webcam for darkroom image analysis

AJH

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• Mar 31, 2007

• #1

Anybody tried or knows of using a Webcam for silver darkroom black&white contrast and exposure analysis? Could even do a splitgrade exposure analysis.

Would appreciate any experience reports...

 

jstraw

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• Mar 31, 2007

• #2

Is it April 1st yet?

 

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AJH

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• Apr 1, 2007

• #3

Grabbing an unprocessed image and analysing it using software like IT (image tool) it seems very much doable to me.

With a Heiland Splitgrade you move the sensor over all important points of the projected image. And contrast is thus recorded.

With a camera you get many points in one shot. Grouping the points and contrast is then determined.

I'll do my own experiments. Most important are the dynamic ranges of image sensors.

 

Chan Tran

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• Apr 3, 2007

• #4

I have much better luck using a film scanner. Short of that I would use a still digital camera rather than a webcam.

 

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AJH

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• Apr 5, 2007

• #5

Chan Tran said:

I have much better luck using a film scanner. Short of that I would use a still digital camera rather than a webcam.

Click to expand...

A filmscanner is likely built from better components and has a better dynaminc range. Should be better indeed. One thing I thought was to take the camera with a laptop into the darkroom and use it there. Ad hoc so to say.

The filmscanner is more a desktop/office thing and scans and calculations need to be done in advance.

What software are you using?

 

Last edited by a moderator: Apr 5, 2007

Chan Tran

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• Apr 6, 2007

• #6

I use the Minolta dual scan IV and the software that came with it. My darkroom is a spare bedroom setup as my workshop/office/darkroom so I have several desktop computers in the room. Since I only do printing from color negative and my technique only work for color, I would need to develop a technique for B&W when I get around to doing B&W which I plan to do sometimes in the future. And yes, I don't quite get the hold of split grade printing yet either.