Canon SX540 HS has a
20.0MP 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 6 processor. On the other hand, Olympus E-PM2 has a
16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Below you can see the SX540 HS and E-PM2 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SX540 HS and Olympus E-PM2 Cameras
As seen above, Olympus E-PM2 has a 8.0x Larger sensor area than Canon SX540 HS. 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.
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 SX540 HS
or the
Olympus E-PM2 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(1/2.3 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.
