How to Use Zebras for Exposure

Getting good exposure for video can be hard without using external monitors or fancy cameras. In this video we're covering how to get good exposure quickly using only zebras found on many mirrorless cameras.
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
0:38 What are Zebras?
1:33 Zebras for Skin Tones
2:06 How to Use Zebras
2:45 Picture Profiles like LOG
3:08 Gray Card and Zebras
3:45 S-Log3 Skin Tone Values
4:16 Zebras in 1 Minute!
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[@peterkertesz2861]

I have watched 100+ videos but this helped me the most with understanding zebras and values.

[@BradGiannini]

Hey thanks so much!

[@michaelfugitt6967]

Likewise!

[@jonathanpwoods]

I love how I can learn quality stuff like this on KZbin. It helps a lot as someone learning a new skill. Thanks Brad

[@BradGiannini]

Hey thanks, glad it helped!

[@terrykungel]

Brad, You have a phenomenal ability to teach us technical stuff in an amusing way that helps us understand your topic, and most importantly, start to use what we learn by the end of your video. Great work! Thank you for what you are doing for all of us! You are an incredible resource for the film and video communities.

[@BradGiannini]

Very kind of you to say, glad to help!

[@alezcoll]

Dude, this is the one. You explained it so well. None of the other tutorials I’ve seen go over when to use S + R vs Lower Limit like you! You are the chosen one! Thanks for this in depth tutorial. I watched at least 7 other videos and this one made me understand so much clearer than the rest.

[@BradGiannini]

Ha great glad it helped!

[@iamzebra7025]

Funny - we run after explanations…one after an other - long winding roads…and then - like so often - someone boils it down and suddenly everything is clear… thank you so very much🙏🏼

[@BradGiannini]

Yes it can be frustrating...Glad it helped thank you!

[@workgmail2375]

Hands down the best explanation i have ever seen. Please keep this up!

[@BradGiannini]

Thanks so much, will do!

[@dominic-ryan]

Brad, what I don't understand is how you can be cranking out videos of such quality and not have 50k subscribers by now. YT algorithms are for the bin.... Amazing content mate, keep it up!

[@BradGiannini]

Thanks so much, perhaps someday!

[@7th_tree_images]

just got a sub from me! Great stuff!

[@centralsapcsound]

Grateful for your time and expertise, Brad! Looking forward to implementing your guidance and accurately creating quality images.

[@BradGiannini]

Happy to help!

[@Ulloy777]

Been searching for well explained zebra videos for my students, and… this is it! Thanks!

[@BradGiannini]

Great thanks, glad I could help!

[@georgbucher6873]

Hi Brad, one of the best explanations for this topic! You have my subscription!

[@BradGiannini]

Hey thanks so much, glad to have you!

[@QEngineering]

That is awesome! I didn't know it was that easy to setup your lighting. 🍻

[@randyrosca6471]

Same here. Thank you! You are a fantastic teacher!

[@_topiece]

Exactly what i was looking for 👍👍 loved it! Suppper helpful

[@BradGiannini]

Great, glad to help!

[@SharifeLove]

This video was absolutely amazing. Thank you!

[@BradGiannini]

Glad it was helpful!

[@authorizedauthority9725]

best explanation. Good work brother!

[@BradGiannini]

Hey thanks!

[@gaetanobruno5889]

i've watched the most viewed videos from this topic, and only with yours i fully understood. congrats man keep doing !!

[@BradGiannini]

Great thanks for that, glad it helped!

[@donttellhimpike2043]

What a great video, Brad. Wonderful, lucid explanation that gets to the point.. and I have watched a LOT of Sony exposure vids. Entertaining too. When you hit fame and 100k subscribers, I shall gloat that I subbed when he was nobody! Keep it up! 👍

[@BradGiannini]

Well thank you for saying that, means more than you know. I won't forget it!

[@timmcnulty005]

Hey! Thanks so much fo rmaking this a simple easy to follow process! I've watched a bunch of vids with a lot of great info, but sometimes it's hard to digest and apply all of it while run and gun shooting!

