Both Nikon D80 and Nikon D3000 have APS-C sized 10.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.
Below you can see the D80 and D3000 sensor size comparison.
Nikon D80 and Nikon D3000 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.
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 D80 and Nikon D3000 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D3000 has a better overall score of 62, 1 points higher compared to D80's score of 61.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Nikon D80 |
61 |
22.1 bits |
11.2 Evs |
524 ISO |
Nikon D3000 |
62 |
22.3 bits |
11.1 Evs |
563 ISO |