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The Photographic Paradigm - Negatives and Rolls
EFS-1 is designed to be a digital imaging product for photographers, semi-professionals, advance hobbyists, and photo enthusiasts. EFS-1 is not just a digital camera, rather it is a unique tool that bridges the gap between traditional photography and digital imaging.
EFS-1 uses a photographic paradigm in its terminology and workflow. This section explains the terminology used by EFS-1: Digital Negatives, Rolls, and Vaults. An understanding of these terms will make the EFS-1 system more intuitive and easy to use.
Just like film, you can take less than 24 images on a roll, if you so desire.
However, (e)film poses a distinct advantage over analog film in that there is no waste of film or processing charges.
- A roll is a group of digital images inside (e)film, or stored in a vault.
- Just like a roll of film, (e)film can take up to 24 images on a single roll.
- When you wish to unload images from (e)film to your computer, you unload the roll.
- As images are unloaded (downloaded) from (e)film to your computer, they are processed immediately into digital negatives.
- Just like film, after the roll is processed you are left with negatives. In the case of (e)film these are "digital" negatives.
- When ordinary film is processed, the roll is destroyed. With (e)film is unloaded you will normally erase the roll. (You do have the option to save the roll, however.)
- A roll of images may be transferred from (e)film to a Compact Flash card inside of (e)box if your computer is not available. The roll is stored as a vault.
Images are stored in (e)film memory as a single roll until you download them to your computer
Vault - (Applies to users of e-box, only)
- A vault is a file containing one roll of images. (Think of it as a container.)
- A vault contains one roll with as few as one (1), or as many as twenty-four (24) unprocessed images. (Images that are not yet processed into negatives.)
- A vault is created on a Compact Flash card or microdrive when a roll of images is moved from (e)film to (e)box.
- A vault can be opened, and it's roll can be unloaded to your computer.
- A vault can be saved indefinitely, although there is little need to do so since you will have all of the digital negatives from the roll.
- A vault is a computer file with an extension .VLT. A vault file can be saved, archived, moved, copied, renamed, emailed, zipped, or erased just like any other file on your computer.
A roll of images transferred to a Compact Flash card or Microdrive is a Vault file
Each Vault contains only one roll.
A Compact Flash card or microdrive may have as many as 999 Vaults, provided there is ample storage space.
A Vault must be a complete roll. Partial rolls are not possible.
- Digital Negatives are created when images are unloaded from a roll (or a roll inside a vault)
- Digital Negatives are processed in real-time as a roll is unloaded and split into separate digital negatives - one negative for each image
- Digital Negatives are never changed after they are processed. (Not the image, itself)
- Digital Negatives can be processed many times.
- Digital Negatives are computer-readable files with an extension .DNG. A digital negative file can be saved, archived, moved, copied, renamed, emailed, zipped, or erased just like any other file on your computer.
- Digital Negatives can only be opened by the EFS-1 UI/Data Source, but they are readily converted to any common image-file format.
The EFS-1 is a truly unique it terms of its size and physical volume. No other digital imaging device offers so much capability and performance in so small a volume. In terms of performance per cubic volume, EFS-1 is a world-class device. An (e)film Cartridge is more powerful than your first, or even second desktop computer. (e)film is perhaps the highest density digital capture device on the market today.
Nonetheless, processing density has it limits. The design of the (e)film involved a multitude of design trade-offs and optimizations within the constraints of volume, power, and performance. (e)film uses some of the smallest, and most power-efficient, most advanced components and devices available today. Notwithstanding the design accomplishments of (e)film, there is simply not sufficient processing capacity given the available power and storage limits to provide complete end-to-end digital camera functionality within the (e)film itself.
Therefore, the system design of the EFS-1 is a distributed architecture. (e)film captures and stores a raw, unprocessed, and uncompressed. There is not sufficient power within the (e)film itself to algorithmically process the image (apply color science), convert to an image-file format, compress, and store the image in memory. The role of (e)film is: capture and store.
The balance of the image processing is done on the host computer. Image data from (e)film (a "roll") is transferred to the host computer. The host computer 1) parses the roll of images into individual image frames, 2) applies color science algorithms, 3) presents small thumbnail images in the UI window, and 4) converts image files into computer-readable files known as digital negatives. The role of your computer is: receive data, process images, display, and store.
From Digital Negatives to Common File Formats
The EFS-1 UI/DS allows you to easily convert EFS-1 Digital Negatives (DNGs) to your favorite image file formats. There are two ways to do so:
Converting Digital Negatives to Common File Formats using the EFS-1 UI/DS
Using the EFS-1 UI/Data Source you may transfer images from (e)film to your computer. After the images have been transferred to your computer as digital negatives you may select some or all of the images in the work space and save them as TIF, BMP, or JPG files. You may also open Digital Negatives that were previously downloaded and convert them to in 8-bit TIF, BMP, or JPG file formats. Similarly you way open a Vault file from Compact Flash or disk and select any of the Digital Negatives from the vault and convert them to any of these formats.
The EFS-1 User Interface/Data Source allows you to select multiple Digital Negative files and perform batch processing operations. Conversion is accomplished using the File, Save As.
