If you need a deeper dive into Histograms, check out this video 👉 Confused by HISTOGRAMS? Histograms Explained for Beginner Photographers th-cam.com/video/_UOOOThuYO4/w-d-xo.html
Very well said and done, Dan. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I have subscribed, and I look forward to viewing future content. Cheers! 😀
This was a really clear and concise video! Question though, if we are using zebras to guide us, why does the M.M exposure meter differ? Some people go as far to say you shouldn't pay any attention to it e.g. if it 0.0
Your Sony Alpha zebras guidance for photography is super helpful. None of this in the user manual… I’d figured out that 100+ was not truly over-exposed when shot in raw and didn’t know what value to use.
AWESOME info and tutorial. Im a photog but haven't been using zebras really. Great info to help me understand then note to mark ETTR. Yes i fully endorse Mark Galer and his channel . He's the Sony master for sure.
I set this up last week for highlight clipping after watching your video. Super handy this weekend. I was able to adjust exposure so fast. I would really like to understand dual base iso and iso invariance. It seems like it’s related while completely separate.
Leica do zebras - I've got two set up, one at 80% and the other at 90% (they will go from 0% to 109%). Like you (in stills) I use them to keep comfortably away from burnout - I shoot in RAW + jpeg normally so knowing that you are not overloading your sensor is always a good thing.
Glad to hear it, Gavin! I have another video that will likely change the way you shoot going live tomorrow morning. I'll be curious to see what you think!
Very nice video! 👏 On the next video can you please tell us about the best exposure by setting correctly between the shutter speed and the iso values. So our video or photo is properly exposed. Thanks in advance 😊
Thanks for the video, man. I'm a total noob when it comes to cameras, and I just bought a ZV-E10 to get started shooting video. I'd like to shoot outdoors, but it is proving to be a challenge to get the right settings...especially when I don't know cameras. Shutter, ISO, aperture, now zebras. 😩
Very good video. I have been using the zebra level lower limit at 109+ (on my Sony a7R III) even before seeing this video, so I can confirm that we agree. I use this as a technique to do exposure to the right (maximize exposure (light) on the sensor to get highest dynamic range and least noise). However, I noticed that in the video, your camera was not at ISO 100, but it was at ISO 320. Then I am thinking: On a nearly ISO-invariant camera, how much does it make sense to apply the technique to do ETTR when ISO is not at base level (one of the two)? In the video you could have set a shutter speed (1/25) and aperture (f/2.8) and then dialed the ISO down a little bit (to 200 or 160) to make the LCD, EVF and jpeg SOOC look nicer (not too white), and you would still get the exactly same exposure (light) on the sensor. Another way to arrive at your settings, you could have just set your settings without employing any 107+ zebras by just evaluating exposure normally for jpeg using the histogram with ISO 160 (resulting in 1/25, f/2.8). And then just for the sake of it dialed the ISO up from 160 to 320. But obviously, dialing the ISO up would not give any benefit for DR or noise. It would just wash out the EVF, LVD and jpeg and consume some of the headroom in the raw file for no added benefit. The procedure in the video, at ISO 320, was not actually ETTR (still 1.7 stops headroom on the sensor (because ISO 320 is 1.7 stops above ISO 100)) although it demostrated how to do the technique. Anyway, apart from the ISO unfortunately not being at 100, the teaching was fine!
You're correct that ETTR needs to be done with aperture and shutter speed; however, there's one important exception to this that I covered at the end of my deep dive into ISO. If bumping up your ISO allows you to jump from the low conversion gain circuit to the high conversion gain circuit, then that is a use case where using ISO to "ETTR" is legitimate for s/n performance. ISO 320 is the second base ISO on the A7R IV. My main goal in this video was just to show the zebras appearing and how to set them so I didn't want to dive into all that ISO nuance here 😉 Oh, and I never shoot in jpeg. Never.
Hello there! at 11:20 you mention that Zebra lines are based on RAW data. I really want to believe this, because as you suggest, this would be so useful to control overexposure in RAW photography. However, I run a simple experiment and it looks like Zebras are not based on RAW data :( . I simply set certain exposure (fixed speed, aperture and ISO), and just by changing the creative look, the Zebra changed completely. This is frustrating since depending on the creative look or the picture profile I have to run a lot of tests to find the Zebra lower limit that indicates the true highlight clipping of the RAW data. Moreover, it can happen that the creative look clips the highlights at a value lower than the zebra's lower limit , and then you will never see the Zebra lines, even if you blow out everything in overexposure. Any light you could throw on this??
