Reasons to choose D5000
Released in 2009, D5000 has about 373 mm² of sensor area, 12.3 MP effective resolution, and a 590 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.
Side-by-side comparison
Nikon D5000
vs Nikon D7100
VS
Sensor area
373 mm²
D5000367 mm²
D7100- Area ratio
- 1.02:1
- Absolute difference
- 6 mm²
- Relative difference
- 1.7%
The D5000 has the larger sensor area. More area usually means greater light-gathering potential, though real image quality still depends on sensor architecture and generation.
These cameras were released 4 years apart. Consider sensor generation when comparing pixel metrics.
Key specification differences
D5000MetricD7100
12.3 MPEffective pixels24.1 MP
23.6 × 15.8Sensor23.5 × 15.6
5.51 µmPixel pitch3.9 µm
30.32 µm²Pixel area15.21 µm²
3.3 MP/cm²Pixel density6.57 MP/cm²
1.52Crop factor1.53
—Maximum video1,920 × 1,080
590 gWeight675 g
SDHC, Secure DigitalStorageSD/SDHC/SDXC x 2
Nikon EN-EL9a Lithium-Ion battery Li-ion batteryBatteryLithium-Ion EN-EL15 rechargeable battery Li-ion battery
Amber marks the value that is generally preferable in this comparison context. It is not an overall camera score.
How to choose between these cameras
The D5000 has the larger sensor area. The D5000 has the lighter body. The D7100 has the higher effective resolution. The D7100 is the newer release. Also consider the lens system and subjects you shoot.
Reasons to choose D7100
Released in 2013, D7100 has about 367 mm² of sensor area, 24.1 MP effective resolution, and a 675 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.