[@BradGiannini]

Great to hear! Yeah I agree, knowledge is power but sometimes it can be overwhelming. Glad to help!

[@amiirnzrn]

Helped me alot, thanks!

[@BradGiannini]

Well great glad it helped!

[@AnthonyValli]

Thank you for 2:12! A lot of tutorials assume we already know how to dial in custom skin tone zebras on the viewfinder, i.e. how much of a subject's face should the zebras should cover. Before I was dialing in my zebras far too generously (they were covering the entire key light side of my subject's face!). You've saved me a huge headache!

[@BradGiannini]

Glad to help! I think many people do that, as I see a lot of faces that are blown out on one side. Lighting is tricky stuff!

[@Maros_Mari]

Well done, great info, very helpful, thank you for this.

[@BradGiannini]

Great, glad I was able to help!

[@igorgimenez]

Super helpful, thanks

[@BradGiannini]

Great glad to help!

[@TheFearlessFew]

this was a really good video

[@cadyem3201]

nice and simple. love it!

[@BradGiannini]

Great thanks!

[@DrWasim]

So valuable! Thank you 🙏 Subbed!

[@BradGiannini]

Thanks so much, happy to help!

[@anananwar]

You just won yourself a sub for this one. Lovely tutorial.

[@BradGiannini]

Hey thanks, much appreciated!

[@gerki_fpv]

Very good explanation 💪🏻

[@BradGiannini]

Thank you!

[@RC-dz3yg]

Wow, just found your channel, thank you for this and your videos dont contain any bs! Just direct to the point and i love your videos. New subscriber here.

[@BradGiannini]

Hey thanks so much, yeah I always try to get straight to the point I'm with you on that!

[@RC-dz3yg]

@@BradGiannini and I'm from Chicago too, yey!

[@BradGiannini]

@@RC-dz3yg Very cool!

[@sammyh9542]

Great video. Thanks 🙏

[@BradGiannini]

Thanks so much!

[@Rated111E]

Maaaaaannn. Amazing work!

[@BradGiannini]

Hey thanks, much appreciated!

[@films.ap_]

you just won a subscriber with that zebra joke lol thanks for the amazing video

[@BradGiannini]

Ha great, thanks for watching!

[@streetready]

Brad, thank you man!

[@BradGiannini]

My pleasure, thanks for watching!

[@yousefalshamrani]

Just great

[@korujaa]

Great content, omg

[@michaelauknz]

What a great discovery you are... amazing..a hidden genius in the junk yard of KZbin..

[@BradGiannini]

Ha what a great comment, thank you!

[@creativevision2891]

Really Beautiful explanation. How easily explain a critical thinks. I searching lots of video & content on internet but u r the best. Lots of Love from india thank you.🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@BradGiannini]

Thank you...glad to help!

[@creativevision2891]

@@BradGiannini Thank you

[@Jambo1999]

Thanks for reminding me that its different using Slog3. I was overexposing.

[@BradGiannini]

Glad to help!

[@smalltalk.productions9977]

really helpful. thanks for the effort and the sharing. your examples are based on video use. for stills, where would you place your zebras? thumbs up.

[@BradGiannini]

Hey thanks! For stills, if you're shooting in raw (which you should), you could still do this method, or more commonly you can instead choose Lower Limit and pick somewhere between 107-109+. Then all you have to worry about is protecting the highlights and backing off when you see zebras. With the raw photos you have a lot of latitude for correcting, so that should be pretty good and pretty easy most of the time. Does that help?

[@pixeltales-studio]

I'm honestly surprised that you have 2.4k subscribers Brad. Probably the most underrated profile on the youtube.

[@BradGiannini]

Means a lot, thank you!

[@masondavid8398]

@@BradGianninigreat straight to the point video thanks man!

[@oliviertorres8001]

Crystal clear ! I'm about to buy an ATOMOS Shinobi 4K 5". Could you explain pros & cons between Zebras and False Color ? Thanks to share your skills...

