Film Duplication Resolution Tests
These are the results of some tests carried out in 2014 and 2016 for the FIAF Technical Commission to compare the resolution of conventional photochemical film copying against digital copying.
The tests were carried out by Prestech Laboratories, UK, in 2014, and by the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC), France, in 2016. Our thanks to João de Oliveira and to Daniel Borenstein.
The tests were limited to two film types, and to a small range of printers, scanners and film recorders. Caution must be exercised in interpreting these tests more widely.
Original
Method
Equipment/Stock
Date
Film 1
Continuous contact printer
Bell & Howell Model C
Kodak fine grain duplicating positive (2366)
2014
Film 1 and Film 2
Continuous contact printer
BHP
Kodak fine grain duplicating positive (2366)
2016
Film 1
4K scan
Northlight
2014
Film 1 and Film 2
4K scan
Lasergraphics Director
2016
Film 1
2K scan
Lasergraphics Director
2016
Film 1
Film record from 4K scan
Arrilaser
2014
Film 1 and Film 2
Film record from 4K scan
Aaton
2016
Results from 2016 were in accord with those of the 2014 tests.
Images below are, as appropriate, micrographs (photographs through a microscope) taken of the films or the scan data rendered as enlarged greyscale square pixels. Micrographs of the data recorded to film using the Aaton recorder were not available: these are illustrated by 4K scans of the recorded film.
Note that you can click on each image to enlarge it.
Film 1: 35mm nitrate camera negative, Ilford 1950
Film printing results
Original negative (micrograph)
Fine grain positive (BHP printer) (micrograph)
Scanning results
2K scan (Director)
4K scan (Director)
Film recorder results
4K scan recorded to film negative using Arrilaser 2K(Micrograph)
4K scan recorded to film negative using Aaton 4K (4K scan of resulting negative)
Film 2: Super 35mm high resolution test negative, EBU, 2004
Film printing results
Original negative 100 lp/mm vertical (micrograph)
Original negative 100 lp/mm vertical (micrograph)
Fine Grain Positive (BHP printer) 100 lp/mm vertical (micrograph)
Fine Grain Positive (BHP printer) 100 lp/mm horizontal (micrograph)
Fine Grain Positive (BHP printer) 90 lp/mm vertical (micrograph)
Fine Grain Positive (BHP printer) 50 lp/mm horizontal (micrograph)
Fine Grain Positive (BHP printer) 70 lp/mm vertical (micrograph)
Scanning results
4K Scan showing response at different line pairs per mm (Director)
Film recorder results
4K Scan recorded to film negative showing response at different line pairs per mm
(4K scan of resulting negative)
