Shawn, Matt,
If I'm not mistaken, the scale cube was invented specifically for the lunar
samples brought back by the Apollo missions.
Obviously, the idea behind using a scale cube is just that, to show the scale
of the object in the photograph.
I agree that for good scientific reasons, a scale cube in some metric
measurement makes the most sense. A cubic centimeter is most common, but why
not a cubic decimeter or a cubic meter, if those are appropriately sized for
the object? I have no problem with any sized scale cube as long as the
dimension is clearly marked and visible in the photograph. 1-cm, 1 inch, no
matter. There is no "standard" so to speak. The key is to use something of the
appropriate scale for the object being photographed...
I have no objection to using other objects too, again as long as they are
easily identifiable. I might not know what the coin is, if one is being used
for scale, but I immediately have a general idea how big is probably is. As
long as I can unambiguously identify it in the photograph, that's all I need.
If the image is poor and I can't determine exactly what coin it is, much less
the country of origin, much of the value of using that coin for scale is lost.
Most car keys are about the same size and have been for a very long time... Put
them next to your rocks. I'll have some idea how big they are.
Something that REALLY bothers me is something ambiguous, like dice. They all
look the same and come in many different sizes. Even the standard ones have no
markings that tell you they are standard size, or some other size. If you see
them in a photograph, is it a standard die, a small one from a board game or is
it a huge novelty die from a game show??
I can assume it is a standard die or close to it and get a general scale of the
object. The same goes for the plastic 1-cm cubes you see in photos that have no
scale marked on them. By the weight of the object you can guess the cube is
1-cm, but it's really a bad idea not to include the actual size of your scale
on your scale object, no matter what size it is!
Cheers
--
Richard Kowalski
Full Moon Photography
IMCA #1081
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