Don't ever use creative looks or picture profiles when shooting raw. They're not meant for that and they affect the jpeg preview you'll see on your camera and can also affect your zebras. The creative looks are only for jpeg, and the picture profiles are only for video. Plus, the clipping point changes based on the gamma. For instance, if you were using s-log 3, which is the linear data compressed into a logarithmic gamma curve, then the clipping point becomes 94. So yes, the zebras are based on raw data, but it sounds like the setting you're using are interfering with it.
Not sure. Never used that camera, though I get the sense from some other comments that it may not. If your camera has it though, it would definitely highlight that in your user manual since it would be a selling point. 👍
Thanks, I am just getting into using Zebras just for skin tones and been watching several videos. Only half way through your video but I think this is a good way to expose skin tones if you shoot people like I do most of the time and would rather have the sky a little blown out than the skin tones. I saw some other guys saying 65 and +- 2 was supposedly the sweet spot for measuring skin tones.. Thanks for the video.
Glad you found it helpful! And yes, that's typically the thought process I'm going through, too, when deciding what to use: is my first priority to target a certain value (like you said with people) or protect highlights
I was a TV camera person for 35 years. Always used zebras when video came in. Set at 70% for skin tones. I generally had zebras just breaking out on faces, not covering the majority of the face.
Yeah, for rec.709 stuff, that's where I usually target, too. With S-log3, I tend to go around 50-55 depending on how dark the scene is and if I'm trying to expose brightly for noise performance later.
Great video, a random click on my recommended tab. I do have a question though as part of the video seems to agree with the Lower 109+ method, but in the comments below you're talking to people who are setting 70 +2. For a hobbyist who is just walking around, taking random shots of anything from leaves on the ground, to dogs, people, trees, buildings etc, should I just leave it at Lower 100+, or keep it at Lower 109+? Or, to protect highlights should I be using something else?
Hey Dan (great name 😉 ), what you're seeing in the comments are some folks discussing more nuanced scenarios for video where they want to target a specific IRE value. So a different use case than a simple "protect the highlights" in a photography use case. Am I correct in inferring based on your comment that you're only shooting photography? If so, and you're shooting raw, then a great method is to use your histogram and zebras together. Eyeball your exposure using your histogram and then set your zebras to warn you of highlight clipping, which is when you'd use 109+ (I use 107+ to give me a little bit of wiggle room). If you're shooting jpeg, then 100+ is what you'd have to use for highlight clipping. If you're shooting video, then the zebra values for clipping and middle grey are going to change depending on the video gamma you're using. The documentation for the video gamma you're using will tell you IRE values to target. For instance, with s-log3, middle grey is at 41 and the highlights clip at 94. But if you're only shooting stills, then only worry about the parts of the video (and the comments) talking about photography.
@@DanFox Thanks for the quick reply - great names indeed. You've inferred perfectly regarding the shooting of RAW, I'm using a Sony a7iv which rarely ever leaves manual mode. I've seen this 109+ a couple of times so I stuck it on yesterday after watching your video and I'll see how I get on now the sun is getting lower. My only problem is I tend to use the horizon level rather than the histogram - no idea why Sony determined you couldn't have both at the same time. With my shooting being run and gun without tripods, I prefer a level image to begin with as I feel you can visualise a good exposure easier than a poorly levelled image. I may just have to bite the bullet and use the histogram screen instead for a while. I've got a video to do in a couple of weeks where I might be using S-Log3 S-Cine so I'll have a read up on the specs. Thanks again, I've really enjoyed watching a few of your videos yesterday that confirmed stuff I sort of knew but really enhanced my overall knowledge on those subjects.
@DanFox so let just get this straight, after setting my range to like let's say 70 and I see zebras, do I just turn zebras off so it doesn't interfere with looking at the screen, or do I go down a notch so the zebras dissappear. Also what number would I need to expose to for like landscape of greenery or water or a snowy mountain. Thanks in advance❤
If the zebras bother you while shooting, you can just turn them off. I have my trash cash set to toggle zebras on and off so it's really quick. When you're targeting a specific value with a range you want to see the zebras on your subject, not back off. When you're trying to protect highlights and have an upper limit set, THAT'S when you want to back off until the zebras disappear. For most landscape shots, I'm probably using my zebras as a highlight clipping warning unless I'm in a dense forest with no sky/reflections happening - in which case I'll usually target middle grey. It really depends on what the subject is to you in the moment. Middle grey changes depending on which gamma you're using.
