Why aren’t large-format digital camera sensors made with TFT flat-panel detector technology like medical X-ray panels?
Asked 10/30/2017
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Medical X-ray systems can use very large TFT-based flat-panel detectors with a scintillator layer, and these panels can capture an entire chest image digitally at around 10 megapixels with 14–16 bit conversion. Since they are physically large and seem relatively affordable for their size, why hasn’t similar TFT flat-panel technology been used for large-format photographic sensors? Is the limitation mainly resolution, color performance, or something else?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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While the resolution may or may not be enough for modern photography, resolution is not everything, and the technology would make a reasonable candidate for large format photographic image sensors. Why did that not happen so far?
I think you're being too generous to your argument, when you say resolution is not everything in regards to large format photography. The whole point of large format is to capture a high degree of detail (resolution).
Let's say we're talking about an 8×10 large format camera. With good film, you're looking at an equivalent resolution in the range of 800 MP, probably even more.
Even thought the flat panel detector (FPD) you linked to is 17×17, let's assume a smaller, 8×10 detector is also 10 megapixels. That 10 MP FPD is giving up an 80:1 advantage to film, or a spatial resolution of 9:1. To what end? Why go through the hassle of carrying and setting up an ultra-low-resolution imaging system, that can only produce results about the same as the front (selfie) camera in the smartphone in your pocket?
Put another way, for 8×10 large format photographers who already have the camera(s), lenses, etc., what advantage does such a low resolution imaging system give them?
Thus, ignoring other potential considerations, if this technology is representative of the current state of the art (at least at the price point), then the reason it hasn't happened so far is simply because the resolution is far behind what comparable film sizes can produce.
Originally by user11924. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11924
8y ago
0
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The main reason is that medical flat-panel detectors are a poor fit for photographic image quality needs. From the answers, the biggest issue is resolution: large-format photography is valued largely for very high detail, and an 8×10 sheet of good film can far exceed a roughly 10 MP panel by a huge margin. So even if the detector is physically large, it would not deliver the resolving power photographers expect from large format.
There’s also likely a color limitation. X-ray panels are designed to detect light from a scintillator, not to reproduce normal scene color with the gamut and fidelity needed for color photography.
Bit depth alone doesn’t prove photographic suitability: 14–16 bit conversion can be useful in medical imaging without implying the sensor has the overall performance needed for cameras.
So the short answer is: large size and decent bit depth are not enough. For photography, especially large format, resolution and color performance are critical, and TFT X-ray panel technology doesn’t appear to meet those needs well.
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