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SEYBOLD SEMINARS BOSTON 2001

Seybold Seminars Boston 2001

Full-day special interest session

Thursday April 12, 2001
9:30am-1:00pm and 2:00pm-5:30pm

SEYBOLD
DIGITAL IMAGING DAY

Seybold digital photography special interest sessions are designed to put you in the know about the latest hardware and software tools for digital imaging, bringing you face-to-face with key developers and users.

Digital imaging is one of the fastest-growing fields, with changes occurring every few weeks. It's essential to keep up to date with the very latest trends, the reasons behind them and their implications for future investment and profitability. Many new digital cameras have been among the products first announced to the world at our special interest day, making it THE place to find out about cutting-edge developments in digital imaging.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Seybold Seminars aims to bring you the very latest in new technology and techniques, to empower your imaging decisions. Details of this session are therefore subject to change as the future unfolds.
(Latest update: April 6, 2001)

The program for the day is available here in PDF format as two files. Pages 1+4 (39kb) and Pages 2+3 (25kb).

John Henshall
President and CEO, EPI-centre.com
Organizer and Moderator of the Seybold Digital Imaging Day

John Henshall is a digital imaging consultant with unmatched technical and creative experience in all branches of photography -- still and moving image; silver halide and digital. He worked for BBC Television for fifteen years and was director of photography for major network television productions and MTV Europe. His digital imaging website at www.epi-centre.com contains a wealth of information about all aspects of digital photography.
John is Digital Photography Contributor to the Seybold Reports and organizer of the Seybold Digital Imaging Day. He is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain (FRPS) and a Fellow and Past President of the British Institute of Professional Photography (FBIPP).

Tony Briselden
Associate Director, EPI-centre.com
Associate Moderator of the Seybold Digital Imaging Day

Tony Briselden was initially with Ilford Ltd, the UK manufacturer of photographic materials, but soon joined BBC Television where he worked in a number of technical positions ending as a cameraman. Later he joined Unilever and had a variety of marketing appointments in various associated companies. He left to set up as a freelance database designer providing software and IT support to small and medium sized companies. Has also worked as cameraman and editor for a production company producing videos on aviation. He is currently involved in web projects for a number of clients.

9:30am - 11:00am
The Sixteen Megapixel Challenge - part one
The Contenders

Six million pixels have been the benchmark of pro digital backs for the past two and half years, producing pictures of superb quality using Philips CCDs. Now the pixel count is about to more than double from six to sixteen million in a single leap, with three manufacturers about to release 16 megapixel pro backs. Kodak claims that, "the results [from its new DCS Pro Back] are actually superior to film". Is this true? Do we really need this extra resolution?
We bring you camera designers from the three contenders -- Kodak, MegaVision and Phase One to specify in detail the functionality of each of their forthcoming products.
We bring you CCD designers from Kodak (16MP) and Philips (6MP) to explain the differences between the sensors. Is it just as simple as "more pixels must be better" or is quality tucked away in other sensor design and fabrication parameters?
We bring you early users of the products to share their experiences where it matters most -- at the shoot.

Ken Boydston
President & CEO, MegaVision
QUITE A FEW PRETTY BIG PIXELS
MegaVision have had quite a few "firsts" in their time. Now they are about to introduce one of the first 16MP backs. Ken Boydston tells us the "whys" and "hows" of it.

Ken Boydston is president of MegaVision, Inc. MegaVision developed and installed the first professional commercial digital camera for studio use in 1990 and continues to advance the state of the art of professional digital photography.
Ken's early work after receiving a BS in Physics from Harvey Mudd College in 1975 was in automated inspection, measurement, and control systems. A requirement to replace human eyes with a computer to perform a visual inspection led to imaging and MegaVision. Ken has participated in MegaVision's technical development since its founding in 1983 and has contributed to numerous innovations and advances in the art of digital imaging.

Steve Blackstock
President, Mosaic Imaging, Inc
THE ORIGINALSIXTEEN MEGAPIXEL BACK
A sixteen megapixel camera back is not new. The Dicomed BigShot, in 1996, was the first. What did we learn from that product? How will the new products compare?.

