Panasonic ZS7 has a
12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Venus Engine HD II processor. On the other hand, Sigma DP1x has a
5.0MP APS-C (20.7 x 13.8 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor and features True II processor.
Panasonic ZS7's sensor provides 7MP more than Sigma DP1x'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 ZS7 and DP1x sensor size comparison.
As seen above, Sigma DP1x has a 10.3x Larger sensor area than Panasonic ZS7. 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.