Nikon D7000 has a
16.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 2 processor. On the other hand, Nikon D3200 has a
24.0MP APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor.
Nikon D3200's sensor provides 8MP more than Nikon D7000's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the D7000 and D3200 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D7000 and Nikon D3200 Cameras
Nikon D7000 and Nikon D3200 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 D7000 and Nikon D3200 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D3200 has a better overall score of 81, 1 points higher compared to D7000's score of 80.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon D7000
80
23.5 bits
13.9 Evs
1167 ISO
Nikon D3200
81
24.1 bits
13.2 Evs
1131 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 D7000
or the
Nikon D3200 ,
including hyperfocal distance.