Panasonic GX8 has a
20.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Leica Digilux 3 has a
7.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Panasonic GX8's sensor provides 13MP more than Leica Digilux 3'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.
Below you can see the GX8 and Digilux 3 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic GX8 and Leica Digilux 3 Cameras
Panasonic GX8 and Leica Digilux 3 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 Leica Digilux 3 has 173% larger pixel area (30.47µm 2 vs 11.16µm 2 ) compared to Panasonic GX8, 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 GX8
or the
Leica Digilux 3 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
