Get the projector and screen - the slides are ready.
In Part One I presented the idea of a
digital slide show. Computer files and devices such as digital cameras
and scanners are 21st century complements to analog (traditional 35mm
cameras and slides). The digital devices are complements inasmuch they
expand the ability to capture, store, manipulate, and present
images.
Present images - that's next! Let's take a brief look at screens and
mechanical devices for projecting images.
Projectors used to view analog slides are mechanical devices with
hot high intensity lamps as the light source used to project an image.
A slide tray is the storage device from which a projector retrieves
images from. Since the tray holds a limited number of slides - maybe
40, 80, or 140 slides - it must be removed and replaced during
presentations of several hundred slides. A tray is inserted and slides
are shown sequentially.
To view a slide on a wall, the light from the projector would be
shown through the slide and focused onto a wall or screen. The size of
image desired dictates the projector's distance from the screen. Many
people can view the image on the screen.
Or you can use a handheld viewer to view a single slide using
ambient light or a bulb (not of high intensity) that shines through the
slide.
Slide shows - at least the ones in my family - more often than not
were held at night, because it was easier to get a room dark. In other
words, it was easier to create an environment with the best conditions
to project an image onto a and see the results. The colors displayed
could be in the billions, limited only by the condition of the slide,
lamp intensity, ambient lighting, and condition of the screen. Bottom
line is that you would have to pull together the equipment (generally
stored in a closet), one or more slide trays, and plug in and turn on
the projector to project an image onto a screen or a nice clean
wall.
How does this compare to projecting and displaying digital
imaging?
Projectors used to view digital images are either portable or
desktop computers with a monitor of some sort attached to view images.
Discs (either hard, floppy, CD, DVD, or Zip) are storage devices from
which to retrieve images. There are different applications that can be
used to view slides, with choices to display images of different sizes,
selecting a transition effect between images, ability to show images in
random order, ability to expand small images, or even to add a
synchronized sound track.
Once an application is chosen, and parameters set, the slide show
begins. Viewing is usually on the monitor, but may also use a video
projector and a screen). The colors you are able to see are limited to
the millions of colors. Displays of images are limited to type of file,
monitor resolution, monitor size, and application chosen to view a
slide. Bottom line is that you can must plug in the computer (or turn
it on in the case of a portable), find the files you want to view,
select an application to read the file, and then sit back and view the
images on a monitor.
As stated above and in part one, digital
images complement analog devices to view images. There are different -
but not unimportant - limitations in creating, storing, and displaying
digital images. A common limitation between displaying images is that
electricity must be available, but analog slides can be viewed with
handheld devices using ambient light.
However, the ability to manipulate images from many different
sources, the ease of displaying many images, and the freedom to display
images under varying light conditions are welcome when presenting
images to families, friends, colleagues, and clients.
Now I have another reason to put that PowerBook 540 on my Christmas
list....
Note: the views above is from a weekend warrior point of view. If
there are errors, omissions, or flat out mistakes, you're comments are
most welcomed.
Want to learn more about digital cameras? Visit Digigraphica.
