Re: Digital Cameras

[Michael Greer <mgreer@cwixmail.com>]

Rafe B. wrote:

> At 10:03 PM 7/6/99 -0700, Michael Greer wrote:
>
> >Why? As in why is it necessary to take a computer? Surely a few 128 MB
> Compact
> >Flash cards or a high capacity device like the 340 MB IBM Microdrive will do.
> >And why would a backup digital camera be necessary? Because of the relatively
> >high digital camera costs, use a film camera as the back up.
>
> How much does one of those 128 MB cards go for, pray tell?
> I'm not really up on prices and availability... but I had
> the impression that 64 MB was cutting edge, and not cheap.

Currently, "good" prices are roughly:

16MB - $40
32MB - $80
48MB - $100
64MB - $140
96MB - $210
128MB-$300

The prices are slightly over $2/MB. The IBM Compact Flash TypeII Microdrive is a
340MB device that lists for $499. They're only selling to OEMs right now. Slated
for availability to the end user in August/September for a street of probably
around $350-$400.

> In any case, consider that a *single* film-scan image from
> an LS-30 or SprintScan Plus is 27 Mbytes...  So you're talking
> LOTS of expensive memory cards, heavy compression, or both.

First of all, no "affordable" digital camera can deliver a 27MB file. Secondly,
there is lossy compression, and lossless compression. Obviously, JPEG is a lossy
compression. But Canon and the upcoming Nikon D1 offer RAW mode file saves that
are compressed, but lossless. For these files, my 4.7 MB image is saved in about 2
MB. But the truth is that I get practically irrelevant JPEG artifacting when
enlarging the file to 8x10 inches at 240dpi. So I use JPEG.

> The bride & groom may not care about the cost of your memory
> cards, but they probably will JPG artifacts playing on the
> bride's lovely smile.

It doesn't happen with my camera's images. Yes, I have enlarged it past where the
artifacting becomes bothersome compared to the RAW files. But I've got my own
rules of thumb that I follow and it works.

> >>     2) process and proof of 220 film is a lot cheaper (and faster) than
> >> making digital prints
> >
> >But why make proof prints at all? With a digital shoot, you can do away
> with the
> >paper proofs. [Throw] 'em on the web and let the B&G few them there and
> select
> >what they want.
>
> Mmmm.  At 56 Kbits/second?  How many pictures?  How many
> Kbytes per picture?  It's a creative approach, I have to
> admit.  You'd probably want some password-protection in
> there, while you're at it.  B&G may not want to share their
> day with the world at large.

While I thought this was an original idea a few months ago, I have since
discovered that many wedding pros have already been doing this for a little while.
So this is not theory. In fact, there are web services catering to event
photographers that will handle the film processing (if you use film), posting to
their web server, take the orders, and fill the reprints. They take a percentage
of the sales and forward the rest of the cash to the photographer.

> Mike, I'm almost surprised to hear you evangelizing for
> the Digital Cause.

The only thing I'm married to is what works for me. Yes, I do love technology. But
if it doesn't work for me, then I won't use it. I am putting digital cameras to
work for me right now because they work in my application(s). I waited 18 months
before taking the plunge because they didn't work for me then.

> I dunno.  Hi-tech is a mixed bag,
> IMHO, and that's fine by me.  I can "climb the learning
> curve" without buying today's hottest digicam.

But when a "hot" digicam meets YOUR needs/requirements, you'll get it. At that
time it still may be too early for somebody else with different requirements.

Rafe, if you want to see a5x7 glossy and 8x10 matte  sourced by my Canon and
printed on a Sienna digital photographic printer, send me your address. BUT I NEED
THEM BACK!


--
Mike Greer

Come visit my web site on digital photography and other
interesting topics at http://greer.simplenet.com .
I have been extremely lazy, so many of the topics are
not finished yet. But they will be, some day.


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