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When 8 Megapixels Just Isn't Enough
squidfrog writes "AP has an interesting article on a half photochemical, half digital process to produce 2.6-gigabyte photographs at 'more than a thousand times the size and resolution of those generated by a typical digital camera for consumers.' 'A vacuum pump ensures that the film is flat to within one-thousandth of an inch, and a dual-mirror device keeps the film parallel to the lens. Sand bags strapped to the camera and tripod prevent the machine from shifting, and a reinforced aluminum cradle maintains the parts of the camera in perfect alignment.' The images are apparently higher resolution than can be reproduced on available printing technology (5' by 10'), but the designer hopes to use an 18' by 36' digital display wall to reproduce the images at their best possible resolution in the future. The camera has apparently only been utilized for landscape photography thus far."
imagine penthouse printed out in this size format....
We played dungeons and dragons for 3 hours.....then i was slain by an elf
...110lbs of camera, vacumpump, sandbags and a specially reinforced cradle? Me think we won't see this kind of sofistication (and stunning pictures) from a consumerlevel camera anytime soon. Or at all, as he rightly points out in the article.
Maybe as well - a 5'x10', sharply focused photo of my own fingertip wouldn't be all that interesting ;)
Everything in the world is controlled by a small, evil group to which, unfortunately, no one you know belongs.
Remember them, just another thing japanese business men will have on their keychain in a few years.
2.6GB files would be perfect to use as a wallpaper in Longhorn.
--JC
Already got one. I have a method of storing in excess of a Gb of information on a 60mmx60mm piece of porous plastic less than 1mm thick by coating one surface of the sheet with gelatin into which is embedded silver halide crystals and certain other chemicals. Currently it's Write Once only (WORM) but given the small size and very low cost I do not see this as a problem, infact given the durability (if stored correctly) of this material I believed that it would be excellent for use as a medium to long term storage solution. No electric power or electronics are required in the storage or reading of the media, although methods using both exist and some users may prefer to use them.
I think I'll call it........film.
Stephen
"Don't write down to your readers, the only people less intelligent than you can't read" - Sign on Newspaper Office Wall