If you've ever tried to put a photograph into a newsletter or flier using a desktop publishing program, you know the meaning of the word hassle.
Until recently, your only option was to use a scanner, a device that digitizes images from paper and converts them into computer graphic files that you can import into your publishing software.
Full-page scanners that can handle the complex gray scales of ** photographs are expensive -- $1,500 to $2,000. Small, hand-held scanners are much cheaper, but unless you have the steady hands of a brain surgeon, you're as likely to wind up with a mess as a decent picture of the boss.
Enter the gadget of the year -- the Logitech Fotoman, an electronic camera that eliminates the middleman. It takes 32 black-and-white pictures, stores the images internally and feeds them directly to your computer.
While high-end digital cameras have been used by news organizations for several years, they're outrageously expensive and require tens of thousands of dollars' worth of support equipment.
Fotoman, which lists for $799, requires nothing more than an IBM-compatible computer with an 80386 processor and Microsoft Windows. It connects directly to the computer's serial port, with no add-on circuit boards or other equipment.
Once you've transferred a photo to your PC, Logitech's image manipulation software puts a photographer's darkroom tools at your fingertips -- and then some. You can crop the image, lighten it, darken it, change the brightness, contrast and sharpness, dodge and burn specific areas, and edit the photo, dot by dot.
Like all ground-breakers, Fotoman is a mixture of good news and bad news. The good news is that the camera is simple to use and getting photos into your PC is a no-brainer.
The bad news is that you'll spenda lot of time tinkering with the images to get decent results when you import them into your word processor, graphics software or desktop publishing program.
Fotoman itself is the digital equivalent of a fancy Kodak Instamatic, with a built-in automatic flash. Its fixed, f4.5 lens will focus from three feet to infinity, although flash pictures won't be good beyond 10 feet.
The camera's 6 1/2 -by-3 1/4 -by-1-inch dimensions make it compact enough to fit in a jacket pocket. The only moving part is the button on the front. Just aim and shoot.
Fotoman's electronic imaging circuits provide the equivalent of ASA 200 film. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to override the camera's automatic exposure. There's no provision for backlit images, and the only adjustment is a neutral density filter that screws onto the lens for sunny outdoor pictures or close-up flash photos.
While the retouching software can salvage many problem photos, experienced photographers will tell you there's no substitute for good exposure.
Fotoman attaches to your computer through a small docking station with a cable that plugs into the serial port. The docking station also charges the camera's internal nickel-cadmium battery.
Fotoman arrives with two programs that run under Microsoft Windows. The first transfers images from the camera to the computer. It's a snap to use. It establishes communication with the camera, then displays contact sheets -- small thumbnail images -- of the all pictures stored inside.
You can choose the pictures you want and jot down a quick caption or a note about the photographer for each. You can also decide which of five common graphic file formats to use (Microsoft bitmap, PCX or three flavors of TIF). Then click the mouse on the "Save" button and the software does the rest.
When you've captured the images you want, the software will clear out the camera's memory and you can start over.
Depending on the transfer speed, it takes 30 to 75 seconds to download each photo. Once the pictures are stored on your disk (each occupies about 100K of space) you can call them up for editing with Logitech's FotoTouch software.
Each 5-by-3 1/2 -inch photo is the equivalent of an image scanned at 75 dots per inch, with up to 256 levels of gray. That's certainly adequate for laser printer reproduction.
The FotoTouch software, formerly known as Ansel, may lack some features of high-end digital darkroom programs, yet it has enough bells and whistles for all but the most demanding professional.
The manual warned that it would take some experimenting to produce good images. That turned out to be the understatement of the year. I spent hours playing with contrast, brightness, equalization, sharpness and other adjustments, trying to translate what looked good on the screen into what would look good in print.
That meant dealing with a bewildering variety of image enhancements and decisions about file formats, resolution and gray scale settings. This is the most frustrating part of using Fotoman -- or any other imaging software.
When I used FotoTouch to print an image directly, I frequently got entirely different results than I did with the same image imported into my word processor, Ami Professional. And Ami gave me different results than I got when I used WordStar for Windows, which in turn gave me different results than I got with Arts & Letters, a graphic design program.
The FotoTouch manual, which was otherwise crystal clear and well written, provided little help with these issues -- which may be the most important ones for users.
I did learn that Fotoman works best with images that aren't too contrasty. The camera and software don't have the resolution or latitude of film, so white shirts and outdoor images with strong highlights and deep shadows are a problem.
With enough tinkering, I was able to coax acceptable images of people and objects from my HP LaserJet, and even from my Panasonic 24-pin dot matrix printer -- with gratifying oohs and aahs from family, friends and colleagues.
Just remember that your final result won't put Life magazine out of business. You're still dealing with a PC and, by publishing standards, relatively low-resolution output devices.
Fotoman and the digital cameras that are sure to follow have great potential for people who deal in real estate (with fancy, customized sales brochures for each house), publish catalogs, or produce newsletters and fliers.
Although its price ($500 to $700 on the street) hardly makes it an impulse item, it's worth a look if you're serious about dressing up your documents with real photographs.
Fotoman
Description: A low-priced, digital camera that takes up to 32 black-and-white photos and transfers them directly to your PC. Image retouching software is included.
System Requirements: An IBM-compatible PC with an 80386 processor, 4 megabytes of memory and the Microsoft Windows operating environment.
Price: $799 list.
For Information: Contact Logitech Inc., 6505 Kaiser Drive, Fremont, Calif. 94555.