There is a distinct advantage to the Digital Negative paradigm. Despite any processing or process variations, your original Digital Negatives are never altered. Regardless of the number of conversions or iterations, your Digital negative files remain in tact with all original data. Like a photographic negative, you may use your digital negatives time and time again. You may experiment with image enhancements and processing variations without degradation to the original image data.
All files which are converted using the EFS-1 UI/DS will be 8-bits per channel. When converting to JPG you will be prompted for a compression level. TIF images do not use LZW compression.
The advantages to processing and converting digital negatives images from within the EFS-1 UI/DS include:
- The process is quite simple, especially for large numbers of images (batch processing)
- The process may be unattended as it is automated
- File names (other than the extension) are retained (i.e. flower.dng saves as flower.tif)
The disadvantages to processing and converting digital negatives images from within the EFS-1 UI/DS include:
- TIF file are limited to 8-bits/channel
- There are only three choices of file format
- TIF files are uncompressed as LZW compression is not provided
Converting Digital Negatives to Common File Formats by Transferring to an Application
Using the EFS-1 UI/Data Source you may transfer images from (e)film to your computer. After the images have been transferred to your computer as digital negatives you may select some or all of the images in the workspace and transfer them to a TWAIN-aware application. (To do this you must first open the TWAIN-aware application and call the EFS-1 UI/DS.)
You may also open Digital Negatives that were previously downloaded and transfer them in either 8-bit mode or 16-bit mode to the calling Application, depending upon the capability of the Application. In the transfer process you do not need to specify a file type or format. Similarly you way open a Vault file from Compact Flash or disk and select any of the Digital Negatives from the vault and convert them to any of these formats.
The EFS-1 User Interface/Data Source allows you to select multiple thumbnails and transfer them to the calling Application using the commands, File Transfer to App.
The advantages to processing and converting digital negatives images post-transfer include:
- You have more control over each image
- TIF files may be 16-bits/channel (if you application supports this mode)
- There are many choices of file format (depending upon your application)
- TIF files may be compressed using LZW compression if it is provided in your application
The disadvantages to processing and converting digital negatives images post-transfer include:
- The process may be time-consuming and labor intensive, even if your application supports batch operations
- File names are not retained
A Vault file may be considered a container for digital negatives. If you open a Vault file (i.e. from a CompactFlash memory card) the Vault will be automatically broken into the component digital negatives. Upon opening a Vault the UI/DS will prompt you for a location (directory) to save your digital negatives. This is very similar to downloading images from (e)film. As the Vault is parsed into individual digital negatives the thumbnails will be displayed in the UI work space.
After the Vault has been opened and digital negatives are saved to disk, you may operate on the digital negatives as you would normally. Note, however, that unlike the experience of downloading images from (e)film, after a Vault has been opened, you will not be prompted to delete the Vault file. The Vault file will still exist after it has been opened. In fact, you could open the same Vault file again in the future. Opening a Vault file is a non-destructive process. The Vault file will not be deleted, and it will continue to exist until you deliberately delete it as you would with any file on your computer.
Digital Negatives and Vaults are large files. Digital negatives are approximately 2 MB whereas Vault files can range from 2 MB to 50 MB depending upon how many images are enclosed. After shooting with EFS-1 you will consume a great deal of disk space quickly.
Archive your favorite Digital Negatives -
To remedy disk-space issues it is recommended that you archive your DNG files for long-term storage. You may decide to delete DNGs, but reconsider deleting DNGs in favor of archiving them.. Treat your DNGs files as you would film negatives. EFS-1 DNGs offer a distinct advantage in that you may selectively delete and save your negatives unlike strips of film which cannot be cut or separated. DNGs which have been archived may be opened again in the future using the UI/DS. You may elect to open your DNGs in the future with different applications of color science and image enhancements.
You may archive your Digital Negative files using any archival system that you would normally use for data storage. CD ROM, DVD, MO, Zip, tape, or any other archival method will work depending upon your storage needs and access to these systems.
Consider deleting Vault files after they have been opened -
Keep in mind that Vaults and DNGs are redundant. Once you have opened a Vault file and have extracted your Digital Negatives form that Vault, you may delete the opened Vault file and realize considerable space savings. On the other hand, if you wish to retain every single Digital Negative within a Vault you may decide to retain the Vault file in lieu of the individual Digital Negative files. In this sense, a Vault is an uncompressed archive of its original Digital Negatives. (Similar to a zip file without compression.)
Tips for Archival -
The primary purpose for archiving your images is to be able to quickly and easily find them again in the future. There are several techniques you may use when saving your Digital Negatives that will make it easier to locate your image in the future.
- Sort your Digital Negatives into directories and folders with logical and meaningful names. Use long-file naming conventions to the extent permissible by your operating and archival systems.
- Save your individual Digital Negatives with good, logical, memorable names using the rename feature within the UI/DS. For more information about the Rename feature click here.
- Add image imformation (known as Metadata) to each Digital Negative using the UI/DS Information feature. This will assist you in future search routines using the UI/DS Search feature. For more information about the Information feature click here. For more information about the Search feature click here.