Z is for Zebras

No, not the stripy horse kind, but the industry jargon for a camera’s highlight warning indicator. This is a screen display setting that reveals where your brightest tones have lost detail and become pure white, and is a very valuable tool for getting a good exposure. With a shot on screen, scroll through the various display modes using the D-pad until the Highlights option is active. Any blown highlights will now flash from black to white whenever you review your shots on the LCD screen, and that’s where the ‘zebra’ bit comes in.

Although it can be a little distracting at first, it’s wise to get used to this display and always shoot with your zebras switched on. If you’ve blown your highlights, there’s absolutely nothing you can do to bring back the detail, so if you see them flashing, you need to reshoot the scene after applying some negative Exposure Compensation. To do this, hold down the +/button, and set a negative amount of -0.5 or -0.7 before taking the shot again.

In editing software, you can always bring back a little detail in the shadows if needed, so by exposing to keep your highlights within range, you give yourself the best chance of success when it comes to making a good exposure. Keep your zebras on, and the job is easy.