Nikon D80 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Pentax K-r has a 12.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Prime II processor.
Below you can see the D80 and K-r sensor size comparison.
![Nikon D80 vs Pentax K-r Sensor Size Comparison]()
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Pentax K-r Cameras
Nikon D80 and Pentax K-r have 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 D80 has 21% larger pixel area compared to Pentax K-r, 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 D80 and Pentax K-r sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that K-r has a better overall score of 72, 11 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 |
|
Pentax K-r |
72 |
22.9 bits |
12.4 Evs |
755 ISO |