Stephen Blackstock is President of Mosaic Imaging, Inc. In 1992, Stephen helped design and bring to market the Leaf DCB, a breakthrough product in the world of commercial digital photography. He spent five years at Leaf Systems, followed by two years working with the BigShot at Dicomed. Recently, he helped start Mosaic Imaging, manufacturers of the Luma camera back. Stephen received a BA in Mathematical Sciences in 1986 from Rice University, Houston, TX.

Carsten Steenberg
President, Phase One United States, Inc
LIGHTPHASE H20
Phase One has been a world leader in digital photography since 1993 and proudly states that it has sold over 5000 units installed world-wide. It's hardly surprising, then, that Phase One is one of the first manufacturers to introduce a 16MP back. Carsten Sttenber tells us what it offers.

Carsten Steenberg, President of Phase One United States, Inc., made the first serious commitment to bring digital photography to the American Market in early 1995. Phase One began with three employees and has grown to over thirty in five years with more than 55% of worldwide sales. This success story is no surprise. Inc. Magazine awarded him for being one of the top 200 privately owned companies to have rapid, successful growth in five years. Carsten Steenberg has a Masters in Science and Economics and has always been an avid photographer, having his first digital camera/frame grabber in early 1982.

Steve Noble
Development Manager, Professional Digital Cameras
Eastman Kodak Company
KODAK DCS PRO BACK SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
This paper will "raise the hood" on the new DCS Pro Back 16Mp Digital Camera System. An overview of the CCD and system electronics architecture, DSP (digital signal processor), in-camera firmware, host software, and color management will be presented. The inside track from the real expert with the gift of being able to explain everything in words users can understand.

Stephen Noble joined Kodak in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Early assignments included the design and development of film scanners and digital video capture systems. In 1993 he joined the DCS camera design group as a Senior Development Engineer, and contributed to the design of five Kodak DCS camera systems. In 1995 he was appointed Chief Engineer of the DCS520 program, and in 1997 was promoted to Development Manager of Kodak Professional Capture Engineering. Since 1998, he has been the Advanced Development Manager of Kodak Professional Capture Engineering. He holds six patents related to electronic imaging technology.

11:00am - 11:20am - Coffee

11:20am - 12:10pm
The Sixteen Megapixel Challenge - part two
The Sensor Designers

Brian Benamati
Product Engineer, Image Sensor Solutions, Eastman Kodak Company

FROM PIXELS TO PICTURES - A 16 MILLION PIXEL CCD IMAGE SENSOR FOR PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL CAMERA APPLICATIONS
This paper describes the design and development of a 16 million pixel full-frame color CCD image sensor for use in professional digital camera applications. The presentation studies the process of converting key customer requirements into the design and processing of a high resolution image sensor. Specifically, critical performance factors such as dynamic range, image noise and spectral response are examined. Finally, a chip maker's perspective is shared regarding innovative technologies that can be implemented to provide the best possible image sensor solutions 'in silicon'.

Brian L. Benamati received BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY. He joined Eastman Kodak Company in 1980 and through 1991 worked as a Process Engineer and Process Integrator involved with the development of CCD image sensors. From 1991 through 1997 he was the Fabrication Manager in the Microelectronics Technology Division and in 1998, he became a Product Engineer for Full Frame Color CCD imager sensors. He is presently a Product Marketing Engineer for Kodak's Image Sensor Solutions division, concentrating on applications for digital still cameras.

Prof. dr. ir. Albert J.P. THEUWISSEN
R & D Manager, Philips Semiconductors Image Sensors
WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET?
Are numbers printed in leaflets and brochures telling you everything you can expect from an image sensor? Are figures quoted on cameras revealing all the camera characteristics? The answer is very simple: NO! This presentation will give some interesting, very up-to-date examples on, 'There's more to the picture than meets the eye!' (Neil Young)

Prof. dr. ir. Albert J.P. Theuwissen has already been in the solid-state imaging arena for twenty five years. Since 1983 he has been with Philips and, since 2001, a part-time professor at Technical University of Delft. He has been involved in many key developments by Philips, including stitchable sensors for professional digital cameras; dynamic pixel management for broadcast applications; technology for HDTV imagers; frame-transfer with small storage for consumer still applications and the first CMOS imagers at Philips, etc.

