Nikon Metering - RGB Sensors affect: Nikon camera specifications for metering list a certain number of RGB sensors. As improvements progress, the number has been increasing. The Nikon...

The Villages Loc: The Villages, Florida

Nikon camera specifications for metering list a certain number of RGB sensors. As improvements progress, the number has been increasing. The Nikon D200 for exmple had 1,005, but some newer models are up into the tens of thousands. The question is - what is achieved with these increasing numbers.

Is it a more accurate metering exposure? Is it only truer colors, ie RGB? What's it all about?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

PCity wrote:

Nikon camera specifications for metering list a certain number of RGB sensors. As improvements progress, the number has been increasing. The Nikon D200 for exmple had 1,005, but some newer models are up into the tens of thousands. The question is - what is achieved with these increasing numbers.

Is it a more accurate metering exposure? Is it only truer colors, ie RGB? What's it all about?

As the saying goes, "It's complicated." this article might help.

http://www.red.com/learn/red-101/color-monochrome-camera-sensors

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

PCity wrote:

... The question is - what is achieved with these increasing numbers.

Is it a more accurate metering exposure? Is it only truer colors, ie RGB? What's it all about?

The cited URL has virtually no relevance to this question. The light metering sensor does not use a Bayer Color Filter Array.

The RGB sensor is used to generate zones for matrix metering that are compared to an internal database. It is also used to track moving subjects in various Auto Focus modes. More pixels means higher precision for those purposes, but probably does not make the measurement of light any better.

The number of sensor sites was at 91,000 in the D4 generation, and is now at 180,000 in the D5. For that reason Matrix Metering and the auto focus tracking modes are all significantly improved since the D2 models from a decade ago with only 1005 sites.

The Villages Loc: The Villages, Florida

[quote=Apaflo

"The RGB sensor is used to generate zones for matrix metering that are compared to an internal database. It is also used to track moving subjects in various Auto Focus modes. More pixels means higher precision for those purposes, but probably does not make the measurement of light any better."

Your insight makes sense. I would think however that the more zones making their comparison would/could result in a more percise metered exposure???

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

PCity wrote:

"The RGB sensor is used to generate zones for matrix metering that are compared to an internal database. It is also used to track moving subjects in various Auto Focus modes. More pixels means higher precision for those purposes, but probably does not make the measurement of light any better."

Your insight makes sense. I would think however that the more zones making their comparison would/could result in a more percise metered exposure???

It makes for a more precise comparison with database information. It doesn't change the accuracy of the measured Light Value. But overall yes it makes Matrix Metering more accurate because there can be more images to compare with and thus finer differences.

It just doesn't measure the light any better, but what it calculates from twice as many measurements is "better". But even with 180k sites Matrix Metering is still sometimes going to match database information that is not at all like what you want...

The Villages Loc: The Villages, Florida

Apaflo wrote:

It makes for a more precise comparison with databa... (show quote)

Got it. Thanks as always for your insight.

davefales Loc: Virginia

Apaflo wrote:

The cited URL has virtually no relevance to this q... (show quote)

Today's lesson. Thanks.

BebuLamar

[quote=PCity][quote=Apaflo

"The RGB sensor is used to generate zones for matrix metering that are compared to an internal database. It is also used to track moving subjects in various Auto Focus modes. More pixels means higher precision for those purposes, but probably does not make the measurement of light any better."

Your insight makes sense. I would think however that the more zones making their comparison would/could result in a more percise metered exposure???[/quote]

The more zones doesn't make the metering more accurate. It can very well make it less accurate because there is less light on each zone. More zones mean that it can analyze the scene better and possibly comes up with better exposure. Better exposure doesn't mean the meter is more accurate. The 2 things are different.

The Villages Loc: The Villages, Florida

BebuLamar wrote:

More zones mean that it can analyze the scene better and possibly comes up with better exposure. Better exposure doesn't mean the meter is more accurate. The 2 things are different.

"Better exposure doesn't mean the meter is more accurate"? Isn't that what we are looking for.....a meter reading that produces a properly exposed picture?

BebuLamar

PCity wrote:

"Better exposure doesn't mean the meter is more accurate"? Isn't that what we are looking for.....a meter reading that produces a properly exposed picture?

Yes that's why they make sensor with more zones. But doesn't mean it's more accurate but can give you better exposure.