The megapixel digital camera: value for creating publication-quality illustrations.

Abstract

C reating illustrations for radiology manuscripts has traditionally been a time-consuming and expensive process. Authors submit to a departmental photographer or photographic service bureau sheets of radiographic film on which the author has usually marked which specific images, or portions thereof, should be photographed. The photographer then interprets these markings and verbal or written instructions; obtains photographs, using a copy stand, of each image at several exposures to create the highest quality photographs possible; and produces a set of glossy black-and-white photographs. If the manuscript is accepted for publication, the photographs are converted to digital format by a high-resolution scanner at the publisher and are submitted to the printing press with the text of the manuscript. This inodus operandi, although long accepted as a necessary rite of passage in the publication process, can be fragile and frustrating. Most authors have experienced situations in which one or more films had to be resubmitted to the photographer because of human error or miscommunication. Occasionally, original films are misplaced or damaged in the process. During the past year, relatively inexpensive, high-resolution digital cameras have become available; these cameras bypass many pitfalls and expenses associated with traditional photography. In this article, we describe the capabilities of these new megapi.xel cameras and explore the convenience and advantages of direct-digital photography for authors of manuscripts and digital teaching files. Two cameras that cost less than $1000 and can generate 1000 x 1000 24-bit images are compared: Images obtained with each digital camera are shown side by side with images generated from photographs using the