12:10pm - 1:00pm
The Sixteen Megapixel Challenge - part three
Early User Experience

Joseph Cartright
Photographer, Streetlight Digital Studios
THE PHASE ONE H20 IN USE
Why 16 megapixels? Workflow. Color Consistency.Completing the creative process

Joseph Cartright has been in the digital technology arena for about twenty years. He originally studied avionics and then segued into telecommunications and data networking. Requiring creative release he has been shooting professionally for over six years. His present client list includes: Victoria's Secret, eHalston and Ralph Lauren. He also is a spokesperson for Apple computers on their "Going Digital" seminars.

Helene DeLillo
Digital Imaging Artist, Dancing Icon Inc
THE KODAK DCS PRO BACK IN USE
Digital Photography is the wave of the future and Helene DeLillo will discuss the newest introduction into the market place and what it was like shooting fashion and portraits with the Kodak DCS Pro back.

Helene DeLillo is a digital imaging artist and photographer based in New York City. Her digital photographs have appeared in the pages of Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Time Digital as well as on the covers of Digital Camera and Studio Photography & Design magazines. Her company, Dancing Icon Inc., provides digital imaging consulting and designs digital photography studios. They work with many high profile clients including some of the most demanding in the beauty, fashion and entertainment industries. Dancing Icon Inc. was recently hired by Sothebys to design their Digital Photography Studios where they photographed and uploaded 14,000 images in six weeks.
More information at
http://aspn.apple.com/stories/delillo/

1:00pm - 2:00pm - Lunch

2:00pm - 3:30pm
Digital Imaging State of the Art

Top designers of the most important and up-to-the-minute hardware and software share the secrets of their new features and design philosophy and functionality. The latest. Here first. In person. In depth.

Bruce Totty
Co-founder and Senior. Vice President, Silicon Film Technologies Inc
HOW TO TURN YOUR FILM SLR INTO A DIGITAL CAMERA
(e)Film - EFS-1 is a digital imaging system that turns your 35mm film SLR into a digital camera. Just drop the (e)film cartridge into your film SLR and start shooting digitally. The SLR camera you've known for years has just become digital.. First mooted three years ago, at last it can now be seen working!

Bruce Totty has been vice president of sales and marketing since the company's organization in August 1998. He developed and executed the strategy to create and fund new business enterprises from Irvine Sensors Corporation's (IRSN NASDAQ) core technologies, Silicon Film Technologies is the third company in that strategy. Redhawk Vision Inc, MicroSensors and iNetworks are outgrowths of those initiatives. Prior to joining Irvine Sensors, Mr. Totty held marketing and technical positions at Harris Corporation, General Motors' Hughes Electronics and Photo Sonics. He holds a bachelor of science degree in engineering from the University of Florida.

Carl Jürg Koch
Joint Managing Director, Sinar, Switzerland
HIGH RESOLUTION FROM CAPTURE TO PRINT
Digital Imaging is, in the near future, directly competing with film in two quite different areas: large studio setups (cars, furniture etc) and fashion. This presentation will show how new technolgies in direct digital capture can cope with the high resolution demands (400 MB +) of large studio setups under difficult lighting situations (mostly continuous light) and with the speed, portability and quality constraints of the professional fashion shooters. A look at a new way of preparing images for reproduction will give some input for the shooters who need to get their work printed on offset.

Carl Koch was born in Pacifica CA in 1966. His family returned to Switzerland where his father was busy changing Sinar from a small operation into a factory with its own production facilities. Carl went to school in Switzerland but returned to the US where he obtained an MBA from the University of South Carolina in 1991. Back in Switzerland he joined the family business, taking over responsibility for marketing and sales. He took the Swiss government theoretical test for professional photographers and enjoyed challenging commercial photographic assignments before taking over as Joint Managing Director of the company.

Steve Noble
Development Manager, Professional Digital Cameras
Eastman Kodak Company
THE POWER OF PIXELS -- THERE IS NO SUBSTITUE
This paper will discuss the importance of optimizing the CCD's optical format and providing the right balance between pixel size and number of pixels, while holding system costs in check (the correct trade-off balance). Also explained will be that, given a system design triangle with end-points relating to Cost -- Speed -- Resolution, the system designer can only pick two out of three. Numerous system simulations will be shown to illustrate these points.

