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Fujifilm Super CCD SR - Explanation of operation
Dennis Hissink : September 28th 2003 - 10:58 CET
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 This year Fujifilm introduced their 4th generation Super CCD sensors. One of these sensors, the Super CCD SR is found in the FinePix F700 camera. The strongness of the operating CCD SR is not random, but varies according to the contrast range. It is easy to understand if you think of sunglasses with coloured glasses. At dark or normal light conditions, the glasses stay clear and you can see everything perfectly. But in brighter sunshine, the colour correction of the glasses becomes stronger. You can see this phenomenon very well by looking at a bright shiny cloudy sky with and without sunglasses. This difference is also noticeable on the pictures made by the Fujifilm FinePix F700 compared to a camera equipped with a normal CCD.
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 For example if we compare snow scenes, bride and groom pictures and images taken with flash by a normal CCD camera and the same pictures taken by the F700, the last ones are much more natural with rich details.
The camera uses the small R pixels (to register the bright parties) only when necessary and according to the contrast proportions it can vary from 100-400%. The camera shows a live image of the set exposure and colour, thus it is easy to judge what the result will be. Most users will like to print their pictures straight away without editing them first on a computer. That's why the contrast setting in the camera is attuned to this.
For the advanced user or professional photographer who wants complete control over the contrast, a new version of the "RAW FILE CONVERTOR (HS-V2) will be available soon. This extra software enables various corrections on the raw data. One of the possibilities will be to decide manually what percentage of the information from the Super CCD R pixels has to be used. Incorrect use will lead to worse results than when the automatic setting of the camera is used. When using the R pixel in a low contrast photo the image will be visibly more faded. It is necessary to have sufficient knowledge of photography to be able to work with this professional package.
The "RAW FILE CONVERTER (HS-V2) will be available by the end of October. |
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