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, Sony A290 has a
14.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Bionz processor.
Below you can see the D3000 and A290 sensor size comparison.
Nikon D3000 and Sony A290 have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the 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 Sony A290 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A290 has a better overall score of 66, 4 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 |
Sony A290 |
66 |
22.6 bits |
11.5 Evs |
615 ISO |