Panasonic G97 has a
20.3MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Panasonic G3 has a
16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.
Panasonic G97's sensor provides 4.3MP more than Panasonic G3'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.
Another difference between these two cameras is that Panasonic G97's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the G97 and G3 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic G97 and Panasonic G3 Cameras
Panasonic G97 and Panasonic G3 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 G3 has 27% larger pixel area (14.21µm 2 vs 11.16µm 2 ) compared to Panasonic G97, 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
Panasonic G97
or the
Panasonic G3 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
