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 D5200 has a
24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor.
Nikon D5200'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 D5200 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D7000 and Nikon D5200 Cameras
Nikon D7000 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 D7000 and Nikon D5200 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D5200 has a better overall score of 84, 4 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 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 D7000
or the
Nikon D5200 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
