In a previous post, I have detailed the steps required to send your Dental photos home while you’re still in the clinic enjoying the drill and fill practice. In that post I have highlighted the benefits of using Dropbox as a sync and backup service provider. In my current post I will continue to use Dropbox services as a cloud storage, in addition to that I will use one interesting piece of gadget (Eye-Fi, Pro X2). Before I start my steps, I will briefly describe the Eye-Fi card and highlight some of its features.

Eye-Fi

• Ultra-fast, Class 10 performance and 16GB capacity easily captures hours of HD video, low light and fast action shots.

• Pro X2 quickly and reliably delivers your high-quality images bit-for-bit to your computer, smartphone or tablet using built-in WiFi.

Items needed:

• DSLR Camera (e.g. Nikon D7100)

• Eye-Fi, Pro X2 Card

• Eye-Fi application installed on your iPad (link)

• iPad

• Wireless internet access, preferably with unlimited Internet plan.

• Internet router, or hot-spot

Steps:

• Setup your Eye-Fi card, pair it with your iPad and your network.

• Insert the Eye-Fi card into your Camera memory slot

• Use your DSLR Camera as routinely you do

• Once you have finished shooting, keep your camera switched “ON” and then fire up your Eye-Fi application on your iPad, or you may start the application prior to shooting.

• The Camera will automatically send your photos wirelessly using your network Or direct more to your iPad. A photo with fine/high resolution might take up to 11 seconds to be transferred from the Camera to your iPad.

• The next steps are for uploading the transferred photos to your Dropbox account, which have been explained in details in previous post.

If you have enabled the auto photos upload in your Dropbox account, then those transferred photos will be automatically uploaded to the cloud.

Notes:

• In cases where wireless Internet access is not not available, you can use ’Direct Mode’ to transfer images to your iPad without the need of Internet service.

• A new version of the Eye-Fi has been recently released. (Link)

Closing:

The best scenario might be having a DSLR Camera with a built-in WiFi functionality  that allows a direct connection to your tablet without the hassle of network configuration. Nikon has made this true with its D5300 that offers built-in WiFi as well as GPS.

Useful links:

• http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/17/nikon-d5300-hands-on/

• http://www.eye.fi/products/prox2

• https://www.saudident.com/general/digital-camera-setup-for-dental-photography/

• https://www.saudident.com/hi-tech/send-your-photos-home-before-you-leave-your-clinic/

• https://www.saudident.com/hi-tech/photo-editing-edit-sync-backup/

When it comes to dental photography, there are many aspects that should be considered such as knowing which Camera is suitable for your uses, which lens you should buy, which flash ..etc. Then the next step might be knowing the proper settings of the camera that include the f-stop, the shutter speed, which mode should be selected ..etc. I have discussed those points in previous posts.

1. Digital Camera Setup for Dental Photography

https://www.saudident.com/general/digital-camera-setup-for-dental-photography/

2. Dental Digital Photography

https://www.saudident.com/hi-tech/dental-digital-photography/

After shooting with your camera, your images need to be post processed as to adjust exposure, saturation, clarity, flipping them or cropping them, and to do so an application that can handle those required adjustments or modifications is needed. The list of photo editing apps is big some are sophisticated and serve the need of professional photographers and some are just simple and easy to use. I have used many applications such as Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, Aperture and the list goes on, but, after all I was not totally satisfied! In current life style, we use many devices (Computer, Tablets and smartphones) and certain requirements should be available to the application that we need to use and depend on for Photo editing tasks. I need an application that is cross platform, has cloud syncing and consistent editing experience among its several versions. Among the applications that have some of the mentioned features are:

• Aperture
• iPhoto
• Adobe Revel

After testing those applications and playing with their editing tools, I can safely conclude that Adobe Revel is the right choice for me for the following reasons:

• It has a reliable synchronization service
• It has different versions (iOS, Mac and Windows), though no Android yet!
• Can be accessed from the Cloud
• Editing experience is consistent among different versions of the app.
• It is a sync and backup service, so your images are secured.

One thing that you might dislike about this app which is the monthly import limit of 50 images. But if you plan to import more than that in a month, then you need to upgrade to a paid service. I encourage you to give it a try then make your own decision based on your needs and uses.

Happy Photo Editing Guys!

Link to Adobe Revel | https://www.adoberevel.com/

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/65049545654/permalink/10153219513010655/
• https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=691332167562648&set=a.152006891495181.36013.116958035000067&type=1

Which one do you prefer? One large memory card or multiple small memory cards? #SaudiDent #Photography pic.twitter.com/oqLirLxZPM

— SaudiDent (@SaudiDent) September 15, 2013

I have received several replies, some favoring large memory card as they’re tempted by new large capacity that can hold so many pictures and many HD videos and high transfer rate. Others thought that small memory cards are just fine to accommodate for 4000 pictures. Some stated that it’s all about being Organized! I believe that to answer the question we need to know some points that will help us to make our decision.

Points to consider: 

• The loss isn’t unexpected!
• Losing a small memory card is less painful than losing a large memory card, as losing more pictures is more painful.
• Write/Read speed is slower with large memory card full with a huge number of pictures  compared to small memory cards.
• Using small memory cards urge you to frequently download your pictures to the computer and thus minimize the loss of pictures.
• Shooting with multiple small memory cards, might be convenient if you shoot for different topics (Dentistry, Family, business .. Etc.)
• Large memory cards are cheaper
• Large memory cards are hassle-free
• Large memory cards hold many HD videos.

