back when color television was first
developed. Designed on the principle
that the human eye is less sensitive
to color data than to brightness data,
this historical format has survived
intact to this day, and is still used
as the mainstream format in digital
cameras.
However, now that digital camera
performance has improved so
dramatically, people are using their
photos in different ways, displaying
enlargements on their computer
screens, and large photo prints are
mainstream. Today's output
conditions are getting better and
better. The old YCbCr 4:2:2 format
was designed for efficient signal
transmission, and not for high-quality
output. To our way of thinking,
this format is no longer adequate to
meet the needs of all photographers.
X3F images preserve the
balance of the natural data
The JPEG files from the DP1x are
output in YCbCr 4:2:2 in compliance
with the Exchangeable image file
format (Exif) specification,
which is the standard specification
for file formats. But in the direct image
sensor, each pixel location captures
the full complement of RGB color
data, so in X3F files, which is the
RAW data format, brightness data
and color data can be kept in
a 1 :1 ratio without relying on
interpolation. When this image is
processed in SIGMA Photo Pro,
even if it is saved as a JPEG, if the
JPEG quality-setting selected is 7 to
12, it will be saved as YCbCr 4:4:4.
The DP1x's image quality, with its
amazing vividness and texture, is
really due to the X3F image data,
which preserves the balance of the
natural data. For the best photos with
the best image quality, we definitely
recommend shooting in X3F mode.
The X3 format offers outstanding
imaging potential, with a rich and
well-preserved dynamic range. You
really need to experience it
for yourself.
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