Captureforce has teamed up with Sinar product specialist Jim Reed and Neo Studios to present our next workshop. This workshop is open to photographers and digital techs who want to develop or increase their proficiency at working with Sinar digital backs, software and cameras. 

The workshop will demonstrate the versatility of the Sinar CaptureShop software used with Sinar digital backs. Participants of the workshop will get an advanced understanding of the software and plenty of hands-on experience with the backs mounted on different camera platforms, including the new Sinar Hy6.

The event will stretch over half a day during which Jim Reed will go in-depth with CaptureShop revealing its secrets and demonstrating a professional workflow.  During the end of the day, attendees will get hands-on shooting experience with a Sinar digital back mounted on a variety of cameras.

The Workshop will cover:

•  Setting up CaptureShop

•  CaptureShop preferences

•  Connecting the digital back for tethered shooting

•  Importing images from a flash card

•  File management

•  CaptureShop tools

•  Colors and ICC profiles

•  RAW developing

•  Hands on shooting with Sinar digital backs

•  Q&A

Bring your own Apple laptop and we will install the latest version of CaptureShop on your computer, free of charge.

How to sign up?

The workshop will take place November 28th at Neo Studios, 628 Broadway (one block north of Houston St.) suite 401 / studio #3.

You can sign up for either the morning session 9AM-1PM or the afternoon session starting at 1:30PM-5:30PM.

To register, please email info@captureforce.com with your name and contact info and we will respond with confirmation and payment information.

Seats are limited to 12. Please make a timely reservation in order to guarantee a seat.

Workshop price $75  

Attendees of the workshop will receive a $100 discount* toward future digital capture services with Captureforce.

*Valid until December 31 2007.

Have you ever wondered what the differences are between the LCD displays offered by Apple, NEC and Eizo? We have taken a look at what we think are the most interesting displays on the market and have examined issues that involve price range, display dimensions and a spectrum of technical specifications. 

Light panel technologies

Almost all displays are constructed with a front-panel and a back-light. The back-light transmits through the front-panel which is where the pixels filter light and wavelengths get divided and channeled into the three sub-pixels, respectively red, green, and blue, that form the display images. Each sub-pixel can be controlled independently to yield millions of possible colors for each pixel. see fig.1

Image of red, green and blue sub-pixels

There are two main types of front panels technologies: IPS= In-Panel Switching and PVA= Pattern Vertical Alignment. The IPS technology aligns the liquid crystal cells in a horizontal direction providing the panel with extra wide viewing angle capabilities, and minimal color shift when viewed from off-center. This is important because you don’t want to use a display where the colors change depending on the angle of vision. IPS panels use two transistors and are normally darker than displays with PVA panels because of energy lost to radiant heat. 

The PVA panel displays use a technology where the liquid crystal material naturally exists in a horizontal state, removing the need for extra transistors. PVA panels have a greater shift in colors but are also considerably cheaper then their counterparts. The consequences of a cheaper PVA display are particularly evident when you color calibrate your display. You won’t be able to know at which exact incident angle the calibration device was placed on the display during the calibration, and therefore, you will never be sure of the precise viewing angle.

A note about the display contrast ratio 

In the home entertainment world, it has been considered desirable to have the highest contrast ratio possible. When watching movies it might be great to have a contrast ratio of 100000:1 as proclaimed by some manufacturers. However the demanding photographer who wants to get an exact preview (soft-proof) of what will come out of the print-press or his color-calibrated ink-jet printer won’t find that the high contrast ratio makes an accurate soft-proof. When a photographer needs to soft-proof a picture, he needs to aim for the same contrast ratio as the final print. Most dye ink printers won’t print at a higher contrast then 500:1, and magazine printing is most often limited to a contrast ratio of 300:1 to 400:1. The LCD display’s native contrast ratio cannot be changed as it can with CRT displays, but with modern calibration software it’s possible to set a black level point and a max white point in order to control the contrast ratio. 

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 Graph showing differences between Apple 30″ Cinema Display and the Adobe 98 RGB color-space. Grid: Adobe 98 RGB  -  Solid: Apple 30″

Luminosity

Depending on your work environment, you should choose a display capable of showing at least 110 candela (cd/m2). 110cd/m2 has become a industry standard in most retouching-studios. When you use a display in a dimly lit room, painted grey, 110cd/m2 or even less will be perfect, but if you use the display in a photo-studio or in a daylight environment, look for a display with the capability of showing a minimum luminosity of 120cd/m2 and preferably up to 250cd/m2 or higher, in order for the display to be able to show a clear image. The main factors that affect the perceived brightness of the display are the room lighting and the viewing distance. Once again the home-entertainment world has pushed up the demand for brightness, mainly because most TVs are located in bright rooms with all sorts of lighting.

