How to EASY expose S-LOG3 correctly - with Zebras!

This is a step by step tutorial and master class where I share how to correctly expose S-LOG3 on your Sony A7SIII, FX3 and other Sony cameras. I sometimes call it the S-Log 3 exposure super hack! To be able to use this s-log3 exposure hack you just need to know the tools your camera offers you.
It's actually super easy to expose S-LOG3 if you know what exposure tools to use, and how to use them. Sony a7siii slog3 is one of the most commonly used setups. But many are struggling with the exposure. I will use my Sony A7SIII for this S-log 3 exposure tutorial.
In this S-LOG 3 exposure video I will go through how to use the Exposure Meter, the Camera monitor, Gamma Assist, and Zebras.
When using the Zebras for nailing the exposure for S-LOG3, we use C1 and C2 settings.
Avoid future Slog3 overexposure and underexposure.
🔴 SUBSCRIBE to THIS Creator channel: geni.us/MK-creator
🔴 SUBSCRIBE to my Tech channel: geni.us/MK-Tech
🔴 SUBSCRIBE to my Vlog: geni.us/mk-vlog
=============================
🔗 LINKS
=============================
- SPECIFIC GEAR HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS VIDEO -
Leeming LUTs: geni.us/leeming-lut
Phantom LUTs: geni.us/phantom-luts
Peter McKinnon VND: geni.us/PeterMckinnon-vnd
- ALL MY GEAR and EQUIPMENT -
All my equipment, gear, and reading tips can be found here:
geni.us/kit-mats-kellerman
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Below you will find links that may be Amazon affiliate links. The above links may be affiliate links.
=============================
SOCIAL MEDIA
=============================
Join me on Instagram: / matskellerman
=============================
🕑 TIME STAMPS
=============================
0:00 - Intro to S-LOG3 Exposure Tutorial.
0:28 - Why correct exposure is so important.
1:32 - Possibly issues with other exposure tutorials.
1:46 - Why I use the S-LOG 3 Picture Profile.
2:05 - This is the S-Log 3 exposure tutorial for you.
2:31 - The 4 exposure tools in the Sony Camera.
2:39 - Overexpose S-Log 3.
2:54 - Issues with using the Exposure Meter.
3:20 - Presenting of the 4 Exposure tools in the Sony camera.
4:05 - How to use the Exposure Meter, for exposure.
6:42 - How to use the Monitor for exposure.
7:12 - How to use Gamma Assist.
7:46 - How to use the Zebras for easy exposure of S-LOG3.
11:23 - How to adjust the exposure on Sony A7SIII.
11:25 - Shutter speed for adjusting exposure.
11:33 - Aperture for adjusting exposure.
11:44 - ISO for adjusting exposure.
11:54 - Peter McKinnon Variable ND filter for adjusting exposure.
12:28 - Using Zebras for ETTR - Expose to the right.
13:54 - It's ok to blow out the highlights!
14:29 - ETTR with Zebras.
15:11 - Issues with ETTR.
16:03 - Different techniques to expose S-Log3 with Zebras.
16:47 - Summary Expose S-Log3.

[@creativesmk]

Perhaps the best explanation on this topic over KZbin. I've watched tonnes of videos on this topic already and none had this level of in depth explanation to perfect exposure for SLog3. You've just earned a loyal subscriber for life. Well done!👍🏼

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you True Patriot. I’m happy that it was valuable 😃👍 and welcome as a subscriber!! 😎

[@creativesmk]

@@MK-Creator Thanks for replying. I would love to see a video about the perfect exposure for skintones in No Picture Profile and S Cinetone...More videos about color grading and Sony a7siii's in camera settings in indoor and low light situations would be awesome too.

[@RealMattCook]

This is the best explanation of using SLOG3 for exposure. I used it for a beach shoot where S-Cinetone would have not worked, and it was fantastic. Very easy to expose properly. Thank you.

[@MK-Creator]

I am so happy to hear that and I’m so grateful that you took your time to share your experience😃👍

[@JanandAnn]

Thank you for this! Soooo helpful 👏🏻

[@MK-Creator]

That is so awesome! And I’m so happy you found your way here and I hope that you’re going to come back many more times.

