What is the pixel pitch of the Nikon D1?

The Nikon D1 provides 2.6 megapixels from an APS-C sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 11.93µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Nikon D1 measures 23.7mm in width and 15.6mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 370 mm². Moreover, the D1 has 2 000 horizontal pixels and 1 312 vertical pixels, for a total of 2.6 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (370 mm²) to the MP count (2 624 000).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Nikon D1 to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon D1	APS-C	2.6	2000	1312	none	..	..	..	..
2.		Nikon D4	Full Frame	16.2	4928	3280	1080/30p	24.7	13.1	2965	89
3.		Nikon D300S	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.5	12.2	787	70
4.		Nikon D3	Full Frame	12.1	4256	2832	none	23.5	12.2	2290	81
5.		Nikon D300	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	none	22.1	12.0	679	67
6.		Nikon D2Xs	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	none	22.2	10.9	489	59
7.		Nikon D200	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.3	11.5	583	64
8.		Nikon D2X	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	none	22.1	10.9	476	59
9.		Nikon D2H	APS-C	4.0	2464	1632	none	18.9	10.0	352	40
10.		Nikon D1H	APS-C	2.6	2000	1312	none	..	..	..	..
11.		Nikon D1X	APS-C	5.9	3008	1960	none	..	..	..	..

Further information on the sensor in the Nikon D1 and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the D1 was initially launched in June 1999 at a price of $5,499.

Check D1 offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

~

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.

You are here:  Home  »  Nikon D1 Review  »  Nikon D1 Pixel Size