Both Canon SX510 HS and Panasonic ZS50 have 12.0 MP resolution sensors but Canon SX510 HS's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Panasonic ZS50's sensor is
Since Panasonic ZS50's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Canon SX510 HS.
Below you can see the SX510 HS and ZS50 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SX510 HS and Panasonic ZS50 Cameras
Canon SX510 HS and Panasonic ZS50 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 ZS50 has 32% larger pixel area (2.34µm 2 vs 1.76µm 2 ) compared to Canon SX510 HS, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
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 SX510 HS
or the
Panasonic ZS50 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(1/2.3-inch versus ),
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.
