Olympus VH-515 has a
12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS 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.
Panasonic ZS40's sensor provides 6MP more than Olympus VH-515's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the VH-515 and ZS40 sensor size comparison.
Olympus VH-515 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.