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 D5000 has a
12.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor.
Below you can see the D3000 and D5000 sensor size comparison.
Nikon D3000 and Nikon D5000 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Nikon D3000 has 21% larger pixel area compared to Nikon D5000, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
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 D5000 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D5000 has a better overall score of 72, 10 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 D5000 |
72 |
22.7 bits |
12.5 Evs |
868 ISO |