What You (and I) Don't Know—Part 2

By Ctein

Picking up from last time...(and like the last column, this one winds up with a question for readers that I don't have an answer to).

Nobody knows everything. Nobody can even understand everything. Even within their limited areas of expertise, no expert knows or understands everything.

No matter how brilliant nor educated my friends are, none of them think they can know or understand it all. I am an expert in dye transfer printing; I know as much about it as anyone else in the world. But some aspects of the process and technology are not within my grasp. I understand when people write about emulsion making, but I don't know the subject well and I couldn't write about it myself without study. When the conversation turns to dye chemistry, I'm pretty much lost. Sure, if I went back and cracked my organic chemistry books and studied for a long time, I might be able to suss it out (more likely not). At my current level of understanding, this material is beyond me.

I have a friend who is without question the most brilliant industrial physicist/electronics genius I know. How good is he? He can tell you precisely how to build a supercomputer starting from a bucket of sand. No exaggeration; he's awesome. And he's commented to me that some of the really new electronics based on quasi-particle physics (don't ask, just don't ask) is stuff he has a lot of trouble wrapping his head around. He might be able to if he had to, but so far he hasn't.

You would think all this could go without saying. Apparently not, else why would some people take umbrage when I suggested that the DxO website is going to be too technical for them? That's a rhetorical question, not the one I'm asking today. I don't really care what the answer to that one is. That's their problem, because if they can't get past that emotion, they're never going to get any smarter or learn anything new. It's not an insult to be told you don't know everything or can understand everything. If you think it is, it'll block you.

Do tell
Now, here's my question for you, one I don't know the answer to and would like to. What are some examples of good, technical introductory literature on optics, photographic science, and metrology? I know there has to be stuff out there. People do learn this stuff! Trouble is I am so far removed from it these days that I don't know what to recommend to people. Rather than just tell people that they won't be able to understand a particularly technical website or paper, I'd love to be able to direct them to resources where they could educate themselves if they wish.

So that's my request for this time. Give me a reading list, please? Print, websites, videos, whatever. Thanks!

_____________________

Ctein

Mike responds: I'll start. The best basic introduction to camera optics I've ever found is the appendix to Canon's EF Lens Work III called "Optical Terminology and MTF Characteristics." The chapter can be downloaded for free as a .PDF file from this start page. The chapter called "EF Lens Technology" is good too, although much less appropriate as a general introduction.

Also, as I've said before, a very good single-volume introduction to digital photography is The Creative Digital Darkroom by Katrin Eismann and Sean Duggan. (I can't say if it's "the best," simply because I'm not personally familiar with every instructional book that exists.)

Featured Comment by Warren Frederick: "Louis Bloomfield is a physics teacher at the University of Virginia and he has written several books about how things really work. His latest is How Everything Works: Making Physics Out of the Ordinary. Here is his description of his book. It really is true; his explanations are understandable and detailed:

'This 720-page book contains nearly everything I have ever written about how things work. It is the culmination of a lifetime's worth of tinkering with everyday objects and a fifteen-year mission of trying to teach what I've learned to ordinary people.

'Unlike other "what-makes-it-work" books, How Everything Works goes well beyond structure, engineering, and history; it also examines the real scientific foundations behind the myriad objects and activities it explores.

'As I hope you can already see from this web site, I work hard at expressing serious scientific issues and insights in ways that are accessible to anyone. How Everything Works is the result of thousands of hours of careful writing and it is meant to be read like a novel, not put on the shelf or table as an exhibit. I am not a magician, I am a physicist, and my goal has always been to give away all the secrets. If you, the reader, can't follow or understand what I have written, then I have failed. I hope that you will take a look at How Everything Works and find that I have met my goal.

'There is much hand-wringing in this country (USA) about how far behind we are in science and math. But talk is cheap and action is what counts. Here is my attempt at doing something about scientific literacy in this country and elsewhere. Whether you're 10-years old or over 80, reading this book will teach you an enormous amount of physics and physical science. And most importantly, you'll discover that science is truly part of your everyday world.'

