Scene Recognition System delivers greater AF, AE and AWB precision

The D300 is equipped with Nikon's exclusive new Scene Recognition System, which recognizes the lighting and color conditions of the subject to realize a new level of precise control. Nikon has improved its acclaimed 1,005-segment RGB sensor for the new system, advancing its functionality by adding a new diffraction grid. This combines with advanced new information processing technologies that recognize the conditions of the subject and framed scene prior to shooting, producing useful information that is applied not only to auto exposure, but also to auto white balance control and autofocus.

Contribution to AF performance

The system uses subject tracking information calculated by recognizing the color and brightness of a subject within a user-selected focus point and tracking the subject's lateral movement within the frame, along with focus information from the autofocus sensor to realize fast, precise AF control that quickly catches changes in the subject's position. For example, 3D-tracking mode takes advantage of all 51 AF points, automatically switching between focus points as it tracks and maintains focus on a moving subject. When using Automatic-area AF mode, subject identification uses light and color information from the 1,005-segment RGB sensor to accurately determine the area occupied by human subjects within the framed image. It identifies the sky, background, foreground and the color of the subject's face as it determines the position of the subject. Even if the colors of the background, foreground and subject are similar, the system uses distance information from G or D type lenses to more precisely focus on the subject's position.

Contribution to AE performance

Information from the 1,005-segment RGB sensor is utilized to precisely detect highlight areas within the frame. The results of this highlight analysis are used to compute the range of brightness to be reproduced, and then applied to bring more precise exposure control to color matrix metering and i-TTL balanced fill-flash.

Contribution to AWB performance

Auto white balance precision is greatly improved by employing the light source identification information supplied by the Scene Recognition System. The color and brightness characteristics of the framed scene are extracted and quantified. These characteristics and the color dispersion pattern are then referenced to a database within the camera and the light source determined. Accurate identification of the light source ensures more precise auto white balance, even when shooting under complex lighting conditions indoors, in front of a green background in daylight or in other situations that fooled conventional AWB systems.