Ane nitip sandal dulu disini ya Juragan buat menit2 dibawah ini biar gampang ditengoknya lagi klo2 nanti lupa.. 😂 04:06, IRE Guidelines. 06:59, how to set ur zebra if u use custom picture profile. 08:28, settings for newbie (me) who only shoot on JPEG and standard PP straight from the camera.
I'm still confused. Don't zebras indicate clipping? So if I'm setting exposure for skin tone, wouldn't I not want zebra stripes to appear there? And does this same system apply for shooting in LOG? I would love to figure this out because honestly the thought of buying a monitor and trying to use false colors intimidates me.
Zebras CAN indicate clipping, but it can also be used other ways that I break down in the video (provided your camera allows you to set up custom zebra settings). And yup! Zebras will work for log, too, but you'll need to refer to the documentation for the particular type of log you're using. For instance, with s-log3, middle grey is 41% and clipping is anything above 94%.
@@DanFox thanks for the reply a year after the video came out! Definitely makes me feel a bit more at ease trying this method. I think I'll give it a test before my next gig - I'm running a Lumix GH6 and new to shooting with anything that isn't a cell phone lol
I just use 107+ to give me a little wiggle room when shooting raw because you can't always see zebras in small highlight areas when you're looking at the screen. You can set it by going into your custom zebras, changing it to the lower limit option, and then dial in the amount (107) like I showed in the video for the highlight clipping warning section. Is that what you meant? I have a shortcut to get to my Zebras faster by adding it to the custom Function (Fn) menu - in case you were wondering how I got there without going through the menus. If you can't find the zebras in your A7IV menu, go to Exposure/color > zebras display > zebra level.
Oh, and I currently shoot with the A7RIV, the A7SIII, and the A7IV. Just recently sold my A7III to upgrade to the A7IV. In the video, I was showing the back of my A7RIV, which uses Sony's older menu system.
Yeah, that's why I mentioned at the beginning that you'll find Zebras in prosumer or pro bodies. The histogram video I made will probably be more useful for ya. 👍
Thx for sharing. I think if you want to photograph in RAW you should deactivate the "dynamic range optimizer" DRO also to get a more realistic historgram. I think that also has effect on the zebra -> so turning DRO off and setting zebra to 105 could be a good value. For video DRO on could be better (but i am more doing in photos so i dont know).
Oh, yeah. Great point 👍 You should never use DRO for raw. It won't affect the raw data, but it definitely affects anything jpeg related. Including how your scene looks on the screen and your histogram. Won't affect zebras though.
@@DanFox Interestingly, in Fujifilm cameras the similar functionality as Sony DRO does affect the raw file. pal2tech has a video about that. Have you confirmed through your own tests that is does not affect the Sony raw files, or how do you know?
It affects the raw file in the sense that it encourages you to underexpose (so it causes you to subconsciously alter your behavior) by altering what you see, but if you shoot the same image at the exact same settings just with one shot using DRO and one shot not, the image looks the same when I got it into my editor. At least that was my experience when I tested it - though I don't own every single Sony camera that exists lol. I can't imagine Sony would change this to work differently on some cameras than others. I just turn it off and leave it off permanently.
Not sure I'm following your comment. I do keep a pocket sized color checker in my bag which can be useful in certain challenging scenarios, but I don't use it all the much when filming on the fly.
He's incorrect, though ;) - a lot of folks think that North Americans pronounce it wrong for various reasons (including that it doesn't follow typical English rules and emulates a more francophone pronunciation, but most don't know that our "odd" way of pronouncing it used to be the formal way of pronouncing it in the Elizabethan era ("zee" rather than "zeh" which became "zed" when pronouncing just the letter) - i.e. it predates the current British-style pronunciation because it used to be the original British style pronunciation. It was our friends across the pond who actually changed their pronunciation to "Zeh-brah" ;) Not that I really care who says it "right", but I say all this to say that I was curious about why this was at one point myself lol
@@DanFox As far a I read, the word comes originally from Angola congolese dialect bunda, where it was 'zerba'. Hard to track now how exactly it is pronounced there, in my mother tongue we also use zeh. But nevermind
If you need a deeper dive into Histograms, check out this video 👉 Confused by HISTOGRAMS? Histograms Explained for Beginner Photographers th-cam.com/video/_UOOOThuYO4/w-d-xo.html
Hands down the best skin exposure tutorial on TH-cam. Thank you so much.