[@BradGiannini]

Great to hear! Absolutely, I'm actually going to be doing an exposure video about false colors in the future, but the big advantage of false colors is you can see the exposure values for every part of your image all at once, vs zebras which you either set to a specific range or a lower limit. False colors is my personal favorite way to set exposure, but the biggest downside is most mirrorless cameras currently don't have it so you generally need an external monitor like an atomos.

[@ExploredPerpsective]

Thanks for this awesome explanation. For wedding scenarios would you just set for skin tones and say F it to the overexposed backgrounds? I always struggle bc I want to get some detail and it it’s not always possible to put an an ND quickly while running and gunning. What would you consider

[@BradGiannini]

Yeah I would definitely expose for skin...you could just leave a 2-5 stop ND on at all times outdoors and get a bit better exposure that way. Then when indoors either just swap to a faster lens, or take off the ND. But with weddings you don't have control of a lot of things, so sometimes you'll just have to sacrifice a blown out sky. In those scenarios I've found the best rule is expose for the most important thing in your frame, everything else is extra. I hope that helps!

[@HallgeirBakken]

Brilliant

[@BradGiannini]

Hey thanks!

[@camtec9364]

It's very use full one

[@BradGiannini]

Thanks!

[@NGOLE94]

nice sharing

[@BradGiannini]

Great thank you!

[@badechristian206]

Thanks for the informative video. I have 2 quick questions about zebras and skin tons. 1.Where do u set zebras when you have two people with two different skin ton? 2. How do you set zebras for a good exposure when you want to do an orbit shot around a subject?

[@BradGiannini]

Hey! 1. If you have multiple people in frame with different skin tones, generally you have to do things in camera to even it out. For example, you can have the person with the darkest skin be positioned closest to the light source. After that, try to come up with an exposure that works best, with priority to the most important person in the frame. But most of the time it's not an exact science. 2. Another tricky one that will depend on where your light source is. I would prioritize the front of the person for exposure, but after that, it really depends on the situation. You can have a light overhead, you can have a light orbit with a camera, or at worst just make sure nothing is over or under exposed dramatically, and find somewhere in the middle. Hope that helps!

[@badechristian206]

@@BradGiannini I got it ! Thanks for your time 🙏

[@theagentbridge]

Great video! Any idea how an FX3 would handle Zebras if you are shooting in SLOG3 but "baking in" the LUT that is saved to the camera? Does it assume post color correction? Or pre-color correction? Meaning, should you set your zebras to ~63 or ~53 if you have a LUT applied and it being recorded in the image?

[@BradGiannini]

Thanks! How are you baking in the LUT, using an external recorder? Generally I wouldn't do that if possible just in case you want to make changes, you want to see what the LUT will look like but not bake it in... However if it was baked in then yes it would be ~63ish or so

[@theagentbridge]

@@BradGiannini thanks for the response! On the FX3 you have the ability to apply the LUT in camera so you don’t have to take the extra step in post. I do this to save time since we shoot in the same controlled environment and I am comfortable with the phantom neutral LUT. Sounds like I need to go with 63. I appreciate you!

[@BradGiannini]

@@theagentbridge great good luck!

[@frankcanha]

SUBSCRIBED!

[@BradGiannini]

Well thank you!

[@frankcanha]

@@BradGiannini Yes, thank you sir, for the very well done vids! 👏👏

[@singjazz]

I am looking for a way to see overexposure after the shot. I’m doing a sixteen second exposer for a project in doing. My Nikon would flash on the overexposed parts in the display after the shot. I can’t figure out how to do that on the Sony 7iii

[@Jay-Go]

Hey, Brad. I'm a total noob when it comes to cameras. I just bought my first one...a Sony ZV-E10 with a Sigma 18-50mm f2.8. Seems everyone says that's a good starter set up. Just like in the first moments of your video, I shot my first pictures and videos, and they looked either too dark or too washed out. Aside from the sharper pictures, the color and exposure was terrible. So when it comes to using zebras, do I want stripes on those over-exposed areas? I'm still a bit confused and maybe just need to do more experimenting to figure it out. I thought stripes were bad. Good video. I dig your pace.