[@sudZAYNsu]

Ive been looking for this kind of explanation for very long time. Thank you.

[@MK-Creator]

Thanks for finding your way here! 😃👍 and thanks for sharing.

[@letterboxfilm]

Veldig bra og forståelig. Takk🙏🏼

[@rickwilliams3690]

Pretty sure this video just saved my backside for a big client shoot on the golf course in 2 weeks! Thank you for explaining this so much more simplistically clear than the others!

[@MK-Creator]

I’m so happy to hear that! 😃👍 Is there anything else you are unsure about for the upcoming shoot??

[@rickwilliams3690]

@@MK-Creator awww thanks for taking the time! 🙏🏼… so far, this weekend I am outside in the bright sun practicing what you showed us. I also got the variable ND filter which was something I had not had! Let’s see if I get it. Or I’m gonna have to watch this video again! Ha! 🙃 it’s only for Pro Am Golf and celebrities… no big deal! 😨😬

[@MK-Creator]

So happy for you 😃👍 Watch the video again, and if you run into any issues let me know and I’ll do my best to help you out! We all have to help each other when we can 🫣

[@RanjanSharma2001]

Very well explained, thanks for such detailed guide.

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you too Ranjan. I hope to see you back soon. Does drones interest you? I have a nice series av videos for the DJI mini 3 pro :) kzbin.info/aero/PLmClYffJ0rLSqVieFbi7fzmzZUuJgGsY2 Thanks for taking your time to write a comment!

[@tiliaandersson]

Thank you!! Best explanation ever

[@MK-Creator]

🥳👍 amazing! You will love the next video that is about shutter speed 😎👍

[@outdoorhabits]

Thank you for sharing the knowledge

[@MK-Creator]

Thanks for honouring with a visit! Welcome back for many more videos 😃👍

[@Roz-Inspire-Video]

Great video …thank you

[@kristofeight9668]

Perfect explanation, thank you

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you 🙏

[@MUSICsukantaOfficial]

Great, No one talked like you before. Everything is now clear just because of you. Thank you ❤

[@MK-Creator]

So happy this video helped you out! Welcome by the way! Looking forward to have you around for a long time 😃👍

[@mingfx]

very nice explanation for mid gray and exposure concept. you are a wonderful teacher , Thanks a lot

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you so much! I hope you will come back many more times 😃👍

[@AprilClayton]

Thank you for making this easy to understand. I overexposed SLog 3 because I thought I should overexpose by 2 stops. On Sony A7IV, my outdoor footage was mostly blown out.

[@MK-Creator]

I’m so happy to hear this! 😃👍

[@TheOneMonk]

This is a fab tutorial! Liked and subbed.

[@MK-Creator]

Thanks a million! 😃👍

[@bryanngo759]

had to watch this 3 times but this definitely helped.

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you so much for letting me know! And I’m very glad that it helped out. Welcome back many more times! 😃👍

[@claule11]

Thank you so much!

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you for taking your time to write this comment! The feedback is so valuable. Was there anything you missed?

[@bryanthernandez5251]

Now it makes sense!

[@sanjivrsingh3411]

Very good exapalanation

[@MK-Creator]

🙏 thanks! I’m happy you found your way here 😃👍

[@jakir_studio]

You deserve my sub well explained

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you so much Jakir! 😃👍

[@curt300s]

Well done.

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you! Welcome back many more times

[@AndreasLiljegren]

Entertaining! :D Congrats on the Ufo documentation! :D

[@MK-Creator]

Thanks you Andreas! It was really a once in a lifetime happening! Welcome back at any time 👍😊

[@caelanwilliamson4284]

I definitely learned a lot from this video. Thank you

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you too! I tried to cover everything I thought was difficult when I started.