Wow, this is really helpful information. I only ever used Zebras for highlight clipping, but now I feel like I understand it much better.
Glad it was helpful, Seth!
This was way better than most other videos I have seen on the topic. Thank you so much mate.... Keep up the great work. Cheers from Norway 🇳🇴
There's a country I need to visit! And glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for letting me know!
Very well said and done, Dan. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I have subscribed, and I look forward to viewing future content. Cheers! 😀
This was a really clear and concise video! Question though, if we are using zebras to guide us, why does the M.M exposure meter differ? Some people go as far to say you shouldn't pay any attention to it e.g. if it 0.0
Your Sony Alpha zebras guidance for photography is super helpful. None of this in the user manual… I’d figured out that 100+ was not truly over-exposed when shot in raw and didn’t know what value to use.
You’ve really opened my eyes up to using the zebreas
So useful once you get used to them!
AWESOME info and tutorial. Im a photog but haven't been using zebras really. Great info to help me understand then note to mark ETTR. Yes i fully endorse Mark Galer and his channel . He's the Sony master for sure.
Appreciate the feedback and glad it helped! 🤘
This was super helpful as a newbie videographer. Thank you
Sure thing! Glad it helped!
We learned what the zebras say, from what the fox said.
bahahahahaha
I set this up last week for highlight clipping after watching your video. Super handy this weekend. I was able to adjust exposure so fast.
I would really like to understand dual base iso and iso invariance. It seems like it’s related while completely separate.
Nice! Glad it helped!
And you're serving up some deliciously nerdy video ideas! 😉 I'll add them to the ever growing list!
My google home is directly on top of one of my speakers, and you 100% triggered it. lol
Bahahahaha! I didn't even think of that! 🤣 Good thing I didn't say anything too nefarious, then! 😉
Leica do zebras - I've got two set up, one at 80% and the other at 90% (they will go from 0% to 109%). Like you (in stills) I use them to keep comfortably away from burnout - I shoot in RAW + jpeg normally so knowing that you are not overloading your sensor is always a good thing.
Great video with good information. Thank you.
You're welcome. Glad you found it helpful!
This is a fine video, dude! Thank you!
You're very welcome! 🤘
Great. vid. MG a s one of the best where Sony is concerned. Good info for someone who is thinking of venturing into the Sony e osystem.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video, this is going to change the way I shoot.
Glad to hear it, Gavin! I have another video that will likely change the way you shoot going live tomorrow morning. I'll be curious to see what you think!
@@DanFox I'll be watching with camera in hand. Cheers from the Sunshine Coast, Australia.
In the Fuji cameras you have it and also you have by turning live view on to adjust the histogram to raw😊
Very nice video! 👏 On the next video can you please tell us about the best exposure by setting correctly between the shutter speed and the iso values.
So our video or photo is properly exposed.
Thanks in advance 😊
Thanks for the video, man.
I'm a total noob when it comes to cameras, and I just bought a ZV-E10 to get started shooting video.
I'd like to shoot outdoors, but it is proving to be a challenge to get the right settings...especially when I don't know cameras.
Shutter, ISO, aperture, now zebras. 😩
Just practice! You'll get there! I have a video on understanding manual mode if you need 👍
@@DanFox I'll check it out. I think I've picked up enough at this point that manual mode is THE way to go.
