A method for manufacturing a high-dynamic-range color image sensor includes (a) depositing a color filter layer on a silicon substrate having a photosensitive pixel array with a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels, to form (i) a plurality of first color filters above a first subset of each of the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of second pixels and (ii) a plurality of second color filters above a second subset of each of the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of second pixels, wherein thickness of the second color filters exceeds thickness of the first color filters, and (b) depositing, on the color filter layer, a dynamic-range extending layer including grey filters above the second pixels to attenuate light propagating toward the second pixels, combined thickness of the color filter layer and the dynamic-range extending layer being uniform across the photosensitive pixel array.