—Lou Bloomfield, Professor of Physics, University of Virginia"

Featured Comment by Ken Tanaka: "I second Mike's recommendations, particularly for Canon's EF Lens Work III. Although Canon needs to update this book for its latest lenses, EF Lens Work III presents a wonderful section on lens design and optical terminology that's quite engaging without being too geeky. (I'm actually giving someone a copy for Christmas...shhh, don't tell her!) I also recommend the Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, Fourth Edition: Digital Imaging, Theory and Applications, History, and Science which features excellent sections on photographic optics, color measurement, photometry, and other technicals. This stuff can be interesting reading on a rainy day but, of course, it's not particularly productive or informative towards one's own photography.

Featured Comment by Oren Grad: "For optics, start with any decent undergraduate text. I have Optics by Hecht and Zajac [OoP] on my shelf. Sidney Ray's Applied Photographic Optics, Third Edition is a rich reference for optical considerations specific to photographic lenses. One caveat is that I'm not sure even the latest edition fully addresses issues specific to imaging on digital sensors, although my older edition does have a limited amount of relevant material in a section on optics for video. A standard text for analog photography more generally is Stroebel et al, Basic Photographic Materials and Processes, Second Edition. Phil Davis's Beyond the Zone System, Fourth Edition is excellent for gaining a practical understanding of sensitometry for traditional analog emulsions."

Mike adds: I have all of Oren's recommendations save the Hecht, and although they're very good, I might question whether any of them quite satisfy Ctein's crucial adjective "introductory"...caveat emptor only on that score.

Featured Comment by Patrick Perez: "What I don't know about optics could fill every book about optics. But from reading over the years, I've gathered that Rudolf Kingslake's Optics in Photography is something of a classic text on the subject. I've never read it myself, being quite illiterate in the area of applied sciences. But as Popeye said, 'I may not be a physgacist, but at least I knows what matters.' "

Mike adds: An anecdote pertinent to Ctein's point about expertise: I contacted Mr. Kinglake at the end of his long life to see if I could entice him to write something for Photo Techniques. Still sharp at age 96 or so, this optical polymath, protegé and son-in-law of the great Prof. Conrady, founder of the Optics Department at the University of Rochester, author of numerous books on optics, and longtime head of Optics at Eastman Kodak, told me he hadn't really kept up as well as he should and that, quote, "I hardly know anything about optics any more."

Also don't miss his A History of the Photographic Lens.

Featured Comment by Geoff Wittig: "I would put in a personal plug for Ctein's brilliant Post Exposure. It's not addressing optics per se. However, I've never seen a more brilliantly succinct explanation of all the issues of visual perception, of contrast control/dynamic range from subject to film to print, and the entire chain of image quality start to finish. I still feel the need to re-read it every year or two just to keep my head straight.

"Some really interesting observations from other posters. I can personally comprehend the reality that it's difficult to be expert at everything; I'm a rural family doctor. I have a very solid grasp of all the relevant primary care stuff, and given the lack of local resources I'm more than competent at most cardiology and obstetrical problems. But I can't be expert at everything. Given time I can puzzle out most clinical issues and therapies, even quite complicated things like chemotherapy regimens or renal/electrolyte problems; but I don't have that time! There just aren't enough hours in the day, even working 80 hours a week.

"And I still have to save a little time for photography."

Comments

[John Camp]

Ctein, this is probably too elementary for you, but it might be useful to other people on the forum, who, like me, are more interested in effect than in cause. :-p

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm

Mike J. and I recently mildly disagreed on the efficacy of lots of (digital) shooting vs. slow, thoughtful (film) shooting; I was in favor of lots of digital shooting, feeling that nothing -- nothing -- replaces actually doing something (which doesn't require you to be thoughtless.) I have no doubt that you are the world's leading authority on dye transfer, because you do it all the time. But even if you went back to school to study chemistry or whatever, I doubt that you would ever get truly expert in dye chemistry unless you *did it all the time.* You're smart enough, I'm sure, but you've got to do it. That's not only true in technical fields, but also stuff like journalism and law and medicine.

So, my response -- maybe from being a journalist -- is to not worry about it. I'm happily non-technical in the field of photography. If I should ever have a dye transfer problem (which is about as likely as my having a bobcat-castrating problem) I'd send you an e-mail; if you didn't answer, I'd send somebody else an e-mail. I'm constantly impressed by how many really bright people are out there, who know all kinds of stuff, and are willing to answer questions about it.

Of course, being curious, and satisfying your curiosity with study, is a wonderful thing in itself, and might be a god reason for somebody to study dye chemistry. I'd personally rather castrate bobcats.

