The Image Capture Quality Tool was first unveiled as a concept in early 2014. The tool provides a few quantitative analysis measurement scales for an image across a range of image capture quality parameters. In November 2015 I added a couple of extra tools including the Lighting Quality Tool and Colour Quality Tool.
DOWNLOAD Birding Image Quality Tool Rev. 4.0
(Note you will have to download the file and open it in MS Excel for the tool to work properly).
These simple tools are intended for birders who want a score individual digital photos based on image quality parameters. I would see these tools being of particular value to rarities committees and for web-based forums trying to establish the identity of a bird based on less than perfect images. They are really intended as a sense check. But they could also be used for example by publishers of photographic field guides when deciding which images are better for publication.
No image should ever be considered in isolation and should always be weighed alongside all the available evidence.
Image Quality Capture Tool
Each of the individual parameters have been explored in detail. Follow the links below.
The parameters are also displayed in this video below.
The current scoring logic for the Image Capture Quality Tool is displayed in the video below.
What if an image has been heavily manipulated? Will the Image Capture Quality Tool be able to cope?
In the video below I present a range of common digital image manipulations and their likely impacts. I am by no means an expert on this so if there are any expert photographers out there who are happy to correct any errors I may have made please do get in touch.
If you would like a current copy of the tool (it's in a Microsoft excel format) you can click the link at the top of this page - it's free! You must promise however to try it out and send me some constructive feedback.
If you don't have access to Microsoft Excel and just need the scoring methodology please see the bottom of this page.
It would be nice some day to see these tools developed into an app, and here is what it might look like (note this presentation is based on an earlier version of the tool, so the scoring methodology may differ from the current one).
| REV 1.2 | ||
| RESOLUTION | SCORE | |
| 250,000 pixels and greater | 25 | |
| 200,000 - 249,999 pixels | 20 | |
| 150,000 - 199,999 pixels | 15 | |
| 100,000 - 149,999 pixels | 10 | |
| 50,000 - 99,999 pixels | 5 | |
| 10,000 - 49,999 pixels | 0 | |
| <10,000 pixels | -10 | |
| FOCUS | SCORE | |
| Sharp | 30 | |
| Soft | 20 | |
| Very Soft | 0 | |
| Out of Focus | -21 | |
| EXPOSURE | SCORE | |
| Normal Exposure | 25 | |
| Slight Under/Over-exp. | 15 | |
| Moderate Under/Over Exp | 10 | |
| Major Under/Over Exp. | -10 | |
| COLOUR | SCORE | |
| No Colour Casts | 20 | |
| Slight Colour Casts | 15 | |
| Major Colour Casts | 10 | |
| ARTEFACTS | SCORE | |
| No Obvious Artefacts | 0 | |
| 1 Slight Artefact | -2 | |
| 2 or more Slight Artefacts | -4 | |
| 1 Major Artefact | -6 | |
| 2 or more Major Artefacts | -10 | |
Lighting, Colour and Field Marks Quality Tools
Additional tools have been added based on the original concept. For more detail refer to the postings Lighting Quality Tool, Colour Quality Tool and Field Marks Quality Tool.
Thanks for the visit.
Mike O'Keeffe
Track Changes
Issue Rev. 1.0 Published 20.02.2014
Issue Rev. 1.1 Published 21.02.2014
Changes
Change to scoring. Negative scoring Focus (Out of focus -31), Resolution (<10,000 pixels -10)
Reason for change
An out of focus image is essentially useless for ID. A score of -31 ensures the image will score below failure threshold. Similarly at <10,000 pixels an image is bordering on useless but ID may still be possible so its not a complete showstopper.
Issue Rev. 1.2 Published 27.02.2014
Changes
Change of scoring. Various changes made. Compare with Rev. 1.1.
Issue Rev. 2.0 Published 04.11.2015
Changes
Addition of the Lighting Quality Tool (discussed HERE).
Issue Rev. 3.0 Published 20.11.2015
Changes
Addition of the Colour Quality Tool (discussed HERE).