Just make a simple experiment... cover all three monochrome sensors with tape (Scotch "magic tape" is fine since has an oppaline translucid effect without blocking all light) and leave the two rgb sensors uncovered. I did this with a phone case so that tape does not contact directly with the N9 glass back.
Put the camera on monochrome mode and focus on something, and you will see a perfect grayscale image. Then take a picture on monochrome mode and you will see a competely blurred image, both on jpg and raw files.
My interpretation... the live monochrome image is a desaturated version of a color image obtained through one rgb sensor (it is the central one since nothing happens when I cover the other), but the final rgb images are the fusion of the three monochrome output.
Try for yourselves...
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My interpretation... the live monochrome image is a desaturated version of a color image obtained through one rgb sensor (it is the central one since nothing happens when I cover the other), but the final rgb images are the fusion of the three monochrome output.
Should read as...
My interpretation... the live monochrome image is a desaturated version of a color image obtained through one rgb sensor (it is the central one since nothing happens when I cover the other), but the final MONOCHROME images are the fusion of the three monochrome output.
Sorry for the typo...
"But not all the mono sensors seem to be equally wheighted in producing an image. In an experiment where 2 of the 3 mono sensors are covered, the only case I could get a decent image was when the mono sensor under the flash was left uncovered... anyone interested in confirming this?"
If we focus on a black dot on a paper, and align the dot with that specific "main monochrome sensor under the flash", and see the live image on monochrome mode the dot appears shifted to the right on the screen but then it appears centered on the final monochrome image.
Have you also been noticing that the bottom RGB sensor (i.e. when the phone is on an upright position) is quite important for focus locking?
In other words:
A monochrome image can be obtained with just one monochrome sensor uncovered, providing that such sensor is the one under the flash (with the phone upright). The resulting image is shifted to the right from the "grayscaled" live feed that is obtained with the central RGB sensor.
The live feed of an RGB image (in photo or pro mode), or of a monochrome image, only mantains focus lock (best seen when targeting a nearby subject) when both the central and bottom RGB sensors are left uncovered. When the central one is covered, the feed and resulting image are blurred, and when the bottom one is covered the feed and resulting image can be sharp but focus is quite unstable. This occurs both with the Tof sensor covered or uncovered.
Obviously, the above observations do NOT imply that all sensors, individually, do not contribute to the superb quality found on final "image fused" raws!!! On the contrary, it is quite obvious that a raw obtained with the N9 native app can be much better than a raw obtained with anorther app that only grabs a single image from the main sensor (e.g. the excellent app Open camera). This is best seen with low light. The issue is trying to dissect the roles of the main sensors involved in RGB and monochrome imaging, as well as on focusing...
... and the lack of MANUAL FOCUS in pro mode is really a major drawback in this otherwise great "cameraphone".
Just repeating myself, sorry...
Thanks!
Nor do I remember reading mistrust or doubts about it at that time about the black and white of that capture.
Since the emergence of the inactive ToF of the Huawei P30 Pro and the forums tests of covering one or several lenses in forums, this patch of Odin type eye has been viralized
We also do not know the exact process of the computer photography of the Nokia 9 PureView
But we know that color photography is achieved with the addition of 3 black and white lenses and 2 RGB color lenses.
That said, it seems logical that the black and white photo is achieved in the same way with the sum of 5 lenses and not just three
Desaturated possibly two RGB lenses but with the addition or subtraction of other 3 lenses B & W