Canon SX720 vs Nikon D5000
The Canon PowerShot SX720 HS and the Nikon D5000 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in February 2016 and April 2009. The SX720 is a fixed lens compact, while the D5000 is a DSLR. The cameras are based on a 1/2.3-inch (SX720) and an APS-C (D5000) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 20.2 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 12.2 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon PowerShot SX720 HS and the Nikon D5000? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
Body comparison
The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon SX720 and the Nikon D5000. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
The SX720 can be obtained in two different colors (black, red), while the D5000 is only available in black.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D5000 is considerably larger (88 percent) than the Canon SX720. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the SX720 nor the D5000 are weather-sealed.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the SX720 has a lens built in, whereas the D5000 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the D5000 and their specifications in the Nikon Lens Catalog.
Concerning battery life, the SX720 gets 250 shots out of its Canon NB-13L battery, while the D5000 can take 510 images on a single charge of its Nikon EN-EL9a power pack.
The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.
# | Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon SX720 | 110 mm | 64 mm | 36 mm | 270 g | 250 | n | Feb 2016 | 379 | ebay.com | |
2. | Nikon D5000 | 127 mm | 104 mm | 80 mm | 590 g | 510 | n | Apr 2009 | 749 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon SX740 | 110 mm | 64 mm | 40 mm | 299 g | 265 | n | Jul 2018 | 399 | amazon.com | |
4. | Canon SX430 | 104 mm | 69 mm | 85 mm | 323 g | 195 | n | Jan 2017 | 299 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon SX730 | 110 mm | 64 mm | 40 mm | 300 g | 250 | n | Apr 2017 | 399 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon SX420 | 104 mm | 69 mm | 85 mm | 325 g | 195 | n | Jan 2016 | 299 | ebay.com | |
7. | Canon SX540 | 120 mm | 82 mm | 92 mm | 442 g | 205 | n | Jan 2016 | 399 | ebay.com | |
8. | Canon SX410 | 104 mm | 69 mm | 85 mm | 325 g | 185 | n | Feb 2015 | 279 | ebay.com | |
9. | Canon SX710 | 113 mm | 66 mm | 35 mm | 269 g | 230 | n | Jan 2015 | 349 | ebay.com | |
10. | Nikon D5100 | 128 mm | 97 mm | 79 mm | 560 g | 660 | n | Apr 2011 | 749 | ebay.com | |
11. | Nikon D3100 | 124 mm | 96 mm | 75 mm | 505 g | 550 | n | Aug 2010 | 599 | ebay.com | |
12. | Nikon D3000 | 126 mm | 97 mm | 64 mm | 536 g | 500 | n | Jul 2009 | 599 | ebay.com | |
13. | Nikon D60 | 126 mm | 94 mm | 64 mm | 522 g | 500 | n | Jan 2008 | 629 | ebay.com | |
14. | Nikon D90 | 132 mm | 103 mm | 77 mm | 703 g | 850 | n | Aug 2008 | 1,299 | ebay.com | |
15. | Panasonic ZS70 | 112 mm | 67 mm | 41 mm | 322 g | 380 | n | Apr 2017 | 449 | ebay.com | |
16. | Sony HX80 | 102 mm | 58 mm | 36 mm | 245 g | 390 | n | Mar 2016 | 349 | ebay.com | |
17. | Sony HX90V | 102 mm | 58 mm | 36 mm | 245 g | 360 | n | Apr 2015 | 429 | ebay.com | |
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The SX720 was launched at a lower price than the D5000, despite having a lens built in. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.
Sensor comparison
The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.
Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon SX720 features a 1/2.3-inch sensor and the Nikon D5000 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the D5000 is 1232 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 5.6 and 1.5. The sensor in the SX720 has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the D5000 offers a 3:2 aspect.
Despite having a smaller sensor, the Canon SX720 offers a higher resolution of 20.2 megapixels, compared with 12.2 MP of the Nikon D5000. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 1.18μm versus 5.53μm for the D5000). However, it should be noted that the SX720 is much more recent (by 6 years and 10 months) than the D5000, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the SX720 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.
