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Thread: Print Reproduction for High Quality Viewing

  1. #1
    bob carnie's Avatar
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    Print Reproduction for High Quality Viewing

    I have more equipment than I need, but I have come to the conclusion one critical area of my business I need to answer is being able to copy all the work I produce here.

    Lately most of my work is Alternative, or Lith or Solarized prints that do not look anything like the files I am producing. I have in the past excellent training in copy work with analoque
    methods, but to be honest I never have used a digital camera.

    I would like some advice on digital camera with lens that can give me excellent tiff quality for viewing on website or proposals to various art groups. I do not need help with the
    lighting setup, and of course I do own a Creo Scanner but I am not interested whatsoever in splicing and joining the artwork.
    I am open to buying used equipment but advise on simple camera , high resolution needs, and crisp lens would be of value to me. I am thinking of setting up a copy setup and have a dedicated camera networked so I can scan and archive on the go.

    Any suggestions, I do not want to break the bank , and I am never going to use this camera for printmaking file generation.

    thanks

    Bob

  2. #2
    Christopher Barrett's Avatar
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    Re: Print Reproduction for High Quality Viewing

    Bob,

    I use the Sony A7r2 for my commercial work. If you want to spend under 10k, I'd recommend looking into that rig. Here's how I set it up on a view camera with Rodenstock digital lenses.



    You could also just use a straight mount lens, as there are some great options available from the usual suspects. Let me know if you have any questions.

    -CB

  3. #3
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    Re: Print Reproduction for High Quality Viewing

    Can you specify the range of print sizes you want to be able to capture and the maximum working distance that will be available in your copy setup?

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    Re: Print Reproduction for High Quality Viewing

    Quote Originally Posted by bob carnie View Post
    Any suggestions, I do not want to break the bank , and I am never going to use this camera for printmaking file generation.

    thanks

    Bob

    Hello Bob,

    This if what I'd use:


    Camera:

    Nikon D810 or D800E. I'd avoid the D800 because it has an optical lowpass filter on the sensor (anti moire) that lowers resolution.

    You don't need that extreme dynamic range the camera has, but you want high pixel count.

    The low end D3200 (DX) with a good lens would be enough, it will outresolve a 4k TV (8MPix), of the 24MPix some 12MPix would be effective optical resolving power. I see no advantage with the D5200 / D5500. You don't need a tactile screen, but perhaps you may want a model with integrated wifi to not handle SD cards. But any of those can accept a wifi adapter (Nikon WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter).

    In the middle you have the D610, a 24MPix full frame.

    For a D3200 you may want continous power, to get rid fro batteries, so you may use "Nikon 27018 EP-5A Power Supply Connector".





    Lens: Micro Nikkor (the 55 2.8 AI-S , the 105mm AF or the 60mm AFD ) depending on the size/distance. Perhaps I'd take both the 60 and the 105mm

    http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/55f28ais.htm

    http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/60mm-afd.htm

    http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/105af.htm


    These are distortion free. Camera firmware corrects lens distortion, but better if no distortion is there.


    "Nikon is big in the microscope and scientific world. They don't mess around when it comes to macro lenses! This baby is just about perfect optically and pretty well made mechanically for an AF lens."

    "This 60mm f/2.8 AF-D has been one of the lenses by which rest of the industry judges itself since 1989"




    Illumination:


    This is the critical part !!!

    You have to use cross-polarization. So your illuminators (perhaps a flash system) needs a polarizing filter on it and the lens needs another POL on it, at 90º to eliminate any glare.

    Better if polarizing system is linear, as more effective, but then AF and metering may not work, so if you need those camera capabilities you have to use circular polarizers to not interfere AF and meter optics.

    I guess you are aware of cross-pol, just saying if linear type AF/meter may not work.


    Here is where I've been buying large ammounts of polarizing sheet to be placed over illuminators, for industrial usage, working very well and near for free:
    https://www.3dlens.com/shop/8-inch-lcd-polarizer.php you have linear and circular polarazing types.



    You can even do with a (DX) Nikon D3200, with excellent results, but not without cross-polarization.



    IMHO this combo (D810 + Micro Nikkor) is hard to beat in performance terms, at not expensive.


    Still, if you are to display the full art in a 4k TV you may notice nothing from D3200 to D810. If you enlarge a crop of the art in the 4k TV you should notice a difference at 2x(I mean displaying 1/2 of the art height in the TV). In a full HD 1080 lines TV IMHO you should enlarge 4x to notice something form D3200 to D810.


