Which statement correctly contrasts gamma correction with scene linearization?

Which statement correctly contrasts gamma correction with scene linearization?

• A. Gamma correction maps linear light to display-referred gamma for viewing; scene linearization converts captured data to a linear light space for processing and color grading.
• B. Gamma correction maps linear light to display gamma; scene linearization maps display gamma to linear.
• C. Gamma correction is used to adjust audio; scene linearization is used for video processing.
• D. Gamma correction and scene linearization are the same process.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that these two steps serve different parts of the imaging pipeline. Scene linearization converts captured sensor data into a linear light space so that processing, color grading, and lighting calculations correspond to real-world luminance—equal changes in the data reflect equal changes in actual light. Gamma correction, by contrast, takes that linear signal and encodes it for display by applying the display’s nonlinear response, so the image looks correct when viewed on screens that don’t respond linearly to input.

So, the description that describes gamma correction as mapping linear light to display-referred gamma, and scene linearization as converting captured data to a linear light space for processing, is the accurate contrast. The other ideas—gamma correction for audio, or mapping display gamma back to linear, or treating the two as the same process—don’t fit how these steps actually work in practice.