Both Panasonic GX1 and Olympus E-PL5 have Four Thirds sized 16.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.
Below you can see the GX1 and E-PL5 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic GX1 and Olympus E-PL5 Cameras
Panasonic GX1 and Olympus E-PL5 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.
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 GX1 and Olympus E-PL5 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that E-PL5 has a better overall score of 72, 17 points higher compared to GX1's score of 55.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Panasonic GX1
55
20.8 bits
10.6 Evs
703 ISO
Olympus E-PL5
72
22.8 bits
12.3 Evs
889 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 GX1
or the
Olympus E-PL5 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
