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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> 8 bit vs. 16 bit
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Showing posts 1 - 8 of 8, (reverse)
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04/12/2006 11:46:08 AM · #1
I am wondering about something I've noticed while working in 16 bit (this is the norm for me)

A little setup for the issue.

8 bit refers to 8 bits per color/channel. This affords us a range of 0 to 255 (2^8) values for each color/channel in RGB mode.

Shouldn't 16 bit allow us 2^16 values (0-65,535) for each color/channel? if so, why does the info tab in Photoshop still show values from 0-255?

-Rick
04/12/2006 11:55:19 AM · #2
I think it's just because the numbers are easier to deal with in that range. I think I saw one time how you could get it to show you the full range, but I don't remember how off-hand.
04/12/2006 11:55:49 AM · #3
I believe PS is just showing the value "scaled" to an 8-bit space. They probably felt it was more intuitive, though it is confusing, IMO.
04/12/2006 12:18:45 PM · #4
Cool, thanks guys, I just wanted to make sure that the subsequent bit depth gained wasn't used in another manner.

-Rick
06/18/2006 11:02:11 AM · #5
Is working in 16 bit a huge advantage as opposed to working in 8 bit? The 16 bit TIFF files i get from raw conversion are 50mb each... :S just wondering if it's worth converting to 8bit when editing? or would i be losing a lot of pic quality?

thanks
06/18/2006 12:39:53 PM · #6
Originally posted by diablo2097:

Is working in 16 bit a huge advantage as opposed to working in 8 bit? The 16 bit TIFF files i get from raw conversion are 50mb each... :S just wondering if it's worth converting to 8bit when editing? or would i be losing a lot of pic quality?

thanks


You may see subtle differences, not in-your-face differences. The main benefit is maintaining smoother tonal transitions during edits. When you do finally convert to 8-bit, you don't get a chopped-up histogram and color transitions should look smooth and gradual with no posterization. You can process 8-bit images nearly as well, however, and unless you know what you're looking for, you may never see the difference.
Bottom line, use 16-bit editing when you are looking for a specific advantage, know what you are after, and how to get it.
06/18/2006 01:00:26 PM · #7
when doing prints, is it better to print from a 16 bit tiff or an 8 bit JPG?

Or is it just an insignificant thing in the end?
06/18/2006 01:28:29 PM · #8
I'm not aware of any printer that can handle 16 bit.
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