Nikon 1 S1 has a
10.0MP 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Panasonic G3 has a
16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.
Panasonic G3's sensor provides 6MP more than Nikon 1 S1's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the 1 S1 and G3 sensor size comparison.
As seen above, Panasonic G3 has a 1.9x Larger sensor area than Nikon 1 S1. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
At Camera Decision, we also look at Dxo Mark sensors when available as we think it is a good indicator of image quality.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Nikon 1 S1 |
56 |
21.4 bits |
11.1 Evs |
397 ISO |
Panasonic G3 |
56 |
21.0 bits |
10.6 Evs |
667 ISO |