Panasonic GX7 has a
16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Sony A700 has a
12.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Below you can see the GX7 and A700 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic GX7 and Sony A700 Cameras
As seen above, Sony A700 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Panasonic GX7. 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
Both Panasonic GX7 and Sony A700 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark 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. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, GX7 has scored 70, 4 points higher than A700.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Panasonic GX7
70
22.6 bits
12.2 Evs
718 ISO
Sony A700
66
22.3 bits
11.9 Evs
581 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 GX7
or the
Sony A700 ,
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.
