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Today I encountered the term, "sensors with automatic exposure bracketing", at the website of an imaging, electronics, and software consulting company:

Aphesa can also help to deploy software based HDR applications based on multiple exposures, including sensors with automatic exposure bracketing.

What does "sensors with automatic exposure bracketing" mean? Which sensors have such functionality?

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    i don't think this makes any sense in itself. maybe you can share the link so we can see the context, or post a relevant quote in your question?
    – ths
    Sep 16, 2016 at 9:49
  • @ths I have added the link. It seems that some sensors have this special functionality in order to facilitate multiple exposures
    – Jogging Song
    Sep 16, 2016 at 9:59

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What does sensors with automatic exposure bracketing mean?

With respect to DSLR's and other mass-market cameras, automatic exposure bracketing is a feature where the camera will take several images in quick succession at different exposures by changing either aperture or shutter speed.

It's hard to see how an image sensor by itself could implement the same kind of feature, as sensors themselves don't usually contain enough memory to store several images. The context in which you found the phrase seems to be:

Aphesa can also help to deploy software based HDR applications based on multiple exposures, including sensors with automatic exposure bracketing.

My best guess is that the wording here just isn't very precise. It seems likely that what they mean is that they can help write software that implements features like AEB. The company in question offers training and consultation services for using image sensors in more complete systems, so I don't think they're talking here about a sensor having AEB capability itself, but rather building a system around an image sensor such that the system has AEB capability.

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    Agreed. Some of this is probably due to language translation, or otherwise "lost in translation". However, if you extend the definition of "sensor" to include integrated sensor-and-microcontroller SoCs that can receive a "take an AEB image" command and return a single image that consisted of 2 or more AEB exposures, then the statement could make sense. I'm willing to bet that's where most consumer-oriented imaging is headed eventually, if it's not on its way already.
    – scottbb ♦
    Sep 16, 2016 at 20:56
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    @scottbb I'd agree with that (about SoC) to some extent. Perhaps not in DSLRs and other mass market cameras, where companies like Canon invest a lot in developing really high power processors that surely benefit from very tight integration with the sensor. But there are already plenty of "camera modules" on the market that are easy to integrate with controllers like Raspberry Pi and Arduino, and it wouldn't be surprising to see those modules become more and more capable.
    – Caleb
    Sep 16, 2016 at 21:17
  • When you modify the parameters related to exposure on sensors, the parameters take effect after several images. It means there is a large inter-frame gap. Handshake or object motion may occur during the time interval and this will result in image blur or ghosting for multiple exposure. I guess sensors with automatic exposure bracketing is related to reducing inter-frame gap. I am not sure.
    – Jogging Song
    Sep 18, 2016 at 0:59
  • Multiple exposures in the context of HDR or AEB means multiple images, not several exposures in the same frame. I'm not sure why you think "the parameters take effect after several images" -- a change to aperture, shutter speed, or ISO (which are the parameters I was referring to) takes place immediately and will be effective for the very next image recorded.
    – Caleb
    Sep 18, 2016 at 3:34
  • @Caleb Yes, you are right. I agree that a change to aperture, shutter speed, or ISO will be effective for the very next image recorded. However, the camera will wait for a short time before taking the next image. That's why HDR+ from google use the same parameters for the burst of images to reduce changes of motion blur.
    – Jogging Song
    Sep 24, 2016 at 9:11

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