Digital cameras as good as Medium format?

I need to send some hi res images of my paintings to a fine art image library. They want: "High

resolution digital files on DVD: 50mb (uninterpolated) sRGB, TIFs, scanned at 300dpi"... My

paintings are too big to be scanned. I currently only have experience with my old fuji 2MP camera

which has been a wonderful introduction to digital photography. If I were to invest in a good 10

megapixel camera, would these images be of the same quality as medium format transparencies?

 

Thanks

Mark

Given their requirements for an un-interpolated 8 bit per channel sRGB TIFF , the minimum camera you need is going to be a Canon 1Ds Mark 2 (16.7 mega pixel ). While I think the requirement is a bit arbitrary and based on my experience, a high quality 12 mp class camera (Canon 1Ds Mark 2, Canon EOS 5D, Nikon D2X / Xs, Nikon D300, or best in class Nikon D3) can match their reproduction needs, what I or anyone else who cares to respond with an answer different from their requirements is irrelevant because we don't work for that agency you want to submit to.

 

Alternately, look at having your painting photographed with a medium or large format film camera using high quality neutral transparency film, and have good 3200ppi or higher resolution scans made from the film. Depending on how many paintings you have to copy or project forward on a yearly basis this may(or may not) be a more economical solution.

Those sound like somewhat outdated requirements, based on high resolution scanning of large format negatives or transparencies on film.

Mark, to get the quality you seek the best way, unless you have access to medium or large format digital camera backs, is to shoot medium or large format film and scan with a good scanner. The image spec gives me the impression that they are expecting a scan from film, which would be common for an image archive. Generally, the image spec for file size is a general number used to specify an "average" file size. A lot depends on the final image crop. Stay within plus or minus 10-15% of the spec and you should be fine. Given your past photographic experience, I suggest you take your work to a professional photographer experienced in the photography of paintings for best results. The act of purchasing a digital camera, even a high end model, does not mean you will get the desired results.

Several of my markets have the same requirement and Ellis V. is correct, the minimum body they will accept is a 1Ds2.

Stich, then you can get an even higher resolution then they have requested. I suggest Panoramic Factory.

Contact the library for specifics, and recommendations.

 

If it does require a 1Ds2, you can rent one for around $200/day $650/week in the USA. Or look for an MFA student or local photojournalist with the necessary experience and gear (including lighting) who'll do it for you for that price.

You have specs on the one hand and quality on the other, and the two are loosely

related. A 35mm slide scanned at 300dpi with a film scanner that resolves

4000ppi produces a tif file in excess of 100mb. Because the file is larger than a

pro full frame digital camera produces, you can't assume that quality is better. A

10mp camera which produces a much smaller file produces prints that for practical

puposes are just as good as the much larger scanned files. You could scan

35mm slides and use only 50 mb, or use a full frame dsII as suggested to meet

the requirements. If you decide to go for an inexpensive camera, The Rebel XSi or

one of the new generation 14mp cameras would get you a little closer.

Thanks for all your helpful responses.

I looked into large scanners a while ago on the net and found a university that had

constructed their own large scanner, otherwise I don't think there's anything much

bigger than A3.

I don't think there is going to be an easy solution to this one. I was hoping to avoid

having to employ a photographer every time I need good quality pix, but I'm not sure

that is going to be possible. Thanks again!

Maybe I'm missing something, but I did a google search for "large format scanning service" and almost right away found a firm that offers to scan "Large format color maps, artwork or renderings up to 50" wide." Have you looked into services of this sort and found them lacking for your purposes?

 

The quote above is from the following Web page, if you're interested in taking a look:

 

http://www.ideal.com/services/default.asp?case=01

 

This is another example, also found within a minute or so:

 

http://www.artresourcetechnology.com/scanning.htm

 

A quote from that site:

 

"We do large format scans up to 44" wide with a 40" image size on the narrowest side and up to 84" in length."

Thanks for that Randy,

 

As far as I can see they can only scan flexible items, Canvas without stretchers or paper documents etc.

All my works are on rigid panels... Interesting though...

All in all, I'd say probably your best bet is to do as Jim Swenson suggested, which is to use a digital camera of your choice, and it needn't be a particularly capable one, to photograph each of your works in pieces in row and column fashion, and then use software to assemble the pieces into a single image. The resolution possible with this approach will give you all the resolution you could possibly want, and there are software packages available that make the stitching of the pieces into a single whole a fairly easy process. Photoshop CS3 has a tool to do this.