Re: Advice on digital cameras

[Bruce Faron <bfaron -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM>]

Mr. Bradbury,

I am a Technical Writer who uses photography extensively
when developing Manufacturing Assembly Instructions,
Operating Manuals, and Service Manuals for electro-
mechanical devices (printers, test equipment).

Having been down this road, I recommend that you do not
rush out and buy a single-unit (integrated lens, body,
and CCD back) Digital Camera (DC). Integrated DC's
are a total waste of money, because

1)   DC technology and capabilities are advancing faster
     than Personal Computer system units. Consequently,
     the prices on DC's are falling faster than prices
     on Personal Computers.  The $1K - $3K integrated DC
     you may buy now will be obsolete by fall, and worth
     almost nothing within two years.

2)   In my opinion, the resolution simply is not adequate
     in the low-priced (under $1K) and mid-priced (under $4K)
     DC's. I have tested them and have not been impressed.
     The resolution and detail the user needs to see to
     correctly execute a procedure (at least on electro-
     mechanical devices) is simply not present.

3)   To keep the price "down", makers of integrated DC's
     cut corners on lenses and CCD arrays. Some of the
     integrated DC's I have examined are little better
     than digital versions of "box cameras" that you can
     buy at your local discount store.

For details on model availability and pricing for DC's,
please refer to Southern California Micro Publishing News
(mpn -at- designlink -dot- com, no URL, phone 310 212 5802).

The most cost-effective process of preparing photographic images
of equipment for inclusion in technical publications has five steps:

1)   Photograph the subject with fine grain (ISO 100) film using
     a decent-quality 35mm camera, lenses, and lights.

2)   Take the film to your local Kodak Photo-CD processor for
     development and conversion into Kodak Photo-CD images
     on CD-ROM. I have used Miller Imaging of Burbank CA,
     (www.millercd.com, 800-645-3723) and have been very
     happy with the results, their prices, and their
     turnaround (usually 24 hours). Ensure your processor
     creates "Base x 4" and "Base x 16" images for each photo.

3)   Import the images into the PC (or Mac) through Adobe
     Photoshop (PhotoShop 4.0 has a built in Kodak Photo-CD
     filter). While in Photoshop, do all the image adjustment
     and background removal necessary.

4)   While in Photoshop, save the cleaned, cropped image as
     a .tiff file (not JPEG, it uses lossy compression)
     in the appropriate format (PC or MAC, a
     dialog box appears to enable you to choose).

5)   Import the .tiff file into your word processing or DTP software.

Voila! By importing clean, high-res images to begin with,
you get clean, detailed, high res illustrations that users can
actually use instead of guess at (what is this blob?!?).


As an added bonus, if you buy a Canon or Nikon 35mm camera body and
lenses, when digital camera backs come down in price from painful
to reasonable (in perhaps 1 - 1.5 years), you will be able to get one
to fit the Canon or Nikon body you already own. This is much more cost
effective than buying the body and lenses twice. The Kodak DCS series
of Digital Backs fits the Canon and Nikon bodies.

The reason I have not recommended medium-format cameras is price.
Not only are the camera bodies, lenses, and backs more expensive,
but medium-format film and developing are much harder to get and
much more expensive than 35 mm film and developing. Have you seen
medium-format film at your local market or Wal-Mart lately?

Hope this helps.

Regards

Bruce Faron
Technical Writer/Editor

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