Olympus SZ-11 has a
14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features TruePic III+ processor. On the other hand, Panasonic ZS40 has a
18.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor.
Below you can see the SZ-11 and ZS40 sensor size comparison.
Olympus SZ-11 and Panasonic ZS40 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 Olympus SZ-11 has 30% larger pixel area compared to Panasonic ZS40, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.