Samsung PL200 has a
14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Panasonic LX3 has a
10.0MP 1/1.63-inch (8.07 x 5.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor .
Below you can see the PL200 and LX3 sensor size comparison.
As seen above, Panasonic LX3 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Samsung PL200. 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.