Formats of Film and Digital Camera

[keerthi_prashanth_seethara]

<p>Hello Team,<br>

I would like to know what are the different formats of film and digital camera...<br>

With that i would like to know the full form of DX and FX also..<br>

Can some one please help me on the same.</p>

 

[bebu_lamar]

<p>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor_format<br>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_format</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Hi,<br>

Your question is very generic, and beyond the links Bebu gave, there is either an awful lot to say, or very little. What exactly is it that you would like to know about the difference between DX (Nikon's naming for APS-C format, sensor size 24x16mm) and FX (Nikon's naming for 135mm film format, sensorsize 36x24mm) ? If you describe your concern more clearly, we can provide you with better answers.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

Film: 8mm, 16mm, 35mm (most commonly 24x36mm, but there are smaller and longer format variations, medium format

(6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7, 6x9, 6x12, 6x17, 6x24cm, and longer),70mm; large format: 4x5, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, and 20x24

inches.

 

Digital: there are a multitude tiny and small digital sensor sizes but starting at APS-C (Nikon calls this DX), APS-H, "full frame" (24x36mm, Nikon calls this format FX), and

"medium format" from PhaseOne, Hasselblad/Sony; and Pentax.

[Alan Marcus]

<p>Nikon coined FX when they induced an imaging chip that was approximately the same size as the venerable 35mm film frame size (format size). This format measures 24mm height by 36mm length. They also coined DX for a smaller format 16mm height by 24mm length.<br /> <br /> History of 35mm film format:<br /> <br /> At the turn of the century before last, Thomas Edison was experimenting with a moving picture system to be placed in amusement areas known as penny arcades. His idea was to make a vending machine to peer into to see a short movie. He bargained with George Eastman (Kodak) for film for this endeavor. Kodak was making 70mm wide roll film for the “Brownie” camera. Edison purchased 70mm (2 ¾ inch) wide film and had it slit down the middle making 2 long rolls of 35mm wide film for the price of one roll.<br /> <br /> To transport the 35mm wide film in the camera and projector his engineers punched sprocket holes along the edges. The film travel through the camera was horizontal and the image space between the sprocket holes was 24mm. Thus 24mm became the width of the image. For the height was set at 18mm. Thus the first movie format was 24mm wide by 18mm high. This is a 1.333 ratio rectangle as 18 X 1.333 = 24. Aspect ratio 1.333 was the standard for movies until wide screen came about (Vista Vision). <br /> <br /> Soon the movies were popular and movie theaters popped up all over the world. 35mm movie film was plentiful and cheap. The Leitz/Wetzlar Company in Germany decided that a still camera using the 35mm film would be lucrative. Oskar Barnack and engineer, devised what would be called the Leica Camera. This camera was to be used mainly in the horizontal (landscape) orientation. Oscar retained the 24mm image width but he used it as the height. He doubled the 18mm movie height making the lenght 36mm. Thus the final format was 24mm height by 36mm. The aspect ratio is 3:2. <br /> The 3:2 aspect ratio is can expressed as 1.5 meaning length is 1 ½ times the height thus 24 X 1.5 = 36. This is the aspect ratio of 35mm film cameras. They became so popular, thousands of designs and thousands of lens models for this camera category. It was a natural that when the digital imaging sensor became viable they migrated to the dimensions of the 35mm film frame. Nikon called this format FX. <br /> <br /> Towards the end of the last century, camera sales were flat. Film cameras had be gaining automation and with the development of the microchip, film cameras were gaining computer logic (chip logic). Kodak was now marketing a new movie film for profession usage. This film had a magnetic coat that was transparent. Now the sound track of the movies could be recorded on film. This was a major advancement to Cine audio (cinematography). <br /> <br /> The still film camera was the only thing going so Kodak devised a new camera that utilized the Cine film with the magnetic coat. The idea was a hybrid film/digital camera. The digital data to be recorded on the film like a tape recorder. Further, film had improved so a 24mm wide film would do the trick. Kodak joined forces with Fuji, Konica, Manila and others to market 24mm film and camera. The new format was called APS (Advanced Photo System). Many cameras were produced and sold but this technology never took off. The older 35mm film format cameras gained super-duper chip logic and since most films were developed and printed in regional giant photo labs and they balked at buying the needed expensive developing and printing equipment. <br /> <br /> However, the APS format 16mm height by 24mm length was OK. As digital chip making advanced, imaging sensors were produced to these dimensions. This format is designated APS-C. The “C” is for classic meaning the aspect ratio is 1.5 more commonly expressed as 3:2.<br /> <br /> OK – bigger is better. This is because a larger image sensor can sport large photosensitive sites. The imaging chip is covered with millions of photo sensors. A larger site is more likely to capture a photon so it gets more hits than a smaller site. This translates to less amplification needed to gain a usable image signal. Less amplification translates to less “noise”. This is technical jargon for static. “Noise” materializes as a granularity similar to grain on film. Noise in digital photography yields substandard images. So bigger is better. However, technology marches on so tomorrows cameras will shrink.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

"Nikon coined DX when they induced an imaging chip that was approximately the same size as the venerable 35mm film

frame size (format size). This format measures 24mm height by 36mm length. They also coined FX for a smaller format

16mm height by 24mm length."<P>

 

Alan you have that perfectly backwards. <P>

 

 

 

Nikon uses DX to designate that their APS-C format (16x24mm) cameras and certain lenses that are not designed to

cover the 24x36mm ("FX" in Nikonspeak) format. Lenses for Nikon's film and FX cameras can be used without limitation

on DX cameras, and most DX-Nikkor zooms will cover the FX format in the late Niger half of their focal length range.<P>

 

<I>Moderator note: That error was corrected in Mr. Marcus' post above to avoid implanting the error in the reader's mind before seeing the correction.</I>

[Alan Marcus]

<p>A tip of the hat to Ellis Vener and to the Moderator -- Seems this 77 year old guy can't get much straight anymore. Sorry to confuse!</p>

[jcuknz]

<p>Alan ... I was also confused by your comment about commag film which was around in the mid 19th century extensively used by television rather than something which arrived at the turn of a century, 1900 or 2000 ? Or is this 83yo getting it wrong :-) <br>

Beginners ignore this comment as it is a discussion between professionals.</p>

[Alan Marcus]

<p>Cinematography used many methods to record and synchronize sound to the motion picture. Mainly an optical sound track was exposed along the edge of the film or between the sprocket holes. The movie projector was equipped to read this optical track. In 1975 Kodak patented a transparent magnetic coat allowing sound and other analog signals to be recorded anywhere on the film. In 1975 – Kodak Avantex – Fiji Nevira – Konica Futura – a 24mm Advanced Photo System known as APS was marketed. These cameras featured the magnetic coated film. The system was to be a hybrid – conventional / digital. </p>