P3D Re: Slow Scanning

[Brian Reynolds <reynolds@xxxxxxxxx>]

Bob Maxey wrote:
> >>If you have enough money price is no object for output.  These
> >>scanning backs really aren't meant to be used with low end output
> >>devices.  They're meant for product shots to go in catalogs and books.
> 
> And do not forget that they are slow. Not designed for general use.
> 

These scanning backs seem to be more versatile than people originally
thought.  Before Stephen Johnson took his digital back out into the
field people thought you couldn't use them outdoors.  These are
multiscan devices (R, G and B are exposed seperately through filters
in mutilple passes) and you would get all sorts of color fringing due
to subject movement.  He was able to show that it isn't a problem.  Of
course large format photographers tend to wait for windless conditions
so that they don't have subject motion on long film exposures.

In the "Photo Insider" article he even has an example where subject
motion added to the image.  While giving a demonstration in Yosemite
at a press conference announcing the digital National Parks project he
took a picture of one of the waterfalls.  As the back was scanning the
wind direction changed and the water in the image was now at right
angles to where it had started at the top of the falls.  This is now a
popular image, but it probably wouldn't have worked in color.

By the way, this is a case where digital has replaced film (for this
photographer).  Johnson switched to digital because film could not
reproduce subtle, the low contrast lighting effects he saw in the
places he visited.

-- 
Brian Reynolds                  | "Dee Dee!  Don't touch that button!"
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