This is the standard old method (see Troscianko & Stevens 2015). It requires knowing the spectral sensitivities of the camera, which in practice are extremely difficult to measure. You will need a source of monochromated light (e.g. monochromator, or bandpass filters at regular 5 or 10nm increments across the camera’s entire sensitivity range), plus a spectroradiometer. Sensitivities can then be calculated by combining measurements from a series of images at each spectral band. Please research this method yourself fully and ensure you have access to the relevant equipment before asking us any questions about how to do it.
We have measured the spectral sensitivities of a range of cameras, and if you use the exact same equipment you will be able tot simply use these ready-made sensitivities.
- Run plugins > micaToolbox > Camera Calibration > Generate Cone Mapping Model from Spectral Sensitivities.
- Select the desired options, ensuring the wavelength range for each matches (e.g. 400-700nm or 300-700nm). The ‘photography illuminant’ is the illuminant you photographed the scene under (e.g. D65 if outside, or a known artificial light source in a dark room/museum setting), while the ‘model illuminant’ is the illuminant which images will be converted to for simulating cone-catch quanta.
- A cone-catch model will be generated and integrated into the toolbox