OT: Demystifying Digital Camera Specifications

rs170a wrote on 7/21/2009, 7:34 AM
This is a 7 part series presented by Panavision and Canon and might be of interest to some folks here.
Here's the link to part 1.
Enjoy.

Mike

edit: if you're interested, check out the Advanced Digital Imaging and Reference Library links at the top of the page.

Part 1 discusses the following topics: A short history of CCD/CMOS development, Sub-sampling and Super-sampling, HD lens and camera design strategies, Photosites - the tradeoff between resolution, dynamic range, and noise, Digital output signals from cameras, UHDTV, 2K and 4K cameras, and DCI Standards for 2K and 4K.

Part 2 discusses the following topics: The Nyquist Theorem, linking optical and digital sampling, The implications of Fill factor and optical low pass filtering, The Nyquist boundaries of of motion pictures, and Limiting resolution.

Part 3 discusses the following topics: Introduction to MTF, Introduction to an individual element’s contribution to final MTF, Transferring contrast, Cascading MTFs, Introduction to Otto Schade, Perceived picture sharpness and MTF, Edge Sharpness, image textures, and resolving power.

Part 4 discusses the following topics: Pixels are not resolution, Practical measurements of MTF, Introduction to sinusoidal MTF charts, The Panavision sinusoidal MTF Chart, MTF benches for measuring lenses, Cascaded MTF of a DI, Sensor MTF response, Depth of Field, MTF measurements of real world lenses.

Part 5 discusses the following topics: Line pairs per Millimeter, Differences between HDTV and SDTV lens standards, a demonstration of the MTF-Aliasing dilemma using three chip cameras, Loading the imager MTF into the digital container.

Part 6 discusses the following topics: The resolution metric for a Bayer pattern sensor, Diagonal sampling Bayer pattern sensors, Optical lowpass filter options for single Bayer pattern sensors.

Part 7 discusses the following topics: Spectral response, Camera color balance: Daylight v. Tungsten, Digital Intermediate MTF comparison between Genesis and 5218, Bayer vs. RGB striped sensors.

Comments

Jay Gladwell wrote on 7/21/2009, 9:04 AM

Thanks, Mike, for sharing that. Although I'm not the least bit technical, like some here, I found it very interesting!


PerroneFord wrote on 7/21/2009, 10:52 AM
Yes, I posted about this last year. Excellent series and VERY welcome. There are a number of other VERY helpful documents in the Panavision Media Library, including manuals, calculators, and one HELL of a DPX viewer application (free).
Jeff9329 wrote on 7/21/2009, 1:33 PM
Really good basic stuff.

I wish Panasonic would read it and take it into the enginnering process for their Pro HD cameras.

Thanks