# is CMOS better than DX RGB sensor?



## spazmonkeyy (Feb 20, 2008)

looking for some input on this whole sensor stuff?

I noticed that the Canon XTi uses the hailed CMOS, but
its rival...the Nikon D40x uses a DX RGB sensor.

is there anything better or worse about either regarding
quality of image?


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## shorty6049 (Feb 20, 2008)

i thought the nikon used a CCD sensor...


in any case, i'm sure CMOS is probably better....


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## Garbz (Feb 22, 2008)

Err no. You can argue the merits of CMOS vs CCD all day. The fact is one runs at a lower voltage then the other. That's about where the non-technical differences end. In terms of quality there are good and bad implementations of both. However the move recently is towards CMOS sensors. 

RGB is the colour format and that's not quite right. Nikon, Canon and all but sigma use a RGBG Beyer array filter. Sigma use a ??Fovern?? or something like that filter where each pixel picks up full colour.

DX is the sensor size. DX = APS-C which is the same as All canons except for the 5D, and 1Ds cameras, and all Nikons except for the D3 FX


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## shorty6049 (Feb 22, 2008)

foveon*


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## Garbz (Feb 22, 2008)

I was much closer than I thought I was. Thanks.


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## brileyphotog (Feb 23, 2008)

I'm pretty sure that Nikon uses/has used both CCD and CMOS sensors, depending on the model. I think most of their P&S cameras have CCD sensors.


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## lifeafter2am (Feb 23, 2008)

shorty6049 said:


> i thought the nikon used a CCD sensor...
> 
> 
> in any case, i'm sure CMOS is probably better....



The D3 and D300 both use CMOS sensors.


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## Garbz (Feb 23, 2008)

And just to completely screw with your minds the D2H used a JMOS sensor


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## kobayashi (Feb 24, 2008)

Also D2X and D2Xs use some Nikon implementation of CMOS sensor, supposedly produced by Sony (completely or partially), named JFET-LBCAST (Lateral Buried Charge Accumulator and Sensing Transistor array).
It is roumored that Nikon FX sensor is also developed by Nikon and is based on this sensor, but there are no confirmations that the sensor is produced by Sony. However, some claim that only chips are made by some other company, while implementations of microlens and other things are done by Nikon.


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