Dynamic range is unrelated to bit depth. Roughly stated, dynamic
range on a sensor is the range between unacceptable shadow noise and
blown out highlights. It remains the same whether that range is
mapped to 12 bits or 16 bits. The bits in 16 bit would just divide
the dynamic range into smaller ranges giving you smoother transitions
in areas of relative uniformity, like the sky, or more differentiated
detail in shadows where the fewest bits are available.
Hope that makes sense, Garth.
Winsor
Long Beach, California, USA
On / June 25, 2007 CE, at 8:33 AM, Garth Wood wrote:
> What is the basis for this claim? From what I can see from the
> published specs, all three cameras produce 12-bit RAW files, and I was
> under the (possibly erroneous) impression that the bit-depth of the
> RAW
> file was a more-or-less reliable indicator of the dynamic range of the
> captured image.
>
> Is this correct? What am I missing?
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