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[OM] Re: Digital imaging

Subject: [OM] Re: Digital imaging
From: Phillip Franklin <pfranklin@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 02 Apr 2000 03:41:48 -0700
Joseph,

I think you are are some what overstating the present and near
capabilities of ccd imaging over film.  I know that there has been more
discussion on this topic than some may want to hear, but when
generalized statements are made such as yours, it seems to be based more
upon imagination than current reality.  It has been estimated by many
expert drum scan operators that a 100 speed 35mm film slide can contain
as much as 40mb or more of good quality imaging data.  When you look at
the amount of data that a medium or large format slide can produce it
becomes even more apparent that even the best real time ccd capture
arrays will have many, many years of development to surpass current film
technologies in capturing image depth, color, and sharpness.  However it
may be true that digital real time capture systems will certainly become
an adequate tool for many jobs.  But it is only speculation and not
scientific fact that digital imaging will surpass the capabilities of
the modern film camera.  Since the majority of my work is in digital
video for the desktop, I always hear statements such as yours about
digital video camcorders in relationship to Panavision 70mm movie
cameras.  If a 70mm image can be said to be equal to over 80mb of data,
than a modern digital camcorder would have to capture 80mb x 24 frames
every second to come close to this image quality.  I will let you do the
math to see how much real time high speed transfer of data would be
necessary to capture the equivalent of a two hour movie.  Even using
Moore's Law at it's optimum, it will be many years before we see systems
that come close to this capability.  However I use digital video every
day ... I don't produce big screen movies ... just quarter screen video
for the desktop.  It's a long way from even 1950's movie film
technology. 

As far as futuristic predictions and imaginations, I'm still waiting to
purchase that flying George Jetson car which was promised by the mid
1970's.  

Phillip Franklin

==================================================================================

Joseph Chen wrote:
"Digital imaging will not only match film imaging but will far surpass
the
capabilities of film.  CCDs have incredible sensitivity and exposure
latitude.  Use of high-line CCD devices have revolutionized amateur
astronomy.  Likewise, it will revolutionize photography by allowing
image
creation under incredibly difficult lighting conditions.

This is not to say that our beloved OMs are dead yet.  For now, we
should be
just content to burn through as much film as possible and use up all
those
shutter cycles before tossing whatever we have left into Oly's
forthcoming
professional digital imaging system."

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