I've read a few times that people are setting AE level to -3. I find this results in slightly too much underexposure. I am using -2 now, but may start using -1.

This camera handles quite differently to what I am used to with video because the wide latitude gives you a bit of "play."

So anyway, I was just wondering how people are choosing their exposure when they DON'T have a monitor. Are you setting zebra over 95% or 100% and then exposing to keep the highlights just below that? Obviously you sometimes have to let the highlights clip - eg the Sun shining off of chrome.

The other thing I have found is that the colour rendition is greatly effected by exposure. The colours are really punchy when well exposured and far more pastel when underexposed.

Any comments and ideas would be great, thanks!

I haven't done any exterior shooting, but when I shoot interviews indoors, I set my zebras at 70-80% and leave a small piece of the zebras on the hottest spot. This is with no white in the scene. I try not to let my subjects wear white - it just makes my life easier.

Here's a thread from Cinematography.net that addresses zebras - in the DV world. I don't know if HDV should be any different. It's the same principle.

http://www.cinematography.net/Pages%20DW/ExposureOnTheDVX-100.htm

I also have AE set to -3, but that is personal taste. You could set the custom buttons to AE + and AE - and then adjust depending on what you think you need

I also have AE set to -3, but that is personal taste.

I think it also depends on the settings. Which black stretch on 3 you can afford to underexpose further. Some of my recipes use Black compress though which looses a fair bit of that information.

indeed, but I have black set to normal...

I was just wondering how people are choosing their exposure when they DON'T have a monitor.
I generally use zebras at 100% and set exposure manually by turning the iris until I see the zebras in the brightest large areas, then turning it back slightly so I only have zebras in the smallest highlights (lightbulbs, reflections, etc.) This way I know I'm just under the overexposure threshold for the majority of the scene.

I like to do it this way: set the zebra's at 70 and make sure faces are in zebra. or put the zebra at 80+ (i believe it is 85-95 then in the HD100) and make sure there is no zebra-pattern on the faces...