    Also you know much better than me that there is a right way to convert a 36Mpix image to the destination 4k (8MPix) to have a crispy look, this depends on image size reduction algorithms (Bicubic, ideal for reductions version), and sharpen, this should be the same than with the Lambdas. So it's not only the camera and the lens !





    Regards.
    Last edited by Pere Casals; 30-May-2017 at 04:24.

  5. #5

    Re: Print Reproduction for High Quality Viewing

    Bob keep us informed with your progress please

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    Re: Print Reproduction for High Quality Viewing

    Don't overdo it. For web applications you don't need a lot of resolution. In fact, for prints up to 11x14" at 300 dpi, 12 megapixels will be fine. You can get an older dslr for a song. Newer models have the advantage that you can shoot tethered into a laptop computer and don't have to look through the camera to compose or focus. That makes work with a copy stand a lot easier. Get a good lens, any macro lens will exceed your needs for sharpness and lack of distorsion. Chances are that you already have a useable lens from your analog system, just get a matching dslr. Get a decent target (like an X-rite color checker) to adjust color and tones by numbers instead of eyesight. Use your lights like you always have, except for the wider apertures required by a dslr. Needless to say, work meticulously and use a RAW workflow.

    Best,

    Michael

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    Re: Print Reproduction for High Quality Viewing

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael E View Post
    Don't overdo it. For web applications you don't need a lot of resolution.
    Best,

    Michael

    Web has changed, today people buy 4k monitors and have high speed service

    "excellent tiff quality for viewing on website or proposals to various art groups"


    IMHO sensor pixel density is very important in this case. A 12 Mpix sensor won't resolve 12 "optical Mpix", that the half or less, and then we have discretization losses, bayer tiles, optical lowpass filter, losses in the edition...

    Then the art can have enlarged grains from the negative, with crispy edges one may want to depict, this interacts with PS edition, and a quality source in necessary to get really sound 4k result.

    It can be noted that a 4k image has 8 MPix of the RGB type, this is 24 million of LCD cells or LEDs, 8 million of each color. A 8 Mpix sensor has 8 million photosites, 2,6 million of each color, and then we have discretization, the optical loss...

  8. #8
    Christopher Barrett's Avatar
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    Re: Print Reproduction for High Quality Viewing

    Another benefit of having a lot of resolution is the ability go in later and crop portions if need be (details of certain areas of the composition). The Nikon is a great sensor, made by Sony, but the A7r2's is a little newer tech with some minor imaging improvements. Hopefully it won't be long before the A7r3 or A9r (whichever it's going to be), a refresh is overdue.

    Workflow can also make a huge difference. I always shoot tethered to a laptop via Capture 1 Pro. I can judge sharpness far better on a large screen, than I can by zooming in on camera. It also gives you a better idea of color and tonal rendition. If you're doing this sort of work in studio, it won't take any more time to setup the computer and will likely save time in the end.

    My .02,
    CB

  9. #9

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    Re: Print Reproduction for High Quality Viewing

    Quote Originally Posted by Christopher Barrett View Post
    Another benefit of having a lot of resolution is the ability go in later and crop portions if need be (details of certain areas of the composition). The Nikon is a great sensor, made by Sony, but the A7r2's is a little newer tech with some minor imaging improvements. Hopefully it won't be long before the A7r3 or A9r (whichever it's going to be), a refresh is overdue.

    Workflow can also make a huge difference. I always shoot tethered to a laptop via Capture 1 Pro. I can judge sharpness far better on a large screen, than I can by zooming in on camera. It also gives you a better idea of color and tonal rendition. If you're doing this sort of work in studio, it won't take any more time to setup the computer and will likely save time in the end.

    My .02,
    CB
    Yes, the 42MPix BSI is an strenght, also the tilt screen can be convenient in top table position, it has wifi... weakness is Sony E-Mount lens range, still an adapter can be used to fit a Micro Nikkor.

  10. #10
    bob carnie's Avatar
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    Re: Print Reproduction for High Quality Viewing

    Quote Originally Posted by Oren Grad View Post
    Can you specify the range of print sizes you want to be able to capture and the maximum working distance that will be available in your copy setup?
    Hi Oren

    22 - 30 down to 11 x14 inches, I have a Creo for smaller print scans, I do not think I will be working in much larger than 22 x30.

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