Stephen Noble has been with Eastman Kodak since 1984 and holds a BSEE degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has spent the last eight years developing digital camera systems, and is currently the Advanced Development Manager of Kodak Professional Digital Capture Engineering.

For full biography, see above.

Tadashi Nakayama
Manager, Digital Product Engineering, Nikon, Inc
'UNDER THE HOOD' OF THE NEW NIKON D1H AND D1X
Two years after the announcement of the Nikon D1 digital SLR, Nikon is said to have sold more digital SLRs than all the other manufacturers put together. It has now announced two variants -- the D1X (high resolution) and D1H (high speed). Tadashi Nakayama explains what's inside these two new models.

Tadashi Nakayama began his career in Nikon's Design Section for imaging products in Tokyo in 1986. He relocated to the US four years ago, where he is currently working in the Strategic Planning and Engineering department His responsibility is to identify, study, define and plan for product and systems applications for digital imaging, including scanners and digital cameras.

3:30pm - 4:00pm - Coffee

4:00pm - 5:30pm
Top Tips from Top Analysts

Which digital camera? Which scanner? Which software? Which printer?
With new products every week, it's almost impossible to keep up to date. In an exciting quick-fire presentation, we sort out some of the very best and tell you what makes them stand out. The informed independent view, by these top industry experts, analysts and consultants.

Presenters include:

Helene DeLillo
Digital Imaging Artist, Dancing Icon Inc

For biographical details please see above.

John Larish
Publisher, Electronic Photography News

A principal in Jonrel Imaging Consultants, an entrepreneurial firm specializing in product development and consulting in electronic imaging and hybrid systems, John Larish has written many articles for popular and technical publications. Author of a number of books, "Fun With Digital Photography", his most recent book, was published under the Kodak book trademark by Silver Pixel Press.

Daniel Grotta
President, DigitalBenchmarks

Daniel Grotta has been a photographer's assistant,photojournalist, war correspondent, investigative reporter, columnist, book editor, travel journalist, author, and technology writer and consultant. Along the way, he has written a half-dozen books and well over 1,500 articles, columns, and reviews for scores of magazines. After leaving PC Magazine in 1999, he established DigitalBenchmarks a private, independent company devoted to testing, analyzing, evaluating, rating, and reviewing digital cameras. Most recently, he is publisher/editor of DigitalBenchmarks' industry-targeted newsletter, 'Talking Points', a four-page analysis of individual digital cameras.

Evan Nisselson
SVP Content and Product Strategy, Eyetide Media

Evan has worked in the photography industry for 9 years, focusing on Internet imaging for the last five. He conceived and managed the first broadband Internet photography portal for Excite@Home, 'Making Pictures'. Prior to Excite@Home, he worked as a photo editor at SABA Press Photos, as an associate producer at GlobeTV, and on book projects '24 Hours in Cyberspace' and 'Sarajevo: a Portrait of a Siege'. Evan continues to work on several photographic projects: 'Diners Across America', 'Other People's Weddings' and 'Love the Living of Life'.

Fred Shippey
Electronic imaging consultant

Fred Shippey worked for Eastman Kodak in Rochester, NY, for twenty two years and was involved in a wide variety of conventional photography and digital imaging projects. He is now a consultant on electronic imaging technology and applications and is the New Products Editor for PDN-PIX and the Senior Editor of the Future Image Report. He makes worldwide presentations on the impact of electronic imaging on the photographic business as well as lecturing and teaching extensively on digital imaging since 1987. His consulting clients have included Kodak, Canon, Foveon, Nikon, Management Graphics, and the Mayo Clinic.

Sally Wiener Grotta
Contributing Editor, PC Magazine

Sally Wiener Grotta is a universally known and respected one name phenomenon who has been at the forefront of computer graphics over the last decade. She is an author, journalist, artist, reviewer, educator, and consultant, as well as a professional photographer and a past chapter president of the American Society of Media Photographers. Sally is a Contributing Editor to PC Magazine, and that publication''s resident expert on everything to do with graphics -- software, digital cameras, printers, Web design, and scanners.

John Henshall
President and CEO, EPI-centre.com

For biographical details please see top of page.

Seybold Seminars Boston 2001

Visit the Seybold Seminars Boston 2001 website for full conference information and registration

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