Panasonic G1 has a
12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Canon 50D has a
15.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 4 processor.
Below you can see the G1 and 50D sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic G1 and Canon 50D Cameras
As seen above, Canon 50D has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Panasonic G1. 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.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Panasonic G1 and Canon 50D sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 50D has a better overall score of 63, 10 points higher compared to G1's score of 53.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Panasonic G1
53
21.1 bits
10.3 Evs
463 ISO
Canon 50D
63
21.8 bits
11.4 Evs
696 ISO
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 G1
or the
Canon 50D ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(Four Thirds versus APS-C),
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.
