filmscanners: Re: bit depth and dynamic range

[patton paul <ppatton@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>]

I've just been reading some Nikon literature about their new scanners, and
I have some questions about the terminology.  The ad states that the
coolscan IV ED yeilds 48 bit images (48 bits per pixel?).  Later, it
states that the scanner has a color bit depth of 24 or 36 bits.  What does
this refer to?  It also states that the scanner has a dynamic range of
3.6.  What is a scanner's dynamic range?  Can anyone suggest an article
somewhere on the web or elsewhere that explains all this?  Thanks.
__________________________________________________________________
Dr. Paul Patton
Beckman Institute  Rm 3027  405 N. Mathews St.  
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  Urbana, Illinois 61801
work phone: (217)-265-0795   fax: (217)-244-5180             
home phone: (217)-344-7863
homepage: http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ppatton/index.html

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.  It is the
source of all true art and science."
-Albert Einstein
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