100+ Zebras Showing but Histogram NOT All The Way To Right?

[MikeOfBonsall]

Shooting S-Log2 with PP7. Trying to ETTR as much as I can without blowing highlights while monitoring histogram. Often my Zebras that are set at 100+ will be showing somewhere but the histogram goes to no more than 80%.

 

Is this because highlight areas are very small and could expose more or is area too small for histogram to register? What should I do to get max exposure with no blowouts?

 

[addicted2light]

I was excited about Sony using zebras, it was actually one of the (minor) reasons why I bought into the system; I was already using them on the Canon 5D mk II (thanks to the MagicLantern hack), so I knew what to expect.

 

But in the end their implementation, IMO, is nearly useless (at least for still; I don't shoot video).

 

Like you already experienced, even with them maxed out you will still have wiggle room on your histogram. My guess is that the camera is using the jpgs to calculate the histogram, so obviously is taking into account a lot less dynamic range compared to what you typically get shooting raw.

 

So they should be work as intended for video (that is basically, crudely speaking, a bunch of jpgs all strung together), but not so well for stills.

 

Besides, considering they do not reflect the actual histogram, I find them EXTREMELY annoying just in the situations where they could still be of some use, like when shooting in contrasty light into the woods or for snow covered landscapes. In such situations the entire image becomes a giant zebra-riddled mess...

 

Anyway, to get the maximum exposure without blow outs you will have to get to know your camera well, you will have to develop a sensibility for when the histogram is "just the way you want it". Unfortunately this will take a bit of time and experience, luckily you will have a ton of fun doing it! And, just to be sure, you could always bracket a bit (one exposure that you think is right + another one 1 stop less) the first times, until you will be more confident.

 

BTW, I'd love to see on a Sony some kind of ETTR program, like, if I'm not mistaken, Nikon did on the D810. After all the camera already has all the information it needs to do this...

[Username]

Yeah, you just hafta get familiar to the gear.  

  

Frinstintz, in truly typical scenes with a well 

mixed set of tones, IOW your theoretically 

PERFECT typical scene for metering with 

an overall averaging meter pattern, I can 

shoot with the meter showing more than a 

full stop over excess exposure [like "+1.3"] 

and the righthand column of the histogram 

remains blank ... and these scenes are not

lacking for small "bald" highlights. Knowing 

my gear, I don't find it unsettling to shoot at  

"+1.3" or similar [manual] meter reading. If 

it works, it works. Sometimes I "meter" with 

no reference to numerical readouts at all. I 

just use the shot preview on my a7-II. It is 

NOT the same thing as "Effect Setting ON"

and the coolest thing is being able to use it

even with "Effect Setting OFF". I assigned 

it to a custom button, always available :-) 

[MikeOfBonsall]

Given upon histogram for video - useless IMO.

 

Now setting zebras to 100+ and coming back a stop AFTER zebras gone and grading with ACES. Super results!

[Username]

Given upon histogram for video - useless IMO.

 

Now setting zebras to 100+ and coming back a stop AFTER

zebras gone and grading with ACES. Super results!

  

Thaz what is meant b "knowing your gear" :-) 

[Viramati]

If shooting stills set zebra to 100+ then dial exposure (EV) compensation until the lines disappear then add +2 EV and you will find that gives you protection for the highlights. I use this technique in critical exposure for landscape work.

[MikeOfBonsall]

If shooting stills set zebra to 100+ then dial exposure (EV) compensation until the lines disappear then add +2 EV and you will find that gives you protection for the highlights. I use this technique in critical exposure for landscape work.

 

Thanks. Now if I go back to no zebras then 2 forward this is about the same as one stop over zebra threshold. I've not done that for stills - I'll try. The A7 is a much better still camera than a video one I'm finding but video is my thing. Focusing is so easy in still mode but shooting Slog video as I do contrast is so soft peaking does not (hardly) work and viewfinder not good enough for critical eye focus.

[Viramati]

Thanks. Now if I go back to no zebras then 2 forward this is about the same as one stop over zebra threshold. I've not done that for stills - I'll try. The A7 is a much better still camera than a video one I'm finding but video is my thing. Focusing is so easy in still mode but shooting Slog video as I do contrast is so soft peaking does not (hardly) work and viewfinder not good enough for critical eye focus.

 

Sorry but I only shoot stills so can't help there. The settings I mentioned are for the A7rII and the standard A7 probably has less dynamic range so you might want to advance a little less maybe +1 and a half