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Archiver > TMG > 2001-01 > 0978394458


From: Greg Surratt <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Digital Cameras & Genealogy
Date: Mon, 01 Jan 2001 19:14:18 -0500
References: <c7.52703e2.278207a9@cs.com>
In-Reply-To: <c7.52703e2.278207a9@cs.com>


On Mon, 1 Jan 2001 11:17:45 EST, you wrote:

>I am following this thread very close, since I plan on making a camera
>purchase before spring cemetery visits, and I am curious about one thing.
>How is the reception in library and archives to you photographing microfilm
>and books? Have you met up with any opposition to you doing this?
>
>I basically wanted one to do cemetery work. My new year's resolution is to
>photograph as many tombstones for my database as possible this year. But the
>prospect of being able to "Photograph" a few of those rare books I need for
>my research, makes the purchase more exciting. Please don't take this
>discussion off line, as I find it very interesting, and prevelant to using
>TMG to it's fullest.
>Teresa

Teresa,
My wife and I argued for 8 months before settling on a Casio EX-3000
3.3 megapixel camera with the 350 mb microdrive. She insisted on high
resolution pictures, I insisted on mass storage. This is one of the
few cameras that meet both our requirements, but at a premium price
(Merry Christmas last August??).

We have compromised with one courthouse on use of the camera. If a
record is too large to fit on the copier (deeds, wills, etc.), or if
the record book won't come apart easily for flat copying, we take a
high resolution picture. For regular sized documents (birth, death,
marriage certificates), we use their copier and pay the 25 cents per
page. Best of both worlds, since the scanned documents actually come
out better that the photographed ones, but when they won't fit, they
won't fit unless you cut and paste them.

We've played very little with photographing microfilm and I am still
in search of the secret to good, readable results.

We often go out and photograph whole cemeteries without regard to
whether we "need" the picture. That equates to a morning in the
cemetery, a lunch break back at the trailer to download the camera to
the computer while we eat, and then back out to the cemetery for a
total of almost 500 pictures per day. The nice part is that, at my
leisure, I can compare the pictures to the 26,000 name database. I am
currently building a second database with those that don't fit my main
file. I periodically review new names in the main database and find I
already have gravemarkers in the second database.

This particular camera holds 245 high resolution photos (1.4 MB JPG)
or over 2000 low resolution (equivalent to a 1 megapixel camera.) As
a comparison, if I could take a 3.3 megapixel picture with the Sony
camera that uses a floppy diskette for storage, I could get one
picture per diskette.

Batteries are the main issue with the camera. We have four sets and
keep one constantly on charge. Using the viewfinder, we go through
all four sets each day when shooting gravemarkers. If I forget to
change out a set, I pay by having to get up a 2:00 am to change them
so we'll have four full sets in the morning.

Greg

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