Why are all your sample pictures for the Canon S10 listed as having 6 bits per Pixel. Is this a mistake or have the specs changed from their previous models which have 8 bits per pixel. I currently own an A5 and am considering getting the S10 however, I certainly wouldn't want something which has fewer colors. Please explain if I am reading something into this or is Canon reducing the specs in trade for higher performance and/or lower price point?

-- Jeffrey Maugenest (jeffm@kmd-arch.com), December 27, 1999

Answers

Hi Jeffrey -

Sorry for the slooow response on this - Holidays, plus getting ready to move to a new server. :-(

The "bits per pixel" I think you're referring to are a number interpreted from the EXIF file header. It refers to how many bits are used by the JPEG algorithm to store the final image. Thus, each pixel actually starts out with 24 bits per pixel (8 bits x three color channels), but in the case you mention that's compressed down to 6 bits per pixel, a 4:1 compression ratio.

-- Dave Etchells (web@imaging-resource.com), December 30, 1999.

According to the canon website, its 8bits per color (channel). (with 3 color channels)

-- some one (someone@microsoft.com), December 30, 1999.