Sony A6300 - what is this I'm seeing in the viewfinder? My wife has this camera. We went out yesterday to photograph orchids in a local bush reserve. Her viewfinder has this weird (to...

hogesinwa Loc: Dalyellup Western Australia

My wife has this camera. We went out yesterday to photograph orchids in a local bush reserve.

Her viewfinder has this weird (to me) display of "borders around objects, filled in with zebra stripes".

I don't know any other way to describe it. Maybe it looks like when you see a weather map with lines around areas of equal pressure?

I scanned through the directory in her manual but as I don't even know what to call this, I couldn't find anything to illuminate me.

Something that says "this is not in focus, but this other bit is?" Maybe.?

She was using her Sony macro lens, but I tried this morning with her Tamron zoom and it shows the same, if perhaps a little less. She may have pressed a button or switched a switch but she doesn't know and can't tell me what.

Can anyone begin to guess what this effect is and how I research it more?

11bravo

Google search of "zebra stripes in viewfinder" gives:

Zebra Stripes. Zebra stripes, or zebras, are a feature of professional cameras which give an indication of exposure levels. When activated, diagonal lines appear across any part of the picture which is approaching over-exposure. These lines appear only in the viewfinder — they are not output from the camera or recorded ...

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

I bought a used Sony camera to use my Pentax and Leica screw lenses. Did not get a handbook either. However, in the 'Custom Settings in Menu button Mode, Zebra can be switched on or off, and a range of on settings from 70 to plus 100. The zebra seems to indicate the brightest parts of a scene, which might be over-bright in your picture, at the exposure as set. The 'Focus Peaking' system also found in the custom programme gives a coloured border to the In-Focus parts of a scene. Very useful tool. I'm sure someone with a Handbook will be able to give you 'Chapter and Verse' the full explanation of Zebra settings.
P.S. There you have it as posted above, just beat me to posting.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

hogesinwa wrote:

My wife has this camera. We went out yesterday to... (show quote)

It is Focus Peaking. It is kind of like Live View but it shows you what is in focus and what is not.

My Pentax K-3 and Fujifilm X-100T have it. I found it works excellently for extreme close-ups with my K-3. At least when I am not doing focus stacking.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

lamiaceae wrote:

It is Focus Peaking. It is kind of like Live View but it shows you what is in focus and what is not.

My Pentax K-3 and Fujifilm X-100T have it. I found it works excellently for extreme close-ups with my K-3. At least when I am not doing focus stacking.

??

hogesinwa Loc: Dalyellup Western Australia

Thank you for that info. I have the manual, and was looking at it on her PC while looking through the camera. I did not know what Peaking was - I think there were 87 instances of Viewfinder but not knowing what I was seeing, Peak did not grab my attention.

This now is interesting because removing the "annoyance", so to speak, is really shooting yourself in the foot, because it is telling you very useful information. Turn it off, and you see a pretty picture in the viewfinder and have an out-of-focus shot when you get home?
As someone said above, a very useful tool.
Thank you again.

bleirer

lamiaceae wrote:

It is Focus Peaking. It is kind of like Live View but it shows you what is in focus and what is not.

My Pentax K-3 and Fujifilm X-100T have it. I found it works excellently for extreme close-ups with my K-3. At least when I am not doing focus stacking.

I don't have that camera, but on mine focus peaking is a glow at the edges of the in focus parts, zebra stripes i think indicates blown [too bright] pixels, meaning they are saturated so much they don't show any detail.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

bleirer wrote:

I don't have that camera, but on mine focus peaking is a glow at the edges of the in focus parts, zebra stripes i think indicates blown [too bright] pixels, meaning they are saturated so much they don't show any detail.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

lamiaceae wrote:

It is Focus Peaking. It is kind of like Live View but it shows you what is in focus and what is not.

My Pentax K-3 and Fujifilm X-100T have it. I found it works excellently for extreme close-ups with my K-3. At least when I am not doing focus stacking.

The Zebra pattern is NOT 'Focus Peaking' . It is a warning that the zebra areas might result in blown highlights. Focus Peaking is indicated by a (selected in Custom Settings) coloured outline of areas that are in focus. And that is in Sony cameras (as used by the OP) NOT Pentax, or Fujifilm. Mis-information is a dangerous thing.

rwilson1942 Loc: Houston, TX

Pablo8 wrote:

The Zebra pattern is NOT 'Focus Peaking' . It is a warning that the zebra areas might result in blown highlights. Focus Peaking is indicated by a (selected in Custom Settings) coloured outline of areas that are in focus. And that is in Sony cameras (as used by the OP) NOT Pentax, or Fujifilm. Mis-information is a dangerous thing.

What Pablo said and, you can turn off the zebras and/or focus peaking in a menu, don't remember which one.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

lamiaceae wrote:

It is Focus Peaking. It is kind of like Live View but it shows you what is in focus and what is not.

My Pentax K-3 and Fujifilm X-100T have it. I found it works excellently for extreme close-ups with my K-3. At least when I am not doing focus stacking.

The borders are Focus Peaking. The stripes are overexposed areas. Both can be turned off in the menu system.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Pablo8 wrote:

The Zebra pattern is NOT 'Focus Peaking' . It is a warning that the zebra areas might result in blown highlights. Focus Peaking is indicated by a (selected in Custom Settings) coloured outline of areas that are in focus. And that is in Sony cameras (as used by the OP) NOT Pentax, or Fujifilm. Mis-information is a dangerous thing.

Erroneous post. Sorry.

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

That was fascinating. So I have a question: Does this application of The Zebra Stripe function .... Augment ..... the Histogram Analysis that also exists within the camera or is it designed for use in High Key applications or shooting in direct sunlight in high noon /harsh exposure levels or all things combined?

Or is it strictly for Macro work only as described in the original post above?

Thanks guys.

bleirer

Blair Shaw Jr wrote:

That was fascinating. So I have a question: Does this application of The Zebra Stripe function .... Augment ..... the Histogram Analysis that also exists within the camera or is it designed for use in High Key applications or shooting in direct sunlight in high noon /harsh exposure levels or all things combined?

Or is it strictly for Macro work only as described in the original post above?

Thanks guys.

All of the above. If you shoot raw you have a little latitude beyond, because you are seeing the jpeg version, if you have a few in unimportant areas don't worry, but if it is heavy in important areas of the shot, there will be no detail there and the color might be wrong when you try to fix it later. Better to make the shutter speed shorter or close down the aperture, or lower the iso or click exposure compensation to the left until the stripes ease up.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Blair Shaw Jr wrote:

That was fascinating. So I have a question: Does this application of The Zebra Stripe function .... Augment ..... the Histogram Analysis that also exists within the camera or is it designed for use in High Key applications or shooting in direct sunlight in high noon /harsh exposure levels or all things combined?

Or is it strictly for Macro work only as described in the original post above?

Thanks guys.

The Zebra Stripes (when switched-on), act as a warning, before the shutter is activated. The Histogram shows/becomes active after the shutter is tripped. More of a confirmation that the exposure used,was not as good as it could have been.