image processing - ImageMagick convert from GRAY to TIFF using stdin -

i have file i'm saving in raw gray format, gets converted tiff. running command follows works:

convert -size 1024x1024 -depth 16 -endian msb imgtemp.gray /tmp/bla.tiff 

but changing use stdin input doesn't:

cat imgtemp.gray | convert -size 1024x1024 -depth 16 -endian msb -:gray /tmp/bla.tiff 

i following error:

convert: no decode delegate image format gray' @ error/constitute.c/readimage/532. convert: missing image filename/tmp/bla.tiff' @ error/convert.c/convertimagecommand/3011.

the question why?

you have stdin , format flipped. "-:gray" should "gray:-"

cat imagetemp.gray |    convert -size 1024x1024 \     -depth 14 \     -endian msb gray:- /tmp/bla.tiff 

to answer why happening. can run previous command -verbose switch.

cat imgtemp.gray | \     convert -verbose \     -size 1024x1024 \     -depth 16 \     -endian msb -:gray /tmp/bla.tiff 

this give use additional line of information explains imagemagick trying do

convert: unable open image `gray':   no such file or directory @ error/blob.c/openblob/2638. convert: no decode delegate image format   `gray' @ error/constitute.c/readimage/550. convert: no images defined `bla.tiff' @ error/convert.c/convertimagecommand/3078. 

convert command becomes confused -:gray , tries open blob file entitled "gray", , attempts open "bla.tiff" source image. both of them non-existing on filesystem.