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I have a few paper articles (black and white, of course) to be copied
as monocolor TIFF image into my computer. I usually scan them, but at
this time no scanner is availbale to me. I want to use my Canon
PowerShot S30 as a substitute.

The task isn't so easy.

No flash can be used, because the paper will reflect a lot of light
which makes the pictures very bright. Flash Exposure Compensation
doesn't work well at this situation. I don't know why. Maybe it's
because this camera is not designed for this purpose.

So, for normal shutter speed 1/60(I don't have a tripod) and maximum
aperture F2.8, the result picture seems very dark under the condition
that ISO speed is below 200. There is only a fluorescent lamp in my
room. It isn't practical to purchase a brighter lamp. So I have to
take pictures at a high ISO speed. The file format is set to RAW by
me.

Then I use Adobe Photoshop CS to process these RAW files. I adjust
Temperature Tint Exposure Shodows Brightness Contrast Saturation to
improve rusults at a second time. After that, it is the last step to
store them in 2-value(monocolor) TIFF files. Unfortunately, I don't
find how Photoshop can save 24-bit color images into monocolor images.
I am stuck. I don't want use a third party software, because that will
increase the complexity.

Then I had to try to take pictures in B/W mode. But a lot of
parameters can not be adjusted at this mode, the most important thing
of which is that ISO speed cannot be adjusted by hand.

Have you ever do something like this? How do you fulfill this task? Do
you have any good suggestions?

Peng Yu wrote:
> I have a few paper articles (black and white, of course) to be copied
> as monocolor TIFF image into my computer. I usually scan them, but at
> this time no scanner is availbale to me. I want to use my Canon
> PowerShot S30 as a substitute.
>
> The task isn't so easy.
>
> No flash can be used, because the paper will reflect a lot of light
> which makes the pictures very bright. Flash Exposure Compensation
> doesn't work well at this situation. I don't know why. Maybe it's
> because this camera is not designed for this purpose.
>
> So, for normal shutter speed 1/60(I don't have a tripod) and maximum
> aperture F2.8, the result picture seems very dark under the condition
> that ISO speed is below 200. There is only a fluorescent lamp in my
> room. It isn't practical to purchase a brighter lamp. So I have to
> take pictures at a high ISO speed. The file format is set to RAW by
> me.
>
> Then I use Adobe Photoshop CS to process these RAW files. I adjust
> Temperature Tint Exposure Shodows Brightness Contrast Saturation to
> improve rusults at a second time. After that, it is the last step to
> store them in 2-value(monocolor) TIFF files. Unfortunately, I don't
> find how Photoshop can save 24-bit color images into monocolor images.
> I am stuck. I don't want use a third party software, because that will
> increase the complexity.
>
> Then I had to try to take pictures in B/W mode. But a lot of
> parameters can not be adjusted at this mode, the most important thing
> of which is that ISO speed cannot be adjusted by hand.
>
> Have you ever do something like this? How do you fulfill this task? Do
> you have any good suggestions?

Your camera wants to make the pages solid gray. You must overexpose to
avoid that. Your other parameters don't allow it.

You are out of luck. Or, you must make a change or two in your
requirements.

My text-photography successes have been with sunlight or 600 watts of
tungsten (4x75w on a copy stand). Someone with Photo Shop CS should be
able to bring in good information-laden images from what you are able
to produce.

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 09:37:24 -0700, Peng Yu <yupeng_@hotmail.com> wrote:

=>I have a few paper articles (black and white, of course) to be copied
=>as monocolor TIFF image into my computer. I usually scan them, but at
=>this time no scanner is availbale to me. I want to use my Canon
=>PowerShot S30 as a substitute.
=>
=>The task isn't so easy.
=>
=>No flash can be used, because the paper will reflect a lot of light

Change the angle.

=>which makes the pictures very bright. Flash Exposure Compensation
=>doesn't work well at this situation. I don't know why. Maybe it's
=>because this camera is not designed for this purpose.
=>
=>So, for normal shutter speed 1/60(I don't have a tripod) and maximum
=>aperture F2.8, the result picture seems very dark under the condition
=>that ISO speed is below 200. There is only a fluorescent lamp in my
=>room. It isn't practical to purchase a brighter lamp. So I have to
=>take pictures at a high ISO speed. The file format is set to RAW by
=>me.

Can the objects be moved to backyard/frontyard with plenty of day light?

=>
=>Then I use Adobe Photoshop CS to process these RAW files. I adjust
=>Temperature Tint Exposure Shodows Brightness Contrast Saturation to
=>improve rusults at a second time. After that, it is the last step to
=>store them in 2-value(monocolor) TIFF files. Unfortunately, I don't
=>find how Photoshop can save 24-bit color images into monocolor images.
=>I am stuck. I don't want use a third party software, because that will
=>increase the complexity.

IrfanView is FREE out there everywhere.

=>
=>Then I had to try to take pictures in B/W mode. But a lot of
=>parameters can not be adjusted at this mode, the most important thing
=>of which is that ISO speed cannot be adjusted by hand.
=>
=>Have you ever do something like this? How do you fulfill this task? Do
=>you have any good suggestions?

How do you make a blind person shoot photos? Ask someone else does it for
him/her.

Never can understand the mind set of "How do I walk, if I cut my feet?"

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 09:37:24 -0700, Peng Yu <yupeng_@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>I have a few paper articles (black and white, of course) to be copied
>as monocolor TIFF image into my computer. I usually scan them, but at
>this time no scanner is availbale to me. I want to use my Canon
>PowerShot S30 as a substitute.

>Have you ever do something like this? How do you fulfill this task? Do
>you have any good suggestions?

I'm not sure I understand what's the problem. What's the end
goal, to have nice looking pictures of text? My best tip is to
take the pictures outdoors in daylight. If file size is a worry
why not convert them to jpg? Are you not going to OCR the
pictures?

I have transferred several books to .txt-files by taking jpg
pictures (400kb+) with my Oly 2100 uz and OCR'ed them.

--
regards
Vidar Grønvold