Hello,
Are there a finite number of points along the L* axis that correspond
to the eyes ability to distinguish variations in luminance?
In
other words, is it possible for a
colour management system which uses the CIE Lab model as a connection space, to
encode values beyond the human eye/brains ability to perceive?
I am asking this question not simply because I occasionally read
comments like ProPhoto contains colours beyond human perception but also
because of the distinctions of colour and tone implicit in a 16 bit/channel
file.
I dont understand how there can be L* values for luminance
variations that the eye cannot see. Is L*24,344 a synthetic concoction or was it
derived mathematically from the original standard observer of 1931?
Can humans really perceive such slight variations in density, and if not, how can there be lab values for such
distinctions?
Thank you for any help understanding
this.
Eugene Appert