Panasonic L1 has a
7.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Nikon P7100 has a
10.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Expeed C2 processor.
Below you can see the L1 and P7100 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic L1 and Nikon P7100 Cameras
As seen above, Panasonic L1 has a 5.4x Larger sensor area than Nikon P7100. 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.
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 L1
or the
Nikon P7100 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(Four Thirds versus 1/1.7-inch),
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.
