Gigapixel Camera Created!

If you go for high resolution images (around 1-4 gigapixels), apparently the best approach is hybrid at the moment: shooting analogue, then digital scanning and printing. American Clifford Ross for example constructed (some even say: invented) a „sensational gigapixel camera“ following this draft. But there are other projects which are quite similar - and basically, this is analogue weekday (almost):

The R1 explained in short: It‘s a modified large format camera, built around the body of a World War II camera for aerial shots and using some Sinar parts. Image size 9x18 inches, roll film magazine. A vacuum pump ensures that the film is flat to within one-thousandth of an inch, and a dual-mirror device keeps the film parallel to the lens. Sand bags strapped to the camera and tripod prevent the machine from shifting. Ross uses a film meant for aerial shots, its negatives must be chemically treated to reduce their unusually high degree of contrast. That leaves sharp details but muddy colours. After digitally scanning the negative, Ross and his assistants must manipulate the image using Photoshop software to return the mountain's colours to their initial vibrancy. Such a scan is 2.6 gigabytes in size.

Much more interesting than this technical approach (we‘re all able to achieve that more or less, more on it soon) is the artistic approach: Clifford Ross is an artist and was searching how to achieve high detailed photographic images: Ross, 51, wanted to share a near-replica of reality, without any of the blurring visible in most large prints. "You can choose to go up to the picture and experience it intimately with a sense of unbroken reality," he says (quote from his press release). Therefore he built a quite uncompromising camera: large format, tripods, sand bags for stabilisation, vacuum pump. More here: Clifford Ross and his US patent High resolution photographic system.

Clifford Ross and his R1 gave us cause to do some research about actual performance of analogue equipment. The Carl Zeiss company is especially rich in this context since they try to do practical research on the limits of performance of common films and lenses available to the public. They use real-world subjects, no test patterns under specialised light. According to Carl Zeiss, this yields astonishing and interesting facts:

• Colour films gain a resolution of up to 170 lp/mm (Fujichrome Velvia 100 F)
• Black-and-white films even gain a resolution up to 400 lp/mm (Gigabitfilm)
• Medium format lenses (from Carl Zeiss) show much more resolution than most 35mm lenses

More reading matters:
Results of unparalleled quality
Resolving power of photographic films
Gigabitfilm is not a Hoax!

If one now applies this resolution power, verified in practice, to the R1 and its image size (9x18 inches), then gigapixel-shooting is analogue weekday: With an appropriate lens and Fuji Velvia 170 lp/mm are realistic. By way of calculation you get over 6 gigabytes of data then. Or vice versa: If you‘ve got really good equipment, you‘ll achieve 2.6 gigabyte on even 8x10 inches with standard materials. So what, Mr Ross?

Apparently, it‘s not so difficult to record such data (though it mustn‘t be underestimated; it‘s not as trivial) but most of the difficulties arise in reproduction. Conventional enlargers are pushed beyond their limits and even scanners might not be able to show the film‘s content.

There‘s at least one more project dealing with materials and equipment (aerial camera and film, 9x18 inches image size) quite similar to Clifford Ross' approach, and which is documented very well: Gigapxl Project.

Besides, the team from Gigapxl Project believes that, although there‘s b&w material able to deliver a resolution of 100 lp/mm and more, there are also limitations imposed by diffraction at high spatial frequencies. Therefore they find that the highest practical resolution falls in the 30-60 lp/mm regime. Well, Carl Zeiss mentions numbers quite different (though not for large format cameras, admittedly). Well, there‘s only one thing left to do: to manage an 8x10-inch-camera to make use of the resolution power of a Fujichrome Velvia or even a Gigabitfilm to get your own gigapixel camera.