Resolution of moving pictures vs frame capture: need explaination
(Pete Cresswell)
than the 640x480 that seems to be the standard.
It seems like most, if not all, cameras are oriented towards the resolution
available on a television screen. Logical, I guess, because that's where the
pix are going to be shown.
However, as a naive user, I'm looking for still pix that will be printed as well
as moving pix. Therefore resolution would have to be higher than 640x480.
What's motivating me is family occasions when, for instance, one of the
children looks her cutest about a half second after somebody snaps her picture.
So, part of what I'm looking for is a functional equivalent of the 35mm
motor-driven camera.
I still want to take moving pictures, but want the option of saving still clips
that will look decent when printed.
I haven't come across anything that promises this functionality yet.
Sony's DCR-PC100 seems to offer higher rez stills (1152x864), but only working
as a still camera mated to a video camera - i.e. one has to decide beforehand
which mode the camera will be in and the pic is saved to some sort of solid
memory media - functionally the same as a still camera.
Most of the (640x480?) captures I've seen on the web seem inadequate for what I
have in mind - even the best leave the viewer grasping for detail that just
isn't there. OTOH I did see one clip that seemed to be from some sort of JVC
camera (had "JVC" in the digital note on the frame" that looked pretty good -
certainly head and shoulders above everything else I've seen.
To refine the original question:
1) Do different cameras record at different pixel densities for moving pictures?
2) If so, can captures be made at higher densities than 640x480?
Comments anybody?
-----------------------
Pete Cresswell
R. Geoff Baker
pictures?
>
> 2) If so, can captures be made at higher densities than 640x480?
Even the astronomically expensive HDTV cameras -- with prices measuring in the
tens & tens of thousands of US dollars -- are 'only' recording at resolutions
like 1920x1080 ... if you want megapixel imagery in your stills, you are far
better to look at digital still cameras. As you've surmised, there is no
motivation for camcorder manufacturers to build expensive, specialized cameras
that will take images at resolutions no one is able to view. The new Sony
PC-100 is a small step in the blending of technologies -- combining still camera
capabilities with moving picture technology -- but can't deliver a moving
picture stream of high def images.
Cheers,
GB
--
g...@bakerfilms.com
RGBaker.256BoltonSt.Ottawa.ON.Canada
613.852.3833
Richard John Cavell
> I'm shopping for my first video camera and want frame capture that has more rez
> than the 640x480 that seems to be the standard.
Hang on a minute... If you're buying a VHS camera, the recording won't be
much better than 640x480. In America an NTSC signal produces 625 lines
per screen vertically, and the horizontal resolution is probably not much
better than 800 - certainly not better than a thousand.
Frame capture can be functionally separate from the video camera - I'm
assuming you're talking about built-in frame capture. You can capture
frames from film or beta or whatever, but if you're taking it from a
domestic-quality camera you're going to get domestic-quality images.
> It seems like most, if not all, cameras are oriented towards the resolution
> available on a television screen.
Why would this surprise you, sir?
> However, as a naive user, I'm looking for still pix that will be printed as well
> as moving pix. Therefore resolution would have to be higher than 640x480.
A lot higher. Even the dedicated 'digital cameras' of around 1.5
megapixels don't print well at all.
> So, part of what I'm looking for is a functional equivalent of the 35mm
> motor-driven camera.
Some people like using film rather than video... maybe you should consider
this.
> 1) Do different cameras record at different pixel densities for moving pictures?
If you're talking about the fully digital jobs, yes, some of them do.
> 2) If so, can captures be made at higher densities than 640x480?
Yes. Depends what it's recorded on.
Richard.