So, it is clear that each scenario has pros and cons, and you’re the one who can select the best method that suit you. I personally do not go beyond 16GB or 32GB. Do you consider that small or large 🙂

]]> https://www.saudident.com/one-large-memory-card-or-multiple-small-memory-cards/feed/ 0 https://www.saudident.com/adobe-carousel/ https://www.saudident.com/adobe-carousel/#respond Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:19:35 +0000 http://saudident.com/?p=1716 ? UPDATE: 11 Jan 2012

•Adobe Carousel is now called Adobe Revel
•Support for Landscape orientation in Loupe view on the iPhone
•Automatically import photos from the Camera Roll on your iPhone and iPad
•Flickr is now supported as a sharing destination
•Store Originals has been renamed Keep All Originals

——————————————————————-

Adobe.com has recently released Carousel an iOS and Mac app intended to bring photos stored in different places into Carousel library and sync them across your Mac, iPad and iPhone making them available wherever you are. Images taken and edited with Carousel on Mac or iPad are automatically synced to your devices with zero effort. The app allows you to invite family members or colleagues to share and edit photos too. Carousel has some great photo processing tools that affect:

• Looks (16 Different nice filters)
• Adjustment

1. White Balance [ Temperature – Tint ]
2. Exposure [ Exposure – Highlight – Shadow ]
3. Contrast [ Contrast – Clarity – Vibrance ]

• Crop & Rotate

Carousel is a free app but you need to subscribe for the service in order to enjoy the sync and photo processing services. adobe is offering a discounted rate of $59.99 per year, this offer expires January 31, 2012. Adobe gives you a FREE month of trial period enough to test and experience their app. The regular price is set to be $99.99 per year. I personally find their prices need a reconsideration! The company promises of Windows and Android version in the future to be a true cross-platform photo processing and syncing app. Adobe also has a long list of future features that they are working on to bring with coming updates.

Notes:

• Carousel lacks search/album/event capabilities which limits its usability specially if your library is huge.
• Finding an image at that time is not a “hassle-free” for sure!.
• On iPhone the app doesn’t run in a portrait mode.

Read more:

• http://www.adobe.com/products/revel.html
• http://www.facebook.com/adobecarousel

_____

As part of our dental practice we take digital photos using fancy DSLR Cameras and store our shots in Computers, External HDs, CDs and so on, but that does not keep them immune against loss! So, what is the solution you may wonder? To make the story short, I will list my tools then explain how to get them into work, which will provide us with a great way to protect our shots.

My Tools are:

• DSLR Camera (e.g. Nikon D7000)
• SD card
• iPad2 Or iPad
• iPad Camera Connection Kit
• Internet Access (unlimited access is preferred)
• Dropbox subscription (50GB plan is preferred)

Steps:

• After taking dental photos, remove the SD Card from the camera, insert it into the Camera Kit adapter
• Connect iPad Camera Connection Kit SD Card reader to the iPad which will automatically upload those photos into Photo app.
• Create Album for each patient, then move uploaded photos into their belonging albums
• Open Dropbox app, use upload function to upload your photos into their folders.
• Your uploaded photos are now synced among all of your computers.

By completing above steps, all of your uploaded photos are synced with all devices that have Dropbox app installed. So, if you have a home computer which is connected to the internet, the minute you upload your photos in the clinic the minute those photos are automatically downloaded to your home computer (synchronization). So, when you go back home opening your Dropbox folder your photos are waiting for you!

Useful links

• Dropbox : http://d.pr/JNJE
• Camera Setup for Dental Photography: http://d.pr/7ycE
• iPad Camera Connection Kit: http://d.pr/3vet
• SD Card: http://d.pr/ywZa

There are many DSLR Camera brands in the market but for simplicity, and for the purpose of this topic I am posting my Camera set up.

1. Camera

NIKON D60

I use Nikon D60, a light weight and easy to use camera, but you can use a higher models that have advance technology and some more features such as HD video recording or a better and bigger LCD .. etc

2. Lens

AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED

I recommend (AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED), as philosophy states: buy a normal camera but buy an excellent lens. But if you are on a tight budget you can buy Sigma lens (105mm F2.8 EX DG Macro)

3. Ring flash

SIGMA EM-140 DG Macro Flash

Sigma Macro Ring Flash (EM-140 DG Macro Flash)

For dental purposes (Frontal, lateral, and occlusal ..etc) I recommend the following settings:

1. Mode : A (Aperture Priority)
2. F: Something between (25 – 32)
3. Shutter: is calculated by the camera as ring flash is attached and it is 1/60

Of course, you need to have a mirror, cheek retractors and contraster (optional). Before you start taking your shots you need to get familiar with your camera through quick reading of the camera’s manual, then start to take shots to experience the settings and try to standardize your shots in term of settings, positions and distance from your patient which will help you to generate a high quality standardized pictures.

In previous topic, I have posted the setting of ACCD, and you might find some differences but let your experience and production decide which to go with.

Some Hints:

1. Use the lowest ISO Speed the camera can go to
2. Use Auto white balance, or set it to predefined one.
3. Always make sure you have your camera electricity cable with you
4. Always make sure you have a back-up battery for your Ring Flash
5. Before shooting, make sure the settings are the way you want them.
6. If you are using the camera for other than dental purposes, make sure the right lens is always attached prior to shooting in the dental clinic.
7. If you plan to edit your photos in your computer, make sure you shoot in RAW+jpeg format

Below are some web links that might help you to understand the ABC of photography:

1. http://www.digital-cameras-help.com/basic-photography-tips.html
2. http://www.bmpt1.com/
3. http://www.digitalphotographybasics.com/the-ultimate-newbie-guide-to-digital-photography/

Kindly use the comment service to share your Camera setup.

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Dental Digital Photography settings ACCD

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