10 NEWS INTERVIEW
of acquisition and exhibition. These independent areas do not have an equal 50/50 relationship. We believe the amount of source or acquisition resolution has a more significant impact on the final result of an image than the exhibition resolution has on the same image. This idea has been explored through numerous studies on supersampling and we have found the benefits of 2K are best served when images displayed in 2K come from much higher resolution starting points. The problem with the resolution argument is shooting in the same resolution that you intend to distribute. 2K exhibition is certainly not ideal, but when fed images that were captured in 4K and above, the 2K looks pleasing because the supersample effect is so significant. Definition: Why do you think the perceived wisdom of our visual acuity based on arc minutes is incorrect? What do you mean by hyperacuity? How does that differ from ‘normal’ acuity? DS: The perception based on arc minutes is not incorrect. The wisdom of 1' of visual acuity is based solely on the sampling limits set by the discrete receiving elements. Hyperacuity goes beyond the limitations of receptor structure and utilises cues that are further augmented by the brain’s ability to interpret information of adjacent receptors. Definition: How can we see far beyond 4K resolution, in fact up to 16K? DS: We are limited in the amount of information we can see represented by the 1' rule, but through hyperacuity we can actually perceive a difference in the quality of an image in the form or transition of edge detail and curvature detection. The higher resolutions allow us to sample the aberrations within a lens more accurately. Select aberrations create an ambiguity that affect depth-of-field, haze and shading.
eyes are photoreceptors within the retina. They (rods and cones) serve a purpose similar to pixels within a digital sensor in the capacity that they both convert light into a signal that can be processed and interpreted into an image. In the case of a human eye, the rods work at low levels of light and do not assist with colour vision. The cones, on the other hand, are less sensitive to light and are responsible for our colour vision. We have three type of cones which we call the blue, red and green cones, most of which are packed into the central part of our eye called the fovea. This is a very similar set-up to a digital sensor that utilises a colour filter array composed of red, green and blue filters that influence the individual pixels. Definition: How is the human resolving capability so high? DS: We are capable of seeing more than the 1' (one arc minute) of resolution that is associated with the density of cones within our eyes. This phenomenon is known as hyperacuity and it is based on our brain’s ability to infer and interpret changes between adjacent photoreceptors (rods and cones) and perceived information much greater than the pure sampling of rod and cone density. This is due to our brain’s ability to piece together information through top/ down processing. (The top/down process is our brain’s ability to interpret information based on learned experiences.) As a result, we can distinguish details at greater than 1' of resolution specifically in the categories of edge smoothness, curvature detection, stereoacuity and Vernier alignment. This ability acts as an image enhancement tool that utilises life experiences as a guide. Definition: Why do you think 2K resolution for exhibition is definitely not enough? MC: Our research has shown that when it comes to resolution, it’s important to separate the subjects
These three qualities are three of the dominant depth cues that our black & white vision uses to translate a two-dimensional image into one that has depth and volume. As we move to higher resolutions, the representation of depth markers and the transition between colours become more precise and closer to the actual variations observed in life. In other words, we will not be miraculously seeing elements beyond the sampling limits when using higher resolutions; rather, the quality and smoothness of the information we perceive will be increased with the use of higher resolutions and can be a very valuable opportunity for cinematographers to exploit. The phenomenon is not limited to still images. Due to our top/down imaging processing, we can interpret images with motion with apparently higher resolution than straightforward sampling would suggest. This
TOP Panavision’s lens expert, Dan Sasaki. ABOVE Light Iron’s Michael Cioni.
WHEN IT COMES TO RESOLUTION, IT’S IMPORTANT TO SEPARATE ACQUISITION AND EXHIBITION
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