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Author
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Topic: Apollo missions black & white photography
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perineau
Member Posts: 244
From: FRANCE
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 09-04-2018 12:22 PM
   
I have never understood why some Apollo missions sometimes used black and white film instead of color — for example Apollo 12 when they photographed Surveyor 3. Disappointing! |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-04-2018 01:02 PM
Granted, this brief citation does not go into great detail, but from "Chariots for Apollo" (SP-4205): ...some of the scientists insisted on black and white film, because it had a higher resolution than color film. Furthermore, with no atmosphere to absorb the solar energy in the ultraviolet, color film might not turn out well on the lunar surface. Photographer Dick Underwood provides the same explanation, specifically referencing the Surveyor encounter on Apollo 12, in "Apollo Moon Missions: The Unsung Heroes" by Billy Watkins. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4208
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 09-04-2018 03:28 PM
Black and white film was/is generally more forgiving if overexposed too. |
oly
Member Posts: 971
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 09-04-2018 08:01 PM
From an engineering or scientific perspective, the black and white film allows far more detail to be captured. If you take full resolution colour photos and compare them against the black and white shots, finer detail can be detected in the black and white images. Also, the black and white film was far more forgiving, allowing the technicians back on Earth that developed the images a greater chance of salvaging shots that may have been incorrectly exposed. The astronauts did not have light meters on the lunar surface to reference that could help with camera settings, the astronauts used experience, best guess and advice from earth about exposure settings, this can be heard in many communications. I personally believe that the photography from the space programs is the most significant byproduct from of all the programs, but in particular, Apollo. A picture is worth a thousand words. | |
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