Panasonic GF8 has a
16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Olympus E-P3 has a
12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VI processor.
Below you can see the GF8 and E-P3 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic GF8 and Olympus E-P3 Cameras
Panasonic GF8 and Olympus E-P3 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 E-P3 has 29% larger pixel area (18.45µm 2 vs 14.21µm 2 ) compared to Panasonic GF8, 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 GF8
or the
Olympus E-P3 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
