Canon S100 has a
12.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5 processor. On the other hand, Panasonic LX7 has a
10.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor.
Below you can see the S100 and LX7 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon S100 and Panasonic LX7 Cameras
Canon S100 and Panasonic LX7 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Panasonic LX7 has 20% larger pixel area (4.16µm 2 vs 3.46µm 2 ) compared to Canon S100, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
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
Canon S100
50
20.7 bits
11.6 Evs
153 ISO
Panasonic LX7
50
20.7 bits
11.7 Evs
147 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 S100
or the
Panasonic LX7 ,
including hyperfocal distance.