Very good video. I have been using the zebra level lower limit at 109+ (on my Sony a7R III) even before seeing this video, so I can confirm that we agree. I use this as a technique to do exposure to the right (maximize exposure (light) on the sensor to get highest dynamic range and least noise). However, I noticed that in the video, your camera was not at ISO 100, but it was at ISO 320. Then I am thinking: On a nearly ISO-invariant camera, how much does it make sense to apply the technique to do ETTR when ISO is not at base level (one of the two)? In the video you could have set a shutter speed (1/25) and aperture (f/2.8) and then dialed the ISO down a little bit (to 200 or 160) to make the LCD, EVF and jpeg SOOC look nicer (not too white), and you would still get the exactly same exposure (light) on the sensor. Another way to arrive at your settings, you could have just set your settings without employing any 107+ zebras by just evaluating exposure normally for jpeg using the histogram with ISO 160 (resulting in 1/25, f/2.8). And then just for the sake of it dialed the ISO up from 160 to 320. But obviously, dialing the ISO up would not give any benefit for DR or noise. It would just wash out the EVF, LVD and jpeg and consume some of the headroom in the raw file for no added benefit. The procedure in the video, at ISO 320, was not actually ETTR (still 1.7 stops headroom on the sensor (because ISO 320 is 1.7 stops above ISO 100)) although it demostrated how to do the technique.
Anyway, apart from the ISO unfortunately not being at 100, the teaching was fine!
You're correct that ETTR needs to be done with aperture and shutter speed; however, there's one important exception to this that I covered at the end of my deep dive into ISO. If bumping up your ISO allows you to jump from the low conversion gain circuit to the high conversion gain circuit, then that is a use case where using ISO to "ETTR" is legitimate for s/n performance. ISO 320 is the second base ISO on the A7R IV. My main goal in this video was just to show the zebras appearing and how to set them so I didn't want to dive into all that ISO nuance here 😉
Oh, and I never shoot in jpeg. Never.
interesting and informative! thanks buddy
Sure thing!
Helpful video, thanks so much!
You're very welcome! 👍
Very well explained sir! Thank you
You're welcome!
Really appreciate this video!
I'm glad it helped! 👍
Thank you for your help, but how can I do when I’m using external monitor? Sony doesn't leave the zebras on the external monitors
Many of those external monitors will have exposure tools of their own built in, like zebras or false colors.
Hello there! at 11:20 you mention that Zebra lines are based on RAW data. I really want to believe this, because as you suggest, this would be so useful to control overexposure in RAW photography. However, I run a simple experiment and it looks like Zebras are not based on RAW data :( . I simply set certain exposure (fixed speed, aperture and ISO), and just by changing the creative look, the Zebra changed completely. This is frustrating since depending on the creative look or the picture profile I have to run a lot of tests to find the Zebra lower limit that indicates the true highlight clipping of the RAW data. Moreover, it can happen that the creative look clips the highlights at a value lower than the zebra's lower limit , and then you will never see the Zebra lines, even if you blow out everything in overexposure. Any light you could throw on this??
Don't ever use creative looks or picture profiles when shooting raw. They're not meant for that and they affect the jpeg preview you'll see on your camera and can also affect your zebras. The creative looks are only for jpeg, and the picture profiles are only for video. Plus, the clipping point changes based on the gamma. For instance, if you were using s-log 3, which is the linear data compressed into a logarithmic gamma curve, then the clipping point becomes 94. So yes, the zebras are based on raw data, but it sounds like the setting you're using are interfering with it.
i live in tropical country everyday always sunny 100+ could be the best option i photograph mostly wildlife, thanks
Great video! And thanks for triggering my Google Home Hub. 😆
🤣 🤣 you're welcome!
Does the canon 600d have zebra pattern
Not sure. Never used that camera, though I get the sense from some other comments that it may not. If your camera has it though, it would definitely highlight that in your user manual since it would be a selling point. 👍
Thanks, I am just getting into using Zebras just for skin tones and been watching several videos. Only half way through your video but I think this is a good way to expose skin tones if you shoot people like I do most of the time and would rather have the sky a little blown out than the skin tones. I saw some other guys saying 65 and +- 2 was supposedly the sweet spot for measuring skin tones.. Thanks for the video.
Glad you found it helpful!
And yes, that's typically the thought process I'm going through, too, when deciding what to use: is my first priority to target a certain value (like you said with people) or protect highlights
I was a TV camera person for 35 years. Always used zebras when video came in. Set at 70% for skin tones.
I generally had zebras just breaking out on faces, not covering the majority of the face.
Yeah, for rec.709 stuff, that's where I usually target, too. With S-log3, I tend to go around 50-55 depending on how dark the scene is and if I'm trying to expose brightly for noise performance later.
Great video
Appreciate it!
Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Great video, a random click on my recommended tab. I do have a question though as part of the video seems to agree with the Lower 109+ method, but in the comments below you're talking to people who are setting 70 +2. For a hobbyist who is just walking around, taking random shots of anything from leaves on the ground, to dogs, people, trees, buildings etc, should I just leave it at Lower 100+, or keep it at Lower 109+? Or, to protect highlights should I be using something else?
