Re: [Openexr-user] openEXR-backplates

[Florian Kainz]

Brendan Bolles wrote:
> On Apr 1, 2004, at 1:07 AM, address@hidden wrote:
>
> > on the openEXR-website they say that they use the openEXL-format for 
> > 2k or
> > hd scans of filmed sequences.
> >
> > How do they get the high dynamic range when scanning? Do they scan the
> > sequences multiple times with different "exposure"-settings?
> > Normal filmscanners output 10 bit logarithmic cineon files - is the 10 
> > bit
> > log colordepth enough to generate openEXR-files?
>
>
>
> In 10-bit log space (values 0-1023), 95 is usually considered black and 
> 685 white.  So there is a considerable amount left over to represent 
> values over white, which film scanners have been capturing for a while.
>
> I think that definition of 0-1 is based on a monitor's dynamic range, 
> which film exceeds.
>
> But does this mean that ILM and possibly others are scanning directly to 
> EXR and never going through 10-bit Cineon?  Drool.
>
>
> Brendan

Yes, ILM can scan to OpenEXR, bypassing 10-bit Cineon.
This should be possible with any scanner that lets you
access raw CCD data.  Depending on the scanner, this may
or may not give you more dynamic range or precision than
what you get from Cineon files. (The scanner may have
been optimized for Cineon output.)

Florian