Nikon D60 has a
10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . 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 D60 and D5000 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D60 and Nikon D5000 Cameras
Nikon D60 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 D60 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 D60 and Nikon D5000 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D5000 has a better overall score of 72, 7 points higher compared to D60's score of 65.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon D60
65
22.5 bits
11.4 Evs
562 ISO
Nikon D5000
72
22.7 bits
12.5 Evs
868 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 D60
or the
Nikon D5000 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
