Never Overexpose Your Photos Again: Sony Camera Customization

[@dassie10]

It is worth noting that there is an interaction between this and the Creative Style settings, even when shooting in raw. Although the Creative Style settings don't change the raw file, they do impact the display AND the zebras calculation (which is clearly based on the jpeg and not the raw data). I have adjusted my 'Standard' Creative Style to have contrast -3 and saturation -1. With these settings, I find zebras on C1 with 109+ to give an accurate guide based on some initial testing. Thanks Ryan - very helpful.

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

Worth noting for sure! I've always left Creative Style at the default so I didn't think to mention it. Thanks.

[@robwasnj]

Yes! I'm using the A7R3 and changed my creative style to make this more accurate and for no other reason. Very good thing to note. What body are you using Nick, I may try your settings, I'm using portrait on mine but I forget what tweaks I put on it, it's been so long I haven't changed it in forever. I have mine at 107+ but there's still a smidge of room in RAW for recovery even if a bit of zebra was there when I shot the photo.

[@bossalicious88]

Thanks so much for this tip. Did some test in video on my 6400s and A73, and this worked perfectly. You didn't overstate that this is a total game changer. I've been struggling with filming against backlight (using S-Log), and never quite trusting the zebras at 100. If I'm even a stop or two below max with a strong backlight, then bringing up light on the subject can sometimes result in tons of noise. But I dont want to overexpose, and every situation is different. This solved it beautifully by allowing to to get maximum exposure. You rock!

[@bigalan1942]

Just changed from Nikon to Sony and your videos have been a great help. Thank you.

[@chrispylant8001]

Fantastic, thanks. I've been using Zebra on my A6500 but didn't realize it needed careful adjustment.

[@WaitButHow]

So helpful! Thank you! 107+ worked for my A7 IV when shooting into the LEDs on my light. Still no clipping and no zebras. Though I didn't try to go higher.

[@chuckfowler8042]

Very helpful - thank you Ryan. Shot mergansers yesterday in strong light and with zebras controlled exposure much better.

[@sfayers3361]

Very informative video Ryan, many thanks for going to the trouble of making it and explaining the custom zebra setting so well.

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

Glad it was helpful!

[@robwasnj]

Great video, I've been doing this for over a year now and found EXACTLY what you did, mine has been set to 107+ after doing my own testing. It's a great way to shoot wildlife for sure, I no longer look at the histogram and often just ride the exposure comp dial until the zebras go away. Even at 107+ you still have a slight bit of room in RAW.

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

Well why didn’t you tell me sooner! Haha. I had been using the Zebras at “100+” because I just thought that’s the highest it went, and then in my head I would know that when I saw the stripes that meant I had about a stop or so more until I blow out the exposure. It was not a pretty way to work. One of these days I should read the manual...

[@robwasnj]

@@RyanMenseWildlife Yes, when I started pulling photos into LR and realized I had a lot more room to play without overexposing at 100+ I cracked open the manual and started reading up on zebras. I tend to not read manuals either until I have a question. I do however thing there's situations where you may not want to always place your highlights on 107+, situations like low contrast scenes where putting the exposure more in the center of the histogram comes to mind. While the zebra method prevents you from blowing highlights in landscapes and such I've found pushing them to just below clipping isn't always the best unless you're really going to boost up shadows and worry about noise,. Of course when doable an hdr stack can be the real key. Something I don't see talked about a ton is how much more tweaking that can be done on Sony files compared to say Canon which is what i came from, I was really happy with how much room I had when I made the change, it was truly a game changer. Anyways hopefully your video will reach many more people and improve us all as photographers. Excellent job.

[@olgashevchuk1055]

Just to say thanks!
Your explanation is really helpful and clear.!

[@anathomaz.photography]

Best info I ever found about my Sony a7iv! Thank you!!!

[@DavidSchamis]

This is genius - changed my life for the better! Thanks!

[@wildlifebybrianhoule]

Thanks for doing this video Ryan. I missed it last year, but set it up last night. I was out with snowy owls this morning and the images seem to be better right out of the camera. Snowys are such an easy bird to clip with all the white and capturing the detail with the right balance is huge so thanks!!!

[@princeharbinger]

This is a awesome find! Would you happen to know what the number should be for the A6300?

[@tuckerjeffrey]

Thanks for the zebra tip

[@CamillaI]

You never stop learning with this camera just reset mine, thanks for sharing

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

It’s surprising what I can still pick up when I think I know it all.

[@CamillaI]

Ryan Mense there are none so blind as those who will not see

[@SelmanJulian]

Awesome - really good tip. Thanks

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

Thanks for watching!

[@GreatKeny]

Given a7r VI sensor is close to ISO invariant from ISO 320 or higher, I don’t think it matters that an image is somehow under exposed. You should get almost exact image quality after pushing it in post. ETTR only makes sense when you change aperture and shutter speed combo. Since they are fixed here no exposure is changed and with an ISO invariant sensor, ISO value doesn’t really matter when you shoot raw (I know technically ISO and pushing in post are different but the difference is very minimal)
On the other hand, this zebra method will be useful for non-wildlife settings when you use for example AV mode and use zebra as a guidance for your exposure compensation. In such situation, since your are changing the exposure, ETTR matters even for an ISO invariant sensor.

[@Hemimod]

Great info! Thank you!

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

Thanks for watching!

[@matejbole5752]

how to check overexposed photos if you shoot in studios is possible check on camera preview like in nikon and canon camera's

[@stanleeger4711]

Good info. I've tried to use the zebra warning, but found that it is just too distracting for me. I'll try it again with the 107+ setting.

