"High Light" instead of Zebras?

[Paul Kellett]

Ok,no worries.

Thanks,Paul.

[Steve Phillipps]

What about you Paul, what sort of stuff do do? And how're you finding the EX1 in general - any plans to buy an EX3? That's why I'm having a little play with the EX1, to see if it'll be worth getting the EX3 when it ships, especially to use with Flash XDR.
Steve

[Paul Kellett]

I'm trying to make a living from videography/filming,been bitten by the bug and all that.
I'll film anything,i'm still a relative beginner although i'm learning fast.
I'll work with anyone who'll give me some experience,i don't mind doing a bit of free work if it means i can pick someone's brains.

Just started a business doing property video tours.link below

www.propertyvideosonline.co.uk

I've done some other stuff,interview shoots,easy stuff really,couple of bands,
i covered some bands at Cheltenham Folk Festival a few months ago,8 hours of constant folk music, and recently shot a theatrical performance,clips on vimeo,link below

www.vimeo.com/paulkellett

And i'm loving my EX1,brilliant workflow.
I can't justify (or afford) buying an EX3,it's not much different to the EX1 unless you start adding the extra lenses.

I just love filming and would love to do it for a living,even just part time.

Paul.

[Craig Seeman]

http://dvinfo.net/conf/showpost.php?...8&postcount=39

People really need to understand how Zebras work on EX1.
If you set the user controllable Zebra 1 to 95 it can begin to peak at 85 (+-10).
Zebra2 is locked to 100.

I use Zebra 1 set to 70 for interviews where skin tone is most critical.
I use Zebra 2 when I must avoid clipping (although I'd wish for a 109 settings instead of 100 in some cases).

I also find using both Zebras confusing to the eye.

I also find it confusing that one may not know one has turned off the Zebra button. Then I don't know if I'm not seeing Zebra because nothing is in that range or I accidentally turned them off.

It would be nice if the LCD displayed Zebra 1, Zebra 2, Both, Off. Toss that on the "wishlist."

[Paul Kellett]

.

It would be nice if the LCD displayed Zebra 1, Zebra 2, Both, Off. Toss that on the "wishlist."[/QUOTE]

And a "peaking" icon


Paul.

[Craig Seeman]

peaking defined as a "hard" 109? Yes.

Now if only Sony could do this as a firmware update. I don't think it's likely they'll do it though.

Originally Posted by Paul Kellett

.

It would be nice if the LCD displayed Zebra 1, Zebra 2, Both, Off. Toss that on the "wishlist."

And a "peaking" icon


Paul.[/QUOTE]

[Paul Kellett]

And that.

I meant the peaking as in focus,sometimes i'm not sure if the peaking is on or not.

Paul.

[Craig Seeman]

Sorry for the "me too" post but yes it would be important to know whether peaking is on or off also. For that reason I've pretty much given up on that and just use expanded focus.

At least with Zebra one MIGHT quickly point at an object that "should" kick in the Zebras and then toggle on/off.

That's much harder to do with peaking focus with any reliability and I just don't have time to fiddle with that rush rush world of time is money shooting.

Originally Posted by Paul Kellett

And that.

I meant the peaking as in focus,sometimes i'm not sure if the peaking is on or not.

Paul.

[Steve Phillipps]

Don't know about you but I find the EX1 peaking useless, not at all like peaking on pro cams. Sorry, broadcast cams. Sorry, 2/3" cams. Gotta be careful these days!.
Steve

[Phil Bloom]

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

I hear you, Mike - the only solution I guess it to let it appear distinctly enough to notice it, and then gently stop down (fortunately enough, the iris ring is very precise).

As to the LCD visibility, I agree - even with my Hoodman 400, when the sun is behind my back I can't see much...

i have a solution for you. move to england. we have the sun for 9 days a year. we have used up 6 recently so not much left. lots of grey skies and great lcd visibility!

[Robert Young]

I shoot a lot of bright ocean/beach/coastline scenery. It works for me to shoot with Zebra 2 @ 100, using Cine 1 and stretched blacks, and to actually allow the pure whites to "blow out" a bit. If I do a comparison shot of the same scene stopped down so that there is no zebra in any of the whites, it looks a little underexposed. This is only for Cine 1 and may not apply to the other gamma settings.

[Mike Stevens]

Originally Posted by Robert Young

I shoot a lot of bright ocean/beach/coastline scenery. It works for me to shoot with Zebra 2 @ 100, using Cine 1 and stretched blacks, and to actually allow the pure whites to "blow out" a bit. If I do a comparison shot of the same scene stopped down so that there is no zebra in any of the whites, it looks a little underexposed. This is only for Cine 1 and may not apply to the other gamma settings.

I concur. You are saying for you correct exposure is trial and error. If I set zebras at 100 and just back off I am often underexposed. I have tried using the histogram but as it does not go to the far axis it's not easy to interpret. Often when the Zebras are well blow the vector-scope shows 108 and there is no blowout. This is the whole problem.

[Steve Phillipps]

I think both cases here are talking about extreme situations where the limits of the camera (and possibly any camera) have been exceeded. These wave and dune highlights are very likely many stops above the scene average and to stop down enough to remove the zebras would crush the blacks into nothing.
Have you tried the button that shows the luminance level at the centre point, can't remember what they call it, on Varicam it's "Y Get"?
Steve

[Serena Steuart]

Originally Posted by Steve Phillipps

Have you tried the button that shows the luminance level at the centre point, can't remember what they call it, on Varicam it's "Y Get"?
Steve

It's called "brightness level indication". I always have this and histogram showing. I choose zebras and peaking when wanted. Being able to declutter the screen at the touch of a button lets me have all useful data displayed. Just as Adam Wilt commented. Relying on the camera saying "highlight" or "lowlight" is a bit crude -- I regard these as warnings to consider corrective action.

[Serena Steuart]

Originally Posted by Steve Phillipps

These wave and dune highlights are very likely many stops above the scene average and to stop down enough to remove the zebras would crush the blacks into nothing.

Steve

Agree. Have to control these extreme ranges with graded filters or, where that can't be done, choose the areas of the image that can be let go. Burnt out highlights are very ugly, but sometimes have to be tolerated because shadow detail is where the picture is -- recompose the frame in those cases.