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 D60 has a
10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor .
Below you can see the D5000 and D60 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D5000 and Nikon D60 Cameras
Nikon D5000 and Nikon D60 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 D60 has 21% larger pixel area (37.14µm 2 vs 30.54µm 2 ) compared to Nikon D5000, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Nikon D5000 and Nikon D60 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, 7 points higher than D60.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon D5000
72
22.7 bits
12.5 Evs
868 ISO
Nikon D60
65
22.5 bits
11.4 Evs
562 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 D5000
or the
Nikon D60 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
