NASA/TP--2000-210193 The Effect of Radiation on Selected Photographic Film Richard Slater L ymton B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058-3690 ,lohn Kinard L vndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058-3696 Ivan Firsov Energia Space Corporation Moscow, Russia NASA/ENERGIA Joint Film Test October 2000 The NASA STI Program Office ... in Profile Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated to CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. the advancement of aeronautics and space Collected papers from scientific and science. The NASA Scientific and Technical technical conferences, symposia, Information (STI) Program Office plays a key seminars, or other meetings sponsored or part in helping NASA maintain this important co-sponsored by NASA. role. SPECIAL PUBLICATION. Scientific, The NASA STI Program Office is operated by technical, or historical information from Langley Research Center, the lead center for NASA programs, projects, and missions, NASA's scientific and technical information. 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Desk at (301) 621-0134 Scientific and technical findings that are preliminary or of specialized interest, e.g., • Telephone the NASA STI Help Desk at quick release reports, working papers, and (301) 621-0390 bibliographies that contain minimal annotation. Does not contain extensive Write to: analysis. NASA STI Help Desk NASA Center for AeroSpace CONTRACTOR REPORT. Scientific and Information technical findings by NASA-sponsored 7121 Standard Drive contractors and grantees. Hanover, MD 21076-1320 NAS A/TP--2000-210193 The Effect of Radiation on Selected Photographic Film Richard Slater L vndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Te.vas 77058-3696 John Kinard Lvndon B. ,lohnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058-3696 Ivan Firsov Enes'gia Space Cospos'aliosJ Moscow, Russia National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058 October 2000 Available from: NASA Center for AeroSpace Inlbrmation National Technical Information Service 7121 Standard Drive 5285 Port Royal Road Hanover, MD 21076-1320 Springfield, VA 22161 301-621-0390 7O3-605-6000 This report is also available in electronic form at http://techreports.larc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/NTRS CONTENTS Page CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................ iii ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 TEST PROCEDURE ......................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Sensitometric Film Preparation ......................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Standard Scene Imagery Preparation ................................................................................................ 3 2.3 Packaging and Storage of Film Samples ........................................................................................... 4 2.4 Film Processing ................................................................................................................................. 4 2.5 Digital Processing ............................................................................................................................. 4 3.0 EVALUATION CRITERIA .............................................................................................................. 5 4.0 IMAGERY ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................... 5 4.1 Visual Evaluation .............................................................................................................................. 6 4.1.1 Image Contrast .......................................................................................................................... 6 4.1.2 Color Rendition ......................................................................................................................... 6 4.1.3 Shadow and Highlight Detail .................................................................................................... 6 4.2 Sensitometric Ewfluation .................................................................................................................. 7 4.2.1 Film Speed ................................................................................................................................ 7 4.2.2 Average Gradient ...................................................................................................................... 7 4.2.3 Log Exposure Range ................................................................................................................. 7 4.2.4 Useful Density Range ............................................................................................................... 8 4.3 Digital Evaluation ............................................................................................................................. 8 4.3.1 Orain Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 8 4.3.2 Color Shift Analysis .................................................................................................................. 8 4.3.3 Color Layer Analysis ................................................................................................................ 14 5.0 RESULTS .......................................................................................................................................... 9 5. I Comparison of Sensitometric Data for ,_11Control and 120-Day Test Samples .............................. 9 5.2 Test Film Templates ..................................................... ................................................................... 12 6.0 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................................. 24 Tables Table I. Speed .............................................................................................................................. I0 Table 2. Average Gradient ........................................................................................................... 10 Table 3: Log Exposure Range ...................................................................................................... 11 Table 4. Density Range ................................................................................................................ 11 iii ACRONYMS ISO International Organization of Standardization ISS International Space Station JSC Johnson Space Center STS Space Transportation System (Shuttle mission) iv ABSTRACT We conducted this film test to evaluate several manufacturers' photographic films for their ability to acquire imagery on the International Space Station. We selected 25 motion picture, photographic slide, and negative films from three different film manufacturers. We based this selection on the fact that their films ranked highest in other similar film tests, and on their general acceptance by the international community. This test differed from previous tests because the entire evaluation process leading up to the final selection was based on infomlation derived after the original flight film was scanned to a digital file. Previously conducted tests were evaluated entirely based on 8xl0s that were produced from the film either directly or through the intemegative process. This new evaluation procedure provided accurate quantitative data on granularity and contrast from the digital data. This test did not try to define