Sony A700 has a
12.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Panasonic GX1 has a
16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.
Below you can see the A700 and GX1 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A700 and Panasonic GX1 Cameras
As seen above, Sony A700 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Panasonic GX1. 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
Both Sony A700 and Panasonic GX1 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark 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. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, A700 has scored 66, 11 points higher than GX1.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A700
66
22.3 bits
11.9 Evs
581 ISO
Panasonic GX1
55
20.8 bits
10.6 Evs
703 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
Sony A700
or the
Panasonic GX1 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(APS-C versus Four Thirds),
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.
