Nikon D5000 vs Sony A560
65 Imaging
51 Features
50 Overall
50


64 Imaging
54 Features
78 Overall
63
Nikon D5000 vs Sony A560 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 200 - 3200 (Boost to 6400)
- 1280 x 720 video
- Nikon F Mount
- 590g - 127 x 104 x 80mm
- Announced June 2009
- Replaced the Nikon D60
- Later Model is Nikon D5100
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Push to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 599g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Launched August 2010
- Succeeded the Sony A500

Nikon D5000 vs Sony A560 Overview
Below, we are looking at the Nikon D5000 and Sony A560, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras by brands Nikon and Sony. The resolution of the D5000 (12MP) and the A560 (14MP) is fairly close and they feature the exact same sensor dimensions (APS-C).

The D5000 was announced 14 months prior to the A560 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras come with the identical body type (Compact SLR).
Before going through a thorough comparison, below is a short overview of how the D5000 grades against the A560 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Nikon D5000 vs Sony A560 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon D5000 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A560. The whole galleries are available at Nikon D5000 Gallery & Sony A560 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon D5000 over the Sony A560
D5000 | A560 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony A560 over the Nikon D5000
A560 | D5000 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | August 2010 | ![]() | June 2009 | More modern by 14 months |
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 922k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+692k dot) |
Common features in the Nikon D5000 and Sony A560
D5000 | A560 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very precise focus | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Neither offers Touch friendly display |
Nikon D5000 vs Sony A560 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Nikon D5000 offers outside dimensions of 127mm x 104mm x 80mm (5.0" x 4.1" x 3.1") with a weight of 590 grams (1.30 lbs) whilst the Sony A560 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).
See the Nikon D5000 and Sony A560 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the D5000 vs the A560.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the D5000 and A560 is 65 and 64 respectively.

Nikon D5000 vs Sony A560 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it is hard to envision the gap in sensor sizes only by looking through a spec sheet. The picture below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the D5000 and A560.
Clearly, both of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same megapixels. You can anticipate the Sony A560 to render extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more aged D5000 will be behind in sensor technology.

Nikon D5000 vs Sony A560 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon D5000 vs Sony A560 Specifications
Nikon D5000 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Nikon | Sony |
Model type | Nikon D5000 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 |
Class | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2009-06-12 | 2010-08-24 |
Body design | Compact SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Expeed | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 23.6 x 15.8mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 372.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12MP | 14MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4288 x 2848 | 4592 x 3056 |
Maximum native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
Maximum boosted ISO | 6400 | 25600 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Total focus points | 11 | 15 |
Cross type focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Nikon F | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Total lenses | 309 | 143 |
Crop factor | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Display size | 2.7 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of display | 230k dot | 922k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 95 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.52x | 0.53x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 30s | 30s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shooting speed | 4.0 frames/s | 5.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 17.00 m (at ISO 100) | 12.00 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/200s | 1/160s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (24 fps), 640 x 424 (24 fps), 320 x 216 (24 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | Optional | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 590 grams (1.30 lbs) | 599 grams (1.32 lbs) |
Dimensions | 127 x 104 x 80mm (5.0" x 4.1" x 3.1") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 72 | 70 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 22.7 | 22.5 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.5 | 12.3 |
DXO Low light rating | 868 | 817 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 510 images | 1050 images |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | EN-EL9a | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | Single | 2 |
Cost at launch | $630 | $650 |