Hey Dan (great name 😉 ), what you're seeing in the comments are some folks discussing more nuanced scenarios for video where they want to target a specific IRE value. So a different use case than a simple "protect the highlights" in a photography use case. Am I correct in inferring based on your comment that you're only shooting photography? If so, and you're shooting raw, then a great method is to use your histogram and zebras together. Eyeball your exposure using your histogram and then set your zebras to warn you of highlight clipping, which is when you'd use 109+ (I use 107+ to give me a little bit of wiggle room). If you're shooting jpeg, then 100+ is what you'd have to use for highlight clipping. If you're shooting video, then the zebra values for clipping and middle grey are going to change depending on the video gamma you're using. The documentation for the video gamma you're using will tell you IRE values to target. For instance, with s-log3, middle grey is at 41 and the highlights clip at 94. But if you're only shooting stills, then only worry about the parts of the video (and the comments) talking about photography.
@@DanFox Thanks for the quick reply - great names indeed. You've inferred perfectly regarding the shooting of RAW, I'm using a Sony a7iv which rarely ever leaves manual mode. I've seen this 109+ a couple of times so I stuck it on yesterday after watching your video and I'll see how I get on now the sun is getting lower. My only problem is I tend to use the horizon level rather than the histogram - no idea why Sony determined you couldn't have both at the same time. With my shooting being run and gun without tripods, I prefer a level image to begin with as I feel you can visualise a good exposure easier than a poorly levelled image. I may just have to bite the bullet and use the histogram screen instead for a while. I've got a video to do in a couple of weeks where I might be using S-Log3 S-Cine so I'll have a read up on the specs. Thanks again, I've really enjoyed watching a few of your videos yesterday that confirmed stuff I sort of knew but really enhanced my overall knowledge on those subjects.
If you're shooting s-log and have to overexpose, would zebras still work?
Zebras work fine. See the section where I talk about targeting specific values.
@DanFox so let just get this straight, after setting my range to like let's say 70 and I see zebras, do I just turn zebras off so it doesn't interfere with looking at the screen, or do I go down a notch so the zebras dissappear.
Also what number would I need to expose to for like landscape of greenery or water or a snowy mountain.
Thanks in advance❤
If the zebras bother you while shooting, you can just turn them off. I have my trash cash set to toggle zebras on and off so it's really quick. When you're targeting a specific value with a range you want to see the zebras on your subject, not back off. When you're trying to protect highlights and have an upper limit set, THAT'S when you want to back off until the zebras disappear.
For most landscape shots, I'm probably using my zebras as a highlight clipping warning unless I'm in a dense forest with no sky/reflections happening - in which case I'll usually target middle grey. It really depends on what the subject is to you in the moment. Middle grey changes depending on which gamma you're using.
Ane nitip sandal dulu disini ya Juragan buat menit2 dibawah ini biar gampang ditengoknya lagi klo2 nanti lupa.. 😂
04:06, IRE Guidelines.
06:59, how to set ur zebra if u use custom picture profile.
08:28, settings for newbie (me) who only shoot on JPEG and standard PP straight from the camera.
Best video on this subject I’ve seen, thank you!
Appreciate it, Mike! Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for introducing me to the world of zebras! Who would’ve known that zebras aren’t just found in a zoo!
🤣🤣
Meanwhile, all those poor wild Zebras are feeling left out lol
I'm still confused. Don't zebras indicate clipping? So if I'm setting exposure for skin tone, wouldn't I not want zebra stripes to appear there? And does this same system apply for shooting in LOG? I would love to figure this out because honestly the thought of buying a monitor and trying to use false colors intimidates me.
Zebras CAN indicate clipping, but it can also be used other ways that I break down in the video (provided your camera allows you to set up custom zebra settings). And yup! Zebras will work for log, too, but you'll need to refer to the documentation for the particular type of log you're using. For instance, with s-log3, middle grey is 41% and clipping is anything above 94%.
@@DanFox thanks for the reply a year after the video came out! Definitely makes me feel a bit more at ease trying this method. I think I'll give it a test before my next gig - I'm running a Lumix GH6 and new to shooting with anything that isn't a cell phone lol
Sure thing!
Nice video , learned a lot. Your settings 107 not 109 how did you get that? which camera you use? I have a74 . thanks
I just use 107+ to give me a little wiggle room when shooting raw because you can't always see zebras in small highlight areas when you're looking at the screen. You can set it by going into your custom zebras, changing it to the lower limit option, and then dial in the amount (107) like I showed in the video for the highlight clipping warning section. Is that what you meant?
I have a shortcut to get to my Zebras faster by adding it to the custom Function (Fn) menu - in case you were wondering how I got there without going through the menus. If you can't find the zebras in your A7IV menu, go to Exposure/color > zebras display > zebra level.
Oh, and I currently shoot with the A7RIV, the A7SIII, and the A7IV. Just recently sold my A7III to upgrade to the A7IV. In the video, I was showing the back of my A7RIV, which uses Sony's older menu system.
Problem; Most of us do NOT have a ZEBRA setting on our mid range cameras such as Canon M50.
Yeah, that's why I mentioned at the beginning that you'll find Zebras in prosumer or pro bodies. The histogram video I made will probably be more useful for ya. 👍
man, we need to do something to get you more subscribers
Ha! I appreciate the sentiment!
Interesting, thanks for the explanation Dan! Unfortunately it's all too much for my pea brain.
The good news is that you can watch it more than once if you need to 😉
@@DanFox lol, I have to watch all you videos a few times. They are packed with information!
My d200 with no zebras
Bummer!
Thx for sharing. I think if you want to photograph in RAW you should deactivate the "dynamic range optimizer" DRO also to get a more realistic historgram. I think that also has effect on the zebra -> so turning DRO off and setting zebra to 105 could be a good value.
For video DRO on could be better (but i am more doing in photos so i dont know).
Oh, yeah. Great point 👍 You should never use DRO for raw. It won't affect the raw data, but it definitely affects anything jpeg related. Including how your scene looks on the screen and your histogram. Won't affect zebras though.
@@DanFox Interestingly, in Fujifilm cameras the similar functionality as Sony DRO does affect the raw file. pal2tech has a video about that. Have you confirmed through your own tests that is does not affect the Sony raw files, or how do you know?
It affects the raw file in the sense that it encourages you to underexpose (so it causes you to subconsciously alter your behavior) by altering what you see, but if you shoot the same image at the exact same settings just with one shot using DRO and one shot not, the image looks the same when I got it into my editor. At least that was my experience when I tested it - though I don't own every single Sony camera that exists lol. I can't imagine Sony would change this to work differently on some cameras than others. I just turn it off and leave it off permanently.
Very good tutorial. But it is Zebra not Zeebra just like Nikon and not Nykon.😃😄😁 Just got to defend us Brits!
🤣🤣🤣 I suppose I'll let it slide... this time lol
I use zebras A LOT in photography because I don't understand histograms properly no matter how many videos i watch
Here's one I made in the topic. See if that clears things up for ya th-cam.com/video/_UOOOThuYO4/w-d-xo.html
wooooooow thx!!!
Sure thing! Glad you enjoyed!
Each time you have a color checker with you....
Not sure I'm following your comment. I do keep a pocket sized color checker in my bag which can be useful in certain challenging scenarios, but I don't use it all the much when filming on the fly.
👑
Not enjoying background music. But thanks anyways for making the video
You're welcome!
you should watch Trevor Noah about how to pronounce zebras
He's incorrect, though ;) - a lot of folks think that North Americans pronounce it wrong for various reasons (including that it doesn't follow typical English rules and emulates a more francophone pronunciation, but most don't know that our "odd" way of pronouncing it used to be the formal way of pronouncing it in the Elizabethan era ("zee" rather than "zeh" which became "zed" when pronouncing just the letter) - i.e. it predates the current British-style pronunciation because it used to be the original British style pronunciation. It was our friends across the pond who actually changed their pronunciation to "Zeh-brah" ;) Not that I really care who says it "right", but I say all this to say that I was curious about why this was at one point myself lol
@@DanFox As far a I read, the word comes originally from Angola congolese dialect bunda, where it was 'zerba'. Hard to track now how exactly it is pronounced there, in my mother tongue we also use zeh. But nevermind
Do me a favour and stop saying okay Google in your videos
🤣🤣🤣
Thanks!
You're welcome! And I appreciate the super thanks!