number of colors in an image

[rookie1010]

Hello,

I was wondering if there was any way to determine the number of colors in an image?
is there any software which enables to determine the number of colors

 

[OdiN]

What is the purpose of this?

I don't know of any method off hand. I suppose there might be, but I don't see what this could be used for. Now you can find out the number of POSSIBLE colors in an image based on the color profile that is assigned to it - but of course that doesn't mean they will all exist in that photo.

 

[corkyg]

If you are talking about the displayed colors (Color Depth) of a photo on your monitor, then there are definitions based on the setting of your monitor. Most LCDs today indicate 32 bit color which has a range in numbers of POSSIBLE colors. But, the same displays often are only 24 bit color.

This is easily understood in this article>

Color

Odin is right about color depth being expressed as a capability or capacity. Example, a high res picture of a white card won't show many colors.

 

[rookie1010]

thansk for the reply,

yes, i meant displayed colors (color depth). i wanted to know what the color depth of my camera was. i looked at the properties of jpgs taken by my camera and it only provides type and dimension of the image.

i suppose digital cameras generally take 24 bit pictures?

 

[HN]

This site gives you the number of visually displayed colors:
http://whatsitscolor.com/

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: rookie1010
I suppose digital cameras generally take 24 bit pictures?

Generally that is true insofar as RGP to JPG processing goes (24 bit=16.7 million colors.) If the RAW capability exists, then the color depth can grow to 42 bit. That is one reason why RAW images are so much largwer than JPGs, compression aside.

 

[rookie1010]

thanks for the replies,

whatsitscolor just gives the number of colors in the image not the color depth

I checked the images in paint shop pro and it turns out that the images have a color depth of 24 bits. i was under the impression that mobile cameras take images of 18 bit color depth. i guess with camera sensor this would vary?

could conversion to jpg format increase the color depth? so RAW images have color depth generally of 42 bits?

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: rookie1010
could conversion to jpg format increase the color depth? so RAW images have color depth generally of 42 bits?

That depends on the camera. Conversion to JPG from what? You can't convert and gain color depth. It has to start that way. As for RAW, that is not a standard - there are differences between OEMs.

 

[rookie1010]

thanks for the reply,

so if the JPG has a color depth of 18 bits then its RAWformat also has the same color depth of 18 bits?

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: rookie1010
thanks for the reply,

so if the JPG has a color depth of 18 bits then its RAWformat also has the same color depth of 18 bits?

Not necessarily.

You always start with the RAW data. This can be 12 bits, 14 bits, 16 bits, etc. It depends entirely on the camera. When this RAW data is converted into JPEG, it can be converted into 12-bit, 8-bit, 2-bit, etc JPEG. It all depends on the converter.