1. Home
  2. About Nikon
  3. Technology
  4. Life with Nikon
  5. Imaging Products
  6. Digital SLR Cameras—Scene Recognition System

Digital SLR Cameras—Scene Recognition System—Digital Camera That Embodies the Photographic Expertise of a Professional

1. A new era in which anyone can take beautiful photographs


Now that the digital camera is so popular anyone can easily enjoy photography.

Many beautiful photographs can be seen on photo blogs and personal websites. As the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” suggests, we attach great importance to the expressive and communicative power of the visual image.

Photography is now more accessible, and this is probably because the way in which photographs are taken has changed significantly, due to the spread of the digital camera. We can take photographs without fear of making mistakes, since we check how a photograph looks as soon as we have taken it. We can also touch up photographs afterwards to a certain extent, using image processing software that runs on our computers. Increased memory card capacity and the use of wireless LAN for transmission of image data allow us to shoot photographs without caring about the number of pictures we are taking.

Camera functionality has also developed. In this new era anyone can enjoy photography and shoot largely error-free photographs due to the increased precision of features such as Auto Focus (AF), automatic exposure (AE), and Auto White Balance (AWB).

Back to top

2. A camera that enhances the photographic experience


Point the camera and press the shutter, that's all that you need to do to take your desired photo.

We are living in an era in which anyone can take reasonable photos simply by pressing the shutter button. This may be the reason why people now have a growing desire to take photographs that can rival those taken by professionals.

The photographer's assessment of the situation at the instant at which the shutter button is pressed is probably reflected in every aspect of the picture, such as the disposition and movement of the subject, the balance between the subject and the background, and the photographer's color sense. At this juncture the professional photographer instantly assesses the situation as he perceives it through the viewfinder, based on his extensive photographic experience and expertise, and presses the shutter button to achieve the photograph he desires.

However, not everyone has the same rich photographic experience as a professional photographer. Would it be possible to design a camera that—as far as possible—enables the amateur photographer to make the same kind of instantaneous assessment of a situation as a seasoned professional?

This is what the Nikon Scene Recognition System has achieved.

Back to top

3. The Nikon Scene Recognition System—the brain of a professional, installed in a camera

The Scene Recognition System, with which the D3 and D300 are equipped, recognizes the subject that is to be shot by means of an optical system that consists of a 1005-pixel RGB sensor and a diffractive optical element*1, and which performs advanced information processing. Using this system the camera drives the Auto Focus so as to emphasize human subjects, follows a subject that is moving within the image frame, calculates the exposure based on the area and distribution of light and dark sections of the image, and corrects the color balance based on extensive photographic data.

The Scene Recognition System recognizes and integrates various types of data captured by the sensors, and identifies the situation of the subject (a task traditionally performed by the photographer) using a combination of AF, AE, and AWB. In essence the camera is thinking and functioning much like a human brain.

  • *1 A diffractive optical element is like a special filter. As light passes through the diffraction grating, it is separated into different wavelengths and a clear image is formed on the 1005 pixel RGB sensor.

The Scene Recognition System works to record a high quality image as seen by the human eye. It uses functions such as light source identification, highlight analysis, subject identification and subject tracking.
How Scene Recognition System Works

It is as if the camera has been equipped with the shooting techniques of a professional photographer. This makes for a more convenient system, reducing the need for corrective image processing on a computer after shooting, and facilitating print-out directly from the camera or transmission of photographs for use in mail and blogs. This system enables a photographer to shoot beautiful photographs under a range of photographic conditions and to concentrate on his artistic aims, such as the way in which he wishes to photograph and portray the subject.

The use of images is the most effective method for expressing our feelings to other people, as humans rely on visual perception for at least 80% of their perception of the outside world. Facilitating self expression, the Scene Recognition System seems to be revitalizing the use of photographs and making communication even easier.