B. Digital Camera Description

With the flatbed and 35mm-slide scanner, the Denver Public Library was able to create digital images of a large portion of its photography collection. Many items, however, such as images in bound photo albums, large format prints and negatives, and cased images could not be processed. In addition, in order to expand the program to include other visual materials, such as maps and artwork, we needed a different image capture device.

Curatorial and scanning staff worked with Raymond Clark, who had been the Library's digitization project manager for several years, to design a camera that would be suitable for use with these additional materials. For project PA-22924-97, this camera was used to scan the large format Jackson sample prints and mammoth plates and most of the photograph album images. In addition, the camera was able to create color scans much more quickly than the older flatbed equipment. Many color images, regardless of size, were processed using the camera.

Figure 23:  A William Henry Jackson Mammoth Plate is scanned using the camera.

The Camera has the following components:

• 4" x 5" view camera (Linhof Kardan Super)
• 120mm and 150mm Schneider copy lenses
• Betterlight Super 8K digital back
• 13’ camera stand (for accurate squaring of items, elimination of parallax, and keeping camera back and object planes parallel).
• Kino Flo fluorescent lights (5500 Kelvin) and fixtures
• Lightbox (for scanning transparencies and negatives)
• GALIL programmable motion controller software to move camera up and down and allow for focusing from the keyboard
• Surrounded by a black curtain to block extraneous light (for color management)
• Ability to remove 4" x 5" view camera from camera stand and use it for items hung on walls or too heavy to transport.

13' camera stand (for accurate squaring of items, elimination of parallax, and keeping camera back and object planes parallel).

Camera stand weighs approx. 3,000 pounds and sits on 4 shock absorbing, air compression feet to eliminate vibration during exposure.

All four lights are on adjustable arms for optimal control.