In the first half of 2022, our team completed three expeditions—our first trips to digitize manuscripts since 2019. Along with the excitement of hitting the road again to examine and preserve Greek New Testament manuscripts, we were thrilled to put our upgraded equipment and standards to the test. While travel restrictions kept us close to home, our team used the time to research how we could improve image quality and increase efficiency. This led us to purchase the DT Atom by Digital Transition (read about it here) and then spent countless hours training and refining our workflow to achieve the best possible results.
Read what some of our team members had to say about the improved systems:
“As a member of the digitization team in Athens a few years ago, I expected the equipment and protocols to be much the same when I landed in London a few weeks back. Although the two expeditions were only a couple years apart, it felt like CSNTM took a giant leap forward into the future with the upgraded cameras, protocols, and quality of their work. I was floored by the precision and excellence the Center now brings to each of their shoots because of the investments in their equipment. My 2016 self would not have believed what I was able to accomplish in 2022. I am eager to see where the Center continues to improve and innovate in the years to come.” –Nika Spaulding, CSNTM Digitization Volunteer
“The upgraded equipment is a game-changer in several ways. The image quality is unparalleled, offering details that would be impractical when viewing the manuscripts in person. For conservators, images with precisely measured color reproduction are supremely important. It allows them to see how well the artifacts are preserved and how they might improve storage and handling to keep them in good condition. Now that we have this capability, we are among the first to be called when an institution wants to digitize its collection of manuscripts.
Besides quality, the new equipment is proving to be an amazing investment with a huge return. We can now get incredible image quality with less training and can get the job done roughly 3-5 times faster than with our older equipment. When you have to house and feed a team in a distant country, time saved is money saved. Recent experience shows that each new system we purchase will pay for itself in a mere 20 weeks of onsite digitizing!” –Mark Gaither, COO, CSNTM
With such impressive results after only three trips, we are excited about the potential of a great number of great quality images ahead of us. Since Dr. Wallace founded CSNTM in 2002, we’ve sought to utilize the best technology available to achieve the best possible representation of Greek New Testament manuscripts. Our team is now able to provide unprecedented access to viewers of the digital collection and better data for conservators.
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