Does the Nikon D4 record 16-bit RAW images or only process internally at 16-bit?
Asked 2/8/2012
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I’ve seen references to the Nikon D4 having a “16-bit imaging pipeline,” but Nikon’s file specs seem to list only 12-bit and 14-bit NEF (RAW). Does the D4 actually capture or save 16-bit image data, or does “16-bit pipeline” just refer to internal processing before the camera writes a 14-bit RAW or 8-bit JPEG?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
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The D4 is still a 14-bit RAW camera according to Nikon's own specifications page:
NEF (RAW): 12 or 14 bit, lossless compressed, compressed or uncompressed
So, it cannot capture 16-bit images off the sensor, at best they are still 14-bit. If I understand the page you linked, it sounds like they are saying the Expeed image processor chips are fully 16-bit. I don't know that there is really any benefit there...that would be like saying 24-bit RGB images are processed using 32-bit numbers on a computer. If there is any floating-point processing involved, then the additional bits mean more precision, however I can't speak to that, as I don't know what kind of algorithms are used (I would assume integer algorithms are faster...) The 16-bits is just the word-size of the camera's CPU, for all intents and purposes.
Originally by user124. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user124
14y ago
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The Nikon D4 does not record 16-bit RAW files. Nikon’s published specs list NEF (RAW) as 12-bit or 14-bit only, with compressed, lossless compressed, or uncompressed options.
So the “16-bit imaging pipeline” refers to internal image processing, not sensor output saved as a 16-bit file. In practice, that usually means the camera’s processor handles calculations at higher precision during JPEG rendering and other image processing steps, then writes the final file as either:
- 12- or 14-bit NEF (RAW)
- 8-bit JPEG
This is normal in digital imaging: internal processing can use more precision than the final stored file. The benefit is mainly to reduce rounding errors during processing, not to increase the sensor’s captured bit depth.
Bottom line: the D4 is a 14-bit RAW camera, not a 16-bit RAW camera.
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