Resolution of high end backs vs LF film

[jing q]

I've shot with the H39 and an Aptus 75, and a Canon 1dsMark II.
Right now I'm shooting large format film (e100g)

I shoot large group shots for exhibitions and the largest I've blown a MkII and H39 file up to have been 48x68 inches, with the Canon being at the final point of acceptability for an exhibition and the H39 file still having room to go.

I've heard numerous times that the highest res backs should be able to match up to scanned large format film but I'm not sure whether this is the case?

Would like to get the opinions of other users to see if it's really worth considering getting a back instead of continuing to freak out when using large format.

Also, I'm looking at the cheaper backs such as the Aptus 65s and the P31+
Do these files match up to scanned 6x7 film in terms of resolution? Or less.

help will be appreciated, thanks!

jing

[michael]

If you haven't yet seen it, have a look at Measuring Megabytes.

[Chris_Brown]

I've shot with the H39 and an Aptus 75, and a Canon 1dsMark II.
Right now I'm shooting large format film (e100g)

I shoot large group shots for exhibitions and the largest I've blown a MkII and H39 file up to have been 48x68 inches, with the Canon being at the final point of acceptability for an exhibition and the H39 file still having room to go.

I've heard numerous times that the highest res backs should be able to match up to scanned large format film but I'm not sure whether this is the case?

Jing,

A few questions:

• What output size & resolution do you need?
• Are you shooting 8x10 or 4x5?
• Is your film drum scanned? or scanned on a flatbed?
• What is the largest file, in gigabytes, your retuoching station can handle?

This information will help answer your questions accurately.

[jing q]

Jing,

A few questions:

• What output size & resolution do you need?
  
• Are you shooting 8x10 or 4x5?
  
• Is your film drum scanned? or scanned on a flatbed?
  
• What is the largest file, in gigabytes, your retuoching station can handle?

This information will help answer your questions accurately.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=132891\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

thanks guys. I read the article before

I'm looking for my prints to look good closeup from 6ftx8ft, so far 4ftx5ft seem pretty good on the H39 I've used before. There's the future possibility of 8ftx10ft that's why I'm going through the trauma of shooting people with a large format camera...

My scans are done on an Imacon scanner at maximum resolution

The largest file I've handled was about 1gig in size, I uprez my exhibition files to 250dpi at least

an issue I have with the digital files is that past a certain size the skin loses its texture whereas with my film scans , the grain of the film helps to maintain a certain nice roughness to the skin. But maybe I'm just doing something wrong...

thanks for the help!

jing

[AndreNapier]

The largest print I have done from A75 was 22,000x30,000 pixels printed at 250dpi. It is 4 prints of 44x60 joined to look like oversize TV projector. They are all one image of a model from one file.
From up close it looks very good and realistically photographic. The secret of good oversize prints from DB lays in very careful uprez and sharpening. The method that works for me is based on
 uprez at 10% of a time and sharpening as you go up.
What it does it allows the computer to make a logical guess on only 1/10 of the pixels at any time.
Each time you add more information the proportion stays the same. On the other hand if you have a file of 40MP and need a file of 600MP each pixel will get multiply to 15 identical ones and cause the unwanted arteffects you can clearly see in the skin.
It is a long process but it pays back.

http://AndreNapier.com

[jing q]

The largest print I have done from A75 was 22,000x30,000 pixels printed at 250dpi. It is 4 prints of 44x60 joined to look like oversize TV projector. They are all one image of a model from one file.
From up close it looks very good and realistically photographic. The secret of good oversize prints from DB lays in very careful uprez and sharpening. The method that works for me is based on
 uprez at 10% of a time and sharpening as you go up.
What it does it allows the computer to make a logical guess on only 1/10 of the pixels at any time.
Each time you add more information the proportion stays the same. On the other hand if you have a file of 40MP and need a file of 600MP each pixel will get multiply to 15 identical ones and cause the unwanted arteffects you can clearly see in the skin.
It is a long process but it pays back.

http://AndreNapier.com
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=132912\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

ahhh.
And do you find any issues with skin textures with the digital backs when uprezzed to that size? I was getting pretty flat smooth skin with the H39 under hard strobe lighting (with Magnum reflectors) which I don't really like

[jing q]

I did a bit of research in that field in the past. The question is: How many pixels do you need to capture one face. Just for info the following links:

Group with Seitz Roundshot and film:
http://www.roundshot.ch/xml_1/internet/de/...n/d478/f493.cfm

Or perhaps in the future:
http://www.roundshot.ch/xml_1/internet/de/...8/d925/f934.cfm

How about combining 2 or 3 cameras and releasing them at the same time via synced cable releases and stitch the images afterwards together. A system like that could be scaled. It could give a look like that:
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features...slideshow200702

Best,
Johannes
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=133071\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

that's a great idea regarding the cameras...I actually tried syncing up two cameras before (well it was slightly different, I was trying to capture a digital version plus a film version of the shot), I did this with my MkII plus my large format , with a pocketwizard transceiver on channel 1 on the large format, and a pocketwizard transceiver on my MkII's hotshoe hooked into the motordrive, set on channel 1,
and the rest of my pocketwizards in my profotos set on channel 2 (the lights automatically get triggered when the pocketwizard switches to that channel after the mkII is fired off through the motordrive), but then what happens is that I get the shot on the MkII but the film shot is blank (due to the delay between the communication and triggering of the camera and lights)

I did some research and they said that the first camera should be set on a much longer shutter speed than the 2nd camera (like 1/8 or less) but I can't do this due to ambient light.

Am I doing something wrong? Otherwise it would be a great way to stitch images together cheaply...

[marcmccalmont]

I found this post interesting
http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....showtopic=14645
Marc

[jing q]

If you haven't yet seen it, have a look at Measuring Megabytes.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=132890\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hi Michael, I read through the article carefully, and I have to say that the resolution from the H39 is closer to slightly more than a 6x7 Imacon scan than a 4x5...this is in terms of veryvery fine details of faces for me.

Looks like I'll be holding out for more megapixels on a back before I jump into it...

Today I was looking at a 9ft fashion advertisement. from 1.5ft away the picture is gorgeous, but going up closer the interpolation is too even...

Someone recommended I should add some noise into the digital image to create more texture, does anyone recommend that? And how should I go about with it

[Morgan_Moore]

I should add some noise into the digital image to create more texture, does anyone recommend that? And how should I go about with it
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=133456\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yes.

Noise is good particluarly over heavyly smoothed retouches.

PS Filter and noise - is blocky

or Alienskin (google it)

S

[nik]

have a look at Exposure from Alien Skin, it's just what you need, probably more, as you even have the ability to add film grain from various filmstock.

http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html

-Nik

Yes.

Noise is good particluarly over heavyly smoothed retouches.

PS Filter and noise - is blocky

or Alienskin (google it)

S
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