3 minute read
Full-frame DSLRs
TECHNOLOGY
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Inside a full-frame DSLR
The tech in the Nikon D600 that allows for wide-angle photography D600 teardown
We break open Nikon’s D600 to examine its advanced components
CMOS sensor
The D600 boasts a full-frame 35.9 x 24mm (1.4 x 0.9in) sensor with 24.7mn total pixels. It can deliver a maximum image resolution of 6,016 x 4,016px.
The D600 is a new DSLR camera from Nikon that is designed to deliver the performance of a full-frame professional model but at a lower price point.
The full-frame capability – see the ‘What does “full frame” mean?’ boxout for more information – comes courtesy of a 35.9 x 24-millimetre (1.4 x 0.9-inch) complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor capable of generating images up to 24.3 megapixels. This contrasts to other models in its price range that tend to feature cropped, half or quarter-frame sensors. This is due to the traditionally high cost of full-frame sensors, which generally has resulted in fewer being manufactured per silicon wafer.
Images captured by the full-frame sensor are processed by an EXPEED 3 image engine. This is a multi-CPU media processor that can handle a range of tasks such as colour reproduction, gradation processing, image sharpening, gamma correction and compression. Thanks to the multiple processing units, the EXPEED 3 image engine is capable of performing several tasks in parallel, enabling the camera to shoot at up to 5.5 frames per second (fps).
Arguably the D600’s most important feature though – compared with other high-end full-frame cameras – is its compact design (14.2 x 11.2 x 8.1 centimetres/5.6 x 4.4 x 3.2 inches) and low weight; eg the D600 weighs in close to 200 grams (seven ounces) lighter than the Canon 5D Mark III. This has been achieved in a number of ways including integrating dual SD card slots instead of a CompactFlash (CF) port, as well as smaller internal chipsets and boards.
Power board
One of two boards that control the distribution of electrical power between the camera’s components.
The statistics…
Nikon D600
Type: DSLR
Weight (body only):
760g (26.8oz) Sensor type: CMOS Effective pixels: 24.3mn
Maximum image size:
6,016 x 4,016px
Shutter speed range:
1/4,000 to 30 seconds Max shooting speed: 5.5 fps ISO range: 100–6,400
LCD segment driver
The LCD segment driver reduces load on the D600’s processing units, handling all screen operations.
Battery
A 7V, 1,900mAh lithiumion cell provides about 900 shots per charge.
DID YOU KNOW?
The term DSLR is short for ‘digital single-lens reflex’ camera
SD card slots
Twin SD card slots are situated on the right-hand side. The use of SD over CF cards makes the camera both smaller and lighter.
Flash capacitor
This supplies the high current to operate the camera’s high-voltage flash tube.
LCD
The 8.1cm (3.2in), 921,600-dot LCD screen is fused to the rear casing.
Mainboard up close
The D600’s mainboard carries a selection of essential chips…
Microcontroller
An 80MHz low-power microcontroller that has built-in NANO FLASH for speedy computations.
EXPEED 3 imageprocessing engine
The most important chip on the mainboard, this is a comprehensive multi-core processor that handles almost all image adjustments.
Tripod mount
A standard screw fitting for a tripod is fixed to the bottom of the casing.
Lens mount
A metal lens mount allows for a wide variety of lenses to be fitted to the D600.
SDRAM
1GB of DDR3 SDRAM acts as a conduit between the board’s selection of chips.
Flash memory
A small bank (16MB) of flash memory allows for very fast random access to data.
SD card controller
This chip provides ultra-high-speed SD card read and write operational support.
What does ‘full frame’ mean?
A ‘full-frame’ DSLR is a camera that is installed with an image sensor that is the same size as a 35-millimetre (1.4-inch) film frame. The key benefit of this is that images shot onto full-frame sensors are not cropped as they are on smaller sensors, granting a larger angle of view. For example, a 24-millimetre (0.9-inch) lens on a full-frame sensor DSLR delivers an 84-degree viewing angle, while on a sensor with a 1.5 crop factor, that angle drops to only 62 degrees. In addition, full-frame sensors allow for larger photosites (that is, individual light-sensitive spots), which makes for a wider dynamic range (spectrum of light/ shadow) and lower noise, so images stay crisp even when blown up.
