Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: CSidney on February 13, 2007, 05:25:48 pm

Title: Diffraction, optics, sensors, and all that
Post by: CSidney on February 13, 2007, 05:25:48 pm
Some of you enjoyed the recent and continuing discussion on Lens Equivalents.  Those people who find the science and technology behind photography interesting may enjoy my new BLOG: photophys.com

I am posting my new book (tentative title) "Science for the Curious Photographer" chapter by chapter in hopes of getting comments and criticisms.  The first three chapters are now online.  In a few weeks I will post more chapters.  The later chapters are much heavier, and I need advice about the best way to represent physics and math to a general audience.
Title: Diffraction, optics, sensors, and all that
Post by: Ray on February 13, 2007, 09:18:39 pm
Quote
Some of you enjoyed the recent and continuing discussion on Lens Equivalents.  Those people who find the science and technology behind photography interesting may enjoy my new BLOG: photophys.com

I am posting my new book (tentative title) "Science for the Curious Photographer" chapter by chapter in hopes of getting comments and criticisms.  The first three chapters are now online.  In a few weeks I will post more chapters.  The later chapters are much heavier, and I need advice about the best way to represent physics and math to a general audience.
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Charles,
This is shaping up to be a really interesting book for the layman. Your first 3 chapters are excellent and I hope you can maintain the clarity and interest in subsequent chapters, especially with regard to the complex mathematics which is sometimes an obstacle for some of us.

The only criticism I can make is with your introduction of the concept of the pixel in chapter 3, which you describe as the smallest element in an image. I think you should amplify on this because there are a couple of competing concepts here. One such concept is that the pixel represents the smallest 'picture' element, and a 'picture' element consists of a red, green and blue element. Such confusion has manifested itself in descriptions of the pixel count of the Foveon type sensor in the Sigma SD9 for example. Is it a 3.3mp sensor or a 10mp sensor?

My standard definition TV set (or any SVGA monitor) has a resolution of 800x600 pixels, but each of those pixels has a red, green and blue element. I think you should dispel any confusion about this right from the start.

Best regards for the project.  
Title: Diffraction, optics, sensors, and all that
Post by: CSidney on February 14, 2007, 05:28:55 pm
Ray,

Thanks for your comments.  I will certainly revisit my definition of a pixel.

I hope that you will keep reading and commenting as I post additional chapters.

Charles