Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbatt!cbosgd!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!convex!ti-csl!haddock From: haddock@ti-csl Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga Subject: Re: Any reviews of Digi-View yet? (or a Message-ID: <9300019@ti-csl> Date: Sat, 9-Aug-86 01:28:00 EDT Article-I.D.: ti-csl.9300019 Posted: Sat Aug 9 01:28:00 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Aug-86 03:39:21 EDT References: <1572@well.UUCP> Lines: 117 Nf-ID: #R:well.UUCP:1572:ti-csl:9300019:000:5615 Nf-From: ti-csl!haddock Aug 9 00:28:00 1986 I *DO* believe in the line eater! <--- notice that this one remains intact. >(I do not believe in the > Digi-View is certainly real, and you can buy one, now. It >is $199 for the basic unit, plus about $150 for a camera and maybe >$60 or so for a high-quality copy stand. That's plenty cheap for >a high-quality, high-resolution digitizer, which is what Digi-View is. The camera the NewTek recommends list for ~US$300. What kind of decent B/W camera can you get for $150? I also have to disagree with you on your point about high-quality and it being plenty cheap [price]. Considering that you get this little, white, hermatically sealed box (about 2X a matchbox; couldn't be much more than a DAC support components) that's comes with plexiglass "filters" for the camera (which, if you wanted good quality color should have been photo-quality gels) which digitizes images in 10 to 20-seconds per capture, I really couldn't call this high-quality. > Digi-View supports 320x200 32 colors, 320x200 HAM mode, >and 640x400 B&W. With more memory, (512K more, I think) you can get >320x400 32 colors and HAM mode, and 640x400 16 colors. The manual says that more memory (>512K) will allow you to do high-res' color although the software provided appears to be completely unable to do this. Check out the high-res menus - strictly for doing black and white. >This is a VERY professionally-done product, and the software does a >lot to help you get good, high-quality results. It *is* very professional??? It does help you get high quality results? Hmmmm... Maybe I've got high standards/expectations but you need to be reasonably informed about photography and video picture taking to even get GOOD results from this product. Sometimes you're lucky, depending on the image to be captured, but then again a lot of times you're not. Point in case, if the image background contains a varied mix of colors then the colors produced for the HAM mode in the subject tend to be far from true. I've wound up using a white sheet or something similar so that my subject shows up in its proper colors. I mean, that's what it's all about, right (if you're doing color anyhow)? I've also found the 32-color mode to produce sharper pictures than the HAM mode. I'm not really that sure that the software (I still have 1.0 and have sent in my card but no updates nor notice of such) is that much helpful other that containing gadgets to modify the picture. One thing that I fail to comprehend is why, when doing low-res color pictures, the histograms are always normalized to cover the entire range. Also, given that the software can display the various histograms for each of the RGB bit planes, it does not allow the user to manipulate the histograms let alone disallowing them to be normalized. I would venture to guess that the picture's colors would be truer if the histograms were not normalized. >video (the latest revision includes use of image-processing software >that will remove the edge effects found in previous HAM mode images, >giving you sharp, clear images which look about as good as a true >12-bit plane image (4,096 colors!!!)). It sounds like I need the latest revision of the software!!!! >The B&W high resolution is equally stunning; the software does >dithering to achieve a "smooth" quality in the greyscale images. Even with the old software I'll have to agree with you on this. I guess when all is said and done I'd like to know what you mean by "professional". Another thing I feel that NewTek forgot to mention in it's 17-page instruction booklet is the need for a reasonable amount of light. Several of us in sunny Dallas have found that a good, photographer's flood light works wonders for improving the image quality. > -Mitsu (mitsu@well.UUCP) >P.S. These are based on using the product at >demonstrations. I do not own one. I have owned the Digi-View product since the local stores received them back in May or June(?). Don't get me wrong - I don't think that Digi-View is a terrible product but.... I don't believe it to be as wonderful as Mitsu makes it out to be. If and when I get the revision of software that is claimed to work wonders I'll amend my statements accordingly if need be. I'll tell you what the Amiga really needs to make use of this type of hardware. It needs some sort of MacWrite-style text/picture editor that will allow me to EASILY mix both text containing a multitude of GOOD fonts and still be capable of including graphics in the same file. Hey, if you know of one lemme know, please? -Rusty- P.S. I wrote this reply yesterday and called NewTek about the revision to their software today. According to NewTek, the Version 1.1 software should be available at the end of this month. Apparently Mitsu has a dealer with a beta-test version. Also, to confirm this my local dealer just got a new shipment in and they're still shipping version 1.0. According to the gentleman that answered the phone in Kansas by the end of the month NewTek should have settled on their update policy. I was told that less than $10 should get you a new disk when it's ready. ================================================================ *hardcopy* *electr{onic, ic}* Rusty Haddock ARPA: Haddock%TI-CSL@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA POB 226015 M/S 238 CSNET: Haddock@TI-CSL Texas Instruments Inc. USENET: {ut-sally,convex!smu,texsun}!ti-csl!haddock Dallas, Texas 75266 VOICE: (214) 995-0330 Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are entirely my own (although others may share them) and not those of my master, er... employer.