Working with 14bit vs 16bit color in CS2 - does it matter?

[Deliberate1]

Friends, the Eversmart Pro II I am looking at has the 1.1 version of Oxygen. According to the info I have, the bit depth is 14. Currently, I use a Nikon 9000 which has a bit depth of 16. With this rig, I would do virtually no correction of any kind in the scanner program, saving all that work for CS2. I profess utterly no expertise in such matters. But what I read suggests that a 16 bit file is very important for editing in PS - in order to preserve the integrity of the file.
To the question; is there any significant disadvantage posed by a 14 bit file produced by Oxygen if I do similar adjustments in CS2? I suspect that I will be doing far more or the color correction, and so forth, in Oxygen which may eliminate any issues. That being said are there functions in CS2 that would likely degrade a 14 bit image in a way that I might not have experienced with my 16 bit Nikon?
Thanks, David

[Walter Calahan]

No, not really.

My Nikon 8000 scans in 14-bit. It's not a perfect 16-bit, but I can't tell the difference.

I'm sure an engineering type will explain the mathematical difference, but in the real work, the difference isn't great.

[JavaDuke]

David,

There's always been some sort of confusion about 8 bit vs 12 bit vs 14 bit vs 16 bit etc. First of all, those numbers always come in power of 2, that is, there's no such thing as 14 bit file. It is 16-bit, that is, each pixel is represented by 16-bit word, only that top 2 bits are always zeroed. So from the photoshop prospective, it's 16-bit image.
As for 14- vs 16-bit, yes, there might be some subtle difference in tonal gradation. Your gradients may be not very smooth, or some color clipping may occur if you oversaturate your image. If that's the case, try to convert your image to the Lab colorspace before doing any adjustments.
But remember, most digital cameras are able to produce only 12-bit color (except of new Canons that have 14-bit processing).

Hope this helps.

[jetcode]

The way data is stored is irrelevant to the data resolution. 14 bit data may be stored right or left justified depending on the software and file formats. What is relevant to this conversation is the number of colors that can be captured and displayed.

There is a difference in the ability to measure a color and the ability to capture a color. The table below would require a system that can capture the color resolution specified in the first column. This is a monumental task.

Since color uses 3 channels the following table associates bit depth with color depth in a perfect system.

8 bit, 24 bit color, 16777216 colors
10 bit, 30 bit color, 1073741824 colors
12 bit, 36 bit color, 68719476736 colors
14 bit, 42 bit color, 4398046511104 colors
16 bit, 48 bit color, 281474976710656 colors

Sensors are much less accurate then this. While the measurement capability may be higher the sensor capability is not.

Can the eye really detect a resolution deeper then 24 bit color? Not likely. The extra depth is useful for processing images and retaining color accuracy.

[Ted Harris]

Interesting thought though is that while the eye may not be able to make the discrimination the brain may be able to do so. I have print that I made using 8 bit direct out of the Epson 4800 driver and then also 16 bit out of the Colorburst RIP. I have shown those two prints to many people and asked them to pick the one they liked the best. With only two or three exceptions they pick the 16 bit print. No, not real scientific but interesting.

[Sylvester Graham]

Some people argue there's no need for anything higher than even 8 bit. I don't believe it, but I do believe 14 bit will get you anywhere you need to go.

Also, you might want to re-check the specs on the eversmart. I've used one, can't remember what model it was, but from what I remember the scan was made at 14 bit and the down-rezed to 8 bit for the file. Don't know if they changed that on the II, but it would sure suck to get such an expensive piece of equipment and be dissapointed with it.

[sanking]

Some people argue there's no need for anything higher than even 8 bit. I don't believe it, but I do believe 14 bit will get you anywhere you need to go.

Also, you might want to re-check the specs on the eversmart. I've used one, can't remember what model it was, but from what I remember the scan was made at 14 bit and the down-rezed to 8 bit for the file. Don't know if they changed that on the II, but it would sure suck to get such an expensive piece of equipment and be dissapointed with it.

All EverSmart scanners scan in 14 bit. The EverSmart and EverSmart Pro scanners can use the EverSmart Scanning Application, which saves the files in 8 bit. With these scanners and software it is essential for optimum quality that all tonal adjustments and corrections be made in the pre-scan to take advantage of the full 14 bit potential in the original analogue to digital conversion.

The oXYgen software used with the Pro II allows 16 bit saves of the files. This is true with all versions of oXYgen, from the earliest Ver. 1.1.0 to the latest.

Sandy King

[Deliberate1]

Thanks to all. I think I am beginning to dial in on this.
Sandy, if I understand you, the file processing/scanning in Oxygen is done in 14 bit, but the file is saved in 16 bit. So it is a 16 bit save of a 14 bit work file? If I have this right, then I still can work with a 16 bit file when I open it in CS2? But I still should do as much adjusting in Oxygen. Am I getting close? Thanks,
David

[sanking]

Thanks to all. I think I am beginning to dial in on this.
Sandy, if I understand you, the file processing/scanning in Oxygen is done in 14 bit, but the file is saved in 16 bit. So it is a 16 bit save of a 14 bit work file? If I have this right, then I still can work with a 16 bit file when I open it in CS2? But I still should do as much adjusting in Oxygen. Am I getting close? Thanks,
David

David,

You got it exactly. The analogue to digital processing is done in 14 bit, then oXYgen saves the file as 16 bit. It is best practice to do as much adjustment as possible in the pre-scan with oXYgen. However, you can still work with the file in CS2 in 16 bit.

Sandy King

[Ken Lee]

One of the reasons that many use large format equipment, is to render exquisite nuances of tone.

As we perform adjustments, we tend to lose data. If you start out with many shades, then even when you toss out a large number, there are plenty left. If you have only a few to start with, then it's basically "down hill" from the start.

Some people can't hear the difference between MP3 and MP4 sound. But some can, and to the vexation of many, the iTunes library insists on giving you music in the higher-quality format. I think the industry trend is towards higher fidelity.

You might find this article, entitled Beyond Quadtones interesting.