[@caelanwilliamson4284]

I was shooting in HGL3 but decided to start shooting in SLog3 as I'm new in video and trying out different settings. This definitely pointed me in the right direction and was very helpful @@MK-Creator

[@MK-Creator]

@@caelanwilliamson4284 😃👍

[@the.wolfer]

Great job Brow! Theo besta vídeo in KZbin for This subject, tks

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you so much! 😃👍

[@fbmrqs]

Fantastic video. Keep up the great work! On a side note, I smirked when you mentioned 56±3 IRE as being your C1 setting for the Zebra Pattern feature; I assumed you were using Phantom LUTs too-and you eventually confirmed it. lol

[@MK-Creator]

Thanks Fabio. 😃

[@familyjunk3989]

Best explanation of 18% grey on youtube! Thanks liked subscribed.

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you so much! Trying to do everything the way I needed to understand it when I tried to… understand it 😂👍 Welcome back many more times!

[@mustafagomen7084]

thank you very good video

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you! 🙏

[@zefrynainggolan2650]

Thank you for the video, now I understand better why you have to have more than one setting in a video shoot, and how metering works in a video shoot, and how it can ruin the video in post-production. I'd love it if you'd share your experience again here.

[@MK-Creator]

That’s amazing! Thank you so much for sharing 😃👍

[@MattStidwillDesign]

This is the BEST video I've seen on the subject. So many other creators skip on really explaining each step. As a beginner learning how to use S-log for the first time, this is exactly the explanation I needed. Thank you!

[@MK-Creator]

I’m so happy that you took your time to share your thoughts. It really made my day to read this! 😃👍

[@Edwin--]

Thanks for the nice video. The settings you have mentioned though are partially specific to the LUT used. Sony recommends for S-Log3 on their own official LUT, that middle grey is exposed at 41%, skin tones at 48-52% and a 90% reflective white card at 61%. That means that with the official Sony LUT c1 could be a little lower than 56 +/- 3, more like 50 +/- 2.

[@MK-Creator]

Exactly. Depends what LUT you intend to use 😃👍

[@austinkunkleproductions]

Love this video! Sometimes I use s-cinetone when I have to give RAW footage to the client. Would you be able to make a video about s-cinetone zebras? Subscribed for sure!

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you 🙏 I’ll add it to the list, but I can’t promise anything :) Welcome back at any time!

[@AmrGamal878]

This is the best explanation I got for the zebras settings, thank you, but I have a question : what if I am not using the lut and instead relying on the color space transform for the DaVinci resolve, what should be the range of zebras settings in c1

[@Alanwking]

In that case you might want to have a Grey card and expose for middle grey. Josh Sattin has video about nailing exposure. He mentioned setting zebras at 45% if you're using the in-built LUT or 41% without the preview LUT. For both, it's +/-1. Here's his video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXKwYoWImKyoqdU

[@albevisuals]

This video is pure gold. Thank you very much. I only have one question that i still don't know how to answer and probably it might sounds stupid. Usually, with SLog3 we want to over-expose to 1.7, in certain situation i can do that (example day light or open spaces), but since my base iso on a7iv is 800 and for low light is 3200, how can i get the best results when having low light situations and still to iso3200 i can't get to those stops of over exposing? How far can i go highing the iso and having the lowest noise possible?

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you!! 🙏 I usually never really overexpose slog3 anymore. In low light I can actually crank the iso quite a bit above the second base iso without introducing very much noice. I would suggest to focus more on what the result looks like rather than the number 😃👍 I hope it makes sense…

[@albevisuals]

@@MK-Creator Thank you! It makes a lot of sense!!

[@gabriel-mckee]

How do I expose C2 if I'm using the Phantom LUTs? Do I set it to 94+?

[@Nomadicaffan]

What are the zebra values, if I am not using phantom or leaming luts for skin tones and landscape in SLOG 3. You have delivered great explanation but what I feel, it should also covers without lut values too for the new comers like me. Thank you

[@Nomadicaffan]

I have set 44% IRE value and usually over exposes by 1.3 to 1.7 but I am not satisfied with the results and I thought 94 was the extreme range of zebra and I have never exposed at 94 value. Just 44% s709 (800) used for landscape and people

[@AJCoReTV]

52 for Sony lut skin tones

[@RussianPlus]

great jokes by the way😂

[@MK-Creator]

Thanks 😂

[@fionngorilla]

thanks! couldnt one just use your c2 settings for portrait too and just adjust till it clips in the face? or didnt I get something wrong?

[@MK-Creator]

Absolutely, i I find myself doing that a lot too. But then you most likely end up clipping other highlights in the shot that are brighter than the face.

[@biopharmedia]

Hi Buddy, great video. Was just re-confirming after having a shoot with SLOG-3 go a little wrong. All comes with practice... One question, is their a big difference between the Leeming LUT and Neutral. Could you use Neutral Phantom LUT for the C2 exposure settings of 94+ Cheers Tom

[@biopharmedia]

Oh, and another question. I typically use S-Cinetone for filming events and expose by eye. I haven't given S-LOG3 a go yet as I'm looking for quick turnaround footage. This can be tricky as I am often filming, skin tones (people in the conference) and products on display. Any advice?

[@MK-Creator]

Well it all comes down to how you exposed your shot. Leeming LUT want to overexpose the shot as bright as possible until it clips the highlights. The Phantom LUT want a neutral exposure where you don’t really put so much attention to the highlight, and instead the main subject.

[@gettriggered8404]

This is kind of confusing, so for C2 zebras.. that custom setting is only for leeming luts? what if you’re not using luts? could that custom setting be applied still?

[@mingfx]

Can I know where I can get phantom and Leeming lut for my premiere pro editing software? thanks

[@MK-Creator]

There should be links to all of them in the description. But here you go 🥳 Leeming LUTs: geni.us/leeming-lut Phantom LUTs: geni.us/phantom-luts Pike LUTs: geni.us/pike-luts

[@DavidFaxon]

Great video, but I have a question. I'm using Phantom Luts by the way. For landscape, when there is no skin tone or at least it’s not the general focus, I have been shooting at Lower Limit 93+ so that nothing is blown out, however everything is still very bright, and I find that I have to lower the exposure in Premiere by quite a lot. My question is, with shots that don’t include skin tones and I’m exposing using zebras, what do you recommend? Using 93+ seems to make my image way too bright. Should I simply expose by eye when it comes to landscapes, b-roll, etc? In your example, being just under zebras doesn't look washed out, but in my Slog 3 with my Phantom Lut Gamma Assist on, it's way too bright. Thanks!

[@MK-Creator]

Thanks! Slog 3 is clipping at 94 so 94+ is a good setting to make sure you are not overexposing. However phantom luts are not adapted to ETTR exposure (exposed to the right). For ETTR you should use for example Leeming luts. But again. Then you are focusing on not overexpose anything rather than having a perfect exposure of your subject. Nowadays I go on feeling 98% of the time.

[@DavidFaxon]

@@MK-Creator thanks for the reply, that answered my question where I was worrying more about not over exposing anything, but still having my picture look way too bright. My Sony fx3 doesn’t show any zebras on 94+, only on 93+ and down. A bit weird if slog3 is supposed to be 94+

[@iosifconevalic3647]

Hi, I really enjoyed your clip...., but I have noticed that on your jacket writes "Carinthia". Are you from Kärnten ( Carinthia), Austria? P.S: I'm watching your clip out of Wolfsberg

[@MK-Creator]

Thank you so much. No I’m from Sweden. But I love the Carinthia brand. I get all of them from www.tacngear.se great store 😎👍 Welcome back many more times!

[@zweiche]

how do you know if you correctly exposed in camera ? (for landscapes for example). i can use ettr and 94zebras for leeming lut but this is overexposing Asking this bcs i saw your comment “i dont overexpose nowadays” , i expose correctly in camera. So whats your workaround

[@henrystravelcorner7090]

Do you overexpose by 2 stops for phantom luts?

[@MK-Creator]

No. I have stopped overexposing nowadays. I tend to expose correctly directly in the camera instead.

[@williamgicquel4387]

hi, thanks for the video, well explained !! but i have an issue, when i exposed my clip with zebra 94+ when i import it in premier and put an rec 709 lut conversion its still flat and need a lot of adjustment, and i really need to put down the exposure. do i not understand something about de conversion lut or anything ? i thank that rec 709 lut make your clip well exposed and contrast but like so its really to bright..?

[@MK-Creator]

Hi William! Thanks for stopping by and for coming to me to find solutions for your issues 😎 LUTs can be tricky sometimes. A Rec 709 only converts the source to rec 709, but you need to know what that LUT is supposed to convert from. it doesnt magically convert any footage to rec 709. it need to be for example Slog3 to rec 709 LUT. but then you need to check how that lut want you to expose your footage. for example if you set zebras to 94+ you only tell the camera to display zebras where highlights are being clipped when using slog 3. To expose for 94+ so you see zebras and then lower the exposure just so the zebras disappear. Then you exposed for the highlights (ETTR = Expose to the right). And thats how Leeming luts should be used… I hope this helped 😃👍

[@williamgicquel4387]

@@MK-Creator thanks a lot for the answer !! i did exactly what you said and i'm shooting in slog3. so this is why i don't really know what is happening 🧐 But when you said, after lower the zebra for letting the zebra to disappear i need to expose for ETTR ? is the same thing ? or it means after there is no zebra i need to get more lower or.. ? sorry i'm little bit confuse by this process.....

[@halimrahman]

I am exploring S-LOG3 this week. I was on HLG-3 for quite sometime 🙂 When you mentioned "zebra", do we need to adjust until the zebras are gone, or until the first zebras appear?

[@MK-Creator]

When you expose for the skin then expose so zebras show up. If you expose for the highlights according to (ETTR) then expose so the zebras show up and then just dial down so they disappear.

[@halimrahman]

Thanks. Will definitely play with these settings today 🙂

[@JtcFilms]

Did I miss the C1 56 +-3 part? Does that just simply mean set your Zebras on C1 to 56? And thats what you want it set at for anytime youre exposing to skin tones? Should C1 be at lower limit 56? Or what? want to make sure I understand the C1 part bc the most helpful for weddings/skin tones. Thanks!!

[@MK-Creator]

Exactly. :) I have C1 set to 56 and then just make sure you get zebras on the skin highlights and you will have excellent skin exposure :)

[@JtcFilms]

@@MK-Creator Thanks for the quick reply man! So once you get zebras on skin at 56, do you pull exposure down slightly until theres no more zebras? OR do you keep shooting WITH the zebras still on your subject? (it just seems annoying having zebras on while shooting so im wondering best way to use it as an indicator so when you get zebras you know to stop down once or w.e. to remove them and thats when you'll know youre exposed correctly. Thoughts? :)

[@MK-Creator]

@@JtcFilms I would suggest to get used to see the zebras. If you pull down then you can run into under exposure because you don’t see if it’s getting lower. The zebras should be visible on the highlights

[@kcajay]

😊😊❤❤

[@atran416]

do different skin tones affect the 53+?

[@MK-Creator]

Hi 👋 Yes it does. I usually don’t have it on 53, I use 56 to get it slightly over exposed. You might want to lower that to between 48-54. You almost have to try it out to see when the skin you are filming turns out successfuly😃 Does that help?

[@richg.4980]

Hi! The Gamma Assistant doesn t work while shooting in slog3? Use the fx30. Its deactivated? What am i doing wrong?

[@MK-Creator]

Gamma assist should work. Hard to say exactly what is causing you issues tho…

[@AJCoReTV]

A7S3 slog3 base iso is 640 for me?

[@MK-Creator]

Correct. 640 and 12800

[@chrismiller7080]

What’s some zebra settings for HLG 3

[@MK-Creator]

Hi Chris, Honestly I don’t know. I’m not using any HLG profile. You should ask the LUT creator to get the correct exposure level.

[@francktmv9137]

100+ (kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3eTmqZrdsmSfsk)

[@MK-Creator]

@@francktmv9137 that depends on the LUT. There is a difference between the clipping point of a picture profile and how the LUT should be exposed.

[@thefrenchexpedition]

wait so the c1 doesn't work the same as the c2? I thought no matter what you don't want zebras to appear? so for c1 you want to see zebras, but then how do you know if the highlights are overexposed in that one?

