RE: filmscanners: About 12 or 16 bits

["Austin Franklin" <darkroom@ix.netcom.com>]

> > > I
> > > suppose that the white point is converted from step 2^12 in
> the 12 bits
> > > scale to 2^16 in the 16 bit scale and the intermediary steps are just
> > > interpolated (without any gain in the image quality). Am I right?
> >
> > Sorry, you're not right.  I believe the 12 bit data is raw data with no
> > setpoints at all...those have to be manually set in PS.  The 12
> > data will be
> > high bit justified in the 16 bit word, and no intermediate
> values will be
> > "interpolated" and there will be gaps between valid data points.
> > These gaps are not relevant.
>
>   I think you're both right, but said it different ways.  IOW, 4096 values
> in 12bits become 4096 values in 16bits, but '4095' is scaled to
> '65535' and
> all other values scaled accordingly.  Naturally, this would leave gaps.

Yes, it does leave gaps...which is not what the original post says, it says,
and I quote, "the intermediary steps are just interpolated", which they are
not.  We did not say the same thing.