Nikon D90 has a
12.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Nikon D80 has a
10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor .
Below you can see the D90 and D80 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D90 and Nikon D80 Cameras
Nikon D90 and Nikon D80 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 D80 has 21% larger pixel area (37.14µm 2 vs 30.54µm 2 ) compared to Nikon D90, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Nikon D90 and Nikon D80 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark 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. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, D90 has scored 73, 12 points higher than D80.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon D90
73
22.7 bits
12.5 Evs
977 ISO
Nikon D80
61
22.1 bits
11.2 Evs
524 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 D90
or the
Nikon D80 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
