Panasonic LF1 has a
12.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Pentax K200D has a
10.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CCD sensor .
Below you can see the LF1 and K200D sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic LF1 and Pentax K200D Cameras
As seen above, Pentax K200D has a 8.9x Larger sensor area than Panasonic LF1. 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
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 LF1 and Pentax K200D sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that K200D has a better overall score of 64, 12 points higher compared to LF1's score of 52.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Panasonic LF1
52
20.8 bits
11.6 Evs
211 ISO
Pentax K200D
64
22.4 bits
11.4 Evs
561 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 LF1
or the
Pentax K200D ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(1/1.7-inch 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.