[01af]

Ctein, are you aware of this website?

http://www.winlens.de/

[misha]

This sort of on the subject.

I remember reading about Boeing passenger jets. The person being interviewed said there is not one person who understands the entire airplane. People building them, and repairing them, only know their own area of expertise.

I have found as I get older, I know less. I simply cannot keep up any longer with the flood of information. Look at how much is published each day on the web, alone.

At one time, Kodak published a series of educational books and pamphlets on photography and related subjects, which were excellent. If anyone can get hold of them, it's a great start.

[Martin Doonan]

I reckon a good place to start (as with many subjects) is Wikipedia. The intro to optics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_(optics) ) is pretty good.

[Ivan]

My favorite online resources for technical information:

www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm
www.vanwalree.com/optics.html
kmp.bdimitrov.de (Pentax specific)
www.photozone.de (Lens tests)

[dale moreau]

Well, I guess introductory, could mean at the beginning and so to take a quantum step back. Feynman's text "QED" will introduce one as to how light works and a good read.( I am not a scientist or barely even clever, but it is good info to understand the basics)

dale

[QT Luong]

Norman Koren has a great collection of technical articles and tutorials about various aspects of photography on his website www.normankoren.com

[Rex Kersley]

In 6th form (UK 6th, just before University) physics we were taught how to design couplet and triplet lenses and correct chromatic faults. Very basic, but a good foundation on understanding how lenses work and different types of glass.

Rex

[Jason Anderson]

It doesn't have the technical details that texts have, but for an intro on how camera lenses are made, this YouTube video (about 10 minutes) is in my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7_wL0ZZi6k&feature=related

[Eric Mac]

I own and read Kingslake's classic on lenses. The downside of this book is that I found out most of my magic large format lenses are actually Tessar designs.

Eric

[Alton Marsh]

I am a certified beginner, so let me give you a list of everything I have read--17 books in all with more in the works.

As a beginner, I found early on that Rob Sheppard were the authors I could most easily understand. Then I expanded to other authors.

The Digital Photography Book, Kelby
The Photoshop Channels Book, Kelby
Adobe Camera Raw for Digital Photographers Only, Sheppard
Window Seat, Julieanne Kost, because it lists techniques at the back
Scott Kelby's 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop
The Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book, Kelby (He has a CS4 book.)
Epson Complete Guide to Digital Printing, Sheppard
Restoration and Retouching, Katrin Eismann (for those rare occasions when the family asks me to restore an old photo)
The Photographer's Eye, Michael Freeman
Understanding Exposer, Bryan Peterson
The Magic of Digital Nature Photography, Rob Sheppard
Practical Color Management, Eddit Tapp
The Complete Guide to Digital Photography, Michael Freeman
The Moment It Clicks, Joe McNally
John Hedgecoe's New Introductory Photography Course
Night & Lowlight Digital Photography, Michael Freeman
Photographing the Landscape, John Fielder
The Digital Photography Book 2, Kelby
Black and White in Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop Lightroom, Leslie Alsheimer
High Dynamic Range, Ferrell McCollough
Rick Sammon's Travel and Nature Photography

Currently I am reading, simultaneously,
Travel Photography; Digital Masters, Bob Krist (A Lark Photogrpahy Book)
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 book for Digital Photographers, Kelby
Photo Journalism, The Professional's Approach, Kenneth Kobre
Digital Photography Master Class, Tom Ang

[Michael Ward]

As a professional photographer and a part time artist/designer understanding optical physics is not my primary concern. After all its final product that counts!

With the lenses on the 3 systems and five cameras I use or have used all but one has been purchased on the basis that I like what I see in the final image.

This is not to say that I am not interested or don't care about the science underling the craft. Its just that I am happy to admit that I don't have the time or cranial capacity to take it all in and fulfill my main objectives, I learn what I have to and then move on.
However, it is essential that a bit of the theory has to be understood so that when limitations are reached they can be recognized for what they are and alternate courses of action can be followed to enable one to achieve the original task or goal.

If I were to think of one author that has explained
practical optical science and the success or failure of individual lenses it would be Geoffrey Crawley. He writes regularly for the British weekly Amateur Photographer and has done so for many years. His qualifications are impeccable but more than that his writings are readable and understandable.