The resolution advantage of the Canon SX720 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the SX720 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 25.9 x 19.4 inches or 65.8 x 49.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 20.7 x 15.6 inches or 52.7 x 39.5 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 17.3 x 13 inches or 43.9 x 32.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon D5000 are 21.4 x 14.2 inches or 54.5 x 36.2 cm for good quality, 17.2 x 11.4 inches or 43.6 x 28.9 cm for very good quality, and 14.3 x 9.5 inches or 36.3 x 24.1 cm for excellent quality prints.
The Canon PowerShot SX720 HS has a native sensitivity range from ISO 80 to ISO 3200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D5000 are ISO 200 to ISO 3200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 200-6400.
In terms of underlying technology, the SX720 is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the D5000 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.
Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.
# | Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon SX720 | 1/2.3 | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 1080/60p | 20.3 | 11.8 | 817 | 48 | |
2. | Nikon D5000 | APS-C | 12.2 | 4288 | 2848 | 720/24p | 22.7 | 12.5 | 868 | 72 | |
3. | Canon SX740 | 1/2.3 | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 4K/30p | 20.6 | 12.1 | 1050 | 51 | |
4. | Canon SX430 | 1/2.3 | 19.9 | 5152 | 3864 | 720/25p | 20.5 | 11.9 | 900 | 49 | |
5. | Canon SX730 | 1/2.3 | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 1080/60p | 20.5 | 11.9 | 924 | 50 | |
6. | Canon SX420 | 1/2.3 | 19.9 | 5152 | 3864 | 720/25p | 20.3 | 11.7 | 806 | 48 | |
7. | Canon SX540 | 1/2.3 | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 1080/60p | 20.3 | 11.7 | 806 | 48 | |
8. | Canon SX410 | 1/2.3 | 19.9 | 5152 | 3864 | 720/30p | 20.2 | 11.6 | 720 | 47 | |
9. | Canon SX710 | 1/2.3 | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 1080/60p | 20.2 | 11.6 | 712 | 47 | |
10. | Nikon D5100 | APS-C | 16.1 | 4928 | 3264 | 1080/30p | 23.5 | 13.6 | 1183 | 80 | |
11. | Nikon D3100 | APS-C | 14.2 | 4608 | 3072 | 1080/24p | 22.5 | 11.3 | 919 | 67 | |
12. | Nikon D3000 | APS-C | 10.0 | 3872 | 2592 | none | 22.3 | 11.1 | 563 | 62 | |
13. | Nikon D60 | APS-C | 10.0 | 3872 | 2592 | none | 22.5 | 11.4 | 562 | 65 | |
14. | Nikon D90 | APS-C | 12.2 | 4288 | 2848 | 720/24p | 22.7 | 12.5 | 977 | 73 | |
15. | Panasonic ZS70 | 1/2.3 | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 4K/30p | 19.1 | 10.6 | 106 | 36 | |
16. | Sony HX80 | 1/2.3 | 18.0 | 4896 | 3672 | 1080/60p | 20.4 | 11.8 | 822 | 48 | |
17. | Sony HX90V | 1/2.3 | 18.0 | 4896 | 3672 | 1080/60p | 20.2 | 11.6 | 738 | 47 | |
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age. |
Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the SX720 provides a higher video resolution than the D5000. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the Nikon is limited to 720/24p.
Feature comparison
Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the D5000 has an optical viewfinder, which can be very useful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the SX720 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon SX720 and Nikon D5000 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.
# | Camera Model |
Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots) |
Control Panel (yes/no) |
LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots) |
LCD Attach- ment |
Touch Screen (yes/no) |
Max Shutter Speed * |
Max Shutter Flaps * |
Built-in Flash (yes/no) |
Built-in Image Stab |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon SX720 | none | n | 3.0 / 922 | fixed | n | 1/3200s | 5.9/s | Y | Y | |
2. | Nikon D5000 | optical | n | 2.7 / 230 | full-flex | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
3. | Canon SX740 | none | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | n | 1/3200s | 10.0/s | Y | Y | |
4. | Canon SX430 | none | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 0.5/s | Y | Y | |
5. | Canon SX730 | none | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | n | 1/3200s | 5.9/s | Y | Y | |
6. | Canon SX420 | none | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 0.5/s | Y | Y | |
7. | Canon SX540 | none | n | 3.0 / 461 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 5.9/s | Y | Y | |
8. | Canon SX410 | none | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 0.5/s | Y | Y | |
9. | Canon SX710 | none | n | 3.0 / 922 | fixed | n | 1/3200s | 6.0/s | Y | Y | |
10. | Nikon D5100 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
11. | Nikon D3100 | optical | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
12. | Nikon D3000 | optical | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
13. | Nikon D60 | optical | n | 2.5 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
14. | Nikon D90 | optical | Y | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 4.5/s | Y | n | |
15. | Panasonic ZS70 | 1166 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | tilting | Y | 1/2000s | 10.0/s | Y | Y | |
16. | Sony HX80 | 638 | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | n | 1/2000s | 10.0/s | Y | Y | |
17. | Sony HX90V | 638 | n | 3.0 / 921 | tilting | n | 1/2000s | 10.0/s | Y | Y | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
The Nikon D5000 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.
