1. A method of formatting color image data, comprising: filtering light with a color filter array, wherein the color filter array has a plurality of filter elements arranged in a repeating pattern according to filter element wavelength range; obtaining an image frame comprising a plurality of data channels relating to light passing through the color filter array; compressing each of the plurality of data channels with an algorithm that provides a plurality of resolution levels; creating an index for the image frame to provide a location reference for each of the resolution levels of each of the plurality of data channels in the image frame, thereby allowing access to data at each resolution level without accessing data having a higher resolution level; and creating an index for a plurality of image frames, thereby allowing access to data at a particular resolution level without accessing data having a higher resolution level.