Project Title: Digital Imaging Capture and Manipulation: Digital Cameras and Digital Tablets
Funded Group Proposing Unit: Responsible Administrative Unit: Department of Art and Design College of Design Iowa State University Carol Faber

Project Leader:

A. Summary The total funds awarded for this proposal were $25,675. These funds were spent on the proposed equipment in the grant application. Award Amount: $25,675 Approved Budget: Full budget request Project Number: 202-17-10-09-0007
B. Carryover Funds The entire $25,675 funded by this CAC grant has been spent on the equipment requested in the proposal. There are no carryover funds. C. Expenditure Item Listing Below is the equipment purchased. Description Number Med-Resolution Camera: 8.0 megapixel Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH Digital Camera (Swing Silver) 30 SageMax 3 year Protection Plan Extra Batteries: Canon NB-4L Lithium-Ion Battery Extra Memory Cards: Sandisk 2GB Secure Digital Card (2 pack) Camera Cases: Pelican Hard plastic-Individual Camera Cases Digital Drawing Tablet: Intuosx 11 (2 year limited warranty) Digital Tablet Case: Intuos3 - 6 x 11 Travel Bag Total Cost (Total CAC funds Spent) The vendor the items were purchased from was Global Government Educational Solutions. Locations of the items purchased from this CAC Grant are available for student checkout located th on 4 floor, Room 426 in the College of Design, the Design Document Center. Unit Cost Total Cost
$ 255.00 $45.00 $50.00 $ 35.00 $120.00 $ 375.00 $30.00
$ 7,650.00 $1350.00 $750.00 $175.00 $3600.00 $11,250.00 $900.00 $25,675.00
Above images: Document Center where equipment is checked out by students and storage area of the equipment.
D. Narrative Section Outcome: The CAC funding made it possible to further adapt our diverse curricular offerings to a digital environment, by providing medium-resolution digital cameras and digital drawing tablets readily availability for student use. This equipment has made a huge difference regarding student access of this equipment. Prior to the grant, student had extremely limit access to equipment of this caliber and quality. Now students have day, overnight and weekend checkout available for the digital tablets and day and overnight checkout available for the digital cameras. The cameras provide an easy operating system and have far superior resolution for class projects than what was possible before the grant award. Classroom Research with the digital drawing tablet compared to traditional drawing methods is currently underway and has helped experimental class offerings in the College of Design related to Digital Media. Students have enjoyed these classes and makes drawing a new experience with technological advantages to expanded skills for employment opportunity after graduation.
Left image: The camera in case. An easy and safe case for students to checks out.
Current Status: The digital tablet and camera are still being used on a daily basis and are popular among all majors in conjunction with class projects/assignments, portfolio creation, and student research projects. Checkout procedure has continued smoothly. The applications for the digital tablets are immense opportunity for students to have another way to visualize, communicate, and create imagery. It has been a great boost to student support throughout the college and university campus.

Above Image: Students using tablets in a new course entitled, ARTIS 482 Digital Drawing.

Digital Camera Components
Subject Lens Bayer Filter CCD or CMOS Sensor

Storage Media

Image Processor

A/D Converter* Bits

Electric Charge
Three types of digital cameras
Point-and-shoot or compact digicam
Emphasis on portability and ease-of-use

Bridge or superzoom

Emphasis on ease of use and zooming ability More manual settings
Emphasis on image quality and creative

Compact Digicams

Small and portable Designed for ease of use
Some sacrifice in image quality

JPEG images Live preview

Look through LCD to set up shot

Price range--$150-$1000+

Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH 2.2 x 3.4 x 0.9

Bridge Digital Cameras

Bridge between compact and DSLR
Some physically resemble DLSRs
One good lens; some now with interchangeable lenses Advanced features
Manual controls for focus, aperture, exposure
Frame photo using live preview Smaller sensor sizes RAW or JPEG photo format Cost: $300 and up.

Nikon CoolPix P90

12.1 Megapixels 24x zoom (4.6-110.4 mm) F2.8-5 Best shot selector, auto & manual exposure modes $399.95 MSRP
Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR)
Use a reflex design to view the picture through lens Use viewfinder to frame photo
However, some higher-end models now offer live preview.

