As I look at pictures of camera-scanning setups, I can't help but have a persistent worry: what if all of these weights on long poles are just pendulums waiting for a bump to start swinging. Of course, the manufacturers claim that their stands are as steady as rock, as stable as an Egyptian pyramid, as solid as gold bullions. However, I am not fully convinced. If I were to tell you that a camera on such a stand moving just 1/10 the thickness of a human hair during exposure would result in a loss of half the resolution, would you be concerned? So, in this article, I'll present my arguments and show you how to check and possibly secure your own scanning setup against vibrations. Blurring the edges Certainly, let's start from the basics and define what is meant by "blur".  Blurring on a camera occurs as a result of movement of the camera, subject, or both. Motion blur specifically refers to the streaking or smearing seen in the image due to this movement [1].   On th...

Update 11/16/2020: Now shipping: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SilverKnits Folks ask often if a test target for MF films will be available. Something is in the works. Subscribe to this blog and you will be first to know when it's available.    I did consider making them in a way that would work as 4.5x6 , 6x6 , 6x9. But to make this work economically I need to make sure I have at least 100 customers ready to pay more than the current rate. Even shipping will be much more expensive as film will require better protection. I certainly have equipment and know how already, but still don't know if I want to get in this rabbit hole again. I can put up Google form to collect the requests and gauge the level of interest , but for now I would not promise anything. If you or anyone would send me any unneeded negatives on 120 film so I can asses the real-life sizes, that would help, I only have my own film as 6x6 slides.