Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/02/28

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Subject: [Leica] Nikon D1 Pixel Count.....
From: red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone)
Date: Thu Feb 28 14:41:32 2008
References: <11701290.1204235659412.JavaMail.root@elwamui-hybrid.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <00df01c87a58$a3859310$ea90b930$@net> <7c7efb430802281430n3c492e34x20ff5531556d2fd1@mail.gmail.com>

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




Replies: Reply from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] Nikon D1 Pixel Count.....)
In reply to: Message from wildlightphoto at earthlink.net (wildlightphoto@earthlink.net) ([Leica] Erwin telling it like it may be)
Message from red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] Erwin telling it like it may be)
Message from ken at iisaka.org (Ken Iisaka) ([Leica] Erwin telling it like it may be)