The SX720 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the D5000 uses SDHC cards. The SX720 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the D5000 cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.
Connectivity comparison
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon PowerShot SX720 HS and Nikon D5000 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
# | Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon SX720 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
2. | Nikon D5000 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
3. | Canon SX740 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | Y | |
4. | Canon SX430 | - | mono / mono | - | - | - | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
5. | Canon SX730 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | Y | |
6. | Canon SX420 | - | mono / mono | - | - | - | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
7. | Canon SX540 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
8. | Canon SX410 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
9. | Canon SX710 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
10. | Nikon D5100 | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
11. | Nikon D3100 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
12. | Nikon D3000 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
13. | Nikon D60 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
14. | Nikon D90 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
15. | Panasonic ZS70 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
16. | Sony HX80 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
17. | Sony HX90V | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - |
It is notable that the SX720 offers wifi support, while the D5000 does not. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.
Both the SX720 and the D5000 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D5000 was replaced by the Nikon D5100, while the SX720 was followed by the Canon SX730. Further information on the features and operation of the SX720 and D5000 can be found, respectively, in the Canon SX720 Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D5000 Manual.
Review summary
So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Canon SX720 or the Nikon D5000 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.
Advantages of the Canon PowerShot SX720 HS:
- More detail: Offers more megapixels (20.2 vs 12.2MP) with a 26% higher linear resolution.
- Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
- Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (1080/60p vs 720/24p).
- Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.7") for image review and settings control.
- More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (922k vs 230k dots).
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (5.9 vs 4 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- Ready to shoot: Comes with a built-in lens, while the D5000 requires a separate lens.
- More compact: Is smaller (110x64mm vs 127x104mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
- Less heavy: Is lighter even though it comes with a built-in lens (unlike the D5000).
- Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
- Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
- Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
- Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
- More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.
- More modern: Reflects 6 years and 10 months of technical progress since the D5000 launch.
Reasons to prefer the Nikon D5000:
- Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
- Better image quality: Features bigger pixels on a larger sensor for higher quality imaging.
- Richer colors: The pixel size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
- More dynamic range: Larger pixels capture a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
- Better low-light sensitivity: Larger pixels means good image quality even under poor lighting.
- Easier framing: Has an optical viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
- More flexible LCD: Has a full-flex screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
- More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
- Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/4000s vs 1/3200s) to freeze action.
- Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
- More flexible: Makes it possible to change lenses and thus to use specialty optics.
- Longer lasting: Gets more shots (510 versus 250) out of a single battery charge.
- Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
- More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in April 2009).
If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the SX720 comes out slightly ahead of the D5000 (15 : 14 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon SX720 and the Nikon D5000 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Superzoom Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.
In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the SX720 or the D5000 perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.
Expert reviews
This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.
# | Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon SX720 | .. | + | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2016 | 379 | ebay.com | |
2. | Nikon D5000 | .. | + + | .. | 75/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Apr 2009 | 749 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon SX740 | .. | + | 3.5/5 | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Jul 2018 | 399 | amazon.com | |
4. | Canon SX430 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | Jan 2017 | 299 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon SX730 | .. | + | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Apr 2017 | 399 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon SX420 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3/5 | Jan 2016 | 299 | ebay.com | |
7. | Canon SX540 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Jan 2016 | 399 | ebay.com | |
8. | Canon SX410 | .. | o | .. | .. | .. | .. | Feb 2015 | 279 | ebay.com | |
9. | Canon SX710 | .. | + | .. | .. | 4/5 | 3.5/5 | Jan 2015 | 349 | ebay.com | |
10. | Nikon D5100 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 76/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Apr 2011 | 749 | ebay.com | |
11. | Nikon D3100 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 72/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2010 | 599 | ebay.com | |
12. | Nikon D3000 | .. | + | .. | 72/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jul 2009 | 599 | ebay.com | |
13. | Nikon D60 | .. | 80/100 | .. | + + | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2008 | 629 | ebay.com | |
14. | Nikon D90 | .. | + + | .. | + + | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2008 | 1,299 | ebay.com | |
15. | Panasonic ZS70 | .. | + + | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Apr 2017 | 449 | ebay.com | |
16. | Sony HX80 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Mar 2016 | 349 | ebay.com | |
17. | Sony HX90V | 4/5 | + + | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Apr 2015 | 429 | ebay.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.
