Color conversion matrices in digital cameras: a tutorial

Abstract

Color conversion matrices and chromatic adaptation transforms (CATs) are of central importance when converting a scene captured by a digital camera in the camera raw space into a color image suitable for display using an output-referred color space. In this article, the nature of a typical camera raw space is investigated, including its gamut and reference white. Various color conversion strategies that are used in practice are subsequently derived and examined. The strategy used by internal image-processing engines of traditional digital cameras is shown to be based upon color rotation matrices accompanied by raw channel multipliers, in contrast to the approach used by smartphones and commercial raw converters, which is typically based upon characterization matrices accompanied by conventional CATs. Several advantages of the approach used by traditional digital cameras are discussed. The connections with the color conversion methods of the DCRaw open-source raw converter and the Adobe digital negative converter are also examined, along with the nature of the Adobe color and forward matrices.