[@BradGiannini]

Hi, yes you made a good purchase! So it can be confusing because depending on how you use them, zebra stripes can be set to be either "good" or "bad." In the example in this video, they're set to be "good." You can basically set your stripes to show anything you want, and the two most common methods are to show zebra stripes for 1. the things that are in perfect focus (good), or 2. show stripes for things that are overexposed (bad). This video is a tutorial for #1. Now it's going to depend on the type of videos you shoot, but a lot of people shoot humans as the most important subject. In that event you should most often prioritize for the human to be properly exposed. So basically I gave a set of parameters to find proper exposure for a human being, and then once you dial in those settings, when you see the zebras you know your human subject is properly exposed. Both #1 and #2 methods are valid and both can be used in different situations. Does that help? Thanks for watching!

[@Jay-Go]

@BradGiannini man, that makes total sense. Great way to explain it. That gives me a clear starting point. I have some decisions to make.

[@BradGiannini]

@@Jay-Go great, best of luck...It's a process for sure!

[@indydangproductions6879]

Very helpful video! I have a question though, at 2:23, how are the zebras only appearing on your face? Shouldn't they also be appearing on the background, which is a lot brighter than your face?

[@BradGiannini]

Well thanks! Yeah so with "standard + range," you'll only see zebras within the range you set. In that example I believe I had them at 75 with a range of +/- 2, meaning you'll only see zebras on things that fall within the exposure levels of 73-77. The white background is much brighter, so it's probably closer to 100, meaning it won't have zebras on it. Does that help?

[@indydangproductions6879]

@@BradGiannini Ahh yup that makes sense. Thanks!

[@002codename]

Thanks. How about for run and gun where we can see not one but hundreds of skintones and outdoor lighting

[@BradGiannini]

So if you can't control the lighting, there are a few tricks in that case. You can use blocking to get the lighter skin tones in the more shaded areas (and vice versa). So darker skin tones standing closer to the sun. You can also use tricks like having the lighter skin people near a dark building or tree outside for some negative fill. But if you have literally no control and there are tons of people in frame at the same time, you're pretty limited. In that case I would opt for finding the lightest skin of importance in the frame and make sure that's not overexposed. It's generally a bit easier to handle underexposure in post. Hope that helps!

[@davidtube101]

What if i'm using slog would i not need to over expose or does it only apply when etc for interviews or when using tripod shoots in a control environment?

[@BradGiannini]

Generally with slog the best time to overexpose is in lower light conditions. Depends on the camera you have, but the current generation of Sony mirrorless cameras do really well in most scenarios without overexposing (or maybe just slightly)... Hope that helps!

[@galosu82]

Excellent content. But how should I set zebras to expose S-Cinetone using a gray card? 41%?

[@BradGiannini]

Hey thanks! For S-Cinetone there's no info I could find on Sony's website, but in practice closer to 50% works well with the gray card.

[@galosu82]

@@BradGiannini Thanks, Brad. I'll try using 50%.

[@BradGiannini]

@@galosu82 Great, good luck!

[@jootai]

how would you set up your camera if you had to film something, that has a fairly regular change of lighting situation. like a comedy show, light and dark..

[@BradGiannini]

If there are pretty consistent light scenes and dark scenes I'd probably use the memory on the camera (depending on your camera) and set one for light and one for dark exposures so I could quickly toggle between them. On the Sonys you could toggle between the 2 "native" ISOs. Hope that helps!

[@smallbizdigitalmedia]

Superb video but please explain why you don’t just expose the grey card for 41% zebras in slog3 where your face would be then film at that calibrated setting?

[@BradGiannini]

Hey thanks, so you can absolutely do that and it's great. I've find the gray card very useful. However, it's not always practical to use in every situation so it's good to know #s for your skin so you can still dial it in fast. I will say for the gray card, depending on your skin in practice I've found 41% can be a bit dark so if you go that route just keep that in mind!

[@smallbizdigitalmedia]

@@BradGiannini very useful and timely response many thanks

[@enstamud]

What's the unit quoted here with the number, eg 50? What does it refer to?

[@BradGiannini]

For the zebras? It's basically a percentage (eg. 50%), although it's a bit confusing because it can go higher than 100(%) in some cases

[@Miguel-hp2vp]

can you make a video finding the middle gray for all the picture profiles for exposure and the skin tone numbers to use next to it too ... I'm a little lost ughhhhhhh

[@BradGiannini]

I can - what are primarily trying to shoot?

[@Miguel-hp2vp]

@@BradGiannini videos for small businesses

[@jackcrouse6530]

Very good video, nice explanation and examples. However, I am not 100% the final part with you going to the background and exposing for your face is such a good idea. For example if you go to the background and expose for your face but the background is white, everything will be a lot brighter. I would maybe use the colors and materials of the background and expose for that.

[@BradGiannini]

Well in practice I actually do this a lot. Because I expose for my face very often, you start to learn what it looks like at different exposures, so now I can quickly step back in the background and I often try for my face to be around a stop under my foreground exposure. But yes it depends on the background and situation and what you're trying to accomplish for sure. I do often use the materials of the background as well, just many times there isn't anything to key on quickly, so I've found your face can act like a quick reference card.

[@LatinRemix]

I'm sorry for the stupid question, but is the goal to have or not have zebras on the display? I just got my camera, and I can reach a point where there are no zebras on my display. I am not understanding if that is the goal or not?

[@BradGiannini]

Not a stupid question! The answer is it depends on how you use the zebras. For the method I'm using you're setting the zebras to a specific level and then adjusting your camera settings until you see them on your display. However there are other exposure methods with zebras but if you're looking for a good starting place, I would try this. Does that help?

[@alezcoll]

I do have a question though... What if you're in an uncontrolled environment, such as. outside, or moving around a space? How would you set your zebras then?

[@BradGiannini]

So yeah that's a great question - unfortunately if you have no control over the environment you have a few options: 1. prioritize your most important thing in the frame, 2. protect your highlights and low lights and hope for the best. If I were moving around a bunch outside for example, I'd probably set my zebras to not blow out the sky, then check to make sure everything else isn't too dark, and then just hope it works out. If I was staying focused on 1 person while moving around, I would still probably set zebras to his/her face and then hope for the best, prioritizing that over blowing out a little sky. Does that help?

[@alezcoll]

@@BradGiannini Yes, sounds like a lot of it is going to have to be trial and error on my part, but that’s how we learn so I’m up for the challenge. Thanks for the input!

[@sylveon4755]

How to set zebra for different color objects? Like blue green yellow

[@BradGiannini]

Like different color objects in a scene? Generally you can't do that with zebras. Zebras register light output, not colors. If you're looking for different colors IN camera for setting exposure, that's called False Color. A tool not often found on mirrorless cameras, but very useful nonetheless. I have a video about it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpuQinRmfbJmgJI Hope that helps!

[@Johnvtm]

Is that the color checker the cop used in family guy lol

[@BradGiannini]

Ha

[@electronicfellows2113]

if you skin tone is 60, why do you put 75 +- 2 in camera and not 60??

[@BradGiannini]

Oh 60 is just an example. I was just showing what everything between 55 and 75 looks like with my skin. It's largely a personal preference, with a lot of movies opting for a darker image around 60-65, and other mediums opting for a brighter look, around 70-75. My personal preference for my skin is around 65-70.

[@electronicfellows2113]

@@BradGiannini thanks!

[@hamurabidios]

Your voice makes me wanna sleep

[@BradGiannini]

Well hopefully you're tired then!

[@juanromero961]

I still don’t understand after watching this

[@BradGiannini]

What part do you need help with?

[@dangerdrew313]

Zebras on zebras haha

[@mizovfx8075]

Speak so fast for tutorial video...

[@BradGiannini]

Try it at 75%!

[@BaRRe0n]

holy shit I did not understand a single word.... fuck.

[@BradGiannini]

Well if you have any questions happy to help

[@no1geek]

you could speak a little slower so non english speakers can have time to process things 🙂

[@BradGiannini]

Thanks for the tip!

[@alexandermiasoiedov6637]

This seems to be a useful video, but I’m too under qualified to understand it 🥲