In-camera N-grad filter

No more carrying around collections of N-grad filters. Simply dial in the desired ISO values, select the gradient type (soft-edge, sharp-edge, direction), and the camera automatically adjusts the ISO sensitivity across the sensor. Too bright sky? Dial in 2 or 3-stops lower ISO value at the top of the sensor and problem solved! How long will it take to implement such feature?

Interesting idea, but, well, it depends. If you have a bright sky and you can get a good exposure on your foreground at ISO 100, you might want a 1-2 stop grad for your sky, but it's not going to work to have the camera "lower" your ISO by 1-2 stops. To make that possible you'd have to up the ISO by 2 stops and speed up the shutter speed by two stops, unless they actually make a sensor that can hit say ISO 25.

Actually so much is possible with digital processing, especially shooting Raw, that GNDs are pretty, well, going out of "style"!

Well, high-end cameras alreadygo down to ISO 50. Most people use ISO 200, which would give you 4-stops difference for the gradient. I think it's totally doable, but I am not sure about possible engineering constraints in having varibale ISOs across the sensor.

I agree but...

I agree that this would be great but, it would probably take a major enginering feat and would only be interesting to serious photographers.

Canon is not generlly interested in spending any effort on extras that serious photographers would be interested in. They are much more interested in things which sell cameras to the multitudes and they are: gazillions of pixels, unbelievable ISO, video and even more and more automation.

I would be happy if they would just give me an ISO 50 in the 7D and a five to nine stop auto-exposure-bracketing burst for increased HDR capability.

Piggy-backing on your original thought, what about a round GND filter with the cut-off at 1/3 into the frame rather than directly down the center. That way we could use a round filter for GND work while still conforming to the "suggested" rule of thirds and have an ability to use our lens hood...

I was thinking it would be easier to just vary the speed of the second curtain of the shutter, but I guess if you did that it would only work for pictures taken in landscape format.

Not useful for serious landscape photography. I'd rather have the option of precisely rotating my filters and being able to use multiple filters positioned at different angles. Not to mention feathering the transition zone of the grad.

Variable ISO across the sensor would be interesting. Why couldn't they produce a system that will prevent over/under exposed areas?

I like the lower idea of LOWER ISO. How about ISO 25? I doubt an on-sensor gradient would be practical -- where would the gradient start/end. But some cameras have in-camera HDR, so this could be a quick-n-dirty gradient filter.

cfibanez wrote in post #10872971
Well, high-end cameras alreadygo down to ISO 50. Most people use ISO 200, which would give you 4-stops difference for the gradient. I think it's totally doable, but I am not sure about possible engineering constraints in having varibale ISOs across the sensor.

iso50 to iso200 is only 2 stops.

FSM wrote in post #10874577
Variable ISO across the sensor would be interesting. Why couldn't they produce a system that will prevent over/under exposed areas?

Like a built-in HDR feature. Using the built-in highlight feature the sensor could underexpose those areas, and the opposite for shadows. All I have to say is....give it time. Eventually they will build a Smart Sensor that will capture a much wider DR. They just have to figure out the in camera processing. The sensors will already show you highlights....it's only a matter of time before they figure it out.

Canon already filed a patent on adjusting the exposure time for individual pixels based on a pre-exposure - assigning them to one of several values, and a separate part of the file contains that information for reconstruction post-exposure. So, in one exposure, one gets information enough for an HDR but all from one point in time, not several successive times.
Not clear whether they will ever commercialize it, though

RPCrowe wrote in post #10873192
I agree that this would be great but, it would probably take a major enginering feat and would only be interesting to serious photographers.

Canon is not generlly interested in spending any effort on extras that serious photographers would be interested in. They are much more interested in things which sell cameras to the multitudes and they are: gazillions of pixels, unbelievable ISO, video and even more and more automation.

Canon doesn't care about ISO (or dynamic range). With the exception of the 5Dii and 1-series, ISO performance hasn't improved in the last 5 years. Only MOAR MEGAPIXES! Nikon has gained so much industry share because Canon quit innovating and started releasing cameras with more megapixels and bigger screens, and nothing else improved.

AJSJones wrote in post #10875346
Canon already filed a patent on adjusting the exposure time for individual pixels based on a pre-exposure - assigning them to one of several values, and a separate part of the file contains that information for reconstruction post-exposure. So, in one exposure, one gets information enough for an HDR but all from one point in time, not several successive times.
Not clear whether they will ever commercialize it, though

This sounds interesting. Could you link me the article/source?

To me it would seem you would run into the same issues as with high ISO shots - noisiness. i'd rather physically restrict the amount of light coming into the lens than digitally process it out, unless I had no other options. with that said, we all know having iso3200/6400/12800 is good for those times when you just can't do anything else. cant say how useful iso-3200/-6400/-12800 would be ....

geekyrocketguy wrote in post #10875521
This sounds interesting. Could you link me the article/source?

The patent can be found here

There was a discussion at Naturescapes.com a while back.

Whether it can be reduced to practice for commercialization is still inknown!