Canon SL2 has a
24.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 7 processor. On the other hand, Nikon D5000 has a
12.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor.
Canon SL2's sensor provides 12MP more than Nikon D5000'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 SL2 and D5000 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SL2 and Nikon D5000 Cameras
As seen above, Nikon D5000 has a 1.1x Larger sensor area than Canon SL2. 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 Canon SL2 and Nikon D5000 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, SL2 has scored 79, 7 points higher than D5000.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Canon SL2
79
23.6 bits
13.4 Evs
1041 ISO
Nikon D5000
72
22.7 bits
12.5 Evs
868 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
Canon SL2
or the
Nikon D5000 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
