diff --git a/pyqtgraph/graphicsItems/tests/test_ImageItemFormat.py b/pyqtgraph/graphicsItems/tests/test_ImageItemFormat.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..069dd383
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyqtgraph/graphicsItems/tests/test_ImageItemFormat.py
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+import numpy as np
+import pyqtgraph as pg
+from pyqtgraph.Qt import QtGui
+
+
+def check_format(shape, dtype, levels, lut, expected_format):
+    data = np.zeros(shape, dtype=dtype)
+    item = pg.ImageItem(data, autoLevels=False)
+    item.setLevels(levels)
+    item.setLookupTable(lut)
+    item.render()
+    assert item.qimage.format() == expected_format
+
+
+
+def test_uint8():
+    Format = QtGui.QImage.Format
+    dtype = np.uint8
+    w, h = 192, 108
+    lo, hi = 50, 200
+    lut_none = None
+    lut_mono1 = np.random.randint(256, size=256, dtype=np.uint8)
+    lut_mono2 = np.random.randint(256, size=(256, 1), dtype=np.uint8)
+    lut_rgb = np.random.randint(256, size=(256, 3), dtype=np.uint8)
+    lut_rgba = np.random.randint(256, size=(256, 4), dtype=np.uint8)
+
+    levels = None
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_none, Format.Format_Grayscale8)
+    check_format((w, h, 3), dtype, levels, lut_none, Format.Format_RGB888)
+    check_format((w, h, 4), dtype, levels, lut_none, Format.Format_RGBA8888)
+
+    levels = [lo, hi]
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_none, Format.Format_Indexed8)
+    levels = None
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_mono1, Format.Format_Indexed8)
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_mono2, Format.Format_Indexed8)
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_rgb, Format.Format_Indexed8)
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_rgba, Format.Format_Indexed8)
+    levels = [lo, hi]
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_mono1, Format.Format_Indexed8)
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_mono2, Format.Format_Indexed8)
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_rgb, Format.Format_Indexed8)
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_rgba, Format.Format_Indexed8)
+
+    levels = [lo, hi]
+    check_format((w, h, 3), dtype, levels, lut_none, Format.Format_RGB888)
+
+
+def test_uint16():
+    Format = QtGui.QImage.Format
+    dtype = np.uint16
+    w, h = 192, 108
+    lo, hi = 100, 10000
+    lut_none = None
+    lut_mono1 = np.random.randint(256, size=256, dtype=np.uint8)
+    lut_mono2 = np.random.randint(256, size=(256, 1), dtype=np.uint8)
+    lut_rgb = np.random.randint(256, size=(256, 3), dtype=np.uint8)
+    lut_rgba = np.random.randint(256, size=(256, 4), dtype=np.uint8)
+
+    levels = None
+    try:
+        fmt_gray16 = Format.Format_Grayscale16
+    except AttributeError:
+        fmt_gray16 = Format.Format_ARGB32
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_none, fmt_gray16)
+    check_format((w, h, 3), dtype, levels, lut_none, Format.Format_RGB888)
+    check_format((w, h, 4), dtype, levels, lut_none, Format.Format_RGBA64)
+
+    levels = [lo, hi]
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_none, Format.Format_Grayscale8)
+    levels = None
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_mono1, Format.Format_Grayscale8)
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_mono2, Format.Format_Grayscale8)
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_rgb, Format.Format_RGBA8888)
+    check_format((w, h), dtype, levels, lut_rgba, Format.Format_RGBA8888)
+
+    levels = [lo, hi]
+    check_format((w, h, 3), dtype, levels, lut_none, Format.Format_RGB888)