Interchangeable lenses

Primefixed focal length Zoomvariable focal length for getting closeups Macrofor close-up shots of small objects

Some with HD video

Entry-level models start at around $500 for a kit with one lens Professional camera bodies can cost thousands. Lenses$200 for a basic zoom lens to $20,000 for a fast telephoto lens External flash$125 and up

Entry Level DSLR

Pentax K2000 10.2 Megapixels Live View LCD Shoots 720 HD video Compatible with all Pentax Lenses Comes with external flash (no attached flash) Kit with 18-55mm lens

LCD Displays

Main interface with camera
Modify settings through menus View images Live View allows you to set up shot through LCD Some LCDs feature touch screen interface Some cameras allow minimal image editing through LCD
Larger is better Brighter is better
Difficulty seeing LCD in bright sun.

LCD Types and Sizes

Lenses
Digicamsone permanently attached zoom lens, usually around 3x Bridge cameras
one permanently attached zoom lens, often above 10x, or, Interchangeable lenses (e.g. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1, Olympus EP1, EP2)
DSLRinterchangeable lenses; often models come with 1 or 2 kit lenses

Lens Lingo

Focal lengthdistance from lens to sensor
Usually measured in millimeters 35mm equivalentfocal length one would need for a 35mm camera to obtain same angle of view
Aperturethe opening that lets light into the camera
Expressed in F-stops Actually, F-stop = focal length / aperture diameter Smaller F-stop = larger opening Zoom lenses have range of f-stopsmore zoom, smaller opening

For Example

Canon Powershot SD1100 IS Lens close-up
Zoom: 3x (6.2-18.6mm) Aperture: F2.8-4.9
Decreases field-of-view and magnifies details Amount of zoom expresses as
Times zoome.g. 3x (3 times zoom) object 3 times closer at maximum zoom than at minimum zoom Focal lengthe.g. 6.2-18.6mmlens has range of focal lengths from 6.2 to 18.6 mm Times zoom = maximum focal length / minimum focal length

DSLR Telephoto Zoom Lens

Focal Length: Aperture: Maximum Zoom:

75 300mm f4-5.75 = 4x

Canon EF 75300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Telephoto Zoom Lens
Angle of View for Different Focal Lengths
Focal Length and Angle of View

Zoom18mm / 1x

Zoom200mm / 11.1x
Zoom200mm; Levels Adjusted
A Word About Digital Zoom

DONT USE IT!!!!

Sensors
Two types of Sensors CCD (Charged Coupled Device)
Light measured at pixels moves to A/D converter via 1 or 2 exits
CMOS (Complimentary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)
Each pixel has attached A/D converter
CCD cleaner; CMOS easier to make
Big CCDs expensive Most DSLRs use CMOS

Image Sensors

Fuji Super CCD (Charged Coupled Device)
Canon CMOS (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)
The fraction represents a standard for measuring TV camera tubes in the 1950's, as represented by the circle. Engineers found that the useable area of this imaging plane was roughly 2/3 the diameter of the tube. The rectangle inside represents the actual dimensions of the sensor represented by the fraction. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0210/02100402sensorsizes.asp

Sensor Size

Sensor Size & Image Quality
Two specs: image size (number of pixels) & physical size of sensor A 1/2.5" and APS-C sensor can both be 12.2 megapixels
Both can have 12.2 million pixels
The difference is the size of each pixel on the sensor Larger pixels>>better signal to noise ratio>>less noise in low-light images
Camera: Canon Power Shot 200; ISO 400; CCD size: 1/2.7" (5.34 x 4.04mm), 3.2 MP

Sony A200, APS-C Sensor

Bright Light, Small Sensor
Camera: Canon Power Shot 200; CCD size: 1/2.7" (5.34 x 4.04mm), 3.2 MP

Image size

Megapixels (millions of pixels)

Area of image

Pixel dimensions

Height x width

Multiply pixel dimensions to get megapixels Beware of advertised image size
Use specifications to get accurate size

Picture Size

Advertised area: 10.2 Megapixels Effective Megapixels: 10 Megapixels (10.04)
2592 x 3872 = / 1000 = 10036.224 10036.224 / 1000 = 10.036224 (10 MP)

Image Size

Digital Camera Purchasing Tips

Know what you want

Small size, ease of usedigicam Ultimate image quality, creative freedomDSLR A compromiseBridge camera

Know what you are buying

Sensors, lenses, LCDs
Learn how to use your camera Know the limitations of your equipment
Look at manufacturers websites Read camera reviews and sample images
http://www.dpreview.com/ http://www.imaging-resource.com/ PC Magazine
Talk to friends and colleagues Check sellers online
Often, but not always, lower prices (often no sales taxes, sometimes free shipping) Many to choose from.
Try out cameras at stores