Nikon D3x: 38.7mp?
Wow! Fast and furious today:
The X will be an FX 38.7 megapixel (36.3 effective megapixels) camera based on the D3 body. Not much else will change barring some subtleties. The new sensor will have changed to a technology termed TIMOS (Time Interpolated Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor). This will effectively allow for triple the number of pixels available in a given space, changing the sensor pixel pitch to 2.59um, allowing for interval space. Expeed will still do the managing and SHOULD still be able to maintain low noise at high iso. Chromatic aberration is still a concern at this point due to resolution, however ALCR will be further exaggerated by EXPEED to compensate. The sensor will be slightly larger than standard 35mm (36.28×26.30), but still considered 35mm. Multiple cropping options will be available including a new custom option, defineable by the user. The White balance sensor will remain CCD technology.
The dilema with pixels has always be appropriate space. Ironically golf balls are similar. There is an optimal number of dimples that fit on any given size golf ball. If you try to put more or less dimples on the ball other than the mathmatically correct number and size you develop all kinds of problems. At first glance you may think it’s a silly analogy but it’s actually a very similar problem that has plaqued digital technology. That’s why the pixels changed on the D3 to most appropriately fit an atypical sensor size, it’s also why the new sensor has changed.
Oh, by the way it will be out in September,2008 and since R&D costs were recovered on the D3, the price will be unchanged!
Sleep well.
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I’m really doubting this, but it’s fun to imagine what you might do with medium-format-sized images on a rapid-fire device like a D3…
January 13th, 2008 at 01:14
The new sensor, there are lots of R&D costs to develop that model. Plus the additional costs for hardware and software programming. And maybe a more powerful version of the Xpeed image processor.
January 14th, 2008 at 18:52
[...] I’d bet on an 18MP before a 24MP if there’s an announcement within the next year. Other predictions of a 38MP camera in 2008 seem looney to [...]
April 15th, 2008 at 19:56
Found in the D3’s v1.1 firmware, B-file, starting at offset 3′614′640:
6048×4032 24.4 M
4544×3024 13.7 M
3024×2016 6.1 M
5056×4032 20.4 M
3792×3024 11.5 M
2528×2016 5.1 M
3968×2640 10.5 M
2976×1976 5.9 M
1984×1320 2.6 M
D3X