Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/04/13

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Subject: [Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution
From: mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)
Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2014 18:02:35 -0400


I do think its a basic idea which is well known that if the digital camera
is high rez enough it more than equals film. It just has to be one of those
very high rez models. Like the Nikon 800... And I bet the Leica S.
The resolution the M gets my be borderline but I can see it also getting it.

Analog grain may exist in different sizes and  have different edge quality
and perhaps different transmission but the resolution they copy from a test
chart is finite and either they can reproduce those finer line charts pairs
or that can't.

I do think " resolution" is a finite concept which can be measured
photographically. We photograph a  test chart and count line pairs if I
recall correctly as its not that long a time ago and not rocket science.
Those resolution test charts by any name I've owned and used and I had one
on film as well which cost me some real money but those tests are best done
by the people who work in labs.




On 4/12/14 9:07 PM, "Bill Pearce" <billcpearce at cox.net> wrote:

> But aren't there other "measurements" of the quality of our photos than 
> just
> resolution?
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: FRANK DERNIE
> Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2014 11:35 AM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution
> 
> But surely a single grain in film is either exposed or not, whereas a pixel
> has, depending on the sensor, thousands of brightness levels. So they are
> not directly comparable and it would require a big patch of film containing
> thousands of grains to display the range of tones a single pixel is capable
> of, though clearly a patch of pixels would be required to compare the
> effect.
> 
> 
> 
>> ________________________________
>> From: Frank Filippone <red735i at verizon.net>
>> To: 'Leica Users Group' <lug at leica-users.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, 12 April 2014, 14:07
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution
>> 
>> 
>> Several years ago, I did the calculations based upon the molecular
>> particulate size of TMax100 film.  I picked that film because the density
>> data was available, and it was the most consistent particulate size film
>> available, and it was reputed to be the most consistent homogenous density
>> mix of crystals within the sensitive film layer.
>> 
>> My assumption was that the TMax100 crystalline molecule was the smallest
>> discernible and quantifiable light capturing receptor.  Therefore, the
>> closest analogy to a digital sensor pixel.
>> 
>> As I remember it, the particulate size, and therefore the effective pixel
>> density, was around 15MP per square inch.  The closest ( B+W only)
>> comparison is the MM.
>> 
>> The MM is about 10MP per square inch.
>> 
>> Based upon this, and for all practical purposes, digital sensor technology
>> resolution has caught up with chemical resolution.
>> 
>> Too much time on your hands is a bad thing......you worry about things 
>> that
>> are purely theoretical.  This happened to me as well when I first retired.
>> Seems a pattern....
>> 
>> Frank Filippone
>> Red735i at verizon.net
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information




-- 
Mark William Rabiner
Photographer
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/




In reply to: Message from billcpearce at cox.net (Bill Pearce) ([Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution)