Multi Gigapixel Camera

[rpcrowe]

Think you can hide in a large crowd? Not anymore ! Ever wonder how they found the Boston bombers in just a few days? This may help you to understand what governments can look at. This photo was taken in Canada and shows about 70,000 people. Hard to disappear in a crowd. Pick a small part of the crowd click a couple of times -- wait -- click a few more times and see how clear each individual face will become each time. Or use the wheel on your mouse. This picture was taken with a 70,000 x 30,000 pixel camera (2100 Mega Pixels.) These cameras are not sold to the public and are being installed in strategic locations. (Common cell phone cameras range from 2 to 20 Mega pixels.) The camera can identify a face among a multitude of people. Place your computer's cursor in the mass of people and double-click a couple times. Scary sharp!! Not so easy to hide in a crowd anymore. http://www.gigapixel.com/mobile/?id=79995

[Donald]

Goodness me, that's amazing.

The quality does fade off quite a bit as you get to the back of the image. So, the secret is - Stay at the back.

[Shadowman]

Very cool.

[selig1656]

Pretty cool

[chauncey]

I said to a security guard (armed) at my children's school that it was sad to see the need for him there...
but that I was glad that he was.

[Donald]

I said to a security guard (armed) at my children's school that it was sad to see the need for him there...
but that I was glad that he was.

On this side of the pond, we just have a massive problem trying to get our heads around that - an armed guard at a school.

[Steaphany]

...This picture was taken with a 70,000 x 30,000 pixel camera (2100 Mega Pixels.)...

Hmmm...

How can we non-gov types achieve something comparable ?

This is an interesting challenge and I may have found a way we could do it. Shoot on Film Well, large format can get into resolutions on this order, an 8x10 negative, scanned at 9600 PPI, would yield an whopping 75,590 by 94,488 pixels, 7.14 GigaPixels.

I'm still just at the level of 6x8 Medium Format and for Large Format, I still have to take the plunge, I'd be happy with 4x5.

Do we have any 8x10 Large Format shooters here who can verify if a scan can yield a practical 7.14 GP image ?

[Steaphany]

This forum needs more film shooters

With my many subscribed photography youtube channels, I just found that Ben Horne posted a video on Sep 16, 2015 where he exhibits high resolution scans of 8x10's. These aren't up to gigapixel resolutions, and there is a big difference between government surveillance of thousands of faces in a crowd versus a large format landscape with the realization a photo shows where a group is camping in the grand canyon, but with a reasonable investment, anyone can shoot 8x10 or even larger:

I'm obviously not a fan of government exclusive technological advantages.

[chauncey]

Do we have any 8x10 Large Format shooters here who can verify if a scan can yield a practical 7.14 GP image ?

I do not have any 7.14 GB images, I think my largest is about 4...shot purely digital on a dated 22MP body.

I would submit that going up to 7-8 is purely a matter of lens quality and shooting technique.
Using Photoshop's stacking and merging techniques, coupled with quality prime glass...
patience is all that's required.