1. In an image analyzer system having at least one substantially identical neighborhood transformation stage including a plurality of neighborhood window storage registers for temporarily accessing substantially all of the neighborhoods of pixel values in the image, and a programmable controller communicating with the stage wherein the improvement comprises a neighborhood transformation stage which can provide a wide variety of image analyses, said stage including: logic means having at least two inputs and an output, operative to provide at its output the sum of two values applied to its inputs; means for connecting said neighborhood window registers to one input of said logic means; means coupled to the programmable controller for applying a programmable contribution value to the other input of said logic means; detector means for detecting preselected output values from said logic means; and maximum value detection means coupled to said logic means output for detecting the maximum value generated at said logic means output for the pixel values contained in said neighborhood window registers.