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Nikon D3000 vs D60

The Nikon D3000 and the Nikon D60 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in July 2009 and January 2008. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 10 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications
Nikon D3000
versus
Nikon D60
Nikon D3000   Nikon D60
Digital single lens reflex Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses Nikon F mount lenses
10 MP – APS-C sensor 10 MP – APS-C sensor
no Video no Video
ISO 100-1,600 (100 - 3,200) ISO 100-1,600 (100 - 3,200)
Optical viewfinder Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 230k dots 2.5" LCD – 230k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive) Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
3 shutter flaps per second 3 shutter flaps per second
500 shots per battery charge500 shots per battery charge
126 x 97 x 64 mm, 536 g 126 x 94 x 64 mm, 522 g
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D3000 and the Nikon D60? 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.

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Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Nikon D3000 and the Nikon D60. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Size Nikon D3000 vs Nikon D60
Compare D3000 versus D60 top
Comparison D3000 or D60 rear

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D60 is somewhat smaller (3 percent) than the Nikon D3000. Moreover, the D60 is slightly lighter (3 percent) than the D3000. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the D3000 nor the D60 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Nikon Lens Catalog.

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.

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Body Specifications
# image Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon D3000 126 mm 97 mm 64 mm 536 g 500 n Jul 2009 599ebay.com
2.
 
Nikon D60 126 mm 94 mm 64 mm 522 g 500 n Jan 2008 629ebay.com
3.
 
Nikon D5600 124 mm 97 mm 70 mm 465 g 970 n Nov 2016 699 amazon.com
4.
 
Nikon D3400 124 mm 98 mm 76 mm 445 g 1200 n Aug 2016 499ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D3100 124 mm 96 mm 75 mm 505 g 550 n Aug 2010 599ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon D5000 127 mm 104 mm 80 mm 590 g 510 n Apr 2009 749ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon D90 132 mm 103 mm 77 mm 703 g 850 n Aug 2008 1,299ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D40X 124 mm 94 mm 64 mm 522 g 520 n Mar 2007 729ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D40 124 mm 94 mm 64 mm 522 g 470 n Nov 2006 499ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus E-450 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 440 g 500 n Mar 2009 499ebay.com
11.
 
Olympus E-420 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 440 g 500 n Mar 2008 599ebay.com
12.
 
Panasonic L10 135 mm 96 mm 78 mm 556 g 450 n Aug 2007 599ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The D3000 was somewhat cheaper (by 5 percent) than the D60 at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. 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. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Nikon D3000 and Nikon D60 sensor measures

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 10 megapixels. This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the D3000 and the D60 have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the D3000 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 6 months) than the D60, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The Nikon D3000 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600, which can be extended to ISO 100-3200. The Nikon D60 offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CCD (Charged Coupled Device) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

D3000 versus D60 MP

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. 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 Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

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Sensor Characteristics
# image Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Nikon D3000 APS-C 10.0 3872 2592none22.311.156362
2.
 
Nikon D60 APS-C 10.0 3872 2592none22.511.456265
3.
 
Nikon D5600 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.114.0130684
4.
 
Nikon D3400 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.813.9119286
5.
 
Nikon D3100 APS-C 14.2 4608 30721080/24p22.511.391967
6.
 
Nikon D5000 APS-C 12.2 4288 2848720/24p22.712.586872
7.
 
Nikon D90 APS-C 12.2 4288 2848720/24p22.712.597773
8.
 
Nikon D40X APS-C 10.0 3872 2592none22.411.451663
9.
 
Nikon D40 APS-C 6.0 3008 2000none21.011.056156
10.
 
Olympus E-450 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.510.551256
11.
 
Olympus E-420 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.510.452756
12.
 
Panasonic L10 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.310.842955
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Neither the D3000 nor the D60 offer Live View, so that they cannot project the live image that the sensor receives onto the rear screen. Moreover, both cameras are still-image focused and cannot record videos.
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Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The D3000 and the D60 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), as well as the same magnification (0.53x). The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon D3000 and Nikon D60 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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Core Features
# image 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.
 
Nikon D3000optical n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
2.
 
Nikon D60optical n2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
3.
 
Nikon D5600optical n3.2 / 1037 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
4.
 
Nikon D3400optical n3.0 / 921 fixed n 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
5.
 
Nikon D3100optical n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
6.
 
Nikon D5000optical n2.7 / 230 full-flex n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y n
7.
 
Nikon D90optical Y3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/4000s 4.5/s Y n
8.
 
Nikon D40Xoptical n2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
9.
 
Nikon D40optical n2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 2.5/s Y n
10.
 
Olympus E-450optical n2.7 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
11.
 
Olympus E-420optical n2.7 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
12.
 