- Canon 20D vs Canon SX720
- Canon G7 X Mark III vs Canon SX720
- Canon SX720 vs Nikon D7500
- Canon SX720 vs Olympus E-M1
- Canon SX720 vs Panasonic G80
- Canon SX720 vs Sony A7 III
- Fujifilm X-E3 vs Nikon D5000
- Leica S-E Typ 006 vs Nikon D5000
- Leica X-U Typ 113 vs Nikon D5000
- Leica X1 vs Nikon D5000
- Nikon D1X vs Nikon D5000
- Nikon D5000 vs Nikon D90
Specifications: Canon SX720 vs Nikon D5000
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
Camera Model | Canon SX720 | Nikon D5000 |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Fixed lens compact camera | Digital single lens reflex |
Camera Lens | 24-960mm f/3.3-6.9 | Nikon F mount lenses |
Launch Date | February 2016 | April 2009 |
Launch Price | USD 379 | USD 749 |
Sensor Specs | Canon SX720 | Nikon D5000 |
Sensor Technology | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor Format | 1/2.3" Sensor | APS-C Sensor |
Sensor Size | 6.17 x 4.55 mm | 23.6 x 15.8 mm |
Sensor Area | 28.0735 mm2 | 372.88 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 7.7 mm | 28.4 mm |
Crop Factor | 5.6x | 1.5x |
Sensor Resolution | 20.2 Megapixels | 12.2 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 5184 x 3888 pixels | 4288 x 2848 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 1.18 μm | 5.53 μm |
Pixel Density | 71.80 MP/cm2 | 3.28 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | no AA filter | Anti-Alias filter |
Movie Capability | 1080/60p Video | 720/24p Video |
ISO Setting | 80 - 3,200 ISO | 200 - 3,200 ISO |
ISO Boost | no Enhancement | 200 - 6,400 ISO |
Image Processor | DIGIC 6 | EXPEED |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | .. | 72 |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | .. | 22.7 |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | .. | 12.5 |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | .. | 868 |
Screen Specs | Canon SX720 | Nikon D5000 |
Viewfinder Type | no viewfinder | Optical viewfinder |
Viewfinder Field of View | 95% | |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.51x | |
LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
Rear LCD Size | 3.0inch | 2.7inch |
LCD Resolution | 922k dots | 230k dots |
LCD Attachment | Fixed screen | Fully flexible screen |
Shooting Specs | Canon SX720 | Nikon D5000 |
Focus System | Contrast-detect AF | Phase-detect AF |
Continuous Shooting | 5.9 shutter flaps/s | 4 shutter flaps/s |
Time-Lapse Photography | no Intervalometer | Intervalometer built-in |
Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | Built-in Flash |
Storage Medium | SDXC cards | SDHC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Single card slot |
UHS card support | UHS-I | no |
Connectivity Specs | Canon SX720 | Nikon D5000 |
External Flash | no Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
HDMI Port | micro HDMI | mini HDMI |
Wifi Support | Wifi built-in | no Wifi |
Near-Field Communication | NFC built-in | no NFC |
Body Specs | Canon SX720 | Nikon D5000 |
Battery Type | Canon NB-13L | Nikon EN-EL9a |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 250 shots per charge | 510 shots per charge |
Body Dimensions |
110 x 64 x 36 mm (4.3 x 2.5 x 1.4 in) |
127 x 104 x 80 mm (5.0 x 4.1 x 3.1 in) |
Camera Weight | 270 g (9.5 oz) | 590 g (20.8 oz) |
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