Color-gamut 

The color-gamut of a display is that portion of the color-space that can be reproduced. The color-gamut is dependent on the previously described hardware features. To find out how close a display’s color gamut is to a given work-space, such as the Adobe 98 color-space, you would first have to profile the display with a spectrometer and then compare the profile in an application like Apple’s ColorSync Utility. Some displays employ an extra wide color gamut that is close to 100% of the Adobe 98 RGB color space. A display with an extra wide color gamut is essential for conducting a precise soft-proofing when working in Adobe 98 RGB color-space.

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Graph showing differences between Eizo CG241W and Adobe 98 RGB color-space. Grid: Adobe 98 RGB  -  Solid: Eizo CG241W

Out of gamut colors

With the latest generation of Epson ink it’s possible to print colors outside the Adobe 98 RGB color spaces. There’s nothing you can do to view those out-of-gamut colors on the display, although sometimes you can choose to change to a smaller color space. sRGB, for example, makes  soft-proofing all the colors on your display possible, but when you print out the image, it will show less saturated colors because of the smaller sRGB color-space. To print with the most saturated colors, you would have to choose an extra large work-space, such as ProPhoto RGB, that is so large it contains colors that are not even visible to the human eye.

When making the decision to purchase, consider how important display size is in respect to color gamut. Apple makes the largest display at 30″, though a Apple display is far from always the best choice since they don’t use many of the advance technologies seen in Eizo and NEC displays. Both Eizo and NEC make displays that are being sold for up to $6000. While this is too expensive for most users, it’s possible to get a very good display such as the NEC 2190UXi or the Eizo CG211 for respectively $1,199.99 and $2,949.00 , both of these displays use IPS panels.

At Captureforce, we have just received the brand new Eizo CG241W which combines PVA technology with extra wide viewing capabilities. This display shows 98% of the Adobe 98 RGB color-space which is considerably more than the Eizo CG211. Please see the video of the Eizo CG241W ICC profile compared to the Adobe 98 RGB. The color-gamut of this display has been developed with special attention to cover the Adobe 98 RGB color-space. We can highly recommend this display as one of the best we have ever seen. 

For more technical information about:

Eizo         http://www.eizo.com/products/graphics/index.asp

NEC        http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Series/?series=171d9fbb-281e-44d8-be67-14d146e8ada0

Apple      http://www.apple.com/displays/

Kelly Kline advanced from bringing the play on the field, to bringing you the behind the scenes play by play as a sports anchor on TV. In the last 5 years she has progressed to launching a successful photography career. Her images stop the game clock with revealing intimate portraits of the individuals that help create the world of athletics as you know it today. Her photographs are highly sought after by clients such as Nike and Everlast, who want to highlight the mythos of the contract players.

When Kelly was asked to photograph Jim Nantz from CBS Sports, she turned to Captureforce for help with the digital capturing. We provided our mobile capture-station, equipped with our new Leaf Aptus 54S, on-set satellite monitor, and a portable Canon printer. In our effort to come up with a tailored solution for our clients specific needs, we suggested the use of the satellite monitor to Kelly. The dedicated monitor enables the photographer and/or the client, to follow the progression of the shoot frame by frame.

Kelly’s take:

“Captureforce was the right digital service for this job. The client was very particular about background details and there were numerous set changes. The satellite monitor that Captureforce provided was the perfect tool for the job!  We were able to get immediate feedback and make changes quickly, in the end everyone was confident that we ‘got the shot’. Also worth noting is that the monitor was set up on a tripod and took up very little space in our cramped location. The new Leaf back also performed well, I was anxious to test the new frame per second shoot speed, but was held back by the recycle time on my lights. Overall it was very positive experience and my client was extremely pleased with the images.”

Our first ever digital showcase took place last month, and It was an resounding success! We want to send out a sincere thank you to all those who dropped by Capsule Studio. It was great meeting you!

During the 6-hour event, we got a chance to demo the latest Hasselblad, Mamiya, and Eizo equipment and our newest digital back, the Leaf Aptus 54S, to about 50 New York photographers. A lot of questions were asked on both sides enabling us to exhibit our technical proficiency and get a clearer idea of your specific needs.

A special thank you to Kevin and Cliff from Leaf America, who demoed their new Leaf Aptus 75S, as well as to Jim from Sinar Bron Imaging, who showcased the Broncolor flash-system with Para umbrellas and the mobile pack system. 

To prove our gratitude to you for making it all the way to our little digital bash, we are offering you a special coupon* and a promise: next time we will come to you! Book us for your next studio or location shoot before the 1st of November and receive a $100 credit towards add-on equipment rental.

* Offer applies to attendees of the September 27th digital showcase. Booking must be reserved before November 1st, 2007

Experience digital capture at its best with Captureforce 

Have you ever been frustrated about the following:

•  Your “digital technician” is on the phone with tech-support?

•  A cable goes bad on-set and the rental company didn’t supply back-ups?

•  The “digital technician” decides to clock out, leaving unprocessed images all over the desktop?

