Nikon D5000 has a
12.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS 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 D5000 and D3100 sensor size comparison.
Nikon D5000 and Nikon D3100 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
Both Nikon D5000 and Nikon D3100 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, D5000 has scored 72, 5 points higher than D3100.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Nikon D5000 |
72 |
22.7 bits |
12.5 Evs |
868 ISO |
Nikon D3100 |
67 |
22.5 bits |
11.3 Evs |
919 ISO |