Hi Jurgen,
Your English is just fine.
Since you mention background, I have been designing digital imaging devices (not exclusively, but for a large part) since 1976, so I have a pretty decent understanding of the principles involved.
Someday you'll have to say what computer company do you consider the biggest. It depends on when one is talking about, and by what metric "biggest" is measured. I've worked as an engineer/scientist for IBM, DEC, Compaq, HP and Sun.
> But why > the hell should HASSELBLAD or other brands cheat ? ? ?
It is a fact in the scanner market, the manufacturers "cheat" as you call it (that's not what they call it ;-). It's not disputable. That is why tests have been written to help bring some honesty to this. Whether the manufacturers do so in the digi-back market, I don't know for a fact as I do in the scanner market...I just haven't taken the time to examine it closely enough to provide conclusive evidence one way or the other. But, given what I know, again, I doubt that any back actually provides 16 bits of valid data.
In digital imaging, you don't want to have 16 bits of valid data and then apply tonal curves to that data in a 16 bit realm. You will end up with gaps in the codes (combing is what it is typically called), you need to "process" data using a larger number of bits. You need "headroom" (additional bits) for this type of processing. If you understand the algorithm behind applying tonal curves (and/or setpoints) you will understand this. If you want a further explanation on this, I can provide it...but you can probably look it up on the web just as well...though there is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding out there, unfortunately. And many self proclaimed experts as well.
> Please can you give me one good reason why they should cheat ? ? ?
The reasons are simple. One is marketing people write the documentation, typically, and they don't understand the difference between what the A/D can deliver for number of "good" bits, and how many bits of data are returned. Second is simply specsmanship...if another company "exaggerates" in this way, so whould we. And third, there was no standard, so anyone can say anything they want. And, no one holds them to task for this misinformation.
Regards,
Austin