Panasonic L10optical n2.5 / 207 swivel n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
padding

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the D3000 and the D60 write their files to SDHC cards.

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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 Nikon D3000 and Nikon D60 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
# image Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Nikon D3000Y- / ----2.0---
2.
 
Nikon D60Y- / ----2.0---
3.
 
Nikon D5600Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0YYY
4.
 
Nikon D3400Ymono / mono--mini2.0--Y
5.
 
Nikon D3100Ymono / mono--mini2.0---
6.
 
Nikon D5000Ymono / mono--mini2.0---
7.
 
Nikon D90Ymono / mono--mini2.0---
8.
 
Nikon D40XY- / ----2.0---
9.
 
Nikon D40Y- / ----2.0---
10.
 
Olympus E-450Y- / ----2.0---
11.
 
Olympus E-420Y- / ----2.0---
12.
 
Panasonic L10Y- / ----2.0---
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Both the D3000 and the D60 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D60 was replaced by the Nikon D5000, while the D3000 was followed by the Nikon D3100. Further information on the features and operation of the D3000 and D60 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D3000 Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D60 Manual.

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Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Nikon D3000 better than the Nikon D60 or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.


Advantages of the Nikon D3000:

  • Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.5") for image review and settings control.
  • More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 1 year and 6 months after the D60).


Reasons to prefer the Nikon D60:

  • More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in January 2008).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D3000 comes out slightly ahead of the D60 (2 : 1 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

D3000 02:01 D60

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon D3000 and the Nikon D60 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the D3000 or the D60 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 hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera 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.

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Expert Camera Reviews
# image  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon D3000..+..72/1004/54.5/5 Jul 2009 599ebay.com
2.
 
Nikon D60..80/100..+ +4/54.5/5 Jan 2008 629ebay.com
3.
 
Nikon D56004/5..4/579/1004.5/54/5 Nov 2016 699 amazon.com
4.
 
Nikon D34004/5+4/576/1004/54.5/5 Aug 2016 499ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D31005/5+ +..72/1004.5/54.5/5 Aug 2010 599ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon D5000..+ +..75/1004/54.5/5 Apr 2009 749ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon D90..+ +..+ +4/54.5/5 Aug 2008 1,299ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D40X..79/100..+ +4/54/5 Mar 2007 729ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D40..81/100..+ +o4.5/5 Nov 2006 499ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus E-450........4/54/5 Mar 2009 499ebay.com
11.
 
Olympus E-420..85/100..+ +4/54.5/5 Mar 2008 599ebay.com
12.
 
Panasonic L10..85/100..+3.5/54/5 Aug 2007 599ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
padding

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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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 use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Specifications: Nikon D3000 vs Nikon D60

    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 Specifications
    Camera Model Nikon D3000 Nikon D60
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Nikon F mount lenses Nikon F mount lenses
    Launch Date July 2009 January 2008
    Launch Price USD 599 USD 629
    Sensor Specs Nikon D3000 Nikon D60
    Sensor Technology CCD CCD
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 23.6 x 15.8 mm 23.6 x 15.8 mm
    Sensor Area 372.88 mm2 372.88 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 28.4 mm 28.4 mm
    Crop Factor 1.5x 1.5x
    Sensor Resolution 10 Megapixels 10 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 3872 x 2592 pixels 3872 x 2592 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 6.11 μm 6.11 μm
    Pixel Density 2.69 MP/cm2 2.69 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability no Video no Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 1,600 ISO 100 - 1,600 ISO
    ISO Boost 100 - 3,200 ISO 100 - 3,200 ISO
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 62 65
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 22.3 22.5
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 11.1 11.4
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 563 562
    Screen Specs Nikon D3000 Nikon D60
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 95% 95%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.53x 0.53x
    Rear LCD Size 3.0inch 2.5inch
    LCD Resolution 230k dots 230k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen Fixed screen
    Shooting Specs Nikon D3000 Nikon D60
    Focus System Phase-detect AF Phase-detect AF
    Continuous Shooting 3 shutter flaps/s 3 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy100 000 actuations50 000 actuations
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium SDHC cards SDHC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot Single card slot
    UHS card support no no
    Connectivity Specs Nikon D3000 Nikon D60
    External Flash Hotshoe Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0 USB 2.0
    HDMI Port no HDMI no HDMI
    Wifi Support no Wifi no Wifi
    Body Specs Nikon D3000 Nikon D60
    Battery Type EN-EL9a EN-EL9
    Battery Life (CIPA)500 shots per charge500 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 126 x 97 x 64 mm
    (5.0 x 3.8 x 2.5 in)
    126 x 94 x 64 mm
    (5.0 x 3.7 x 2.5 in)
    Camera Weight 536 g (18.9 oz) 522 g (18.4 oz)
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