[filmscanners] Re: color bit depth and digital cameras

["gary" <lists@lazygranch.com>]

I can't comment on the bit depth of cameras, but scanners need more bits
when processing negative film since negative film has it's dynamic range
compressed. Eight bits was passable for slide film, well, properly
exposed slide film.

Film like Astia is slightly compressed, i.e. it doesn't have the full
dynamic range after chemical processing. It probably doesn't project
well, but it sure scans well.


ppatton@bgnet.bgsu.edu wrote:
> I was just playing with my new Nikon D200 and discovered
> something that surprised me.  Unless there is some quality
> adjustment setting I missed, it's color bit depth apparently is
> only 8 bits in NEF Raw.  By comparison, my Polaroid SprintScan
> 4000 scanner has a color bit depth of 12 bits, and other scanners
> have much higher color bit depths than this.  While color bit
> depth is a commonly cited specification for scanners, I've seldom
> seen it cited for digital cameras.  Does the lower bit depth for
> the D200 imply lower quality color rendition than my 12 bit scanner?
> ___________________________________________________
> Dr. Paul Patton
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