Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!nsj
From: nsj@Apple.COM (Neal Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Re: MacVision
Message-ID: <44376@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 29 Aug 90 16:04:26 GMT
References: <150590@felix.UUCP>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 50

In article <150590@felix.UUCP> kehr@felix.UUCP (Shirley Kehr) writes:
>"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

I have used MacVision extensively with a Panasonic video camera doing
live shoots (don't move it takes about 10 seconds to scan!). I then take
the 72 dpi images and drop them into PixelPaint. Selecting the GrayScale
pallate (256 grays) and then selecting the image, I do a Smooth operation,
which results in a very respectable B&W image. You will be amazed!!!

- neal



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name: Neal Johnson         "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."
mail: nsj@apple.COM        "Love is the law, love under will." 
phone: (408) 974-6246
disclaimer: Everything stated here is disclaimed by all.
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