Abstract: In a color image sensor having alternating rows of photosensitive pixels of first and second patterns of spectral sensitivity to one or more of first, second, and third colors, the method of reading out the sensor comprising the steps of:reading out a group of three sequential rows of pixels, by combining the two rows having pixels of the same pattern of spectral sensitivity into a single read-out row of pixels and dumping the row of pixels having the different pattern of spectral sensitivity; andrepeating the readout step until the sensor is completely read out so that sequential readout rows of pixels read out from the sensor have alternating rows of pixels of first and second patterns of spectral sensitivity to one or more of the first, second and third colors, the sensor thereby being read out at a faster frame rate while preserving the color pixel pattern of the sensor.