Both Nikon D3200 and Nikon D5200 have APS-C sized 24.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.
Below you can see the D3200 and D5200 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D3200 and Nikon D5200 Cameras
Nikon D3200 and Nikon D5200 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 D3200 and Nikon D5200 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D5200 has a better overall score of 84, 3 points higher compared to D3200's score of 81.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon D3200
81
24.1 bits
13.2 Evs
1131 ISO
Nikon D5200
84
24.2 bits
13.9 Evs
1284 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
Nikon D3200
or the
Nikon D5200 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
