The rods are perfectly good color receptors
Rods interact with long-wave cones (L-cones) to generate color sensations
as shown in the following experiments
L-, M-, S-cones Rods & Lcones
Rod-Lcone Refferences (1969-present)
Using many physiological distictions between rods and cones, the paper identifies stimuli that produce rod/ Lcone colors. It identifies rod respons by measureing scotopic sensitivity function when the obsrver adjuted for best color balance.
Interactions between rods and long-wave (L) cones generate 2 channel colors. They are observed when there is insufficient light for a threshold response from M- and S-cones. This paper measures the spectral emission of a wood fire and a wax candle and it compares these low-color temperature spectral radiant exitances with the sensitivities of rods and long-wave cones. The paper reviews some of the literature on the evolution of human cone pigments and the early use of fire by hominids.
These experiments use illuminates more appropriate for rod-cone interactions they measure a much greater range of colors. They also provide new data that clarifies how the rod information interacts with the cone-cone color channels. Color appearances show rods share M- and S-color channe
Many familiar spatial experiments have equal local stimuli with unequal appearances in daylight. This paper tests whether Simultaneous Contrast, Adelson's Tower, White's Effect, Checkerboard and Dungeon Illusions, Benary's Cross, Color Contrast and Color Assimilation behave the same using rod vision. Since these experiments are the result of spatial processes, it is possible that the different anatomy and physiology of rods and cones could limit the range of these effects. Remarkably, spatial effects at the lowest end of our visual HDR range are very similar to those at the top of the range in sunlight.
Rod / Lcone interactions show assimilation and contrast phenomenon
1969
J.J. McCann, and J. L. Benton,
" Interactions of the Long-Wave Cones and the Rods to Produce Color Sensations",
J. opt. Soc. Am., 59, 103-107, 1969.
1972
J.J. McCann,
" Rod-Cone Interactions: Different Color Sensations from Identical Stimuli ", Science, 176, 1255-1257, 1972.
1973
J.J. McCann,
"Human Color Perception ",in Color Theory and Imaging Systems , 1-23, Soc. Phot. Sci. & Eng., R. Eynard, ed. Washington, DC, 1973.
1977
S. P. McKee , J. J. McCann, and J.L Benton,
"Color Vision from Rod and Long-Wave Cone Interactions: Conditions in which Rods contribute to Multicolored Images",
Vision Research 17, 175-185, 1977.
J. L. Benton , and J. J. McCann,
" Variegated color sensations from rod-cone interactions: Flicker-fusion experiments ",
J. opt. Soc. Am. 67, 119-121, 1977.
2004
J. J. McCann, J. L. Benton, S. P. McKee,
Red/White Projections and Rod-Lcone Color: An Annotated Bibliography,
J. Electron. Imaging 13, 8-14, 2004.
2006
J. J. McCann,
“Ideal Illuminants for Rod /L-Cone Color”, in Electronic Imaging XI: Processing, Hardcopy, and Applications; R. Eschbach, G. Marcu; Eds., Proc. SPIE, 6058, 1-8, 2006.
2007
J. J. McCann, “Rod – Lcone color matching in complex images”, in Perception ECVP Abstract Supplement, 2007.
J.J. McCann, “Colors in Dim Illumination and Candlelight”, in Proc. IS&T/SID Color Imaging Conference, Albuquerque, vol. 15, 2007.
2011
J. J. McCann,
“Appearance at the low-radiance end of HDR vision: Achromatic & Chromatic‚” Proc. IS&T/SID Color Imaging Conference, 19, 223-228 (2011).
2012
J. J. McCann,
“Color Assimilation and Contrast near Absolute Threshold”,
Proc. SPIE 8292,. 8292-2, (2012).
