Message-Id: <200002102111.OAA65606@dns.ccit.arizona.edu> Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 09:56:32 +1300 From: David Adams <mailto:David.Adams@NATLIB.GOVT.NZ> Subject: Re: Digital camera To: mailto:IMAGELIB@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
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I have reviewed the PhseOne digital back and this produces very good results
(some models have resolutions surpassing film, and are more colour accurate (lets face it film stock, batches and proces
es vary wildly, and on top of this are colour shifts after long term storage)
But it, like the Leica will have capture time of minute and perhaps longer
With digital capture there is a definite barrier in which cost, quality, speed, resolution, colour and accuracy all coll
de
It is easy to get fast and economic digital capture (eg. colour out of whack)
BUT when you want colour accuracy and quality the parameters change significantly.
David Adams
Team Leader Copying Services
National Library of New Zealand
+64 4 4743151
Visit "Timeframes" New Zealands leading source of heritage images
http://timeframes.natlib.govt.nz/
>>> Larry Wentzel <mailto:lrw5@PSU.EDU> 02/10/00 08:17 >>>
All,
We're gearing up to using digital cameras for at risk objects, but we're
working on it still. Quite recently I used an Olympus 1.3 megapixel camera
to capture pages for a patron who needed text and illustrations from a
thick, oversize bound ms. The ms wouldn't survive photocopying or flatbed
scanning, and was too large for our overhead scanner (Minolta PS3000). I
placed the ms in a book cradle, flattened the pages out as carefully as
possible, pointed the Olympus at the page, and shot. A few seconds later,
I had captured most of the page (9" x 13") under normal fluorescent lights
as color tiffs at 144 dpi, 1.3 MB each. The Olympus 1.3 MP has
'flashcards' to store the images, or you can transfer them to a computer
via a cable connection. The flashcards can hold between 4 to 20 pictures,
depending on the card. The image quality was sufficient enough for the
patron to read the contents, but the camera is far from ideal as an
archival tool. At the close distance I was shooting, the images suffered
from a spherizing effect (the center of the page looked swollen and larger
than the top and bottom which tapered off). The color was also out of
whack, but this was due to an impromptu setup in an office environment.
Since we were able to get the pages to the patron with no adverse effects
to the book, it was a success in its own way. (The Olympus was $1600 when
purchased but may be less now)
We're looking into the higher end digital cameras, particularly the Leica
S1 Pro (about $20K). Since we're concerned with print media, the vendor
we're using is suggesting continuous fluorescent lighting such as Plume
Scandles rather that studio flashlights (the Scadle Task lights are
purported to have low heat and little or no infrared/ultraviolet emissions,
good color balance, and be safe enough for light-sensitive materials). We
looked at digital camera backs, such as the Phase One models. The camera
backs can provide an overall resolution as high as 10,000 x 12,000 dpi (the
Leica S1 Pro has 5120 x 5120) but we were daunted by the hardware
requirements. It wasn't the need to have a 4x5 or bellows camera, but
rather the need for prior experience in operating either one.
--Larry Wentzel
--Digital Preservation Scanning Technician
--Penn State University Libraries
>Stuart Glogoff wrote:
>A colleague in our library's Special Collections is looking for a
>digital camera. He is interested in having one that can be used to
>create images of "at risk" artifacts -- that is artifacts in fragile
>condition. If you have suggestions, please email me with the make/model,
>a ballpark price range if you know it, and any ideas you may have for
>the process. FYI, I've been using a Kodak DC210 for a couple years but
>that one doesn't work well in the above situation. Thanks, Stuart
>
>********************************************
>Stuart Glogoff
>Undergraduate Education/Distributed Learning
mailto:>stuartg@u.arizona.edu
>+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>---------------
>Check this out: We purchased a Nikon Coolpix 950 and are pleased with its
>capabilities, flexibility and, most importantly the quality of the final
>product. You can set yourself up w/ basic camera, lens, ac adapter,
>flashcard and whatever else you might need for basic use for about $1000.
>We purchased from BUY.COM but you may be able to find better deal. The
>camera takes different Nikon lenses and you can shoot from distance, for
>larger objects (we're currently shooting poster collection for web access at
>the same time we're preserving the posters) or close-up (as I remember it,
>you can get as close as within 7 or 8 inches). You can take a long shot and
>then "insert" a close-up of text--which we're doing for some of our posters.
> The detail we can capture is amazing and color is very true--I would guess
>about the best color from among similar digital cams. I recommend you
>purchase larger capacity flashcards rather than smaller. We're also going
>to be purchasing CD burner!
>!
>!
> for storing images.
>
>Now we're looking for ideal lighting set-up--one that is effective but still
>manageable and inexpensive. I'd appreciate recommendations.
>
>Sharlane Grant
>Preservation Officer
>State Historical Society of Wisconsin
>608/264-6474
mailto:>stgrant@mail.shsw.wisc.edu
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