Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/02/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The original discussion..... "Interview with Kiyoshige Shibazaki, Nikon General Manager, 1st Development Department, Development Management Department, Imaging Company (whew!): "I guess that it's now safe to reveal that the D1 image sensor, with specifications noting a pixel count of 2.7-million pixels, actually had a pixel count of 10.8-million pixels. The technical reason for an actual pixel count four times greater than that indicated publicly lies in the need to achieve high sensitivity and a good signal-to-noise ratio. Unlike current cameras, for which final pixel counts account for individual pixels, we had to include multiple pixels in each pixel unit with the D1. In short, our development of an image sensor with so many pixels at such an early stage in the history of digital cameras indicates the importance placed on SLR camera development at Nikon." http://nikonimaging.com/global/technology/scene/12/index.htm Further response in the thread.... Hi, This was all speculated about 'in the day' after a few of us took a look at the sensor itself under microscopes. It looked like there were far more photosites incorporated into the structure than there were pixels. The sensor itself is a Sony device, and it made a lot of sense to me that Sony would have leveraged their video cam sensor base technology (which used a far smaller photosite size than Nikon was specifying for the D1) when it came to producing the physically larger sensor for the D1. So, the thought at the time was that they were probably using four photosites ganged together to make up each pixel. Not that any of us knew for sure, mind you. Neither Nikon nor Sony were saying anything about it. Not that it matters, anyway. Like the Foveon scheme, what matters is *not* the photosite count, but the picture element count - what we see on our PC screens post-processing of the sensor data (regardless if it's us doing the PP, or the camera doing it). So, coming out me and stating that the D1 series has a 10 MP imager, when that's not what one gets in the photo itself would simply lead to flame wars - just like the ones that popped up when some folks tried to use the 3x math on the Foveon device. What *is* interesting is how, by using a different mapping scheme and color filter layer, they made the 4 photosite per pixel (PPP) device into a 2 PPP one to make the D1x/D1h pair out of the original D1 and extend the life of the basic design. *That* was the clever part. ............. So, I can see why Nikon would not want to mention the 4 photosite per pixel trick at the time, when it would have just led to confusion about how digital realted to analog - as if there weren't enough confusion as it was. Stan Disbrow _________________ Amateur Photographer Professional Electronics Development Engineer Frank Filippone red735i@earthlink.net