Abstract

Wide-dynamic numerical images are increasingly frequent in professional environments, military photointerpretation, and x-ray or magnetic resonance medical imagery. However, a dynamic compression process is necessary to exploit such images without incessant image manipulation. A wealth of efficient methods has been developed to tackle this problem on aesthetic grounds. We argue that professional imagery interpretation needs preservation of the original radiometric order. We develop a measure of image efficiency use of the 8-bit radiometric channel and find that it correlates nicely with subjective appraisal. The image underscores a radiometric order-preserving process to reach a standard radiometric efficiency. Lost information is then reintroduced by addition of an edge image devoid of artifacts, with an automatic weighting ensuring a natural-looking image.

© 2006 Optical Society of America

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