Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!zardoz.cpd.com!dhw68k!felix!kehr
From: kehr@felix.UUCP (Shirley Kehr)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: MacVision
Message-ID: <150590@felix.UUCP>
Date: 26 Aug 90 18:28:36 GMT
Sender: news@felix.UUCP
Reply-To: kehr@felix.UUCP (Shirley Kehr)
Distribution: usa
Organization: FileNet Corp., Costa Mesa, CA
Lines: 32

"I bought MacVision (version 2.1) recently and have found it pretty
"good at some things and a bit problematic in other respects.  It works
"perfectly with still frames from VCR or camcorder...which is probably
"your best solution for portraits: record the subject and digitize from
"a freeze frame.  But it takes 20 seconds for a full-size (640x480
"pixels of eight bits (256 grays)) scan, not 6 seconds.  The quality is
"as good as I can detect since I currently have only a four-bit
"grayscale monitor.  Currently I have not been able to make it
"recognize a "live" signal from the camcorder's camera (even a still
"life with the camera on a tripod).  Does anyone have any suggestions
"as to why it won't recognize the "live" signal?
"-Neil

Interesting. I had the opposite results. My freeze frames were unrecognizeable
blobs of gray and the live stuff was at least recognizeable. I gave up on
using the camcorder (maybe it's not very good - a Magnavox that is 4 to 5
years old?). I got the Canon Zap Shot which takes a digital picture
instantly (no 20-second waits) and that has produced the best quality yet.

It looks much better on a grayscale monitor than I can print on a 300 dpi
printer, but still a long way for being usable for customer documentation.
A lot of the problem is that the Zap shot is a color camera. If we had
a good black/white digital camera, I think quality would improve. But the
whole world is more intersted in color these days, so I wouldn't look
for technical publication solutions in the near term (until someone
figures out who's really doing the most publishing). Hint, it's not the
people doing color glossies.

I do have fun with the camera by taking pictures that can instantly be
put into letters, so that's worth something.

Shirley Kehr