Newspaper joins the digital world.Byline: The Register-Guard Last year, digital camera sales surpassed film camera sales, and accounted for an estimated $24 billion in worldwide revenue. It isn't just recreational photographers who are making the switch. The Register-Guard's own photography department made the transition to the digital world on Jan. 6. During the first week of operating digitally, Register-Guard photographers shot and archived more than 4,000 images. "Overnight, we've gone from the the Flintstones to the Jetsons," says Rob Romig, The Register-Guard's director of graphics. "We were one of the last papers to go digital. "I'm glad we waited. We really got the state of the art stuff. These cameras are as good or better than film, and it's the first time you can say that," Romig says. The photo staff's spendy, eight-megapixel cameras ($4,000 for just the camera body) are a far cry from the $300 point-and-shoot cameras A film or digital camera in which the focus and exposure is entirely automatic. You aim and press the button; the camera does the rest. Point-and-shoot cameras can range from cheap throw-aways to pocket-sized digitals. that many consumers are wrestling wrestling, sport in which two unarmed opponents grapple with one another. The object is to secure a fall, i.e., cause the opponent to lose balance and fall to the floor, and ultimately to pin the supine opponent's shoulders to the floor, through the use of body with, but even for seasoned photographers, going digital is a major transition. Among the bells and whistles A slang English term for exceptional features in some product. In the computer field, it typically refers to functions in software that may be greatly appreciated by some users, even though they may not be necessary most of the time. that come with the photographers' Canon EOS-1D The Canon EOS-1D was launched in November, 2001. It uses a 4 megapixel 1.3x crop factor CCD image sensor sourced from Panasonic. Despite being over six years old now, the EOS-1D is still found in many newspapers and print media offices; as well as smaller photographic Mark II Digital cameras are image stabilitzation technology, a machine-gun shutter (1) An opaque window that is moved in one direction to let light in and in another to close off the light. In fixed-lens cameras, one shutter often suffices for aperture and speed. that fires off eight frames per second and a whole quiver of one-gigabyte memory cards that each hold the equivalent of roughly 10 rolls of film. Not only does digital technology mean the newspaper will be able to improve its photo archives and more effectively shoot photos on deadline, but it also means the paper can say goodbye to its significant annual budget for film and the expensive chemicals used to process the film. And it can banish ban·ish tr.v. ban·ished, ban·ish·ing, ban·ish·es 1. To force to leave a country or place by official decree; exile. 2. To drive away; expel: We banished all our doubts and fears. the massive Noritsu C-41 color film processor to the basement. For Wayne Eastburn, 72, a veteran Register-Guard photographer who has shot nondigital photos of Robert Kennedy, Elvis and Jimmy Stewart, the digital transformation is huge. Eastburn remembers developing Register-Guard film using tanks and reels and making photos for publication on a darkroom darkroom, n a completely lightproof room or cubicle that is used in the processing of photographic, medical, and dental films. See also safe light. enlarger. Prior to the switch-over, he had never used a digital camera. "Once I get used to it, it will be all right," Eastburn says. "Right now, it's a bit like me learning to shoot and develop film 40 years ago." - Lewis Taylor |
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