, which is also made by Sony.)
Get the Digital Camera World Newsletter
The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
For its APS-C cameras, the sensors for the Z30, Z50, Z50 II and Zfc are made by TowerJazz. It’s widely believed that the sensors in Red cameras are also fabricated by TowerJazz. It’s rumored that the sensor for the Z7 III will be made by the company, and it would stand to reason that the ZR / Z6 III sensor is produced there as well.
Going back to the Big N’s first generation of mirrorless cameras, the now-discontinued Nikon 1 series, the sensors appear to have been designed in-house but manufactured by Aptina.
And for the golden era of DSLRs, the bulk of sensor fabrication seems to have been performed by Sony. A handful were made by Toshiba (whose sensor business was purchased by Sony in 2015), Renesas and Matsushita (the Japanese name for Panasonic, before adopting the name globally in 2008).
You may like
The Nikon Z9 is the most important Nikon camera of the mirrorless era (so far…)
Torn between the Nikon Z5 II and the Nikon Z6 III? Here’s which one I’d choose…
This “fake” Nikon camera changed everything. Here’s the curious tale of the Nikkorex F…
The sensor inside the Nikon D3 / D3S was made by Matsushita – which you’ll know by its current name, Panasonic (Image credit: Nikon)
Nikon camera sensors by manufacturer
This list has been compiled from various sources, primarily a list maintained by Nikon Rumors and a report by (of all people) Canon Rumors.
It’s not exhaustive and only covers interchangeable lens cameras – so it doesn’t include the brand’s long line of compact cameras, for example. Still, it paints a very interesting picture of the sensors inside Nikon’s bodies over the years…
Nikon Z9 – 45.7MP CMOS Sony
Nikon Z8 – 45.7MP CMOS Sony
Nikon Z7 / Z7 II – 45.7MP CMOS Sony
Nikon Z30 – 20.9MP CMOS TowerJazz
Nikon Z50 / Z50 II – 20.9MP CMOS TowerJazz
Nikon Zfc – 20.9MP CMOS TowerJazz
Nikon D1 – 2.7MP Sony
Nikon D1h – 2.7MP Sony
Nikon D1x – 5.47MP Sony
Nikon D2h – 4MP LBCAST (?)
Nikon D2hs – 4MP LBCAST (?)
Nikon D2x – 12MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D3 – 12MP CMOS (Panasonic?)
Nikon D3s – 12MP CMOS (Panasonic?)
Nikon D3x – 24MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D4 – 16MP CMOS (Renesas / Toshiba?)
Nikon D4s – 16MP CMOS (Renesas / Toshiba?)
Nikon D5 – 20.8MP CMOS Sony
Nikon Df – 16MP CMOS (Renesas / Toshiba?)
Nikon D40 – 6MP CCD Sony
Nikon D40x – 10MP CCD Sony
Nikon D50 – 6MP CCD Sony
Nikon D60 – 10MP CCD Sony
Nikon D70 – 6MP CCD Sony
Nikon D80 – 10MP CCD Sony
Nikon D90 – 12MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D100 – 6MP CCD Sony
Nikon D200 – 10MP CCD Sony
Nikon D300 – 12MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D500 – 20.9MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D600 – 24MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D610 – 24MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D700: 12 MP CMOS (Panasonic?)
Nikon D750 – 24MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D800 / D800E – 36MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D810 / D810A – 36MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D850 – 45MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D7000 – 16MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D7100 – 24MP CMOS Toshiba
Nikon D7200 – 24MP CMOS Toshiba
Nikon D3000 – 10MP CCD Sony
Nikon D3100 – 14MP CMOS (Renesas?)
Nikon D3200 – 24MP CMOS (Renesas?)
Nikon D3300 – 24MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D5000 – 12MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D5100 – 16MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D5200 – 24MP CMOS Toshiba
Nikon D5300 – 24MP CMOS Sony
Nikon D5500 – 24MP CMOS Sony
Nikon 1 S1 – 10.1MP CMOS Aptina
Nikon 1 S2 – 14MP CMOS Aptina
Nikon 1 J1 – 10.1MP CMOS Aptina
Nikon 1 J2 – 10.1MP CMOS Aptina
Nikon 1 J3 – 14MP CMOS Aptina
Nikon 1 J4 – 18MP CMOS Aptina
Nikon 1 J5 – 20.8MP CMOS Aptina
Nikon 1 AW1 – 14MP CMOS Aptina
Nikon 1 V1 – 10.1MP CMOS Aptina
Nikon 1 V2 – 14MP CMOS Aptina
Nikon 1 V3 – 18MP CMOS Aptina
Obviously, there’s far more to a camera than just who makes the image sensor. Indeed, I don’t think you could possibly tell who makes your sensor unless you actually look it up!
And even cameras that use the same sensors add their own customization and fine-tuning. The Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad X systems both use the same 100MP Sony chip, for example, but each deploys it very differently.
Everything from the image processor and color science to the autofocus and lens mount to the menu design and ergonomics makes every camera unique. Still, it’s interesting to see whose DNA is in the most fundamental part of Nikon’s cameras over the years!
You might also like…
Take a look at the best Nikon cameras, along with the best Nikon lenses for DSLRs and the best Nikon Z lenses for mirrorless cameras.
James Artaius
Social Links Navigation
Editor in Chief
James has 25 years experience as a journalist, serving as the head of Digital Camera World for 7 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L’Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
The Nikon Z9 is the most important Nikon camera of the mirrorless era (so far…)
Torn between the Nikon Z5 II and the Nikon Z6 III? Here’s which one I’d choose…
This “fake” Nikon camera changed everything. Here’s the curious tale of the Nikkorex F…
Nikon ZR vs Sony FX3: This fight is WAY closer than you might expect!
Canon who? Sony rules Japan’s July camera sales taking all 7 top spots
Talk of a Nikon Zf II has got me writing my wishlist to jolly old Saint Nikon!
Latest in Cameras
I’m seriously jealous of the Nikon Zf’s new color options. The retro camera’s new silver editions are now shipping – and there’s already a discount
The Fujifilm X-E5 is a gorgeous example of camera design – which is why I’m disappointed that it doesn’t have this one feature
Could Nikon be readying not one but FOUR probe lenses?
Nikon plans to continue to bring Z9-like features to more cameras, CEO says
Nikon’s amazing hybrid global and rolling image sensor offers best of both worlds
The Canon EOS R1 isn’t a camera – it’s a supercomputer that takes photographs
Latest in Features
Who makes the sensor inside your Nikon camera? (Hint: it isn’t just Sony!)
This year, I have shot more photography with my phone than with my camera
Can you beat my photography-themed crossword?
Luminar Neo gets cross-device editing and powerful new AI tools in bumper fall upgrade
I’m stunned: every frame in The Long Walk feels like a photographic masterpiece
Looking for a super cheap camera? The Canon EOS 1100D might be the DSLR to start your photography journey
LATEST ARTICLES
Did anyone even ask for this? Meta now has a video feed exclusively for AI content – but what I really want is a feed dedicated to NON-AI content
I’m seriously jealous of the Nikon Zf’s new color options. The retro camera’s new silver editions are now shipping – and there’s already a discount
Gorgeous woodland imagery wins AI-banned Natural Landscape Photographer of the Year
Can you beat my photography-themed crossword?
The Fujifilm X-E5 is a gorgeous example of camera design – which is why I’m disappointed that it doesn’t have this one feature
Digital Camera World is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
Terms and conditions
Contact Future’s experts
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
Advertise with us
Accessibility Statement
Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street,
Please login or signup to comment
Please wait…
