Panasonic ZS1 has a
10.0MP 1/2.5-inch (5.744 x 4.308 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Sigma SD15 has a
5.0MP APS-C (20.7 x 13.8 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor and features True II processor.
Panasonic ZS1's sensor provides 5MP more than Sigma SD15'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.
One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Sigma SD15's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the ZS1 and SD15 sensor size comparison.
As seen above, Sigma SD15 has a 11.5x Larger sensor area than Panasonic ZS1. 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.