•  The firmware of the rented back doesn’t match that of the camera, which freezes up and everybody turns to you?

Well…

•  Captureforce can be your tech support! Our responsible technicians know digital inside and out. We have accumulated expertise through years of providing dedicated capture services.

•  We own all our equipment and run only the very latest software. Your shoot will go as smoothly as planned.

•  We always bring back-up cables AND monitors on-set. You don’t have to ask for it.

•  We are on call 24/7 to answer your technical questions and respond to emergency situations. 

Come around and say hello on Thursday 27th and experience our showcase of digital services for professional photographers. We will present you our on-location and studio solutions that demonstrate what can be done in today’s digital capture world. You can participate in one-on-one experiences with our finest certified technicians and meet with representatives from Captureforce, Capsulestudio, Leaf, Broncolor and Versa-Flex. We look forward to your specific questions and the opportunity to highlight the benefits a personalized capture solution can bring to you.

Stop by to share a glass of wine and hors d’œuvres.

Looking forward to see you,

Captureforce

Thursday, 27th.Time: 12PM to 6PM.Location: Capsule Studio, 873 Broadway (bet. 18th and 19th St.) suite 204, NYC 10003 

Captureforce is the first company in NYC to receive the new Leaf Aptus 54S.

The Aptus 54S is a full-frame 22MP digital back with superb image quality. It claims to be the world’s fastest digital back. Our tests demonstrated the following capabilities:

•  Shooting to a Sandisk III Extreme CF card: 76 fpm (frames per min.)

•  Shooting to a Lexar Pro Wa 133x 4GB CF card: 78 fpm 

•  Shooting to a Macbook Pro 2.2Mhz (latest model): 75 fpm

•  Shooting to a G5 Tower DualCore 2.5Mhz: 77 fpm

We have compared these specs to the newly released Phase One P30+ and Phase One P25+. The P30+ is a 31MP digital back with a crop-factor of 1.3. The P25+ is Phase One’s equivalent to the Aptus 54S, featuring 22MP and a full-frame CCD chip.

•  The P30+ shoots 32 fpm to a Sandisk Extreme III CF card.

•  The P25+ shoots 35 fpm to a Sandisk Extreme III CF card.

The Phase One digital backs prove to be considerably slower than the Leaf Aptus 54S. We have yet to discover a digital back that can out-perform our Leaf Aptus 54S.

Quality is important, but so are the finances.

We have compared the rates of the largest equipment rental-house in Manhattan, and a major NYC studio/digital capture company, to our own Captureforce Signature capture package.

Neither the rental-house or the digital capture company provide equipment that match the caliber of Captureforce’s capture stations. We provide expensive 16-bit Eizo monitors that are proven to be far superior at evaluating true colors. We also equip each of our G5 computers with a SATA RAID1 file storage system that guaranties you ALWAYS have a 100% clone copy of every single image you take. The SATA RAID1 configuration we use involves a brand of hard-drive that performs with the extra high “short-write to” time which is integral to the shoot-speed.

We own all our equipment and we make sure all the equipment contains the latest software and firm-ware. Firm-ware is particularly important because if your equipment does not have the right firm-ware, it will not communicate correctly with the lens, camera, digital back, or computer. Mis-matched firm-ware will make the equipment freeze and can in the worst case, permanently damage the circuit-board. When using rental equipment, you can’t be sure that all the components have the right firm-ware and are “talking” properly together? The fact that Captureforce owns its equipment, and works with it every day, ensures safe and superior operational quality at optimal rates on every job.

Click here to see price-comparison pdf 

Step into the new year and take advantage of our January - February special: 25% off the first day of your first digital capture job. To all our 2006 customers: we were happy to have been of assistance to you last year and would like to offer you a 25% rebate on your entire first capture job in 2007.

This new year brings some exciting changes. We are very pleased to inform you what we have joined forces with CRC and DUN Digital as close partners. Together we now provide comprehensive and diversified services that include: digital capture, RAW processing, c-print proof-sheets, pro-retouching, digital c-print printing, Kodak color-proofs, and final CMYK files ready for print-press.

Captureforce’s collaboration with DUN Digital will also offer you high-end digital services that feature four manned capture-stations ready to work on-set or on-location. Each station is equipped with a new Leaf Aptus 54S digital back or PhaseOne P45, Apple G5 Tower, and 30″ Apple Cinema displays. After the shoot, we offer three full-time retouchers who work with clients such as Alban Christ for Vogue Italia, Heidi Klum for Birkenstock, and ad-agencies such as Doner or Arnold (UPS, Amtrak, Levi’s, and Samsonite).

Whether you choose to try our capturing services or our large format print options, the service we provide is unmatched anywhere else in NYC. We are privileged to share the expertise of 37 employees and access all the in-house services you may require.

We are open for business 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days/week (Sat.-Sun. 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).

Come by and say hello.

Sincerely,

Captureforce