[Howard Cornelsen]

Erwin Puts' "Tao of Leica" http://www.imx.nl/photo/ isn't well arranged for a start-at-the-beginning Optics 101 approach, but he has a number of semi-technical articles that may be apropos.

His topics tend to run more toward photography (depth-of-field, why use MTF curves, how digital has affected us, etc) than toward optics per se.

There's also good information in his articles on Zeiss, Canon and Leica lenses, though they are even less general.

All in all, more of an 'outside reading' source for Optics 201 than a text for Optics 101.

[Andrew]

One not to forget for historical interest is "Opticks" by Sir Isaac Newton. It is quite fascinaing to see how much he got right by experiment even though he did not know that light was a wave form.

Of particular interest is that it is the only major work he wrote in English - you should be able to get a complete transcript (The first edition might be beyond the means of most who read this blog :-) ). Surprisingly it is quite an easy read.

[John Meehan]

It's also worth examining the psychology of perception in respect of image rendering at the retina (as a corollary of lens rendering of the subject at the sensor/film) as Latto and Harper point out in their paper The Non-Realistic Nature of Photography
(pcwww.liv.ac.uk/~Latto/Articles/Latto & Harper 2007.pdf).

[Mark Walker]

For what its worth I think LP Clerc's Photography Theory and Practice gives a good grounding in understanding optics (et al for film) even if it is not contemporary. Shoot me down if you will, I'm not half as bright as your regulars, but it is my first post.
Must say that yours is probably the most refreshing blog out there/here. Regards.

[Mike J.]

Alton,
After reading all that, you're not a certified beginner any more!

Mike J.

[Mike J.]

Mark Walker,
That's okay, I'm not half as bright as my regulars either.

Mike J.

[Kevin Halliburton]

Learning is fairly easy; The tough part for me is figuring out what I don't know but need to.

[Andy Burday]

I wish I had something positive to contribute, but the fact is that I have been hoping for an answer to Ctein's question myself.

A related question: has anybody read or at least skimmed the new edition of Basic Photographic Materials and Processes, now written by somebody called Nanette Salvaggio? It appears to have more information on digital than the second ed, but all the previous authors' names have been removed. Salvaggio is now teaching the relevant course at RIT, which is a credential. Since the third ed appears to be a complete rewrite, I'd like to hear from someone who has actually taken a look at it, rather than relying on the reputation of the previous ed.

Ctein, if you get any helpful answers to your question other than via comments here, please post them. I would like to see them, and I can't be the only one.

[Dave Simpson]

Long time reader, first post. Look forward to reading every day.

Looks like you have a good amount of suggestions for Optics question, the photo science references seem a bit thin.

"Fundamentals of Photographic Theory" by T.H. James and George C. Higgins. The "gold standard" for intro to photo science. I don't believe this is currently in print, but available used on Amazon.

"Photographic Sensitometry, The Study of Tone Reproduction" by Hollis N. Todd and Richard D. Zakia is a good follow on to the above.

[John Griffith]

I work as the division head for the advanced measurement science division for the U.S. Navy's measurement science department (METROLOGY). We have quite a few experts on the calibration of optical systems be they night vision goggles, laser tracking, infrared optics for FLIRs, etc.

When we do optical measurements we use a reference standard that must be at least 4 times more accurate than the item we are measuring. The standard must be traceable to NIST via a similar test accuracy ratio. If a standard cannot be found that meets the test accuracy ratio (TAR), then according to 17025 we must include the uncertainty calculations. Calibration is not what most lay people think. It is NOT alignment or adjustment as those are repair functions. Calibration is simply verifying that the item is performing within the designer/builders specifications. We take as found measurements and if it is within specifications we do nothing. If it is out of specifications we then perform a repair function which may include alignment after which it is measured against a standard again. The two measurements of importance are the as found and the as left measurements. By collecting this data over time we can predict the drift or deterioration rate (everything degrades overtime). With that information we know how often it must be submitted for calibration so we can ensure that it is performing properly over its useful life.

We write detailed calibration procedures which direct the technician in the steps to take, the order to take them and how to connect and setup the equipment used to make themeasurements.

If you want to see a Navy procedure in optics let me know and I will post one up as a PDF.

[NightVisionCindy]

Night Vision products are unique. They are great for the Noctural Animal Watchers. I purchased a pair of binoculars for my husband. I believe my 4 year old enjoys them more than anybody in my family.