[@MK-Creator]

Hi Samuel, With the setting I have on my Sony A7SIII the C1 display zebras on the skin parts that have the correct highlight exposure. For C2 it displays zebras when that part is “lost”. For the C1 I ignore the general highlights and focus on getting the skin correctly exposed. As I tried to show when the snow; if the snow is correctly exposed (correctly exposed highlights), then the skin will be very under exposed. So for C1 the focus is to get the highlights of the skin exposed correctly. Thanks for asking!

[@creativesmk]

Yes, with C1 you shall adjust your camera's exposure until you see the zebras appear on the skin (you'll lose the zebras on the skin if over or under exposed), while with C2 you need to adjust the exposure till you see the zebras appear on the Scene and dial one stop back till it disappears for the perfect exposure. The way he explained, now I'm never gonna forget it. 😀

[@jimhestermanphotography]

The snow looks in the background looks blown out and clipped.

[@MK-Creator]

Exactly. That’s why I selected that extreme location to illustrate that sometimes you have to make sacrifices. Sometimes you might need to blow out parts to get the thing that is telling the story to be properly exposed. Thanks for watching.

[@AJCoReTV]

Ahh 56 instead of 52? I’ll give this a shot for skin.

[@MK-Creator]

The sensor is so good so it’s not super critical… what matters most is how you go about it in your post production. Give it a try :)

[@electronicfellows2113]

but why does this video seem overexposed

[@MK-Creator]

This is why I selected this location. To demonstrate that you have to select what to be exposed correctly. In this case I am the object with correct exposure, and because it’s a super bright day and snow on the ground, the snow will be blown out. If I had all my equipment with me I would have set the exposure for the background and then used lights to get the exposure of myself correct. But in this location I had to sacrifice something… Thanks for watching!

[@BrewReview]

People aren't even watching 6 and a half minutes in where he literally explains this..smh. This is why there's so much confusion over this. No one exposes for middle grey to begin with and are impatient enough to not absorb the information given to them freely before commenting their opinions. The snow in the background isn't the subject that's being exposed for, dude.. it's the human in front of the snow. Sometimes you can't have both, a camera doesn't see like your eyes do.

[@udy0243]

When white is 61 IRE for SLog3 , why would you map your Zebra to 94 IRE? Doesn’t make any sense. Ideally you shall be mapping 48-52 ( so keep at 50 + or - 3) for Zebra1 for skin-tones and 61 for Zebra2 for whites.

[@MK-Creator]

When mapping it to 94 is just because that’s the brightest you can capture in slog3. You can test it yourself by having a super bright light source. Set the zebra to for example 100. Then aim the camera directly into the light source…. No zebras… now step down and you will see that it’s when you reach 94 that the zebras appear. The purpose is to map it so you can see where the highlights are clipping. That’s why 94. :)

[@ArtistDharamVlogs]

More confusion😢

[@rocus80m]

Bro I understand and you sound knowledgeable, but how do you explain all these and having your video so overexposed, Im not gettin it - whats the point?

[@MK-Creator]

It’s all about exposing for what’s important in your scen. That’s why I took a very very extreme location as an example. If there is super bright snow in the back you can not properly expose the snow and the person at the same time so you have to do sacrifices sometimes. Whatch it again 😃👍

[@rocus80m]

@@MK-Creator I understand that you chose an extreme example; however, in your case, not only the background but also the face is overexposed. If at least something was correctly exposed, I would have understood that. Therefore, the entire video puzzles me.

[@MK-Creator]

@rocus80m “back in the days” when I recorded this video it was a “ting” to always overexpose slog3. Which is something I hardly ever do anymore. But the video still proves the theory and process.

[@TLOverlander]

Did you purposely blow the shit outta your talking head footage?? Wtf

[@MK-Creator]

Listen to what I’m explaining and it will probably be explained 🥳 Happy new year!

[@TLOverlander]

-Creator I listened... But seeing as you yourself were only taking up about half the frame or less, your exposure meter is actually telling you that your shit is blown out. Change your exposure metering to "spot" on yourself and you'll see that you're over exposed as well