Nikon D3000 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Expeed processor. On the other hand, Nikon D3100 has a 14.0MP APS-C (23.1 x 15.4 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 2 processor.
Below you can see the D3000 and D3100 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D3000 and Nikon D3100 Cameras
Nikon D3000 and Nikon D3100 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It 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. Nikon D3000 and Nikon D3100 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D3100 has a better overall score of 67, 5 points higher compared to D3000's score of 62.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Nikon D3000 |
62 |
22.3 bits |
11.1 Evs |
563 ISO |
Nikon D3100 |
67 |
22.5 bits |
11.3 Evs |
919 ISO |