16 MP?

[kasslloyd]

Are any of the current 16 MP cameras compatible with remote triggering through any reasonable method? 16 MP seems decent enough to do 8.5x11" textbooks...

[daniel_reetz]

Great question.

Why don't we compile a list of 16mp compact cameras and then do a quickie comparison in one post? I mean, our needs are easy to define.

The perfect camera:

Must haves.
1. Good-enough optics/sensor. (this is a moving target but it leaves out webcams/etc)
2. A 1/4 20 tripod mount hole.
3. Manual settings.

Nice to haves:
4. Remote triggering with no hacks.
5. DC power input. (Marcos outlined some hacks for this)
6. PTP support. (is occasionally implemented in CHDK)
7. Cheap.

Here's a search that finds many 16MP cameras. Here's a really nice chart. Let's get each interesting one, with a picture, in one post and compare on 1-5 (or other features if you like).

When we're done, it will be perfect Wiki-fodder.

[kasslloyd]

The ones for sell in the P&S category for 16mp from BHPhoto are (sorted by price):

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH25
Samsung ST95
Canon Powershot A3300 IS
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W570
Samsung PL170
Nikon Coolpix S6100
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP7
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H70
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T110
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP7
Samsung ST700
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH27
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX9
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX7V
Fujifilm Finepix F500EXR
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10
Fujifilm Finepix F550EXR
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX10
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX100
Olympus SZ-30MR

They range from $120 to $400... so... these cameras are not going to be the cheapest options, but 16mp is pretty nice.

The low end ones I looked at have no remote triggering options that I can see... ;-\

[pav]

Another desirable feature of the perfect camera (I think Daniel sort of mentioned it in another thread) is its ability to shoot in a quick sequence over fairly long period of time. I mean to take pictures as fast - or faster - than the pages are flipped.
Unfortunately many specifications ommit to say that 'continuous' shooting in fact refers to a burst mode: i.e. a camera can shoot three frames per second, or so, but only for a duration of five seconds or so (often less) then it slows down or even stops.

[Misty]

I don't see burst shots as being key for book scanning. The physical limitations on page turning are going to impose much more of a limit than the camera - I can't imagine any cameras being so slow that they pose a problem for this.

[sixtysix]

I am about to embark on a book scanning project of an important historical archive. i need to buy a camera and obviously looking at Canon etc. would any of the cheaper cameras mentioned here suffice?

[daniel_reetz]

I don't know if anyone here has actually used them. I went looking at some of the image samples yesterday, and they weren't very impressive - though perhaps they could work.

I wish camera reviewers would take a picture of a well-lit page from a book.

[sixtysix]

Dan,
thanks for the reply.

[daniel_reetz]

No problem. I am going to spend a little time on this list this week. Does anyone in the forum have any of these cameras? I'm tempted to buy one myself just to get some test images.

[kasslloyd]

any more news on high mp p&s cameras? For textbooks 10mp isn't going to cut it... Thats really the only thing holding me back from building a scanner is that either I have to spend a couple grand on good SLR cameras or accept I can't scan anything but mass-market paperback size books. To acceptably scan a text book you'll need AT LEAST 300 dpi for an 8.5x11" page, ideally more since diagrams and fine mathematical algorithms are going to need sharp high resolution scans...