Direct digitizing

[A.P.K.Torry]

>
>	Gary Anweiler sent me his JPEG file for the _Feltia jaculifera_
>that he digitized by scanning the pinned specimen--inverting the unit
>tray on a flatbed scanner platen.
>
>	The image does show some of the softness that results from pushing
>the limits of the depth of field of the scanner. The distance from the
>pin head to the wings is too long for optimum focus. However, for compar-
>ison to the plate in Covell's field guide for ID purposes, the image
>quality is quite sufficient. I tried the same technique on a couple of
>butterflies on my H-P ScanJet 4C--and again the results were usable, if
>not as sharp as images of depinned specimens.
>
>	So this quick and dirty technique, which, for those who already
>have access to flatbed scanners, is essentially free (and is not very
>expensive even if it means buying a scanner) is definitely useful.
>Sharper images may always be obtained by depinning the specimen, if the
>additional clarity should be required. The results no doubt don't match
>those from Pierre Zagatti's $8900 video camera setup, but neither does
>the cost...
>
>							Ken Philip
>fnkwp at aurora.alaska.edu
>
>
>