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

It can be distracting, that’s true. The 107+ setting should minimize it a little bit at least.

[@shadduck]

To deal with that distraction I set a custom button to turn on/off the zebra overlay... I may find it unnecessary and change the custom button to something else in the future, but having that quick on/off capability made me more comfortable using this technique.

[@stanleeger4711]

@@shadduck Good idea!

[@jordanbathe8772]

What would you suggest for video?

[@michaellena5779]

Great video!

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

Thank you, Michael!

[@roryhill717]

Have you compared your final results to just under exposing in-camera and pushing the exposure in lightroom? Since the a7rIV is ISO invariant from ISO 320 on, adjusting your exposure by adjusting the ISO, (as you do in the video, and how you would in the field if constrained to specific aperture and shutter speed), should produce a very similar result. Unless you can get more light by increasing the aperture or reducing the shutter speed, the ISO invariant nature of the sensor should make ETTR meaningless.

[@guywilliam]

This makes sense. For wildlife etc. it should be safer to underexpose than try to push the ISO in camera. It's still a useful technique for studio and landscape, when you're using base ISO.

[@MikeT-yy3]

Hi Ryan, thanks for a brilliant video, just what I needed for my A9.
One question if I may, shooting Raw + Jpeg should I use a colour space of sRGB or Adobe RGB.??

[@jimbass2127]

Good idea, but when shooting birds I am reacting quickly between subjects. By the time I fiddle with exposure, that bird has flown. But you got me thinking...instead of zebras use the highlight metering mode, which is automatic. Until now, I've only used that for sunsets, but you got me thinking of expanding that for birds. Especially those egrets.

[@robwasnj]

I wonder if that'd work, if that mode could scan the frame and set the exposure just below where zebras form it'd be fantastic but I"m not sure it'll work out that way. I agree there's not always time but I tend to ride the exp comp dial and use auto iso for such stuff, when I see the zebras on something like a white bird I immediately start dialing down exp comp, of course if the bird moves in and out of light it can be tough to keep up with that action but for the most part this approach works. Nothing worse than blowing the bird.

[@AlexBuzunov]

how did u link ISO to a ring?

[@chryseass.5143]

Thanks Ryan, I have just changed my zebra setting and will see if that helps as I do find 100+ not really giving me a lot of guidance.

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

I agree. I used to use the Zebra setting with 100+ and would have to keep track of how many clicks more I could encroach into the overlay before it would likely clip. Way easier just seeing it and knowing it’s too far.

[@justinryan1488]

May give this a try on mine once I can actually get out on some birds or something like that

[@carlossantini]

THX U! DOES THE MAGIC NO. 107+ APPLIES TO THE A7R3?

[@jimbass2127]

Yes, it does. Mike Smith did a tutorial on this on his channel. If you own that camera, you'll find plenty of good information. He also goes by Boxhead Mike.

[@robwasnj]

I've been using that on my A7R3 now for a year and it works well. I do notice I can still have a slight bit of zebras on some white areas and they're still recoverable but it's really really close at 107+. Also realize your creative style will affect zebras, I forget where I put mine i'ts been so long but i"m using portrait with some tweaks to make it more accurate.

[@carlossantini]

robwas where can I see your settings? any videos?

[@robwasnj]

@@carlossantini I didn't make a make a video but my settings are as follows:
1. Set zebras to indicate at 107+ (custom).
2. Set picture style to portrait with a contrast of -3
3. Set Dynamic Range Optimizer to +5

[@carlossantini]

robwas thxs

[@AlimHaque]

Anyone know the number for a73?

[@mnlt2000]

+1

[@gurubry]

The automatic way to do this is to use Hilight Metering and auto-ISO -- you'll never clip the hilights or need to fiddle with ISO settings.

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

Not quite apples to apples, but highlight metering may be useful to someone. Highlight metering looks at everything either in the scene or in the focus area. For the first one, I don’t care if my scene is clipped (blank white skies for one), I just don’t want my bird clipped. If it’s linked to focus area, what if my single point is on the dark green head? Then it’s not taking into account the white feathers at all. I rather have a visual assistant for this so I can decide myself, but you may not agree.

[@kailherc]

Ryan, I’m wondering if the 107 works with the A9. Did you get a chance to test it?

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

Yeah I have my a9 and a7R set up the same way

[@DazLane123]

Hi what Creative style and values please

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

I don’t mess with Creative Style, so whatever the default is.

[@petercasey3738]

👍 nice 1

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

Thanks, Peter!

[@volkankeklik1238]

zebras unfortunately dont work towards the edges of the frame. Furthermore can you test and let us know how the 107+ figure changes as you use different picture profiles and gamma profiles.

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

Why not? The display is reading straight off the sensor, so the vignetting is factored into the zebra display, right? For the record I don’t use any sort of profile corrections for my images, so maybe I can see that being the case if you do?

[@volkankeklik1238]

@@RyanMenseWildlife check here www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4259130

[@naturealbums]

@@volkankeklik1238 good link thanks.

[@90053]

I was so excited to see this but my A7R2 doesn't have custom zebra settings. The best it can do is 100+.

[@RyanMenseWildlife]

Ah, that's a shame. Thanks for letting us know.

[@AleksanderWarski]

This is just top of the iceberg.
With Standard Creative Style there is still a margin.
With Standard Creative style adjusted to -3 contrast there is still a margin.
The only way to make it work the proper way is to dive into Pictures Profiles which are not that straight forward.
www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4259130