Some Topics in Digital Photography

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Some Topics in Digital Photography

• Eric Stusnick
• Mid-Peninsula IBM PC ClubAugust 22, 2005

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Basic Elements ofDigital Photography
Image Output Computer/TV Screen Color
Printer Color Slides Computer Projector Profession
al Services
Image Input Digital Camera Flatbed
Scanner Slide/Film Scanner
Image Processing Computer and Software
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Digital Camera Features

• Camera Design
• Resolution
• Viewfinders
• Storage Media
• Additional Features
• Digital File Types

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Camera Design

• Compact Cameras
• Small size, very light weight
• Fixed focus or limited zoom lens (3x)
• Liquid crystal display (LCD) optical viewfinder
• Prosumer Cameras
• Moderate size and weigh
• Fixed zoom lens (3x to 12x) with wide-angle and
  telephoto adaptors available
• LCD electronic viewfinder (EVF)
• Digital SLR Cameras
• Larger and heavier than other two types
• Interchangeable lenses
• Optical through-the-lens viewfinder

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Resolution

• Determines the maximum amount of detail that can
  be contained in the digital image
• Similar to grain in film photography
• Measured in pixels, which are the basic
  light-sensing elements on the cameras
  solid-state image sensor
• For example, a sensor that is 1280 pixels wide
  and 960 pixels high would contain on its surface
  1280 x 960 1,228,800 pixels, which would be
  abbreviated 1.2 mp or 1.2 megapixels
• Most cameras allow images to be stored with the
  maximum resolution of the camera or with several
  lesser resolutions

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Resolution (continued)
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Resolution (continued)

• The resolution needed depends on the ultimate use
  of the image. If one only wants to send
  snapshots via e-mail to be viewed on a computer
  monitor then a resolution of 2 mp or less is
  adequate.
• The resolution required for color printing
  depends on the size of the color print desired.
  Although there are many different opinions on how
  many megapixels it takes to make a good print of
  a given size, the table that follows is a
  reasonable guide

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Resolution (concluded)

• These resolutions represent best-case
  situations.

Acceptable images may be obtained with
lower resolutions. I have obtained quite good
8x10 prints With 2 mp resolution.
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Resolution vs. Noise

• The more pixels you place on a sensor of a given
  size, the smaller each pixel must be.
• A pixel converts the light energy entering it
  into electrical energy - a small pixel produces
  less electrical current that does a larger pixel.
• The smaller the pixel, the more amplification you
  must have to get the required signal level.
• The more amplification provided, the more
  electrical noise produced.
• Thus 8 mp sensors have inherently more noise than
  do 5 or 6 mp sensors of the same size.
• Dont get more megapixels than you need for the
  type of photography you intend to do.

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Viewfinders

• Most digital cameras allow the image to be seen
  with a liquid-crystal display (LCD). However,
  continuous use of the LCD reduces battery life.
• Most compact cameras also have an optical
  viewfinder which, like the viewfinder in a
  rangefinder camera, does not quite give the same
  image as is being recorded.
• Prosumer cameras have an electronic view-finder
  (EVF) which gives the same image as does the
  full-size LCD but which uses much less power.
• LCDs and EVFs also provide additional
  information about the camera setting,
  superimposed upon the image being recorded.

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Storage Media

• The size of a digital image file depends on the
  resolution used and the format of the file. File
  sizes from a few tens of kilobytes (kB) to tens
  of megabytes (mB) are common.
• The most common storage media in digital cameras
  are
• Compact flash card (CF)
• Smart media card (SF)
• Memory stick
• Multimedia (MMP)
• Secure digital (SD)
• XD picture cards

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Additional Features

• Shooting modes
• Macro (getting close to subject)
• Preset configurations (e.g. sports-action,
  portraits, landscapes, night scenes)
• Burst mode (taking several images in quick
  succession)
• Exposure controls
• Full automatic - Exposure
• Shutter priority compensation
• Aperature priority - Color temperature
• Full manual balance

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Additional Features (concluded)

• Image stabilization compensates for small
  motions of the camera
• LCD zoom allows you to magnify the image on the
  LCD to check details of the recorded image
• Digital zoom artificially magnifies a portion
  of the image to be recorded does not increase
  the amount of detail.
• Short motion picture capability
• Voice message recording capability

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COMPACT CAMERAS
Canon PowerShot S500
Olympus Stylus 410
Nikon Coolpix 5200
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PROSUMER CAMERAS
Canon PowerShot Pro 1
Olympus C-8080
Nikon CoolPix 5700
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Digital SLRs
Canon Digital Rebel
Nikon D70
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Digital File Formats

• Maximum resolution
• TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
• Raw file (name and format proprietary to the
  camera)
• Compressed files
• JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
• Movie files
• MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group)
• Sound files
• WAV

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Image Editors

• Basic Software
• Microsoft Picture It! Photo Premium 10.0 (50)
• Roxio PhotoSuite 7 Platinum Edition (30)
• Intermediate Software
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 (100)
• Jasc Paint Shop Pro Studio (80)
• ULead PhotoImpact 10.0 (90)
• Advanced Software
• Adobe Photoshop CS2 (600)

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Color Printers

• Among color printers laser, thermal inkjet,
• dye sublimation, and inkjet the inkjet is the
• most common. Common features to
• consider are
• Maximum resolution measured in dots per inch
  (dpi) higher is better
• Dot size measured in picoliters (pL) smaller
  is better
• Printing speed - higher is better
• Connectivity USB or Firewire (IEE 1394)
  (faster) or parallel port (slower)

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Color Printers (concluded)

• The most popular color inkjet printer lines are
• Epson Stylus Photo series
• HP Photosmart series
• Canon Photo series

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What if I Dont Want to Use a Computer?

