Canon 350D has a
8.0MP APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Olympus E-PM1 has a
12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VI processor.
Below you can see the 350D and E-PM1 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 350D and Olympus E-PM1 Cameras
As seen above, Canon 350D has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Olympus E-PM1. 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
Both Canon 350D and Olympus E-PM1 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, 350D has scored 60, 8 points higher than E-PM1.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Canon 350D
60
21.8 bits
10.8 Evs
637 ISO
Olympus E-PM1
52
21.0 bits
10.3 Evs
499 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Canon 350D
or the
Olympus E-PM1 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(APS-C versus Four Thirds),
so compare them at the same framing rather than the same focal length.
Put the same focal length on the smaller sensor and it will show less depth of
field, not more, because it also crops tighter. The calculator shows the
full frame equivalent focal length for each body so you can match the framing.
