Nikon D3X vs Nikon D5000

Nikon D3X advantages over Nikon D5000

• Larger sensor
  35mm vs APS-C
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Fast startup
  ~0.30 vs 0.4 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  D3X test data on DxO Mark D5000 test data on DxO Mark
  1,992 vs 868 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• Longer stills battery life
  More info

  Longer stills battery life

  Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

  Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

  4400 vs 510 shots
  Capture more photos
• Top deck display
  Yes vs No
  Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
• External Mic Jack
  Jack vs No jack
  Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
• More cross-type AF points
  15 vs 1
  Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
• Pentaprism viewfinder
  Pentaprism vs Pentamirror
  Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
• More dots on screen
  922k vs 230k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• Less shutter lag
  0.16 vs 0.28 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.70x vs 0.52x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• More pixels
  24.5 vs 12.3 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• More AF points
  51 vs 11
  More AF points improve autofocus
• Faster JPEG shooting
  5.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light