Instruction for Filling out the Digital Camera Data Sheet

Digital Camera Lab For camera phones you should have the app that allows you to take manual photographs; apps like “Camera FV-5” or “Manual Camera.”

Procedure for viewing the images: a. Transfer the images to the computer. b. Open the images in the "Windows Photo Viewer" software. Open two images and place them side by side. c. Click the "Fit to Windows" icon to zoom in on the images and make the side by side image comparisons. Look for similar regions on the photograph and look for differences in the image. d. Under "File" -- "Properties" -- "Details" you can view some of the image information.

Instruction for filling out the Digital Camera Data Sheet:

2. The Focal length is written on the lens. If you have a zoom camera, the focal length will be a range. Record that number on the Lens Data Sheet. Unless you have a full frame sensor (35 mm sensor) you will have to convert the focal length range into a full frame equivalence. To do so, you must assume your first focal length number equals 24 mm.

3. On your camera lens, the number that follows 1: (except for the Sony) is the focal length. The first number is the largest aperture value at the shortest focal length, and the second number corresponds to the largest aperture value at the longest focal length.

4. ISO range: ISO stands for International Standards Organization. For digital cameras, ISO controls your digital camera's sensitivity to light. The higher the number, the less light is needed to take a photo that is correctly exposed (not too dark or too light). The way this works is your camera CCD amplifies any signal it gets; the problem is at high ISO, it also amplifies any noise that hits your sensor. a. ISO total range: write the lowest ISO number and the highest ISO number. b. ISO useable range: Position your camera on a flat surface. Set the camera to P mode, set the ISO to the lowest setting. Take a picture of an evenly lit object at each ISO until the highest ISO is reached. The increments range from 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, etc. c. After you have transferred the images to the computer, place the lowest ISO image next to the highest ISO image and then make the image comparison. You will notice that the highest ISO image contains lots of noise. The goal now is to work backwards until you find the highest ISO that matches the image quality of the lowest ISO. Record the usable ISO range.

5. Exposure Range: Set the camera to the lowest ISO and set control to M-manual mode. Take a photograph of an evenly lit flat screen. Keep the aperture value fixed and change the shutter time values. The two extremes that you need to record are the exposure time when the image is completely oversaturated (where you just see all white) and the exposure time when image is completely black. In the table below, each column represents one-step. Record the number of steps on your camera. (The best current camera can reach 14.8 steps).

Note: you will most likely be able to pull out an image captured in RAW even though you see total black, so what you record maybe 1 step lower than actual.

6. Set the camera to E or S (Exposure setting), set the IS (image stabilization) on, zoom into the longest focal length, and photograph a far away object. Keep increasing the exposure time until you get to 1 s. Transfer the images to the computer and look to see at what exposure setting that you are not able to hold the camera still enough to capture a non-blurring image.

7. Hold the camera in your hands and take a photograph of the darkest setting your camera is able to capture. Use a light sensor and record the light sensor data as a measurement of the darkness.

8. Image Sensor data will most likely have to be found from the camera manual or from Google.

9. Angle of the focal length  is determined by using trigonometry. You will be able to figure it out by looking at the figure below.

Another way to determine the angle is if you know the width of the sensor and the focal length of the lens, then you can determine the angle.

10. The equation to calculate the aperture diameter is

11. To determine the closets focal length just bring the camera near the object until the camera is unable to focus on it. 12. Auto Focus test. Most camera auto focus are not very accurate. One way to test this is shown below. Set a ruler up at 45 degrees to the axis of the lens as shown below. The camera should be set to the largest aperture (smallest f number). The camera should be 20 to 40 cm from the part of the ruler you are focusing on. Look at your image on the computer. If your auto focus is accurate, you should get a symmetrical sharp image ± of the target number on the ruler.

13. Depth of field test. Set the camera to the largest aperture setting. Set up three objects. Place the object image somewhere between 30 - 50 cm. While focusing on the focus object, place the further focused object and the closest focused object into the camera's view.

The Circle of Confusion (CoC) is the smallest image element that retains identifiable details. The equations to calculate CoC is , where H is the hyperfocal distance, F is the lens focal length, is the aperture f-stop. Get H from the equation: or from the equation: , where Np is the near point distance, S is the object to lens distance, and Fp is the far point distance.

14. Best aperture setting. Find the camera's sweet spot; the aperture that gives the best image. To do so, photograph the Image chart. Set the camera to the smallest focal length. Set the ISO to a fixed number. Set the camera to A setting. Position the camera so that the entire image is filled in the frame. Try not to move the camera as you take a series of photograph going from the largest aperture to the smallest (remember the largest aperture has the smallest number). Take photographs for each aperture. Transfer and open the image with the "Windows Photo Viewer" software. Open two "Windows Photo Viewer" so that you can view the image side by side and make comparisons. Find the aperture that gives the best image.

15. Set up the letter chart. Use the best aperture setting you found in 14. In the shortest focal length, take photographs of the letter chart as you vary the distance. Do the same with the longest focal length. View the images on the computer and make a note of the distance that you can still see clear letters.