• Several years ago you had to be computer savvy to
  get prints from digital images.

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What if I Dont Want to Use a Computer?
(continued)

• Three years ago printer manufacturers provided
  slots for digital storage cards, so you didnt
  need to have a computer to make prints.

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What if I Dont Want to Use a Computer?
(continued)

• At that time, there were only three types of
  digital storage cards commonly used.

Card Types Smart Media, Compact Flash, Sony
Memory Stick
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What if I Dont Want to Use a Computer?
(continued)

• But, as time went on, more types of digital
  storage cards were developed.
• Now, there are at least 10 types.

Smart Media Compact lash Memory Stick Memory
Stick Pro Memory Stick Duo Multimedia
(MMC) Reduced Size Multimedia
(RS-MMC) Secure Digital (SD) XD Picture
Cards Microdrives
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What if I Dont Want to Use a Computer?
(continued)

• So, a few years ago, manufacturers who made both
  cameras and printers provided for direct
  connection of their cameras to their printers.

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What if I Dont Want to Use a Computer?
(concluded)

• Recently a technology (called PictBridge) was
  standardized so that any compatible camera can be
  connected directly to any compatible printer.

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PictBridge Supporters

• Manufacturers who support, or are planning to
  support, the PictBridge standard are Canon,
  Epson, HP, Sony, Olympus, Konica-Minolta, and
  Fuji.

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Bluetooth Technology

• More recently still, some cameras use Bluetooth
  wireless technology to transmit images to
  computers and printers.
• Some printers have built in Bluetooth receivers
  to receive these transmitted pictures.

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Other Ways To Get Prints

• Digital storage cards can be taken to a local
  photo processor and selected images transferred
  to their photo printing systems.
• Longs
• Wal-Mart
• Costco
• Wolf Camera

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Other Ways To Get Prints

• If you have a computer with an Internet
  connection, you can upload digital images to
  photo processors and have the prints mailed to
  you or picked up locally.
• Some photo processors allow you to post digital
  images on their web sites, where others can view
  them and, if desired, order prints of selected
  images.

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Film Photographers Arent Forgotten

• Some photo processors will create digital images
  from your film and
• return a CD with digital images along with your
  prints or slides,
• post your digital images on their web sites,
  where others can view them and buy prints.

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Why Get Prints At All?

• Increasingly, folks with computers and Internet
  connections are simply e-mailing digital images
  to each other and viewing them on their computers
  without every printing the images.
• And slide shows are being replaced with
  television shows or digital projection.

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Photography and the Internet

• Photographic Services
• Photo Magazines
• Equipment Reviews
• Photographers
• Camera Groups
• Photograph Display
• Instruction General Photography
• Instruction Digital Photography
• Instruction Photoshop
• Instruction Photoshop Elements

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PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES

• Costco http//www.costcophotocenter.com
• Walmart http//www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gs
  p?cat175779
• Ritz/Wolf http//www.ritzpix.com
• Longs/Walgreens (Fujifilm)
• http//www.digitalcameradeveloping.com
• Kodak (Snapfish) http//www.snapfish.com
• Shutterfly http//www.shutterfly.com

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PHOTO MAGAZINES

• http//pcphotomag.com/
• http//www.a-digital-eye.com/
• http//www.digitalimagingmag.com/
• http//www.edigitalphoto.com/
• http//www.megapixel.net/
• http//www.naturephotographers.net/
• http//www.photographic.com/
• http//www.vividlight.com/

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EQUIPMENT REVIEWS

• http//www.dcresource.com/
• http//www.dcviews.com/
• http//www.digitalreview.ca/
• http//www.digitalslr.org/
• http//www.dpreview.com/
• http//www.imaging-resource.com/
• http//www.photo.net/neighbor/one-subcategory?id2
  
• http//www.photographyreview.com/
• http//www.steves-digicams.com/

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PHOTOGRAPHERS

• http//brucedale.com/
• http//georgiabyte.com/
• http//users.chartertn.net/cliffs/
• http//www.amateurdigitalphotogallery.co.uk/
• http//www.leppphoto.com/
• http//www.moose395.net/
• http//www.smallgallery.com/
• http//www.tawbaware.com/maxlyons/
• http//www.wtv-zone.com/cal555/index.htmlprev

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CAMERA GROUPS

• Northern California Council of Camera Clubs
  http//n4c.org/
• Photographic Society of America
  http//www.psa-photo.org/
• PSA Electronic Imaging Division
• http//psa-eid.org/

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PHOTOGRAPH DISPLAY

• http//www.e-photoworks.com/albinator/
• http//www.fredmiranda.com/
• http//www.pbase.com/uzgroup
• http//www.photo.net/photodb/
• http//www.photocritique.net/
• http//www.photosig.com/

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INSTRUCTION GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHY

• http//groups.msn.com/Asktheoleproaboutphotography
  /
• http//medfmt.8k.com/mf/permits.html
• http//www.betterphoto.com/home.asp
• http//www.lightingmagic.com/
• http//www.photonhead.com/simcam/

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INSTRUCTION DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

• http//graphicssoft.about.com/
• http//www.computer-darkroom.com/
• http//www.hplearningcenter.com/
• http//www.larry-bolch.com/
• http//www.luminous-landscape.com/
• http//www.normankoren.com/
• http//www.quiknet.com/frcn/Camera.html
• http//www.shortcourses.com/

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INSTRUCTION - PHOTOSHOP

• http//epaperpress.com/psphoto/index.html
• http//www.myjanee.com/
• http//www.photoshoproadmap.com/
• http//www.photoshopvideos.com/

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INSTRUCTION PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS

• http//graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshopelements
  /
• http//member.melbpc.org.au/pshipley/
• http//www.hiddenelements.com/