Digital cameras and Sanskrit MSS

[Dominik Wujastyk]

In the current issue of the British Airways inflight magazine, there are
advertisements and and article about a new type of film and associated
camera.

The new film is called "APS" ("Advanced Photographic System", I think),
and promises to be easier to use, and to provide several technical
advantages over normal 35mm film.  You will need to buy a special camera
to use the new film.

One feature that has relevance to indologists is that the APS system
permits you to choose from three formats of photograph:

* normal (like 35mm),
* HDTV (the dimensions of future TV screens)
* Panorama (very wide)

The latter format is for taking panoramic views of groups of people at
weddings, or mountain views, etc.  If the new APS cameras allow close
focus in combination with panorama format, I think that we may at last
have a better tool for photographing palm-leaf and other wide-format
Indian manuscripts.

The new APS cameras seem to be aimed initially at the "snappy"
pocket-camera end of the market.  However, the Nikon APS cameras seem to
have auto-focus and exposure control, and of course Nikon lenses have a
tremendous reputation.  The requirements for good working images of MSS
are not high by modern photographic standards, so perhaps these new APS
cameras, even if aimed at holidaymakers, will be an important
development for us indologists.

Have any of our members tried one yet?

Dominik